Stories from Wednesday, July 20, 2005

LEXINGTON -- Phil Hayes was in control on the mound Tuesday night at Lexington, as he brought all aspects of his pitching game to the table. His focus was off the charts, his accuracy impeccable and his confidence sky high as he threw his first career no-hitter in the McCook National Bank American Legion Seniors' district opener...

The horror ... the horror Just when you thought it was safe to read the sports section, today marks the return of my column From the Bench. Run for your lives! Or as Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now would say "the horror ... the horror." From the Bench is coming out of its brief semi-retirement to cause havoc once again...

At least 12 inches in length, in a braid or ponytail, rubber banded at both ends and sent in padded envelope. Those were the instructions that Wanda Michaelis followed very carefully as she prepared granddaughter Hailey Nebgen's donation to the Childhood Leukemia Foundation on Tuesday...

LINCOLN -- With McCook residents facing water restriction during the hottest days of the year, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln turf expert says it's not only possible to conserve water and maintain a healthy lawn, it's actually good for the grass. Water conservation always should be a priority, but continued drought in parts of the state makes it especially important, said Roch Gaussoin, UNL turfgrass specialist. Most conservation methods he recommends require little aesthetic sacrifice...

LINCOLN -- The American dream of home ownership is especially strong in rural Nebraska. More than 80 percent of residents are homeowners and most are satisfied with their housing even though it tends to be older and may need repairs, according to the 2005 Nebraska Rural Poll...

Ten young ladies will be vying for the 2006 Miss Southwest Nebraska Rodeo Queen and Princess titles this weekend in McCook. The Horsemanship competition will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Kiplinger Arena at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. A Style Show and Benefit Auction will be held on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Best Western Chief Motel courtyard...

The youngest member of the McCook City Council, Aaron Kircher, has an idea to encourage building projects following the completion of the city's sewer upgrade and the water treatment plant. What Kircher wants to do is waive building and plat fees for new construction inside the city limits for a one-year period. Kircher is proposing that the one-year moratorium start on Jan. 1, 2007, and end Dec. 31, 2007...

Monday the 18th I returned to my old haunt, the McCook Council Chamber, to watch our present Council in action. Since I left the Council in December I've seldom been back but now I feel it time to quietly watch and to speak out in a different forum...

Last Thursday morning Connie Jo Discoe and I reviewed her impressive array of photographs from the previous Wednesday afternoon. She caught a multitude of images while breathtaking maneuvers on the ground and in the air sought to engage a stubborn landing gear on a Cessna Centurion at McCook Regional Airport. The en-deavor was ultimately successful...