Stories from Thursday, March 8, 2007

LINCOLN -- The Wauneta-Palisade Broncos won their first-round game at the Nebraska Class D-1 boys state tournament Thursday morning at the Lincoln Southwest gym. The Broncos, the No. 1-ranked team in Class D-1 and the No. 1 seed at state, improved to 23-0 with a 72-44 win over Pope John-Elgin...

Just like another "Big Red," the McCook High School Bison football team will be associated with Adidas and will wear Adidas jerseys and pants, starting with the 2007-08 seasons, said coach Jeff Gross. Adidas, the sporting goods giant, is getting into the football uniform business and is trying to gain a foothold in the state of Nebraska...

The family of Martha Castor is hosting an open house and card shower in honor of her 99th birthday. The open house is Saturday, 1-5 p.m.,  at 405 Center Ave., in Curtis. She was born March 7, 1908. Cards of congratulation will reach her at PO BOX 46, Curtis, NE, 69025...

Will Sen. Chuck Hagel run for president? Let's look at the evidence. He votes a consistent Republican party line, but he's been an outspoken critic of an increasingly unpopular war. Hagel has had plenty of national television exposure, thanks to his positions on the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees, and has been profiled in national magazines and mentioned in the same breaths with the likes of Sen. John McCain...

A young veteran in California is being criticized for his view of the 13 months he spent serving in Iraq. On the back windshield of his Nissan Frontier pickup, Sgt. Mathew Gonzalez has the words "Lord please forgive me; I have committed sins for our freedom," and depicts a soldier kneeling in prayer...

I read the piece in the March 5 Gazette on the "Fighting McCooks." Since I was at Normandy June 6, 1944, I remember the destroyer McCook and two other destroyers that I cannot recall their names. The destroyer McCook and the other two saved the day on Omaha Beach on Normandy. One of them was sunk by mines. I believe McCook ran aground but still kept up a hail of fire on the enemy from 5-inch guns. I believe the tide came in and refloated her...

I am searching for information pertaining to the crash of a World War II-era B-17 bomber that happened on April 10, 1945, approximately 11 miles west of Maywood which resulted in the deaths of five airmen. My project, and upcoming planned book, involves documenting every aviation crash that occurred in Nebraska during World War II...

The Phelps County Community Pantry would like to express its greatest thanks to those from the Community Colleges of McCook and North Platte who took an active part in helping our pantry during the recent ice storms. Whether you helped by donating food or money your generous contributions were able to assist 375 households and 958 individuals...

In the near future, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a measure allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to bargain for lower Medicare drug prices. The House already approved secretarial negotiation on a strong bipartisan vote early this year. Current law bans the secretary from negotiating directly with the pharmaceutical manufacturers for lower drug prices. This is a major flaw with the Medicare Part D drug benefit...

Cupid -- for Amy Portschy of McCook and other girls looking for true love with farmers and ranchers -- probably wears blue jeans and cowboy boots and carries a pair of pliers with him wherever he goes. Amy's Cupid brought her together with the love of her life, Erik Schlimmer, after the two visited an online dating service Web site designed specifically for "farmers, ranchers, ag students, cowboys, cowgirls, animal lovers, nature lovers, country folks and wannabes.". ...