Stories from Tuesday, February 6, 2007

HASTINGS -- State qualifying scores and times, along with improvement in most areas were the results that came out of Hastings this past Friday. Katie Gill placed first and reached an automatic state qualifying score of 304.45 in the diving. "Katie has just had a big weight lifted off her shoulders," said McCook diving coach Jim Brandt said...

OBERLIN -- The St. Francis boys basketball team captured the Oberlin invitational Monday after downing Hoxie 60-44 in a makeup game. Cambridge's boys finished defeated Rawlins County 47-41 and took fifth place. The two games were postponed from Jan. 20 because of weather...

OGALLALA -- The McCook High School varsity and junior varsity girls basketball teams split games at Ogallala Friday night. The Bison varsity girls lost to the Indians 69-49 and the JV girls won 64-28. The McCook varsity and JV girls hit the road this weekend for the East-West Shootout. The Bison play at Alliance Thursday, Scottsbluff Friday and Gering Saturday...

NORTH PLATTE -- The McCook High School sophomore boys and girls basketball teams lost their season finales Monday night to North Platte at North Platte. The McCook boys lost 50-47 and the Bison girls lost 45-33. The McCook boys and North Platte were tied 12-12 after one quarter, but the Bulldogs took a 28-22 halftime lead...

Three Red Devils claim first place SOUTHWEST -- Southwest hosted area teams in the Southwest wrestling invite Saturday. The Roughriders finished sixth in their own meet, with Decatur Community (Oberlin) taking the win. Franklin finished in second with Southern Valley coming in fourth and Medicine Valley/Maywood fourth...

Sept. 20, 1921 - Feb. 2, 2007 IMPERIAL -- Arthur Herman Wittwer, 85, died Friday (Feb. 2, 2007) at the Imperial Manor. He was born to Edward and Anna Wittwer on Sept. 20,1921, in McCook. He was baptized Oct. 17, 1921, and confirmed into the Lutheran faith on Oct. 24, 1937. He attended school in rural Hayes County and Hayes Center graduating from Hayes County High School in 1940...

Neal and Mary Lee Corey sit relaxed among their treasured souvenirs, medals and scrapbooks. A slide show on Mary Lee's computer tells the history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the adventure and memories she and Neal made on their trek through the wilderness...

FEMA and NEMA representatives were in town recently, assessing possible damage from the back-to-back ice and snow storms, but it is unlikely the city will receive any major funds, said Public Director Kyle Potthoff. The city had petitioned for funds due to the enormous amount of man hours put in by various city departments, as well as costs of equipment repair and extra fuel costs...

A proposed ordinance that will give the city manager approval of purchases up to $20,000 was approved unanimously by the McCook City Council on its first reading, but it will not give him free rein over city funds. "This is not a way for the city manager for make checks to his buddies," emphasized City Manger Kurt Fritsch...

City residents may want to fasten their seatbelts -- it's going to be a bumpy right along J street the next couple of years. That's because major street improvements are planned for the through street, beginning with a major resurfacing project this year and continuing next year with a traffic light installed at West Fifth...

Re: "Straw vote opposes Christensen gun law proposal," Feb. 1, 2007: To answer why a law is needed to regulate the other laws: A "RIGHT," akin to breathing, requires neither permission nor acceptance to exist. It exists, and is usually most evident, while being violated. Rights predate government...

I am writing to support the Legislative Bill LB395 concerning the prohibition of cities and villages from passing their own laws on "the right to carry a concealed weapon." Some folks do not understand that "concealed" weapon does not necessarily mean a gun or knife that is carried on your person...

Something about the McCook community endears it to the hearts of those who call it home. That's not unusual, as Dorothy said in the "Wizard of Oz," "There's no place like home ..." What is different, however, is the extent to which those who have their origins here are willing to invest back into the community...