Stories from Wednesday, January 3, 2007

COLUMBUS -- The Greater Nebraska Conference basketball tournament wrapped up Tuesday night in Columbus with the girls and boys championship games. Both games, along with a few others, were canceled on Saturday because of weather, including McCook's consolation round games...

July 9, 1949 - Dec. 25, 2006 IMPERIAL -- Janet Rae (Leibhart) Trupp was born July 9, 1949, at McCook, to William and Irene (Wilson) Klebel.? As a young girl she moved with her parents to Lexington, where she attended school.?     She married Ron Leibhart in July of 1964, and the couple settled in Lexington. To this union four children were born, Ronald, Cheryl, Michael and Daniel. The family then moved to Imperial in 1969.?    ...

March 8, 1953 - Jan. 1, 2007 ARAPAHOE -- David D. Mues, 53, died Monday (Jan. 1, 2007) at Bryan LGH Medical Center East in Lincoln. He was born March 8, 1953, at McCook, to Donald E. and Maxine A. (Van Matre) Mues. He was raised on a farm near Edison and graduated from Arapahoe High School in 1971. He went one year to Kearney State College majoring in music...

A McCook resident who sustained major damage to his business because of the recent snowfall came to the defense of the city's snow removal procedures. Responding to some citizen complaints that the snow is not being removed efficiently, businessman Don Klein at Tuesday's night council meeting commended city workers who helped clear snow away from his business on West B when the roof partially collapsed because of the heavy snowfall. ...

One new councilman asked for merit raises for city staff and other council members were appointed to the McCook Economic Devel-opment Corp. board, at the regular City Council meeting Tuesday night. Councilman Lonnie Anderson asked City Manager Kurt Fritsch to look into the possibility of implementing merit raises for city staff as a way to encourage better performance...

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Three 140-foot wind turbine blades on 16-axle trucks crept through McCook Tuesday afternoon, assisted in their southbound trip by city employees who directed traffic and moved huge piles of snow. The blades were en route from Grand Forks, N.D., to a wind farm near Abilene, Texas, according to Duane Rieger of A&D Truck Escort of Walcott, N.D...

As of press time today, Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas apparently don't have a "New Year's Baby." The first baby born after midnight, Monday, Jan. 1, is eligible to win the Gazette's "First Baby of 2007" title. Because hospitals cannot release information about newborns, parents or other family members must contact the Gazette with pertinent information -- the baby's name, parents' names, time and place of birth, doctor and hospital...

With Internet, GPS navigation, cellular phones, and four-wheel drive, it's easy to get complacent on the Golden Plains. Complacent, that is, until Mother Nature reasserts herself. "It's the middle of nowhere. You lose the power, you might as well be in 1885," Sgt. 1st Class Steve Segin told The Associated Press. "There's no cell phone, no lights, no contact."...

She was arguably the ugliest dog in the free world. Having suffered the recent loss of beautiful, cinnamon shaded retriever puppy, I was anxious to fill the void when an acquaintance directed me to a neighbor's house where I found Melissa. Utilizing all of my powers of persuasion, I convinced Danny that this little bitty, wire haired bundle of energy would be the perfect complement to our little home...