Stories from Monday, January 24, 2005

Amber Lynae Reynolds and Derick Christopher Lorentz were united in marriage Dec. 26, 2004, at First Assembly of God Church in McCook with the Rev. Leonard Reimer of Highlandville, Mo., uncle of the bride, officiating. Parents of the couple are Lyn and Marcia Reynolds of Cedar Bluffs and Rick and Mary Lorentz of McCook...

ARLINGTON, Vt. -- Jessica Marie Kahn and Scott Alexander Bieker, both of New York, N.Y., were united in marriage Sept. 25, 2004, at St. Margaret Mary Church in Arlington, Vt., with the Rev. Dupois officiating. Parents of the couple are Mike and Kathy Kahn of Sandgate, Vt., and Alexander and Willetta Bieker of McCook...

The family of Vivian Bishop is hosting an open house in honor of her 95th birthday Jan. 27, 2005, 2-4 p.m., at the Golden Age Center, 220 North Penn, Oberlin. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 105 South Beaver, Oberlin, KS 67749.

The family of Marilyn Jean Miller is hosting an open house in honor of her 75th birthday Jan. 29, 2005, 2-4 p.m., at First Congregational Church, 212 East E Street, McCook. Cards will reach her at 402 East Second Street, McCook, NE 69001.

Sept. 24, 1909-Jan. 22, 2005 OBERLIN -- Ruby L. McKenna, 95, died Saturday (Jan. 22, 2005) at Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. She was born Sept. 24, 1909, to Louis and Carrie (Akers) Rolland near Bogue, Kan. She was raised in Bogue and attended country school...

Jessica Hall qualifies for state meet in diving SCOTTSBLUFF -- The McCook High School 200-yard freestyle girls relay team of Kirstie Hiatt, Allyx Brown, Alyssa Cook, and Cassie Olson set a new school record and medaled with a fourth-place finish at the Scottsbluff Twin Cities Invite Friday and Saturday...

A thick plume of black smoke rolls into the sky as oil is burned off from a spill about three miles east of Trenton. Flames are visible at the controlled burn, which is not far from the site of an explosion Jan. 24, 2003, which destroyed six 300-barrel oil storage tanks. The oilfield is operated by Gore Oil Co. of Wichita, Kan. (Gazette photo)...

In all the world, the Caribbean Sea is the most popular destination for vacationers making a cruise. Each year the cruise lines carry some 6.5 million passengers on cruises to the Caribbean, accounting for 44 percent of all cruises, and 65 percent of the profits for the cruise lines. Cruise business to Caribbean ports is growing at the rate of 8 percent per year...

Although he rose to the pinnacle of fame and fortune, Johnny Carson kept the common touch, reaching out to millions with his easy manner and good humor. As shown by the tributes which dominated the airways after his death, Johnny was among the best-loved comedians of all time, winning respect for the classic characters he created and the many stand-up comics he started on the road to success...

**Dear Editor I'm responding to the following email from the President of our Nebraska County Association. If this bill were to pass it will have a great effect on all counties across Nebraska. In Hitchcock County we will lose approximately $113,000. per year...

I grew up in the McCook area for 10 years, and lived across the college and went their and graduted from the school in 1987. Here is my question to the school, Why is it so important to now have parking spaces that would not solve the problem? When I was growing up, parking by the house was a problem, but the neighborhod accepted inconvenince of parking for the students. Now the college wants to destroy the neighborhood and the history of the town...

This is a worse design than before. I am ready to move out of state before I put these butt-ugly things on a vehicle that I pay thousands of dollars a year in taxes on each year. With all the tax dollars that this state makes off of property taxes and vehicles that are turned over year after year, there surely has to be someone that can come up with something better than this. ...

This article ("From the Front -- Band of Brothers" by Sgt. Jeff Tidyman, http://www.mccookgazette.com/story/1084095.html) was fantastic to read. Knowing no one in the armed forces, this article was refreshing and gave a human feel to the war. So often we get numb to what is happening on the news. We forget the men protecting us are individuals with personalities. I hope to read more articles by Sgt. Tidyman...

It has been a long time since I was last in McCook, but if my memory serves me right, is there not land available east of the community swimming pool north of the college for parking. If used and growth continues, couldn't a parking garage be erected with a properly controled cross walk...