Stories from Monday, January 27, 2003

OMAHA -- McKenzie Stritt and Kamron Ochsner were united in marriage Aug. 31, 2002, at St. Gerald's Catholic Church in Omaha with the Rev. Gary Ostrander officiating. Parents of the couple are Tom and Nancy Stritt of Indianola and Ken and Kathy Ochsner of Omaha...

The family of Harold Baker is hosting an open house Feb. 1, 2-4 p.m., at the Grandview Senior Center in Stratton to honor his 80th birthday which is Jan.31. Cards of congratulations will reach him at RR 1 Box 21, Palisade, NE 69040.

SUTHERLAND -- Rae Kamery, formerly of Trenton, will celebrate her 89th birthday Jan. 29. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 1200 Second Street, Apt. 7, Sutherland, NE 69165.

With Catholic Schools Week approaching, finding organizations and groups in McCook which benefit from the generosity and involvement of St. Patrick School and its students turned out not to be a difficult task. Nearly a dozen people stepped forward with their testimony about the influence of St. Pat's on their organization. These thoughts are included on the Catholic Schools Week pages in today's Gazette...

Dear Editor: It has become painfully evident that the property owners in McCook will be faced with making up the shortfall of $1 million in the transactions which took place during the purchase and sell of the old Army Air Base Land. With this in mind I would like to suggest that the taxpayers be offered a one-time payment option to apply to the shortfall rather than have it strung out over a number of years...

Dear Editor, The only way to make the City Council and School Board to listen is have at least 100 or more "We the People" at both meetings and let the supposedly so-called leaders of McCook know who is in charge. It is "We the People," the taxpayer, the workers in this fair city who should make the decisions. It should not be what the boards want, it should be what "We the People" want and can afford...

Dear Friend, Last fall 29 Democratic senators voted with the Republican senators to give President Bush carte blanche to go to war with Iraq. These included Sen Tom Daschle, Senator Ted Kennedy, Senator Joe Biden and 26 other Democratic senators. Why did they vote "yes" then? Because, through intelligence briefings, they know that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction and he intends to use them...

Dear Editor: I am very impressed with the knowledge that so many critics have of the operation of diesel engines. Having spent most of my adult life owning or operating these engines I feel it most necessary to share some of that experience with you...

Someone will win on Sunday, and someone will lose. Whichever NFL team you are rooting for, make sure you're not one of the "losers" who finds themselves causing an alcohol-related traffic accident. The Mothers Against Drunk Driving are among the many groups urging Nebraskans to celebrate safely by designating a sober driver and offering non-alcoholic beverages at parties to ensure that friends and family members arrive home safely...

SAINT JOSEPH, Mo. -- Sheila Hollander and Michael Brodersen both of Kearney were united in marriage May 11, 2002 in an outdoor ceremony at the home of Dan and Jane Schwabe and was officiated by Rev. Sharon Speigal of Assemblies of God Church in St. Joseph, Mo...

Several more cases in Red Willow County District Court this week involved methamphetamine. A Beaver City man was sentenced for probation violation. Wade B. Grilli, 32, had his original probation revoked and was then sentenced to 180 days in jail for attempted possession of a controlled substance, a Class I misdemeanor, and 45 days in jail for operation of a motor vehicle after suspension, a Class III misdemeanor, to be served concurrently...

A mobile home belonging to Anna and Jeremy Sis of rural Atwood was destroyed in a fire Friday evening. Wallace Gummere, Stratton Fire Chief, said his department responded to a mutual aid call at about 9 p.m. Friday, from the Atwood Fire Department. Anna and the couple's two children, ages 1 and 4, were at home, 121/2 miles south of Stratton, at the time of the fire...

Members of the Army Reserve 1013th Quartermaster Company based in McCook left McCook this morning after their activation in "Operation Enduring Freedom." Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Chambers of Oberlin said the soldiers will be in North Platte through Feb. 2, and then transfer to their mobilization station at Fort Riley, Kan. From there, their destination is unknown, Chambers said...

