Stories from Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Tryouts for the McCook Community College production of "A Christmas Carol" will be Sunday from 5--7 p.m. and Monday from 6:30 -- 8:30 p.m. on campus in the Weeth Theater. No preparation is necessary and no theater experience is necessary. There are parts for 22 adults and 12 children ranging in age from approximately five to 16 years old...

GRAND ISLAND -- McCook High School senior Justine Hager was in second place after Monday's first round of the Nebraska Class B girls state golf tournament. Hager, who tied for 11th at state last year as a junior and was 10th as sophomore, shot an 80 on Grand Island's Indianhead Golf Club...

EUSTIS -- The Eustis-Farnam volleyball team handed Overton a 25-21, 25-17 loss Monday at Eustis in the first round of the Fort Kearny Conference Tournament and placed second at the Central Platte Conference Tournament Saturday at Paxton. The Knights improved to 16-5 and dropped Overton to 10-8...

The corrected version of the McCook High School football game story from Friday night's win at Lexington can be found online at www.mccookgazette.com. The corrected photo cutline (caption) for the Bison boys tennis match against North Platte is also available on the Gazette website...

OGALLALA -- The McCook High School junior varsity football team improved to 6-0 with a 28-12 victory at Ogallala Monday night. McCook scored a touchdown in each quarter and Shane Wallen was 4-for-4 on extra point kicks. McCook's Andy Smith scored on a 69-yard TD run in the first quarter. Jeff Lorentz caught a 13-yard TD pass from Mike Grabowski in the second quarter...

The McCook High School freshman volleyball team split a pair of volleyball matches with Southwest in McCook on Monday. The McCook A team lost to Southwest 26-24, 25-16. "The girls played hard. In Game 1, we had the lead 24-20 and let them score 6 straight points," said McCook coach Jon Graff...

MAYWOOD -- The Eustis-Farnam Knights scored 20 points in the first quarter en route to a 52-14 victory over the Maywood Tigers Friday at Maywood. Erick Kohl caught touchdown passes of 25 and 8 yards from Drew Wetovick and Randy Sheffield added a 19-yard TD run in the opening frame and the Knights added a 2-point conversion...

The Ed Thomas YMCA is still accepting registrations for boys and girls youth basketball. The YMCA is also accepting registrations for men's basketball. The registration deadline for men's basketball is Oct. 29.

McCook Speedway's banquet on Saturday night, Nov. 10, will honor the top points drivers of the season. The event will take place at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds, but this year, it will be held in the Community Building. Bench racing will start at 6 p.m., with the food line beginning at 7 p.m., and the awards presentations to follow the meal...

McCook Public Schools' resource officer suggests inservice training for school staff to learn the facts and fiction associated with sexual predators and registered sexual offenders. McCook Police Officer and school resource officer Jerry Calvin told school board members at their monthly meeting Monday evening that some perceptions held by the public about registered sex offenders are not accurate. ...

McCook Senior High's band seems to be a "safety-pin band." Band director Donita Priebe told school board members at their monthly meeting Monday evening that she sends her musicians into parades and concerts in ill-fitting 19-year-old uniforms, many of them safety-pinned together or not closed at all...

We've decried the amount of time law enforcement officers spend dealing with animal problems, but there's something "civilian" residents can do as well. If you have room in your home and heart for a companion animal, the McCook Humane Society has a deal for you...

Thanks to Mike for his compassionate overview of a tragedy affecting so many. His insightful message truly described the feelings of those in the community who did not personally know Kasey, but had already seen the results of the passion for learning she instilled in her students...

The fireworks issue has generated considerable debate. The facts in the matter are clear. The loud noisees are an expression of patriotism. In evil foreign countries, where they don't have democracy, freedom is not allowed and so they don't have enough money to buy explosives...

Feb. 6, 1932-Oct. 6, 2007 DOWNS, Kan. -- Twila E. (Collins) Frick, 75, died Saturday (Oct. 6, 2007). She was born Feb. 6, 1932, in Palisade. She was a homemaker. Survivors include her husband, Donald Frick of Downs; two daughters, Diane Koetter of Downs and Debra Deininger of Tucson, Ariz.; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren...

Nov. 18, 1944-Oct. 7, 2007 Calista Jeannette (C.J.) Rea, 62, of Jefferson City, Mo., died Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007, at her home. She was born Nov. 18, 1944 in Kearney, Neb., a daughter of Bernice B. (Raveling) and Edward B. Curtis. She was baptized into the Christian faith on Dec. ...

July 11, 1925-Sept. 16, 2007 THORNTON, Colo. -- Frances Marie (Vrbas) Ham, 82, formerly of Benkelman, died Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, at the North Suburban Medical Center in Thornton, Colo. She was born July 11, 1925, to Frank J. and Mary (Bartosovsky) Vrbas, in Rawlins County, Kan. She attended country school near Beardsley, Kan. She graduated from the Charles Beauty Academy in Denver, Colo., in 1946...

Dec. 21, 1912-Oct. 7, 2007 ALMA -- Edna Mae Casper, 94, died Sunday (Oct. 7, 2007), at Harlan County Health Systems in Alma. She was born Dec. 21, 1912, near Alma to Clarence Arthur and Elsie Laura (Kirts) Bear. She attended rural school near Naponee, later moving to Alma where she finished grade school and attended two years of high school. ...

March 21, 1922 - Sept. 11, 2007 Mildred Lucille Grafel, 85, of Herndon, died Tuesday (Sept. 11, 2007) at Cedar Living Center in Oberlin. She was born March 21, 1922, in Traer, Kan., to Gustav and Theresia (Leitner) Wudtke. She grew up in Traer and Herndon and attended Herndon Schools, graduating from Herndon High School in 1939. She spent a year in normal school in Oberlin, aspiring to teach...

IMPERIAL -- Harry Kinner Jr., 75, died Monday (Oct. 8, 2007), at his rural home.