Stories from Monday, June 9, 2003

COZAD -- The McCook American Legion Juniors baseball team blasted Cozad 14-2 in a six-inning run-rule game Thursday at Cozad. The Juniors, now 6-4, rapped out 15 hits and took advantage of 11 Cozad errors. Both Tony Purvis and Brett Burton made their first appearances on the mound for McCook...

The children and grandchildren of Charles and Dian Trail are hosting an open house in honor of the couple's 40th anniversary, June 15, 1-3 p.m., in the basement of the United Methodist Church in McCook.

John and Michelle Peterson of Fremont and Robert and Joann Nemechek of McCook announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their children, Angela Peterson of Fremont and Craig Nemechek of Omaha. The bride-to-be is a 1997 graduate of Fremont High School and a 2002 graduate of Midland Lutheran College. ...

Misty Dawn Ecker and Joshua Bodeman, both of McCook, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Matt and Cheri Ecker of Fort Collins, Colo., and Kirk and Becky Bodeman of McCook.The couple is planning a July 5, 2003, ceremony at the Evangelical Free Church in McCook...

The family of Louis Solko of Trenton is hosting an open house in honor of his 80th birthday on June 14, from 1-3 p.m., in the basement of St. James Catholic Church in Trenton. Cards of congratulations will reach him at P.O. Box 493, Trenton, NE 69044...

The family of Norman and Lila Leibrandt are hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 50th anniversary. They were united in marriage June 14, 1953, at Peace Lutheran Church in McCook. The couple will celebrate their anniverasary with their children and grandchildren at Chadron State Park. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 910 Norris Avenue, McCook, NE 69001...

During the Civil War, 1861-1864, a Texas cattle industry, which in Pre-War years had been growing at a fast rate, went largely dormant. Though there was relatively little fighting that went on in Texas, the railroads east of the Mississippi River were in Union hands, and the Port of New Orleans was closed off to the Southerners, so there were no good means to getting cattle to Eastern markets. ...

It was a strange week at the Norris House. I was ironing ... aprons to be specific, lots and lots of aprons. I had forgotten the smell of a hot iron and ironed clean cotton. It seemed an appropriate scent for the old house. I was glad the weather was cool but still had a small fan running on me most of the time. The donors had ironed their aprons before they sent them in so the job was not a hard one, just touch-up mostly. Working with other people's treasures though is a real responsibility...

Last week, in my Odds and Ends column, I mentioned that friends of mine had attended the B.B. King concert in Lincoln and had reported how excellent it was. When they first told me about it, I told them I would mention it in my column and asked if it was OK if I quoted them. ...

Dear Editor, A young man named Ryan Cappelletty was killed in the line of duty in Chesterfield, Va., while working for the county police department recently. This represents a personal loss to us, as one year ago, we watched him marry our niece, Racheal...

Not surprisingly, majority of readers responding to the Gazette's online poll, 56 percent, felt the Nebraska Unicameral raised taxes too much during its recent session. A surprising number, however, 23 percent, felt lawmakers "Did a good job under the circumstances."...

Of all the great athletes to come out of Southwest Nebraska -- and there have been many -- only two have been honored as "Nebraska Athletes of the Year" by the state's largest newspaper, the Omaha World-Herald. The first was "Hoppy" McCue of Arapahoe in 1951, the first year the Athlete of the Year Award for boys was presented...

Dear Editor, In response to the person who complained about someone disposing of a refrigerator improperly, I recently checked into the proper channels for disposing of such items and found that if you live on a low or fixed income, it is no easy matter!...

Ethanol. You've been hearing that word a lot lately, but, like many of your friends and neighbors, you have probably been wondering: "What's the big deal, anyway? Why are the Nebraska members of the U.S. Senate so excited, and why are communities throughout Nebraska in such a hurry to get started building ethanol plants?"...

TRENTON -- Roy Lewis, 89, died Friday (June 6, 2003) at his home south of Trenton. He was born April 30, 1914, at Tatum, N.M., to Melvin Hoyt and Maggie Elsie (Moore) Lewis. He grew up at Clovis, N.M., and House, N.M. and graduated from high school at House. ...

NORCATUR -- Pearl E. Alexander, 89, died Friday (June 6, 2003) at the Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. She was born Sept. 23, 1913, in Fostoria, Kan., to Corrie and Maude (Abbott) Bowser. She spent most of her youth in the Oberlin area. She attended Vallonia Grade School and Decatur Community High School in Oberlin...

The children of Art and Elaine Soncksen are hosting an open house in honor of the couple's 50th anniversary, June 14, 2-4 p.m., at the Red Willow County Community Building on the fairgrounds.

Mr. and Mrs. Roger Powell of Beaver City announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their daughter, Sandra Gayle, to Todd Garrett Ketterl, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Ketterl of Herndon. Grandparents of the couple are Jim and Jan Frey of Beaver City, Jim and Jolene Strutt of Mooreland, Kan., and Anna Mae Ketterl of Herndon. ...

