Stories from Monday, April 24, 2006

Bison alum is first trackster to be honored as Husker Male Student-Athlete of the Year LINCOLN -- The 16th annual University of Nebraska Student-Athlete Academic Recognition Banquet was held at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Sunday evening. During the event, 193 student-athletes who posted a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average or a 3.0 or higher GPA during the 2005 calendar year were honored...

Andela Taylor, the director of Cambridge Economic Development, and Nebraska Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy prepare to break ground this morning on the new Mid America Agri Products/Horizon LLC 44-million-gallon ethanol plant at Cambridge. Taylor, Sheehy and Mid America President Robert Lundeen were among the dignitaries who gathered for the groundbreaking for the plant that will begin production in June 2007. ...

This column writing is a fun thing to do. Everywhere I turn, it seems, there is a story to tell. Just the other day, as an example, I heard about a long-ago happening in Beaver City that saved the name -- and therefore the political career -- of George William Norris, the Southwest Nebraska attorney and judge who went on to become one of the greatest legislators in American history...

There's an old joke about a place being "a great place to be from," but an effort to persuade Nebraskans to return to the good life they left behind seems to be gaining momentum. An Associated Press story today outlines some of those efforts, and reminds us of the opportunities right here in the Cornhusker State...

McCook High has had basketball teams since at least 1902. Through the years there have been some great individual players, but only occasionally have the great players been able to play on outstanding teams. McCook teams have almost always been competitive. When the team chemistry has been right the teams have been outstanding...

Marvin Dean Novak, 73, of McCook died Friday (April 21, 2006) at Community Hospital of McCook. He was born on Jan. 2, 1933, on a farm near Belleville, Kan. to Charley and Bertha Rebecca (Sanford) Novak. He graduated from Belleville High School in 1950...

OLATHE, Kan. --Kenneth E. Van Vleet, 90, of Olathe, Kan., formerly of Oberlin, died Saturday (April 22, 2006) at Olathe Good Samaritan Center. He is survived by a son, Larry and wife, Lucinda of Denver, Colo.; and two daughters, Pat and husband, Don Franz of Shawnee, Kan., and Shirley and husband, Steven McGee of Brookville, Kan...

FARMINGTON, N.M. -- Raymond Albert Folkers, 72, of Farmington, N.M., died Wednesday (April 19, 2006) at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, N.M. He was born in Culbertson, to Louis and Anna (Miller) Folkers on Oct. 5, 1933. After graduating high school, he joined the U.S. Army and served in Korea with the 7th Infantry Regiment...

HOLDREGE -- Inez Vesta Taylor, 96, of Holdrege, formerly of Oxford, died Saturday (April 22, 2006) at the Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege. She was born Nov. 7, 1909, in Norton, Kan., the fifth of 11 children of Orin E. and Ida M. (Wetzler) Severns. She received her education in Norton...

COLBY -- Loretta Maude Ray Edwards, 97, of Colby died Friday (April 21, 2006) at the Prairie Living Complex in Colby. She was born Jan. 16, 1909, at Muncie, Kan., to Arthur and Bertha Ray. She attended school at Atwood and graduated from Atwood High School. In 1928, she began teaching at Pleasant Valley District 43...

BARTLEY -- Donna Louise (Stewart) Burton, 75 of Bartley, died Saturday, April 22, 2006 at Hillcrest Nursing Home after a 14 year battle with cancer.She was born August 19, 1930 to Robert and Gertrude (Matticks) Stewart at Spring Ranch, Nebraska. Her family moved to a farm north of Bartley when she was three. ...

FARMINGTON, N.M. -- Raymond Albert Folkers, 72, of Farmington, N.M., died Wednesday (April 19, 2006) at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, N.M. He was born in Culbertson, to Louis and Anna (Miller) Folkers on Oct. 5, 1933. After graduating high school, he joined the U.S. Army and served in Korea with the 7th Infantry Regiment...