Stories from Tuesday, September 14, 2004

KEARNEY -- The McCook High School boys tennis team won a pair of matches Monday at Kearney against Kearney Catholic and Grand Island Central Catholic. The Bison defeated Kearney Catholic 6-3 and GICC 5-4, and improved their duel record to 6-1. The Bison host Lexington at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Bison Tennis Courts...

Aug. 4, 1909-Sept. 12, 2004 CURTIS -- Ruth M. (Welch) Harris, 95, died Sunday (Sept. 12, 2004) at Sunset Haven Nursing Home in Curtis. She was born Aug. 4, 1909, to John E. and Anges (Gerlits) Welch south of Moorefield. She graduated from Moorefield High School in 1928 and went on to attend the Nebraska Wesleyan University for a year...

Jan. 15, 1909-Sept. 11, 2004 GERING -- Ruth Wilma Corcoran, 95, died Saturday (Sept. 11, 2004) at Heritage Health Care Center in Gering. She was born Jan. 15, 1909, to Charles N. and Maude M. (Oelkers) Rogers on her grandfather's farm in Cloud County, Kan. ...

Nov. 12, 1915-Sept. 12, 2004 ST. FRANCIS -- Ruth Marie Klepper, 88, died Sunday (Sept. 12, 2004) at Good Samaritan Village in St. Francis. She was born Nov. 12, 1915, in Republican City. She was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her husband, Orval Laverne Klepper...

March 6, 1910-Sept. 11, 2004 TRENTON -- Elsie May Applebey, 94, died Saturday (Sept. 11, 2004) at El Dorado Manor in Trenton. She was born March 6, 1910, to Charlie Thomas and Glena Alice (Workman) Collicott. She grew up on her family's farm near Haigler. She was a graduate of Haigler High School...

Oct. 19, 1937-Sept. 12, 2004 IMPERIAL -- Lloyd Pflum Jr., 66, died Sunday (Sept. 12, 2004) at Chase Country Community Hospital in Imperial. He was born Oct. 19, 1937, to Lloyd Sr. and Burneta Pflum in Lincoln. The family lived in Wauneta and then moved to Enders. He attend Chase County High School where he was active in the sports. He graduated in 1955...

The family of Lionel "Boz" and Margaret Verraneault is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 60th wedding anniversary Sept. 16. Their children are Carol and Larry Ommert of Cambridge and Steve and Karen Verraneault of Kearney. They have six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Cards of congratulation will reach the couple at 611 West E Street, McCook, NE 69001...

Red Willow County commissioners on Monday morning approved a $13,389,210 budget that will require $1.8 million from taxpayers in 2004-2005. The levy -- $0.31 per $100 of property valuation -- has not increased for four years. "This (levy) is commendable," budget coordinator Shirley Volz told commissioners during budget and tax-request public hearings Monday morning. The state-mandated levy limit is $.045, with $.05 allowed for interlocal agreements...

By CONNIE JO DISCOE Regional Editor McCook Public Schools' board of education approved the 2004-2005 budget, tax request and tax levy during its monthly meeting Monday evening. The schools' budget of $22,030,811 requires $4.966 million in local property taxes...

A retired McCook physician gained the support Monday morning of Red Willow County commissioners in his crusade against stricter federally-mandated arsenic levels in drinking water. Dr. John Batty is challenging the federal government's tightening of arsenic levels from 50 parts-per-billion to 10 or fewer parts-per-billion...

The state of Nebraska is going to have to make some changes in its economic development plan if it wants to compete with its neighboring states. According to Berry Kennedy of the Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce, the state of Nebraska has four incentive packages to lure industry to the state of Nebraska. Those incentives include, LB775, LB608, job training and Community Development Block Grants...

BEAVER CITY -- Terry and Sandi Klein have been selected as recipients of the Adoption Angels Award, presented by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. The Kleins have been foster parents since 1988. In 2002 they adopted three siblings who had been in their foster care. Their picture was attached to the earlier news release announcing their nomination...

In the latest tax climate rating, Nebraska ranked 46th among the 50 states, making it a challenge to recruit new businesses and industry to the Cornhusker State. However, the tax disadvantage is offset in part by LB 775, the economic incentive bill which rewards companies which invest more than $30 million in the state and create 30 or more new jobs...

**Dear Editor, I am writing this article because of reading so many articles and witnessing so much money being thrown away studying and testing for arsenic in all these towns up and down the valley. The EPA has got the folks all "shook up" and possibly misled about the arsenic in the water we drink...

Now that new legislation has gone into effect and less fortunate bills have begun to collect dust, it is time to pick up where we left off and transition our workload to the 2005 Legislative Session. Bill files have been cleaned out, research has been done, and bills for the upcoming session in January are currently in the process of being drafted...