Stories from Wednesday, September 14, 2005

LEXINGTON -- The McCook High School varsity boys tennis swept all nine matches at Lexington Tuesday. McCook improved its season record to 6-1. The Bison recorded their second shutout of the season. Next action for McCook is 9 a.m. Saturday at the Lexington Invite...

HASTINGS -- The McCook High School Bison softball team used timely hitting to score the only two runs of the game while just scratching out four hits in a 2-0 victory at Hastings Tuesday. The McCook varsity improved to 13-0. "We actually hit the ball better than the four hits we got," said McCook coach Dale Lortz. "We hit several balls hard tonight, but they seemed to be right at the Hastings defensive players. We did come through with hits when we had runners in scoring position."...

INDIANOLA -- Southwest High School's volleyball team edged out Wauneta-Palisade in a tightly scored four sets on Tuesday. Southwest coach Dennis Troester said "missed serves were big for both teams. Wauneta came back and played very tough in the third and fourth sets. We won both the JV and C games as well."...

LINCOLN -- Marie H. Derr, formerly of McCook, died Tuesday (Aug. 30, 2005) in Lincoln. Her daughter and her grandson were with her when she passed away. Marie was born to Henry and Marie (Wudtke) Klawonn in Herndon, Kan. She graduated from Herndon Rural High School...

Nov. 28, 1920--Sept. 12, 2005 MACON -- Ellsworth W. Friehe, 84, died Monday (Sept. 12, 2005) at his home in Macon. Ellsworth was born Nov. 28, 1920, in Culbertson to Fred and Emma (Liebrandt) Friehe. He moved with his family to McCook at a young age and graduated from McCook High School. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Air Force...

McCook's public school board approved a resolution Monday evening to apply for a $200,000 federal assistance grant to help the school and the City of McCook build six new tennis courts. The deadline to apply for the grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund through the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is the end of September, according to school board president Greg Larson...

Petitions carriers who collected signatures throughout the summer in an effort to repeal LB 126, celebrated with a rally this weekend at Kearney, where the final count of signatures was announced at approximately 95,000. Although falling short of the 115,000 needed to automatically repeal the bill, enough signatures were gathered to put the measure before Nebraska voters in the 2006 ballot...

July 27, 1953--Sept. 16, 2005 SCOTIA -- Tamra "Tammy" Kay Jess, 52, died Monday (Sept. 12, 2005) at her home. She was born July 27, 1953, to Bill and Reita (Wright) Anderson in Sterling, Kan. She attended school in Lyons, Kan., and graduated from Hays High School in 1971. She attended Colby Community College in Colby, Kan., and later received her Certified Nurse's Aid training...

**Mark Christensen is farmer and commodities broker IMPERIAL -- Mark Christensen has announced his candidacy for the 44th Legislative District. This is a seat currently held by Tom Baker who, due to term limits, will not be running for re-election in 2006. ...

Survey after survey shows too many of the baby boomers approaching retirement age don't have the financial resources to stop working and maintain the lifestyles they have grown accustomed to. Not that it isn't possible. There are Americans who have put aside a portion of their earnings throughout their working lives. ...

Evie Caldwell directs Central Elementary students in singing all three verses of the Star Spangled Banner during a National Anthem Day celebration at the flag pole at Norris Avenue and F Street. The students also recognized the anniversary of the signing of the Constution by performing the preamble to that document...

The meeting was remarkable if only for its brevity. A mutual friend introduced us. I offered a well-thought out, oft-rehearsed, tried and true ... "Hi." I received a no doubt well-thought out, oft-rehearsed, tried and true ... "Hi" in return. This clever repartee quickly ended with a unison, "Well, see ya' around."...