Stories from Tuesday, January 27, 2004

SCOTTSBLUFF -- The McCook Bison swim and dive teams attended the Twin City Swimming and Diving Invitational held in Scottsbluff Friday and Saturday. Many of the McCook swimmers improved their times, getting closer to state qualifying, said coach Tracy Flaska...

The Republican Valley League and Golden Plains Athletic Conference basketball tournaments got under way Monday night with first-round girls division games. The host teams all won Monday night in the RVL Tournament. Southern Valley defeated Alma 49-36, Cambridge defeated Bertrand 51-28 and Republican Valley defeated Arapahoe 56-33...

The Blizzard of Jan. 12-13, 1888, one of the greatest tragedies that ever hit the state of Nebraska, has been referred to as the "School Children's Blizzard," as it trapped so many children in country schools across the state. The storm was widespread, reaching from the Rockies, across the Midwest, and as far south as Mississippi. A later storm, in March of 1888, hit the Northeastern part of the country, and New York State...

McCook's more experienced residents have a lot to be proud of already, but come this spring, their buttons should be poppin' with pride. Already a fine facility, the Heritage Senior Center will be doubled in size, and it's the seniors themselves who can take a lot of the credit...

ATWOOD -- Ralph George Pochop, 82, died Saturday (Jan. 24, 2004) at Rawlins County Hospital in Atwood. He was born April 14, 1921, to Rudolph Peter and Vincentia (Movotny) Pochop north of Beardsley, Kan. He was a life-long member of the Catholic church. He served in the armed services from 1942 to 1946. He was a 50 year member of the Catholic Workman Branch No. 74 and the American Legion Post No. 46...

**Dear Editor, As winter bites, many head for the auctions. This is the one place where you may have a rich man sitting with a poor man or a man in a suit next to a farmer in his cover-alls. They not all come to buy but rather hear what the area has to say. The mix of a couple of hundred people spreads ideas that can save or make you money...

NEBRASKA CITY -- Donald V. Osborn, 74, of Nebraska City, formerly of Lincoln, died Saturday (Jan. 24, 2004) in Nebraska City. He was born July 30, 1929, to Vernon F. and Mary E. (Suiter) Osborn, in Lincoln. He was an Air Force Veteran. He was preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Nadine O'Donnell...

**Dear Friends, AWESOME! WONDERFUL! MARVELOUS! These are all superlatives that describe what happened this past week here in McCook. More than 900 responded to the invitation to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. I have never seen anything like it in my lifetime...

**Dear Editor, Here is a quote by the founder of Russian Communism, Nikolai Lenin, an atheist: "We must combat religion. Down with religion. Long live atheism. The spread of atheism is our chief task! Our power does not know liberty or justice. It is entirely established on the destruction of the individual will. We are the masters. Complete indifference to suffering is our duty. In the fulfillment of our calling, the greatest cruelty is a merit."...

**Dear Editor, I have followed with interest your stories about the ILS to be installed at the McCook airport. I am glad that is coming. However, through the many years of flying that I have done I have noticed the many inaccuracies and faulty reporting about aviation in many newspapers around the country...

Stalin, Mao and Hitler are like Sunday school teachers compared to God when it comes to genocide. God destroyed all human life estimated at 4 to 8 billion leaving only eight human beings. All of the men, women, children, and the unborn suffered painful deaths...

I was amused by your article in Speak Out titled "Vote while you can." They said something to the effect that the liberal Democrat Supreme Court judges might decide that the Constitution is unconstitutional. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! That same liberal Democrat Supreme Court gave the presidency to George in 2000...

Red Willow County commissioners approved the purchase of updated radio equipment and a semi-tractor rig during their weekly meeting Monday morning. Commission Chairman Earl McNutt said the county "can't go wrong," with the purchase of the radio equipment and community repeater control panel from Silver Creek Technologies, spending $12,196.30 awarded to the county by the nation's Homeland Security grant program...

L. Elaine (Burrus) Davis, born in Danbury, and recently residing in Lincoln, died of cancer on Jan. 22, 2004, at her daughter's house in Larkspur, Colo. She was preceded in death by her father, Tom Burrus and her husband, Loren Davis. She is survived by her mother, Dorothy (Van Vleet) Burrus; one brother, Van Burrus and wife, Nola of St. ...

A stream of light spills across the front porch, down the sidewalk and on into the street. Inside, the television is on and a large black-and-white cat greets visitors at the front door. A cozy corner is formed with an overstuffed sofa and easy chair, with wall decorations framing the completed picture...

LINCOLN -- Drought continues to be a concern for agriculture, recreation, wildlife and domestic water supplies, but the jury's still out how serious the problem will be this year, the University of Nebraska state climatologist said. Moderate to extreme drought conditions cover most of Nebraska, and long-term forecasts don't provide clear precipitation trends for the Midwest, said Al Dutcher, state climatologist in the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources...