Stories from Monday, December 31, 2007

Lindsay A. Barnes of St. Charles, Mo., and Lt. Johnathan M. Vilbert (Army National Guard) of Festus, Mo., announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Todd and Marcie Barnes of St. Charles, Brian and Betty Aubuchon of Festus and Mark and Kim Vilbert, Ferguson, Mo...

The family of Mildred Heath is hosting an open house in honor of her 100th Birthday. The open house will be Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008, at the Family Center in Overton from 2-4 p.m. The Family Center is located on the west edge of Overton by the football field. Cards of congratulations will reach her at P.O. Box 12, Overton, NE. 68863...

Anthony and Kimberly Wilson announce the birth of their daughter, Avery Grace Wilson on Nov. 23, 2007, at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. She weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces and was 19 1/4 inches long. Her grandparents are Don and Denise Loecker of McCook and Robert and Lois Wilson of Omaha. Her great-grandmother is Carol Jueden of Hartington...

Wayne and Lisa Bortner of McCook, announce the birth of their daughter, Zoey Lee Bortner, on Nov. 25, 2007. She weighed 7 pounds and 7.5 ounces. She has a six year old brother, Kyler and a four year old sister, Riley. Her grandparents are Ben and Ginny Bortner of McCook and Duane and Jody Fleck of North Platte. ...

The family of Garnet Henton is requesting a card shower in honor of his 80th birthday on Jan. 2, 2008. His children are Kathy, Jim and Leah. Cards of congratulations will reach him at 72196 U.S. Hwy 83, McCook, NE 69001.

Amanda McArthur and Justin Tatum of Kearney announce the birth of their daughter, Cloe Lilyanna McArthur, born Nov. 20, 2007 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. She weighed 9 pounds and was 20 and 3/4 inches long. She has one brother Tatum, 6 and sister Kora, 5. Grandparents are Paula and John McArthur of McCook and Jill and Mick Schroll of Elm Creek. Great- grandparents are the late Jack and Ruthella Jones, Dean and Velma McArthur of Wray, Colo and the late Wally Griff...

April 28, 1920 - Dec. 25, 2007 ATWOOD - Norma Emma Butcher, 87, formerly of Bird City, died Tuesday (Dec. 25, 2007) at the Good Samaritan Care Center in Atwood. She was born April 28, 1920, at Eureka, S.D., to George and Pauline Raile. She was baptized as an infant and later affirmed her Christian faith in German Confirmation in Bowdle, S.D. She grew up on a farm in Eureka, where she attended rural high school and German Catechism schooling...

GNAC Tournament: Bison girls to play for fifth place

ARAPAHOE -- Arapahoe teams took third place and landed three players on the all-tournament teams in the 2007 Arapahoe Warrior Holiday Tournament concluding Friday. The Pleasonton boys defeated Red Cloud 76-35 to take the championship. Pleasonton also won the girls bracket by defeating Red Cloud, 40-25...

KEARNEY -- On Saturday the McCook Bison varsity wrestling team competed in the Kearney Invite. There were 12 teams represented from both class A and B, with several teams ranked in the top 10 of their classes. The Mccook wrestling team placed eighth...

LINCOLN -- Area football teams will enter new territory next year, as several schools move into new district assignments. The NSAA removed a provision, for football only, that gives schools the option of moving up in classification to face lager schools...

BENKELMAN -- Hitchcock County senior Lexey Lewis fired in six 3-pointers and scored 42 points to lead the Hitchcock County girls to a 68-64 overtime win over Dundy County-Stratton Friday night at Benkelman. Both the 42 points and six 3-pointers are school records for Hitchcock County girls basketball...

McCook girls place 5th, boys 7th in GNAC Tournament The McCook High School boys and girls basketball teams will both start 2008 on a winning note and some positive momentum from their experience of hosting the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament...

Since too many teens apparently don't use good judgment when getting behind the wheel, the state is imposing new restrictions beginning Tuesday. Starting Jan. 1, teens can be ticketed if they're talking on the phone or text messaging while they're driving. And, for the first six months after they get their license, they can't have someone under 19 in the car with them, unless it is a family member...

Before we surge forward into the future, let's take a look back at the events of 2007 in McCook and the Golden Plains of Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas. In many ways, it was a very good year. In other ways, it was a time of terrible happenings...

In November 1871, the Grand Duke Alexis, 4th son of the Czar of Russia came to the United States on a state visit. Ulysses S. Grant was President and he was determined that the Duke, the first of the Czar's family to visit the United States, should have a good experience, so that when he returned to Russia he would carry a good impression of the United States...