Stories from Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Area teams finish up 2006 by playing in holiday tournaments. McCook's girls and boys basketball teams travel to the Greater Nebraska Conference at Hastings Thursday night. The Bison boys begin play at 3:45 against North Platte. The girls begin at 2 p.m. against Columbus...

Area wrestlers ranked Area wrestlers are ranked in the Nebraska prep wrestling ratings, which were posted by the Omaha World Herald. Chris Schleeman and Sam Frazier of McCook are ranked in Class B. Schleeman is rated third in the 171-pound weight division and Frazier is fifth in the 189 division...

Some people collect stamps or play cards for a hobby. For Bruce and Cathy McDowell, City Council meetings are their thing. "They called us city council groupies in Colorado," Bruce laughed. "But we don't like that term. We prefer 'informed citizens'."...

Gerald R. Ford was born Leslie Lynch King Jr., in Omaha, but lived there only a couple of weeks, until his mother left his abusive father and moved home to Michigan. After the turmoil of Watergate, his home state repaid him by voting for Ronald Reagan in the 1976 Nebraska primary...

ARAPAHOE -- Madge Merna Hill, 93, formerly of Arapahoe, died Saturday (Dec. 23, 2006) at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. She was born Dec. 1, 1913, at Edison, to Clyde and Lillian (Bishop) Fleharty. She attended school in Oxford and graduated from Oxford High School in 1932...

Jacquelin "Jackie" Jean Gallatin, 78, of McCook, died Tuesday (Dec. 26, 2006) at Community Hospital in McCook. She was born Feb. 25, 1928, at Bartley, to John Ellsworth and Helen Ann (Hoffstrand) Gallatin. She attended school at Danbury. She later moved to Lincoln and worked in the Lancaster Office of Mental Retardation Workshops. ...

**Sept. 11, 1923 - Dec. 26, 2006 WICHITA, Kan. -- Ethel E. Rogers, 83, died Tuesday (Dec. 26, 2006) at Larksfield Place in Wichita. Services are pending with Pauls Funeral Home of Oberlin, which is in charge of arrangements.