Stories from Thursday, October 10, 2002

While the city of McCook has received the expected report from Olsson Associates on test well data and cost comparisons of various ways to address McCook's water problems, the report is missing information on several factors necessary to allow the council to make a decision on its choice of possible well field sites...

All of America -- but especially rural areas such as ours -- is deeply indebted to 4-H for the tremendous contributions the program has made to the youth of the nation. Talk to anyone who has made a genuine commitment to 4-H program and they will tell you it made a difference in their lives...

McCook Senior High drum major Shawn Pfanstiel holds the "Superior" trophy the Marching Bison Band won in field marching competition Oct. 5 at the Harvest of Harmony Festival in Grand Island. The MHS band placed ninth of 19 bands in the parade marching competition. ...

KEARNEY -- McCook City Council candidate Dan Petty continues to show improvement following an accident in which he was kicked by a horse Sept. 29. Petty's wife Deb said this morning that Petty underwent surgery last week at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney to repair the third, fourth and fifth vertebrae in his neck, which had been crushed during the accident, causing contusions on his spinal cord...

Life Planning for Persons with Disabilities will present a two-hour workshop on financial and future-care planning for families who have a person with a disability. Sponsored by the Association for Retarded Citizens Southwest, the workshop will be 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, at the Country Kitchen Restaurant/Chief Motel in McCook. Steve Morris, state director of LPD, will present the seminar...

In an attempt to rid itself of land the city is under obligation to purchase in January, McCook officials will accept sealed bids on the property and written proposals from local real estate agents who would like to market the 1,885 acre property until noon, Tuesday, Oct. 15...

A truck and a three-piece trailer -- 168 feet long -- blocked traffic Wednesday afternoon as it maneuvered the East B Street intersection in McCook onto South U.S. Highway 83. The humongous rig owned by McAfee Trucking Co. of Jeffersonville, Ind., and its super-wide load caused quite a stir. One curious on-looker commented, "That driver really has to know what he's doing," as the truck slipped right past light poles, traffic lights and oncoming traffic...

After the past week a question has been raised around my extended family dinner table --  "How many times will it take you to learn?" Let's see, all told Brad and I have been involved in four remodeling projects... "Four," I tell them. The Banzhaf and/or Masoner Family Construction Co. has closed its door and folded. It's gone belly up and is now buried 6 feet under -- and the shovels with it...

TWIN FALLS, Idaho -- Cora (Meissner) Dybdahl, 61, died Monday (Oct. 7, 2002) in Twin Falls, Idaho. She was born Nov. 25, 1940, to Leo and June Meissner. She was preceded in death by her parents; one daughter, Della; one brother, James; and one sister, Thelma...

HOLDREGE -- Robert Duane Maurer, 76, died Tuesday (Oct. 8, 2002) at the Bryan LGH-East Hospital in Lincoln. He was born Jan. 1, 1926, at Genoa to Robert F. and Edith (Stromburg) Maurer. He attended school in Genoa and graduated with the class of 1943...