Stories from Friday, November 5, 2004

SUTHERLAND -- In its first year of existance the Southwest volleyball team is going to state, defeating Creek Valley in the C2 district six finals. The Roughriders won the first two sets, 25-19, 25-20 before losing the third set 25-22. Southwest came back in the fourth to close out the match 25-14...

When you have an all-state running back, a full back that can run for 100 yards in any given game, and your second string running back can still rush for 100 yards in a game, you might be on to something. That is what the McCook football team can do to an opponent...

ST. MARY'S, Kan. -- The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture men's basketball team will begin the 2004-05 campaign with a road trip and three games in three nights. On Thursday, the team opened the season with an 88-50 victory over St. Mary's College at St. Mary's, Kan., near Topeka...

Twenty-one years after the closing of the Red Willow County Jail, the time has come to face up to the county's need for new jail facilities. It once was good business to contract for space in other area jails, thereby avoiding the cost of building and maintaining a jail in Red Willow County...

**Dear Editor, Confused by Mr. Bob Linderholm? "But given the TAXONOMIC structure of the UBIQUITOUS creature inhabiting the region (HOMO FUNDAMENTALII), it is singularly unremarkable the good Dr. Blank's public service came to an end." Let me try to understand this, Please...

The clock strikes 10 p.m., but it's really 11 p.m. according to daylight savings time. I'm up past my bedtime. The clocks rolls onto 6 a.m., but it's really 7 a.m. before the time change took place. I'm sleeping late this morning. And so the routine goes for at least the next couple of weeks until I settle back into the standard time with the daylight arriving early each morning and departing even earlier each night...

This Saturday, pheasant hunters from around Nebraska and across the country will hit the ground in Southwest Nebraska running, and this year they may have a little bit better luck. According to a report from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the phe-asant population in Nebraska has increased by 28 percent since 2003, the highest population since 1998. The report also says that the state of Nebraska is the only state in the Midwest to show an increase in the ringneck pheasant population...

BEARDSLEY -- A Beardsley-area farmer-rancher says "the huge wild cat" she spotted last summer had a very long, smooth body, a long tail and "clubby feet." She believes the cat was a mountain lion. Myrtle Carson, who lives in Colby, Kan., and farms in Rawlins County, reread an entry she made in her daily journal after she saw in the Gazette recently that another mountain lion was spotted in Nebraska...

When you add up all the cost, it's a lot cheaper to fly from the McCook Airport than it is to fly from Denver or Omaha. That message was delivered to the newly formed special advisory airport marketing committee Thursday afternoon by Ann Barger, local travel agent and committee member...

Dec. 5, 1928-Nov. 3, 2004 Richard J. Crockett, 75, died Wednesday (Nov. 3, 2004) at Community Hospital of McCook. He was born Dec. 5, 1928, in Elk City, Kan., to Ernest E. and Mattie M. (Martin) Crockett. He entered the U.S. Armed Services Military Police in January of 1951 being stationed at Fort McAurther and was honorably discharged in February of 1953...

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Chris and Crystal Smith of Manhattan, Kan., announce the birth of their daughter, Cheyenne Melissa, Oct. 11, 2004. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. She has a two-year old brother, Derek Owen. Grandparents are Bill and Shirley Ashley of Culbertson and Randy and Sandy Smith of Fredonia, Kan. Her great-grandparents are O'Neal and Wilma Smith and Bill and Elva Mae Boicourt, all of Fredonia. Great-great grandparents are Lewis and Mildred Cline of Fredonia...

BERLIN -- Joe and Cheri Weyeneth of Danbury announce the birth of their son, Ambrose Julius, Oct. 30, 2004, at Decatur Community Hospital in Oberlin. He weighed 6 pounds, 12.9 ounces and 18 inches long. He has six siblings, Jacob, 20, Isaac, 18, Seth, 16, Sarah, 15, Benjamin, 11, and Thomas, 3. Grandparents are Joyce, Weyeneth of Danbury and James and Frances Dunlay of Orleans...