NORTH PLATTE -- One McCook man was elected chairman of the Mid-Plains Community College board of governors, and another was sworn in for his term on the board. Harold Bennett of McCook was elected chairman of the board of governors at last week's meeting, Wednesday at the Voc Tech campus in North Platte...

Some prankster added an extra note at the bottom of the Culbertson signs along U.S. Highways 6-34. If you miss your exit, you can always stop for directions, unless you're male.

One Internet service provider was down for more than five hours over the weekend, while another noticed slow network traffic due to a virus-like attack on the network over the weekend. Walter B. Hampton of McCookNet told subscribers that the company "experienced an entire network outage from a denial of service attack imitated from somewhere on the Internet about 11:40 p.m. (Friday)...

Two McCook residents were arraigned in Red Willow County Court Friday morning on charges related to the manufacture and possession of methamphetamine. Joshua O'Neil, 28, was charged with manufacture of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school, a Class 2 Felony, and Nichol L. Haas, 22, was charged with possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), a Class 4 Felony...

WASHINGTON -- Senator Ben Nelson today announced that the Nebraska State Patrol and the US Attorney's Office for Nebraska will receive $1 million to fight the growing problem of methamphetamine use. "The Patrol is aggressively attacking the meth problem in Nebraska," said Colonel Tom Nesbitt, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. ...

TRENTON -- An explosion ripped through an oil field two miles southeast of town Friday, destroying six 300-barrel oil storage tanks and shooting flames up to 150 feet in the air. No one was injured, Trenton Fire Chief Tom Hovey said. The cause was under investigation...

Friends and supporters of newly crowned Miss Rodeo America 2003 Lori Bortner plan a reception on Saturday from 2-4 p.m. at the Best Western Chief Motel poolside to celebrate her achievement. Lori will sign autographs and visiting with well-wishers during the afternoon...

ARAPAHOE -- Robert Byron Tull, 84, died Friday (Jan. 24, 2003) at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge. He was born Aug. 3, 1918, at Arapahoe, to Otto E. and Emma L. (Vandruff) Tull. He graduated from Arapahoe High School and then enlisted in the Army in July 1941 until October 1945. He returned to Arapahoe for the rest of his life. He was a farmer...

Johnny Eugene Keane, 61 years, seven months, died Thursday, Jan. 23, 2003, at his home in McCook, from advanced stages of primary progressive multiple sclerosis. He was born June 17, 1941, in Alliance, to John Robert and Gatha Beatrice (Hack) Keane. ...

Mildred Wing Hauxwell, 98, passed away at Linden Court in North Platte on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003. She was born Nov. 7, 1904, at Harvard to Harry and Ella (Peterson) Wing. When two years old, she moved with her parents to a farm near Indianola, where she spent her childhood. She attended the Indianola school and graduated with the class of 1922...

Well, here we go again. For the first time in a couple of decades, our government is seriously revisiting the issue of drafting young Americans into mandatory military service. If we were facing a world crisis or another World War, it would make sense...

In McCook, over the years, there have been a number of people who have enjoyed the experience of being airborne, using means other than the conventional route of learning to fly in a power plane. In the '60s we had a very active sailplane club. A number of those flights originated from the old Army Air Base, which had long, quiet, runways, before the concrete strips were torn up. ...

McCook residents were asked to search their attics and spare rooms for furniture and furnishings "to provide comfort and recreation for our soldiers at the Air Base." Pictured this week is Ed Hering of New Jersey, standing in front of Building T-51, one of two "day rooms" at the McCook Army Air Base built during the first phase of construction. ...

Caroline "Carolyn" Melton, 86, died Friday (Jan. 24, 2003) at Community Hospital of McCook. She was born Oct. 2, 1916, at Muscotah, Kan., to Mortimer and Minnie (Christ) Roach. She graduated from Muscotah High School. On Nov. 10, 1939, she married James William Melton at McCook. ...