Stories from Wednesday, August 4, 2004

McCook Bison football team ranked first in preseason The McCook High School Bison football team will be ranked No. 1 in Nebraska Class B by Huskerland Prep Report. The Bison, winners of two straight Class B state titles and 26 consecutive games, were ranked ahead of Holdrege, Crete, Omaha Skutt and Omaha Bishop Roncalli, said Husker Prep Report publisher Bob Jensen...

April 30, 1917-Aug. 2, 2004 ALMA -- Edwin Wilford Witte, 87, died Monday (Aug. 2, 2004) at the Colonial Villa Good Samaritan Center in Alma. He was born April 30, 1917, to Clement and Elisabeth (Ostdiek) Witte in Lawrence. He attended school at the St. Stephens School near Lawrence. In 1929, the family made their home on a farm south of Cambridge, where he attended school at Furnas County District No. 45...

In a way, we can't blame Councilman Jerry Reitz for his decision to resign from the McCook City Council. The council is in the middle of a long, drawn-out struggle to find a new source for the city's water supply, and it has been a marathon. Reitz knew what he was getting into when he ran for the council almost two years ago, but after spending hours studying the problem and seeing many of his views ignored by the majority, he resigned from his seat on the council...

Feb. 6, 1921-July 4, 2004 Edgar Charles Graham, 83, of Stockton, Calif., passed away Sunday, July 4, 2004, at a convalescent care facility. Born Feb. 6, 1921, in Parks, he lived in Stockton for 56 years. He was in the building trade and was a member of the Carpenters Union for 54 years...

ATWOOD -- Laurine Margarethe Holste, 92, died Tuesday (Aug. 3, 2004) at Good Samaritan Center in Atwood. She was born June 16, 1912, to Herman G. Mary (Hoffbauer) Holste on a farm in Ludell. She was a homemaker and worked in several cafes and in child care...

**Dear Editor, Hello my name is Sgt. Heath A. Brown of Co. B 735th TC out of McCook. I'm writing this e-mail to you because I would like to thank all of the people involved with sending us care packages. They really seem to help the soldiers' morale. Every little thing helps us get through our year long tour...

**Dear Editor, If the cheat-off crowd thinks a $1 check-off is doing them good, why don't they put in $20 for more profit? Quit rustling from everybody else. How many agents do they have hunting, persecuting and damaging those who want to do their own promoting?...

Art Linkletter was right. Kids do say the darndest things. The story of the Emperor's new clothes is but one example of the unchecked utterances of children and the havoc they can cause. Of course, the youngster in that story only spoke the truth, confused by the crowd's enthusiastic praise of the outfit (not) worn by the Emperor...

Through an emotional presentation Tuesday at the weekly Rotary Club meeting, D. Jon Morrison revealed his plans for a multi-purpose reception, convention center and restaurant in the former West Ward building on the 300 block of West Fourth in McCook...

TRENTON -- In between preparations for Trenton's annual Harvest Festival and the celebration of welcoming Trenton Agri-Products LLC to the area, a website showcasing the diverse benefits of this western Nebraska community was developed. The Internet site, http://www.trentonne.com, went live on July 29, in anticipation of the local Harvest Festival celebration, set this Friday and Saturday...

According to unofficial counts, voters have once again defeated a request to help support the Rawlins County Health Center. In a close race, voters defeated the 13 cent mill levy 669 to 649. While voters in Atwood voted 319 to 197 in favor of the additional tax, voters in rural areas as well as Herndon and McDonald did not throw their support behind the issue. A similar issue in 2002 was defeated by a vote of 791 against the increase to 568 in favor of the increased tax...