Stories from Tuesday, April 10, 2007

BROKEN BOW -- The McCook High School boys and girls track teams placed first and second, respectively, at the Broken Bow Invitational Monday. The meet was postponed from last week because of weather reasons. The Bison boys rolled to a 57-point victory over Gothenburg, 161-104, to capture the division title. Broken Bow and Cozad tied for third with 93 points, followed by Ord with 43.5, Holdrege 29.5 and Broken Bow junior varsity 2...

A Florida-based developer who is renovating the former East Ward Elementary school building into seven condos, got the go-ahead to offer them as timeshares/vacation rentals from the McCook Planning Commission. Commissioners unanimously approved Monday night the amended ordinances and special exception requested by Dan Childers. The request now goes before the McCook City Council for their approval...

BARTLEY -- Landowners are happy. Grant writers are very pleased. And the goats think they're in hog heaven. "This is goat heaven," Michelle Wendell said about the vegetation growing at sandpits near Bartley. "You could have a gazillion goats here." And they'd be as happy as pigs in slop...

People suffered plenty of inconvenience when the New Year's ice storm rolled through Southwest and Central Nebraska, but human suffering was minimal when compared to that endured by the trees. We recall walking around outdoors, listening to the crashing trees, reminded of a slow artillery barrage. While the Holdrege and Kearney area suffered extensive, expensive power outages, most of the damage was confined to broken limbs and fallen branches in the McCook area...

This has to be a perfect example of "religious fundamentalism" and bigotry at its very worst ["Class questioned" (http://www.mccook gazette.com/story/1197245.html)]. It is obvious that Dr. Price knows he cannot win a debate on this issue so he must try to personally destroy any person who would oppose him. Where is his stand for academic freedom?...

Last week, my younger sister Mary was attacked on a school bus ride home from Southwest. A boy in her school beat her with complete lack of compassion for the damage he was doing. Afterwards he choked her, and she spent that evening in a hospital on oxygen...

For this week's visit to the skies I have chosen two small entries in the grand scheme of things instead of one of the larger, brighter, star patterns. These two (three actually), nevertheless, have as interesting a history as any of their bigger brothers and sisters...

Oct. 11, 1930-March 28, 2007   KEARNEY -- Joy A. Emig, 76, died March 28, 2007, at her residence. She was born Oct. 11, 1930, on a farm near Danbury in Red Willow County to Ira and Matilda (Fisher) Williams.  She graduated from Cambridge High School...

SONOMA, Calif. -- Mary L. Matthews, 78, of Sonoma, Calif., passed away quietly on the morning of March 19, 2007. Mary had suffered two strokes in recent weeks -- the first at home and the second while hospitalized. The family sincerely appreciates the tender and loving care she received from our local hospital...

Nov. 12, 1936-April 6, 2007 Norma G. (Richter) Pennington, loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend passed away April 6, 2007 at the age of 70. Formerly of Omaha, she resided in Crestview, Fla. Norma was born Nov. 12, 1936, in Hayes Center, Neb. She graduated from McCook High School in 1954...

March 16, 1940-April 6, 2007 TOPEKA, Kan. -- Carl Eugene Lawver, 67, died Friday (April 6, 2007), at St. Francis Hospital in Topeka, Kan. He was born March 16, 1940, in Decatur County, Kan., to Earl F. and Beulah W. (Smallberger) Lawver. In 1987, he married Donita Smith in Kearney...

The family of Robert and LaVella (Little) Farr is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 35th wedding anniversary. They were married April 16, 1972, in McCook. Their children are Andrea and Gregg Sayer of Cambridge and Crystal and Bill Adams of Bartley. They have five grandchildren. Cards of congratulation will reach them at 72978 Road 411, Cambridge, NE, 69022...