Vanessa Ward and Scott Sherman of Peru announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Bill and Nancy Ward of Palisade, Bruce and Terrie Sherman of Peru and Rick and Nancy Core of Thurman, Iowa. Grandparents of the couple are Elaine Peterson of Palisade, JoAnn and Harley Ward of Palisade and Evelyn Lotter of Peru. ...

For the first time in the 12-year history of the John Mullen Pro-Am, an extra hole was needed to decide the outcome. Kurt Osborn of Bellevue defeated three-time champion Renne Sasse of York in a one-hole playoff Sunday to win the professional championship...

CAMBRIDGE -- While the name Christina Houghtelling is well known throughout Southwest Nebraska, the Cambridge native has created a name statewide by being named Girl Athlete of the Year by the Omaha World-Herald and co-Girl High School Athlete of the Year by the Lincoln Journal-Star...

Before Friday night's races at McCook Speedway started, it was reported the rain was only 70 miles away, and the racers drove like it, as they completed the 12 heat races and six A Features in two hours and 25 minutes. Jay Steffens and Dustin Small of North Platte, Jason Koch of Cambridge, Jay Alberts of McCook, Erick Farmer of Yuma, Colo., and Bob DeRouchey of Ft. Collins, Colo., were the ones in the biggest hurry, and they took home the A Feature trophies...

EDINBURG, Texas -- The odds of Chris Brown playing in the McCook American Legion Alumni Baseball Game July 4 do not look promising. More than likely, Brown will have another gig. Brown, a starting pitcher on the McCook Seniors State Championship Team in 1993, is now in his third season as a pitcher for the Edinburg Roadrunners in Edinburg, Texas...

Bioterrorism and drive-by shootings are not topics one would expect to hear in a talk on the Pawnee Indians in Nebraska. But, they struck a chord with modern students and adults hearing perhaps for the first time some of the injustices visited on the people who inhabited the Golden Plains before the Europeans arrived...

Two young people with the same background -- the same education, the same type of upbringing, the same attitude -- have committed the same crime. One is sentenced to prison. The other is sentenced to the McCook Work Ethic Camp. Will their lives take different directions?...

Professional golfer Jim Jamieson tees off during Friday night's 'horse race,' the opening event of the John Mullen Memorial Pro-Am golf tournament. Jamieson, who lives in Goodyear, Ariz., is famous for playing in the Masters, walking to the green with Arnold Palmer when Palmer won the tournament in 1969. ...

Things are difficult today for many families, whether urban or rural, and yet many families are doing OK. What makes the difference between families who are hardly functioning and others who seem to thrive? Well there are no easy answers to explain human behavior because it is so complex, reports Dr. ...

With construction of the outside of McMillen Hall at McCook Community College nearly complete, the focus now turns inside MCC's first building. Because the the project is running on schedule, a few members of the MCC staff will begin moving into their new offices by mid-July, according to Jon Burkey, director of physical plant operations at MCC...

Habitat volunteers lift the east exterior wall Saturday morning as progress continues on the first Southwest Nebraska Habitat for Humanity house at 805 West K Street. Sixteen volunteers contributed their labor on the house with the women's ministry at Memorial United Methodist Church providing lunch for the group...

A tip from a shopper led Red Willow County sheriff's officers to a McCook residence that could have become a meth lab. "It was an enormous tip," said Sgt. Burke Curl. The McCook man remains in jail pending his arraignment in county court. Curl said the McCook Police Department received an anonymous tip Friday evening that a shopper at Wal-Mart was buying items that could be used to make methamphetamine. "The caller knew this person was involved in drugs before," Lt. Alan Kotschwar said...

A Rodeo Rose saddle bronc tries his best to dump Jim McIntrye of Hastings, during the Wilsonville rodeo Saturday. Judges awarded McIntrye 70 points. More pictures and results will be available later.

The McCook Public Schools board of education has a typically light summer agenda in hand for its meeting Tuesday, at 5:30 p.m., in the junior high conference room. Board members will discuss option enrollment and consider acceptance of resignations...

The Community Hospital Orthopedic Clinic, including orthopedic surgeons Kenneth Ellis, M.D. and Richard Slovek, M.D., began moving into the newly remodeled Medical Specialists Center on the Community Hospital campus this week, with more specialists groups to move in later in the month...

Sara Putz and Nathaniel Frank were united in marriage March 29, 2003, at Evangelical Free Church in McCook with Revs. Arnold Frank, father of the bridegroom, and Robert Putz, father of the bride, officiating. Parents of the couple are Rob and Cheri Putz of McCook and Arnold and Mary Frank of Scottsdale, Ariz...

Nellie M. Currie, 90, died Saturday (June 7, 2003) at Community Hospital of McCook. She was born Oct. 5, 1912, at Lost Springs, Kan., to Ernest and Alice (Mailen) Teel. She was a homemaker and had been a waitress in Randolph and Manhattan, Kan., and had worked in the Farm Bureau Cafeteria, before retiring in 1982...