Stories from Tuesday, March 22, 2005

McCook Red Crush 141 team 2nd at tourney KEARNEY -- The McCook Red Crush 141 volleyball team placed second at the Hogan's Arch Madness Volleyball Tournament March 13. The Crush posted a 5-1 record in pool play, competing against South Central Red, Adams Central Volleyball Club and Utica...

Sept. 24, 1931-March 20, 2005 Janet Szuba of McCook died Sunday, March 20, 2005, at Great Plains Medical Center in North Platte. She was 73 years old. Janet was born on Sept. 24, 1931, in Tonawanda, N.Y., to Ira and Nellie (Heatherly) Lyon. She graduated from Tonawanda High School in 1951...

Feb. 26, 1950-March 18, 2005 BRULE -- Rexene Ann Schilz, 55, died Friday (March 18, 2005) at her home near Brule. She was born Feb. 26, 1950, in Lewellen to Frank and Paige Roberts Cady. She spent her childhood years in the Lewellen and Ogallala areas, graduating from Ogallala High School. ...

June 5, 1934-March 20, 2005 Albert L. Hayden died Sunday, March 20, 2005, at Community Hospital of McCook at the age of 70. He was born June 5, 1934, at Indianola the son of the late Joseph and Clara (Neumann) Hayden. He grew up in Indianola where he attended Indianola High School. He entered the United States Army serving from 1956 to 1958...

Oct. 7, 1915-March 17, 2005 ATWOOD -- Martha Elizabeth (Baalmann) Horinek, 89, of rural Atwood, died Thursday (March 17, 2005) at Good Samaritan Center in Atwood. She was born Oct. 7, 1915, to William G. and Regina A. (Robben) Baalman on a farm near Angeles, Kan. She was raised on the farm. She attended school in Angeles and graduated high school there...

The family of Clara (Wagner) Metzer is hosting a card shower in honor of her 107th birthday March 23. Her children are Marvin Metzer and Thelma Brenning, both of McCook. She has three grand daughters and two great-granddaughters. Cards of congratulations will reach her at El Dorado Manor, Box 97, Trenton, NE 69044...

After a 3-2 vote in favor of a motion by Councilman Phil Lyons to strip all but one sentence from a proposed Code of Conduct for the McCook City Council, the council voted it down altogether, 4-1 . During discussion, Lyons moved to delete the entire document with the exclusion of one sentence: "Council members' conduct should be characterized at all times by personal courtesy and professional integrity in the fullest sense of the term."...

Northrop Grumman is continuing to deal with the trichloroethylene problem at the former TRW plant site in McCook. Kurt Batsel of Dextra Group, consultants for Northrop Grumman, the company that is now responsible for the cleanup site, spoke to the McCook City Council on Monday night...

NORTH PLATTE -- It will cost nonresidents a little more to attend North Platte or McCook community colleges next year. Meeting Monday night, the board of governors raised nonresident tuition from $67.50 to $74 per credit hour, with an a $2 raise in general fees to add $8 in those fees...

NORTH PLATTE -- Some $280,000 in bequests to McCook Junior College are in legal limbo because the college no longer exists, and the Mid Plains Community College board of governors has to decide what to do with the money. MPCC's attorney, David Pederson, recommended to the board Monday night that the money go into a new account to be invested, overseen by the board and used for college purposes...

American flags and yellow ribbons adorning the front lawn of the Nebraska Army National Guard Armory in McCook await the return of soldiers from Kuwait. Soldiers of the Guard's Kearney-based Co. B, 735th Main Support Battalion returned from Kuwait Monday, and were reunited with their families during a private ceremony today in Lincoln. ...

Red Willow County commissioners balanced the need to spend taxpayer money wisely with the demand for a good product by splitting their yearly roadside chemical awards between two bidders and deciding to experiment with two products. During their regular meeting Monday morning, commissioners opened bids for roadside weed sprays and chemicals and awarded them to Van Diest Supply Co. and Snyder Sales and Services, both of McCook...

We're in transition. An abrupt transition -- we've gone from non-stop work to now suddenly having nothing to do. We are in Baghdad. One step closer to home. It seems as though we've fallen into the lap of luxury. The chow hall is like a restaurant. The PX is as large as Wal-Mart. The base is large and safe. And quiet. I have yet to hear small-arms fire, mortars, or IED's...

**Dear Editor, I am writing in regard to Mike Hendricks column in Saturdays paper titled, "The sky is falling." I try to read his column every week and sometimes he dishes out some pretty good advice and other times it has little or no value. For instance, I like the way he challenges his students to work hard, put their shoulder to the wheel, be the best you can be, don't be slothful, think positively etc....

When my wife and I were new to town 20 years ago, one of the first civic activities we attended was a Southwest Community Theatre production of "The Music Man." It was a wonderful show and demonstrated to us newcomers just how much talent our new friends and neighbors possessed...

Whatever the final outcome of the Terry Schiavo case, one thing is sure -- all of us will take a new look at the end of our own lives. In case you've been out of the country over the last few weeks, Terry Schiavo is the severely brain-damaged woman who is the center of a tragic, life-and-death legal battle...