Stories from Thursday, January 13, 2005

NORTH PLATTE -- Bison swimmers faced Grand Island and North Platte last Friday. The girls team tied with North Platte with 47 points and lost to Grand Island. The Bison boys lost both of their meets. "A tie is very unusual in swimming," said McCook swimming coach Lori Jumps. "We will be striving to beat North Platte in the rest of our meets."...

The McCook Community College Baseball Team will host its second Bowl-A-Thon and Silent Auction Fundraiser Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 29-30. The silent auction and early bidding begins Saturday in the True Hall Gymnasium following the conclusion of the MCC men's and women's basketball doubleheader against Northeast Community College of Norfolk...

Dec. 7, 1942-Jan. 6, 2005 Terry K. Rieke, 62, died Thursday (Jan. 6, 2005) at his home in Aurora. He was born Dec. 7, 1942, in Colorado Springs, Colo., to Willard and Anita (Day) Rieke. He grew up in Chester where he graduated from Chester High School in 1960. He attended Fairbury Junior College and graduated from Kearney State College where he received his bachelor and masters degrees in education...

Nov. 2, 1933-Jan. 11, 2005 HOLDREGE -- Richard Joseph "Dick" Sullivan, 71, died Tuesday (Jan. 11, 2005) at Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege. He was born Nov. 2, 1933, to Richard and Clementine (Vontz) Sullivan in McCook. He attended school in McCook and Trenton. After his education he served in the Air Force during the Korean War and was stationed in California, Greenland and England...

Garrett and Laura Nokes of Cambridge announce the birth of their son, Trevor Ray, Dec. 29, 2004 at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge. He weighed 8 pounds and 2 ounces and was 21 inches long. Grandparents are Darold and Mary Ann Ebmeier of Maywood, Ray and Pam Nokes of McCook and Stephen and Brenda Morell of McCook. ...

Michael and Barbie Long of McCook announce the birth of a son, Asher Michael Jean Long. He was born Oct. 20, 2004, and weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces and measured 21.75 inches in length. Grandparents are Donna J. Wood of Imperial, the late Clifton Wood and Ted and Judy Long of McCook. Great-grandparents are the late Ora and Esther Richardson; Ray Long of Cozad and the late Wilma Long; and John and Carol Rempel of Amherst, Wis...

The family of Vivian (Richards) Pierce is hosting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday Jan. 20. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 8C1 Box 128, Stratton, NE 69043.

The family of Artie Blake is hosting a card shower in honor of her 99th birthday Jan. 19. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 610 East 14th Street, No. 3, McCook, NE 69001.

Patrons of three local districts are considering major issues that will determine how their students will be educated and how it will be paid for. Culbertson is considering whether to continue a unification process, Hayes Center voters will be asked again to pay for new facilities, and Maywood patrons may be asked to override budget limits...

The McCook Work Ethic Camp should stay below the radar of the Nebraska Legislature again this year, after a major lobbying effort in 2002 kept the facility from being closed. Nebraska Sen. Tom Baker told the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Committee this morning that opposition of the facility has been greatly reduced because of a campaign to educate Nebraska legislators and judges...

WILSONVILLE -- When word first arrived of the dreadful tsunamis engulfing coastlines along the Indian Ocean, killing tens of thousands, many here in the United States were dumbstruck by the mighty force and the obvious destruction brought by the deadly waves...

The blizzard happened 117 years ago -- before any of us were born -- but the "The Schoolchildren's Blizzard of 1888" is still teaching lessons about the danger of winter's sudden fury. The awesome storm story has been told and re-told by generations of High Plains residents. And, now, on the anniversary of the Jan. 12, 1888 blizzard, readers nationwide are absorbing the story in a best-selling book by David Laskin...

**Dear Editor, A funny thought occurred to me on the way to the forum the other day. When Florida had the four hurricanes hit, not one foreign country offered any assistance. When the western part of the U. S. was burning, no one offered money to ease the losses suffered by the people. Yes, some did send fire fighters who do risk their lives, and I commend those who did...

It never fails, every year about this time I decide its time to throw myself full-bore into an exercise program. This year has been no different. I went to a lot of trouble to dig my swimsuits out of the bottom of the closet, choosing the one that showed the least flaws I carefully folded my most lush towel, dug out my extra makeup, my hair gel and my travel hair dryer and packed it all in a big duffel bag -- that was five weeks ago. ...

Bone-chilling January weather isn't keeping contractors from putting up the framework for the new section of McCook's planned single-site elementary school at North Ward. Despite recent snows, the project is nearly on schedule.