Gross: Indians are better than team McCook blasted 49-0 in Week 3 The Ogallala team that McCook will play Monday in the Nebraska Class B quarterfinals is better than the Indians' squad McCook blew out 49-0 in Week 3, said Bison head football coach Jeff Gross...

The Northwest Kansas League has named its All League football and volleyball teams. Several area athletes have made the list. Football Offense 1st Team RB Derek Ross, sr., St. Francis RB Jordan Vickers, sr., Hoxie WR Lance Fortin, sr., Oberlin WR Ben Grafel, sr., Rawlins County...

HASTINGS -- Angela Mustion and David Barber were united in marriage May 22, 2004, at Country Meadows in Hastings with the Rev. Eldon Arnold, uncle of the bride, officiating. Parents of the couple are Jerry and Kristene Mustion of Culbertson and Randy and Mary Barber of Blue Springs. Grandparents of the couple are Ray and Marion Arnold of Trumbull, Fred and June Mustion of Culbertson, Bill Barber of Genwood, Iowa and Kenneth Dvorak of Wymore...

BENKELMAN -- Elizabeth Jones of Omaha and Matthew Grummert of Lincoln were united in marriage June 26, 2004, at the Zion Lutheran Church in Benkelman with the Rev. George Matthews officiating. Parents of the couple are Bobby and Rita Jones of Benkelman and Mark and Linda Grummert of Jansen...

Lindsey Renee Brown and Eric John Foster were united in marriage June 19, 2004, at the Memorial United Methodist Church with the Rev. Dr. Jeff Thurman officiating. Parents of the couple are Bob and Deanna Brown of Indianola and Cindy Stark of North Platte and Paul Kinne of McCook...

The family of Don and Dorothy Barger of Culbertson is hosting an open house in honor of the couple's 60th anniversary Nov. 14, 2-4 p.m., at the Heritage Senior Center, 1312 West Fifth, McCook.

The McCook Public Schools board of education will be updated on construction at North Ward during its regular meeting Tuesday, at 5:30 p.m., in the junior high conference room. Another agenda item dealing with the renovation and expansion of North Ward will be discussion and approval of construction bids for precast, steel material and steel erection...

As hunters return to Southwest Nebraska for the start of the 2004 pheasant season, there's more reason for hunters to be optimistic than there has been for a number of years. Bringing back memories of the glory days for ringneck hunting in the late 1950s and 1960s, a summer roadside survey by the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission estimated a 28 percent jump in pheasant numbers this year...

We've all heard the words before: I'll love you forever. You'll be in my heart forever. I'll still be in love with you when I die. It would kill me to lose you. My life would be nothing without you. Know that you will always have my heart. You take my breath away...

July 26, 1922-Nov. 3, 2004 BENKELMAN -- Merle Wallace, 82, died Wednesday (Nov. 3, 2004) at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. He was born July 26, 1922, to George Washington and Iva Marie (Starling) Wallace in Tarkio, Mo. In 1937, the family moved from Missouri to Kanarado, Kan., and from there to Benkelman...

Feb. 7, 1909-Nov. 4, 2004 HOXIE, Kan. -- Bertha "Betty" Sulzman, 95, died Thursday (Nov. 4, 2004) at Sheridan County Hospital in Hoxie, Kan. She was born Feb. 7, 1909, to Frank and Martha (Fetcke) Zodrow in Sheridan County, Kan. She was raised in Sheridan County and attended school at Leoville Rural High School, graduating in 1926...

Dec. 3, 1911-Nov. 5, 2004 OBERLIN -- Charlotte Catherine Macfee, 92, died Friday (Nov. 5, 2004) at the Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. She was born Dec. 3, 1911, to Walter and Catherine (Sanders) Joyce in Clay County. She grew up in Harvard where she graduated from Harvard High School in 1930. She and her twin sister, Loretta, came to Southwest Nebraska where they taught school for several years...

Sept. 24, 1960-Oct. 31, 2004 GREELEY, Colo. -- Deborah J. Dorwart-Lopez, 44, died Sunday (Oct. 31, 2004) in Greeley, Colo. She was born Sept. 24, 1960, to John and Marilyn Hirlinger Dorwart in McCook. She grew up in North Platte and attended schools there...