Stories from Wednesday, June 11, 2003

NORTH PLATTE and HASTINGS -- The McCook Rebels 18 and under girls fastpitch softball team placed second at the Region National Qualifier Saturday and Sunday at Hastings. The Rebels qualified for the Western National Tournament at Hatings July 28-Aug. 3...

ATWOOD -- Venza B. (Larreau) Persinger, 90, died Monday (June 9, 2003) at the Good Samaritan Center in Atwood. She was born May 28, 1913, in rural Decatur County near Oberlin, to Henry Jonathan and Grace Mae (Bryant) Larreau. She was married to Ernest Loyd Persinger. ...

Bessie Ault, 95, died Monday (June 9, 2003) at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. She was born Aug. 6, 1907, at Bartley, to Elmer L. and Charlotte (Burton) Turpen. She attended District No.18 rural school and Bartley High School. She married Dave Ault. They made their home on a farm north of Indianola where she was a homemaker and helped with the family farm. They retired in 1960, and moved to Bartley. She has been residing at Hillcrest since 1997...

Dear Editor, Your editorial of June 10 stating that "grouping students improves efficiency" only voiced one side of this very controversial issue. McCook Public School administration recommends re-configuring our elementary grades so that pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grades are in one ward school, and second and third grade are in another ward school. ...

Dear Editor, My name is PFC Brandon L. Leak. As of right now, I am stationed somewhere near Mosul, Iraq. I wanted to come back to attend a couple of local graduations. I would like to express the regret I feel, because I am unable to come to my sister's, Jessica Leak, and my cousin, Katie Guthrie's graduations. This makes two years in a row the Army has kept me from attending loved ones' graduations...

In wheat country, this is nail-biting time. The most magnificent of crops -- which feeds hundreds of millions of people worldwide -- is three weeks away from harvest in the Golden Plains. And -- because livelihoods are at stake -- growers are getting more anxious by the minute...

We have an M&M candy dispenser in the breakroom at the Gazette where, for 25 cents, you can get a small handful of M&Ms, plain and peanut. My co-workers get a kick out of how I dole out my quarter's worth of candy. I line them up by color, then eat them, one at a time, in order most to least, so that by the time I reach the end of the candy rainbow, I have one of each color left...

Even though recent rainfalls have removed Southwest Nebraska from the exceptional drought category, water supplies are still a concern for the city of McCook. In order to address those issues, city administrators suggest water customers continue to use a water conservation program to help reduce unneeded stress on the city's water supply...

Trenton firefighters burn an aging, unused elevator belonging to Farmers Coop in downtown Trenton Sunday morning. Trenton Fire Chief Tom Hovey said firefighters did some interior and exterior attack training on the building before letting it burn. "We've wondered how an elevator burns," Hovey said. ...

STRATTON -- A Stratton man has suddenly found himself involved in a California ladder lawsuit. Caught completely by surprise, Ted Pierce was contacted a few weeks ago by a law firm in Beverly Hills, representing a client who had had an accident with a ladder and was suing the maker of the ladder. The company contended that the ladder was as safe as it could possibly be...

Sue Shaner (from left), Joan Glading and Shawn Pfanstiel practice with the Freedom Swings Big Band for the first concert in the Hot Summer Nights Concert series, Thursday, 7:30 p.m., at Norris Park in the bandshell. The concerts are courtesy of McCook National Bank and the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce. ...

The McCook school board accepted two resignations during its meeting Tuesday, and discussed art education with McCook Art Guild members concerned with keeping art alive in McCook schools. The board accepted resignations from Terra Koetter, Central math, and Becky Ridenour, elementary guidance counselor...

GOTHENBURG -- The McCook Rebels 10 and under girls fastpitch softball team went undefeated at the Gothenburg Rebels Angels Classic Saturday and Sunday. The Rebels earned first-place medals and a first-place team plaque with a 3-0 record. Because of rain on Saturday, the Rebels played in a round-robin format on Sunday...

The McCook National Bank Seniors defeated the North Platte Seniors 14-7 Tuesday night at the Jaycees Sports Complex in McCook. Pitcher Matt Beckenhauer picked up the complete game victory. Beckenhauer (3-1) struck out 10 North Platte batters in the victory. He allowed seven runs on eight hits...

LINCOLN -- The McCook Rebels 14 and under girls fastpitch softball team was scheduled to compete in the Lincoln Classic Tournanent last Friday. Mother Nature had other plans. The Rebels were ready to play their first game Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. and the rain started pouring...

HERNDON -- Rose (Hutfles) Scheve-Marintzer, 86, died Monday (June 9, 2003) at St. John's Nursing Home in Victoria, Kan. She was born Oct. 27, 1918, at Herndon, to Joseph and Mary (Pettera) Hutfles. She grew up in the Herndon area and graduated from St. Mary's High School. In 1934, she attended a business secretarial college...