Stories from Thursday, May 22, 2003

The McCook National Bank American Legion Seniors baseball team opened the summer season Tuesday with a doubleheader sweep against Goodland. The doubleheader was played at Jaycees Sports Complex in McCook. The MNB Seniors won the first game against Goodland 10-6 and the nightcap 2-1...

SHARON SPRINGS, Kan. -- Grace Marian (Chessmore) Cables, 97, died Tuesday (May 20, 2003) at the Greeley County Hospital in Tribune, Kan. She was born Oct. 1, 1905, at Eagle Grove, Iowa, to Vernon Arthur and Susan Charlotte (Singer) Chessmore. The family moved to Ludell in 1907, where they farmed south of town. ...

It's not in the bookstores yet, but a new book is being written by frustrated board members in the small towns of the western United States. The story doesn't have a title, but a good one was suggested Wednesday during a meeting of city and village board members in McCook: "Arsenic and the Old West."...

Brad and I are facing quite a quandary for this, the first holiday of the summer. There's always work to be done in the yard. We've decided to redo our fish pond, we need to get the bricks, mortar and broken up cement that's been in the back yard for the last thirty years picked up and moved away and we've talked about doing some landscaping and getting some mulch laid down in order to cut down on the mowing time...

Ryan Lukas slaps a towel on the window of a van he and his fellow fourth graders are washing on the West Ward playground. Vivian Wills's students washed cars Tuesday to raise money for the McCook Humane Society. A community service project is required when an "America's Promise" grant is used for a school project. The class plans a trip to Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, where they will participate in a hands-on recreation of hand cart transportation along the Oregon Trail...

Kindergarten and first-grade students from Wauneta-Palisade (second photo, right) take in the afternoon performance of the Tehama Shrine Circus on Wednesday at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. The Fearless Estoles (top) performed a high-wire act without a net, Christina Harriot (far right) did an aerial act with the help of her horse, Wind Dancer, and Star Christie, 11, demonstrated a flaming hula-hoop, among other talents. ...

New Image Tattoos and Piercings, 301 East First, specializes in the New School tattooing technique and is one of the few in Nebraska that has a cosmetology license. New Image is owned by Brian Garcia of McCook. The 28-year-old opened the shop in October 2002, and employs five artists, including himself...

It's time to take hammer and nails in hand. That which has occasionally seemed to be an impossible dream is finally coming true for Southwest Nebraska Habitat for Humanity. On May 17, Habitat board members and volunteers began clearing the lot at 805 West K Street in preparation for the laying of a crawlspace foundation for the first Habitat home in Southwest Nebraska...

Nebraska Sen. Tom Baker is breathing a sigh of relief this week as the 2003 legislative session begins to wind down. Baker likened the mood of the Nebraska Legislature to school children in the last week of school. "We're starting to count the hours now," he said...

The enthusiasm is there even if the "luck of the draw" wasn't very lucky. The McCook girls tennis team will send two singles players and two doubles teams -- two seniors and four sophomores -- to the Nebraska Class B state tournament in Lincoln. The tournament started at 8 a.m. today at the Woods Complex, 33 and J Streets, Lincoln...

Coach Jim Steinke had a hard time saying good-bye after he looked back Tuesday evening on this spring's girls track season -- and remembered 30 other years of track and field teams at McCook Senior High. Steinke retired this spring after 31 years as art teacher at the high school and after as many years as a track and cross country coach...

ARAPAHOE -- Donna L. White, 82, died Wednesday (May 21, 2003) at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge. She was born Dec. 29, 1921. Survivors include two sons, George Schlingloff and wife, Sue and Dave Schlingloff all of Mesa, Ariz.; one daughter, Chris and husband, Don Sandell of Arapahoe; seven grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren...