Stories from Friday, December 7, 2007

GOODLAND, Kan. -- The McCook High School boys and girls basketball teams lost tough first-round games Thursday in the 19th annual Goodland (Kan.) Topside Tip-off Tournament. The McCook boys lost to Wallace County-Sharon Springs 58-57 and the Bison girls fell 68-62 to Weskan...

NORTH PLATTE -- The McCook High School ninth grade girls basketball teams won a pair of games Thursday night in North Platte. The A squad defeated North Platte 25-21 in a defensive battle. "The girls did a great job running the press and defending the basket," said Bison coach Jon Graff...

July 11, 1930-Dec. 5, 2007 Doris M. Crocker of McCook died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007, at Hillcrest Nursing Home. She was 77 years old. Doris was born on July 11, 1930 at Franklin to John William and Mary Deloris (Iler) Eaton. She graduated from Indianola High School in 1948 and attended McCook College for one year...

CULBERTSON -- Lights dance to Christmas music, keeping beat to "Jingle Bells Techno" and "A Mad Russian's Christmas," in the rural-Culbertson farmyard of Rosemary and Gerald Corey. The Coreys have choreographed brightly colored flashing, twinkling and blinking Christmas lights -- synchronized by a computer program -- to share their Christmas spirit with anyone who drives by and tunes to 88.1 on an FM radio...

Hundreds of miles away, the shootings in Omaha are having an effect. Even in far Southwest Nebraska, few of us have not visited the West Roads mall, and all of us can empathize with those involved with the tragedy. Sadly, one of the victims grew up in our region, and in a state as small as Nebraska, we're sure there are other ties to the area...

Sixty-six years ago today, a foreign power that hated freedom tried to take ours away. As momentous as current events seem, few can compare to that day, Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, that threw all of us into a fight to the finish for our way of life. Sadly, the number of those who remember the attack on Pearl Harbor is becoming lower every day...

Aug. 10, 1968-Dec. 6, 2007 FAIRMONT -- Gary Bowers, 39, formerly of Holbrook, died Thursday (Dec. 6, 2007) at Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He was born Aug. 10, 1968, at Oxford, to Terry and Cindy (Leiding) Bowers. He was raised in Holbrook and graduated from Holbrook High School in 1986...

Gary Scharf, age 48, of Lincoln, formerly of Curtis, died on Dec. 5, 2007 in Omaha. Devoted father, son, brother, uncle and friend and charismatic and adventurous, he lived his life with humor, love and compassion. Survived by beloved son, Steve of Lincoln; parents, John and Doris of Curtis; sister, Deb of Omaha; brother, John (Barbara) of Curtis, Bob (Gayle) of Gretna; nieces Kristin, Stephanie, Nichole and Kacie; nephews Kevin and Will and loyal dog, Red, as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.. ...

McCook High School football coach Jeff Gross is the McCook Daily Gazette's Football Coach of the Year for the 2007 season. The Bison posted a 12-1 record. The loss came against Crete in the Class B state championship game -- a 14-7 setback in overtime. This is the fourth state runnerup finish for the Bison, who also placed second in in 1980, 2004 and 2005...

GOODLAND, Kan. -- The McCook Bison boys basketball team jumped out to a 16-0 lead against the Weskan Coyotes en route to a 89-46 victory Friday night in the fifth-place game at the 19th annual Goodland, Kan., Topside Tip-off Classic. McCook (2-2) will play Colby, a 65-52 winner over Denver Skyline, today at 4 p.m. central time/3 p.m. mountain time at the Goodland Junior High gymnasium...