Stories from Monday, October 28, 2002

With three four-year seats and one two-year seat open on the McCook City Council and 11 candidates vying for the positions, the choice for who will be involved in making the major decisions for the city of McCook could be a tough one. In order to help the public make its decision as to who will serve on the council, the Gazette sent out a questionnaire to the candidates...

MAKENA, Hawaii -- Julie Imelda Pearl Dunworth and Joshua Ephraim Dutcher were united in marriage Aug. 29, 2002, at South Maluaha Beach, Makena, Hawaii, on the island of Maui with the Rev. Chanti Kanohalopua officiating. Parents of the couple are Charlotte and Allen Dunworth and Rebecca and Jesse Dutcher, all of Culbertson. ...

Jodi Trumble and Jason Cobb were united in marriage June 22, 2002, at McCook Evangelical Free Church with Rev. Bruce Lester officiating. Parents of the couple are John and Luella Trumble of Cambridge and Dallas and Diane Cobb of McCook. Grandparents of the couple are John and Beulah Trumble of Cambridge and Harold and Ardyce Bick of Farnam. Grandmothers of the couple are Esther Meader of Wilsonville and Eldred Cobb of Stratton...

BENKELMAN -- Anne Bowman Bertram and Dr. Brett Loren Rhoades were united in marriage June 29, 2002, at the United Methodist Church in Benkelman with the Rev. Matt Fowler of Springfield officiating. Parents of the couple are Carl and Shirley Bowman of Arvada, Colo., and Dr. Robert and Sharon Rhoades of Benkelman. Jacob Bertram, four-year-old son of the bride, escorted his mother down the aisle...

INDIANOLA -- The children and grandchildren of John and Helen Helm hosted a dinner on Oct. 5, 2002, at St. Catherine's Catholic Church Hall in Indianola, for their parents 60th anniversary. The couple was married at St. Catherine's Church Oct. 10, 1942, by Monsignor H. S. Haukap...

For more than 30 years, commissioners and citizens' study committees have been trying to decide whether Red Willow County needs ... and can afford ... to build a jail. Up to now, the efforts have failed or fizzled. After months of time and study, the previous study groups have concluded that -- while a jail is needed -- building and staffing one would be more costly than the current practice of transporting prisoners to neighboring towns for confinement...

Dear Editor: This is in response to the recent letter, published in this paper, stating that the City Council of Arapahoe filed a lawsuit to prevent the voters from being able to vote on the financing and support of the golf course. The original petition requested that the matter of financing the golf course be submitted to the voters, by a direct vote of the people. ...

Dear Editor: The best solution for the college name problem has for twenty-eight plus years seemed simple to most of us, and it doesn't require $5,000 or $40,ooo for an independent study. As I recall, the vocational school in North Platte was called Mid-Plains Vocational-Technical College, then both North Plattes schools became Mid-Plains Community College. ...

Through the years, there have been a lot of high points ... and low points ... on the streets and highways of McCook. Paving-wise, it all started in 1919 ... 83 years ago. That's when Paving District No. 1 was formed to pave B Street with bricks from West Third to East Sixth streets, and Norris Avenue (then known as Main) from the depot to the courthouse...

Kyle Teel (from right), 12, Tanner Teel, 9, and Spencer VanPelt, 8, enjoy what little snow is left at Kelley park on Friday afternoon.

BENKELMAN -- Dundy County Judge Bert Leffler scheduled a preliminary hearing for a 25-year-old Stratton man charged Friday with use of a firearm to commit a felony, making terroristic threats and second degree assault. Robert Todd, 25, was charged by special prosecutor D. Eugene Garner following an incident Sept. 16, in which Todd allegedly assaulted and threatened William McGinnis of Haigler...

The small-town atmosphere of McCook serves as sharp contrast to the city streets of Lincoln for Jim and Melissa Martin. The Martins, with their two children, 3-year-old Seth and 6-month-old Adeline, arrived in August when Jim accepted the pastoral ministry at the McCook Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 212 W. Seventh...

The McCook Army Airbase Historical Society is requesting that the city of McCook exclude the area where the buildings for the World War II era Army Airbase once stood. In a letter to the McCook City Council, Dale Cotton, president of the historical society, asked the Council to "set aside the building area, concrete building foundations and apron from the pending sale or auction of the property."...

Elementary students, teachers and parents parade down D Street on their way to a free hotdog feed at the JCPenney Parking Lot. The annual Just Say No walk climaxed with a poster contest and other activities designed to discourage drug use.

HAIGLER -- Paige and Alicia's Girl Scout project has turned into a community-wide effort that will improve the city park, help the girls earn badges and make parents feel more comfortable about the park's playground equipment. It will even bring a bluegrass concert to Haigler...

BENKELMAN -- A Dundy County High School freshman died in a one-car rollover accident Friday night on a county road 8 1/2 miles northwest of Benkelman. Funeral services for Lindsey Jean DeWester, 14, will be Tuesday, at 10:30 a.m., in the high school gym in Benkelman...

McCook city officials have recommended four of the seven real estate companies which expressed interest in selling the airbase property to the McCook City Council. The Council is expected to choose a company during tonight's special meeting at the Heritage Senior Center at 6 p.m...

CAMBRIDGE -- McCook cattleman and businessman Les Horn died this morning at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge. He was 84 years old. Horn was a co-partner at the now-defunct East Sale Barn from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. Horn was also a co-partner at Tri-State Livestock Commission Co., the West Sale Barn, from the 1960s through the 1990s. Funeral services are pending with Carpenter-Breland Funeral Home...

The McCook City Council will hear from Olsson Associates for the final time before making a decison on the water field portion of the water solution study, Monday at 7 p.m. at the McCook Senior Center. As part of its contract, the engineering firm has provided the City Council with a recommendation for the best wellfield, should the city decide to choose that route as opposed to treatment of the city's water...

Shannon Moore and Tyler Bieck (center) are crowned McCook Senior High 2002 homecoming queen and king following a Bison victory Friday night over the Hastings Tigers, 40-0. Shannon is the daughter of Vonnie and Don Moore; Tyler is the son of Bill Bieck and the late Mary Jo Bieck. ...

Ben Hormel was one of the first people I met when we came to buy the bakery in McCook in 1957. We had some minor problem with our car and I took it to the Hormel garage, since it was a GM car that we were driving. Ben came out of his office, decided that I was someone he did not know and came over and introduced himself. ...

McCook High School Homecoming 1942...we played Hastings and we beat them 12-0. Of the football game the Gazette wrote, "There was even a tinge of the story-book stuff about last night's victory for McCook. The Bisons proved for themselves Coach Sautter's contention that hard work and clean living will win. ...

I grew up in an extended family in a small Arkansas town. Extended families used to be the rule; now they're pretty rare. I lived for 17 years with my mom, dad, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and uncle. I was the only child in the house so I was kind of spoiled but I didn't know it at the time...

BENKELMAN -- Lindsey Jean DeWester, 14, died Friday (Oct. 25, 2002) in rural Dundy County, north of Benkelman. She was born Nov. 20, 1987, in Benkelman to Richard (Dick) and Julie DeWester. She was a member of the freshman class at Dundy County High School in Benkelman. She excelled in basketball, volleyball, softball, and the swim team, and was active in Future Business Leaders of America and FCCLA...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Robert D. Schneider was born Sept. 16, 1933, on his uncle and aunt's farm south of Imperial. He died on Oct. 21, 2002, at Sacramento, Calif. His father and mother were Dean and Margaret Schneider of rural Funk. He attended Prairie Rose school, District 11, his first five years of grade school and then District 11 consolidated with Axtell Public Schools...