Stories from Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Hager, Nelson finish 1st, 2nd; MHS hosts GNAC Friday The McCook High School girls golf team warmed up for its league meet by winning a nine-hole "triangular" Monday afternoon at Heritage Hills. The Bison won the team title with a 211 score, led by sophomore Justine Hager and senior Lesley Nelson, who finished first and second with 44 and 48...

KEARNEY -- Five athletes from Eustis-Farnam participated in the University of Nebraska-Kearney High School cross country meet Monday in the Class D competition. The Knights' Hillary Willis finished 16th in the Class D girls 4K with a time of 17 minutes, 52.36 seconds...

NORTH PLATTE -- Austin Gesselman blocked an extra point kick to preserve a 20-19 overtime victory for the McCook Bison junior varsity football team over the North Platte JV Monday at North Platte. The score was tied 13-13 going into overtime. McCook scored first on a 10-yard pass from Justin Spector to Josh Mullen. David Cappel kicked the extra point for a 20-13 McCook lead...

Football It's homecoming for Arapahoe as the Warriors take on Eustis-Farnam. Cambridge heads north to North Platte St. Pats. Chase County travels again to Gordon-Rushville. Dundy County takes on Wallace. Hayes Center plays South Platte. Hitchcock County travels into Leyton...

June 30, 1930--Sept. 21, 2005 WAUNETA -- Robert Eugene O'Dea, 75, died Wednesday (Sept. 21, 2005) while on a fishing trip in Pierre, S.D. He was born June 30, 1930, to Francis H. and Elizabeth M. (Hanthorn) O'Dea in Indianola. The family moved to McCook, where he attended school...

June 22, 1937--Sept. 23, 2005 WENATCHEE, Wash. -- Shirley Ann (Staples) Usrey, 68, died Friday (Sept. 23, 2005) from pancreatic cancer. She was born June 22, 1937, to Martin and Gertrude Staples in Cleveland, Ohio. After retiring in Vista, Calif., she traveled the country before moving to Wenatchee...

Red Willow County commissioners will tour the vacated West Ward Elementary School building in McCook during their Oct. 3 meeting, with an eye on buying it for county use. Following a closed session with commissioners Monday morning, Reuben Hoff Jr. of rural McCook, the chairman of the county's task force charged with investigating the possible construction of a county jail, shared a letter in which Jon Morrison, the owner of the former McCook Public Schools neighborhood elementary school, offers to sell the building to the city and/or the county for $50,000.. ...

Red Willow County commissioners tabled for a week any action on an offer from its arena benefactor to help the county pay off the loan on the now three-year-old Kiplinger Arena on the fairgrounds in McCook. To build the arena, McCook-area farmer and rancher Tom Kiplinger pledged the full amount and paid half up front. ...

Red Willow County Commissioners signed documents authorizing the issuance of a $131,000 grant from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development -- Tourism Development Initiative for the "Hilton Farm Eco-Retreat" between Bartley and Cambridge. Chris Miller, of Miller and Associates, explained the paperwork that needed to be signed and returned before grant funds can be released. ...

Commissioners took no action Monday morning on a proposal to purchase a roadside chemical for resale to chemical dealers. District 3 Commissioner Leigh Hoyt explained that only governmental agencies can purchase a chemical called "Plateau," which creates an opportunity for the county to resell it and place the proceeds in the county's weed department budget...

Red Willow County Commissioners authorized County Attorney Paul Wood to represent the county in the lawsuit filed Wednesday in by McCook Public Power District. Wood said that in the declaratory judgment lawsuit, MPPD is asking the judge to determine if zoning regulations -- the city's and the county's -- apply to MPPD...

Atwood organizers of the second annual "Smokin‚ on the Beaver" BBQ contest will host 25 teams of BBQ cookers from three states on the weekend of Saturday, Oct 8! And the best part is that all the BBQ meats cooked by teams vying for top honors in their favorite categories will be served to the general public at an evening BBQ meal...

Two McCook men allegedly wrote more than $3,000 in stolen checks before being apprehended by the McCook Police Department on Wednesday, Sept. 21. James L. Sanford and Kyle L. Wayman, both 18, were arraigned in County Court Friday, Sept. 23 on forgery and burglary counts...

**Dear Editor, I was going to Corn Flake Joke ball before Devaney showed up at the Cereal Bowl in Lincoln, and I wasn't impressed. In the ensuing years I've not been impressed. Of course, I don't care for baseball, basketball, golf, or any other team sport. ...

**Dear Editor, I, too shined Sen. Norris' shoes ['The Fighting Liberal' was a tightwad" (http:// www.mccookgazette.com/story/1116540.html)]. When he would come to the barbershop run by Bert Pousch and Fred Schneider, I, being the shoeshine boy, would always shine the senator's shoes...

When the possibility of the city of McCook buying the East Ward School property came up, the council decided to pass. The problem, in the opinion of council members, was East Ward's residential location, which would make it inappropriate as the operational center for McCook's police and fire departments...

McCook elementary students not only celebrated their new school, they also celebrated grand champion honors in the Heritage Days parade on Saturday. In addition, Ashley and Emily Laurie took first place in the youth division.

Nebraska Housing and Urban Development Field Office Director Stan Quy and Operations Specialist Reggie Robinson will be on hand from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the AmFirst Bank meeting room, 602 West B. Local housing officials, for-profit and nonprofit housing organizations, community development leaders, Chamber of Commerce and real estate representatives and local elected officials are encouraged to attend to learn more about HUD programs and services that may be of value in meeting local housing, economic development, community development and homeownership goals, priorities and needs.. ...

On Wednesday, University of Nebraska President J.B. Milliken, Executive Vice President and Provost Jay Noren, and Vice President for University Affairs Peter Kotsiopulos will visit and tour both McCook Community College and North Platte Community College Campuses, according to Mid Plains Community College officials...

KEARNEY -- The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument has announced that construction of the Frank and Maxine Morrison Learning Center has begun. The addition of the learning center is part of the continuing legacy to the life and vision of the late Gov. Frank Morrison...

The McCook Community Foundation has announced its annual Founders Celebration to be held on Thursday, Oct. 20 at the Republican River Valley Event Center. The evening includes a video presentation of affiliated organizations and the awarding of funding to local non-profits. The highlight of the evening will be a special presentation by Sharleen Crowe, Edward Jones Investment Representative on behalf of a donor...

June 2, 1929--Sept. 25, 2005 Roland Ray "Corky" Reed Jr., 76, died Sunday (Sept. 25, 2005) at his home in McCook. Corky was born June 2, 1929, in McCook to Helen F. (Kagy) and Dr. Roland Ray Reed Sr. He was nicknamed "Corky" a day after his birth by one of the nuns at McCook Hospital, it stuck. He grew up in McCook and graduated from McCook High School in 1947...