Stories from Tuesday, January 7, 2003

The Southwest Nebraska Area Girl Scouts are taking orders for Girl Scout Cookies from Jan. 7-27, with cookies being delivered Feb. 24-March 17. The annual Girl Scout cookie sale is an event that works in two ways; it raises funds for the Girl Scouts, an organization that supports girls with fun, informal learning activities and it teaches important life skills such as goal setting and money management...

Dear Editor, There is far too much communist infiltration in America today! We must drive out the intruders and leave (us) legal and ethical landowners. A case in point: the supposedly solved Kansas-Nebraska water dispute. I was down there the other day (at the Republican River by [Barnett] Park) and it is hardly even a mud-puddle. And, those crazy Kansans say we are stealing their water. This is preposterous...

Dear Editor, My Dear Ms Nancy Hubert Miller: I really do think you missed the point. Mr Sehnert was not professing to be a racist, he was retelling a small but insensitive part of our history. Like it or not, it is a part of yours and McCook's past...

Dear Editor, I happened to be in the Mc Cook area over the weekend, and caught a look at one of your newspaper headlines concerning your BCS bowl game results ... To my AMAZEMENT, I was appalled to see the headline that stated USC beat Iowa State .....

With the upcoming auction of the McCook Army Air Base, things were finally starting to move forward for the city of McCook. And then another hitch was discovered -- diesel fuel was reported under the 4 million gallon water storage tank located along South Street in McCook...

Several representatives from the Nebraska Department of Roads, Paulsen Inc., the city of McCook and the McCook Chamber of Commerce will conduct a meeting Tuesday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m. in the Board Room of McCook National Bank to discuss the upcoming B Street reconstruction project...

McCook may not be going back to square one in its quest to provide decent water to its citizens, but it will be taking a few steps in a different direction. During the Dec. 16 meeting of the McCook City Council it was announced that cleanup operations were under way in response on a 1 million-gallon diesel spill under the city's 4 million gallon water storage tank...

OMAHA -- A former McCook Public Schools custodian, arrested in May 2002 on identity theft charges, will serve five years probation. Robert Burwell, formerly known as Richard Manley, was sentenced Monday by Chief Judge Richard G. Kopf following Burwell's conviction for identity theft...

At least 50 viable bidders have shown an interest in the McCook Army Air Base, Don Hazlett of Farm and Ranch Realty of Colby told the McCook City Council during its regular meeting, Monday night. Hazlett's firm was on hand to give the council a final report on the upcoming auction, Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. in the Community Building of the Red Willow County Fairgrounds...

Ron Wertz of rural Trenton loads bails of alfalfa Monday for Troy Wiese of Benkelman (center), one of 10 Southwest Nebraska cattlemen who received hay in "Operation Hay Lift 2003," coordinated by Mid-Nebraska Community Action. Looking on are truck owner Chris Mote of Trenton (left) and Jason Frederick of Parks (right), of Nebraska Public Radio. ...

Rita's Frame Shop at 211 Norris had a surprise visitor at about 11:30 a.m. today, when a Herndon woman apparently stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake while attempting to park. There were no injuries in the accident.

LINCOLN -- The Nebraska Health and Human Services System is distributing 123 defibrillators to rural communities to respond to one of the most time-critical medical emergencies -- cardiac arrest. Six of the defibrillators will be delivered to Southwest Nebraska locations...

Training will be available to volunteers in the AARP Tax-Aide program in the preparation of both federal and state tax returns for the year 2002, at the McCook Library, Jan. 9-10, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Instruction will be given to volunteers in the Tax-Aide program under the direction of the AARP Foundation in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service. ...

A herd of angus cattle graze through the fog in a scene north of Perry on Monday morning. Unseasonably warm weather, near 73, is expected in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas on Wednesday, with cooler temperatures later in the week.

LAWSON, Mo. -- Timothy "Tim" Paul Brown, 47, died Friday (Jan. 3, 2003) in Alamogordo, N.M. He was born Feb. 5, 1955, in McCook to Thomas (Bud) and Leraine (Loker) Brown. He spent his childhood on a small farm south of Trenton and graduated from Trenton High School with the class of 1974...

Kenneth F. Petersen, 82, died Sunday (Jan. 5, 2003) at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. He was born June 3, 1920, in McCook, to Edward and Christina Jensen Peterson Sr. He grew up in McCook and after graduation, joined the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Alaska...

BENKELMAN -- Virginia Mayme (Wine) Jensen, 95, died Saturday (Jan. 4, 2003) at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. She was born July 7, 1907, in Chase County, to David G. and Lottie (Keller) Wine.  She graduated from Imperial High School, and taught for several years in the Prairie Schooner, Enders, and Blue Ridge schools...

OBERLIN -- Cleta Faye Wenger, 72, died Monday (Jan. 6, 2003) at her home in Oberlin. She was born Dec. 10, 1930, in Rawlins County, to James E. and Ethel A. (Meyers) Gilbert. She attended grade school at Rose Dale School and graduated from Decatur Community High School in 1948...

BENKELMAN -- Grace Rebecca (Alsbury) Whiteley, 90, died Saturday (Jan. 4, 2003) at the Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. She was born Oct. 24, 1912, at Hiawatha, to Frederick Levi and Addie Rebecca (Faris) Alsbury.  On July 30, 1938, she married Alvin James Whiteley at Sterling, Colo. ...