Stories from Tuesday, June 21, 2005

OMAHA -- Errors seemed to plague the McCook National Bank American Legion Seniors all weekend as they were in Omaha for a two-day tournament. Omaha Skutt hosted the tournament, in the primarily Class A field of teams. McCook suffered its three loses to: Bellevue West 14-6, Omaha Skutt 8-2 and Millard North 16-4...

NORTH PLATTE -- Defense, pitching and hitting were all working to McCook's advantage over the weekend during the North Platte Tournament. The Midgets posted a 3-1 record, which was good enough for a second place finish. McCook defeated North Platte 7-1, Sterling, Colo., 10-7, squeezed by Grand Island 1-0 and fell to Kearney 10-4...

McCook Rebels 16 squad 3-1-1 at Columbus Invitational COLUMBUS -- The McCook Rebels 16 and under girls fastpitch softball team posted a 3-1-1 record at the Columbus Fire and Ice Invitational last weekend. Saturday's first game was against Columbus Bullets and ended in a 2-2 tie...

Led by a team of very unusual Norwegian Fjord horses, a wagon train lumbered through the hills south of McCook Monday, tracing the old cattle-drive trail from Dodge City, Kan., to Ogallala, Neb. "We may make it to Canada in another couple summers," 70-year-old Bob Green of San Antonio, Texas, chuckled...

Red Willow County commissioners Monday morning increased the county's general fund by $405,000 to offset, among several other expenses, unusually high health insurance claims. This budget amendment will not increase the county's property tax levy requirement...

The 13 residences from the Nothnagel Addition south of McCook got the go ahead from the McCook City Council to have the city of McCook's water main extended to their homes. Chris Miller of Miller and Associates, the project engineer, explained at the regular meeting on Monday night that the wells the residences have drawn from in the past are now very low or dry and some residents have to transport water to their homes. ...

Federal energy bill should be passed, but state needs to look at school takeovers

(April 1, 1924-June 19, 2005) ST. FRANCIS -- Ernest Richard Cram died Sunday, June 19, 2005, at the Cheyenne County Hospital in St. Francis, Kan. He was 81 years old and a retired medical doctor. He was born April 1, 1924, at St. Francis. He is survived by his wife, Bonnie Jean (Waters) Cram of St. ...

(Aug. 23, 1909-June 18, 2005) ATWOOD -- Gladys Lucille (Smith) Rippe died Saturday, June 18, 2005, at the Good Samaritan Center in Atwood. She was 95 years old. She was born Aug. 23, 1909, at Altona, Neb., the daughter of Thomas Victor Smith and Thirza Raymond Smith. She married George Pfaff, who died in August, 1942...

HOLDREGE -- Donald William Freed of rural Loomis died Sunday, June 19, 2005, at Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege. He was 80 years old. He was born May 27, 1925, on the family farm three miles north of Loomis, the oldest child of Roy and Ellen (Johnson) Freed...