Stories from Friday, January 4, 2008

CAMBRIDGE -- The Cambridge Trojan girls basketball team, ranked No. 1 in Class C-2, overpowered the Southern Valley Eagles 55-29 during Thursday night's rescheduled game at Cambridge. The Trojans improved to 8-0. Southern Valley's boys defeated the Trojans 54-45...

OBERLIN -- Decatur Community (Oberlin) wrestlers hosted McCook and Phillipsburg Thursday. The Red Devils fell to the two teams in the tourney. McCook won over Oberlin 43-22 as did Phillipsburg 50-15. Phillipsburg defeatged McCook 36-19. Everett Urban won both his matches for Oberlin. Urban defeated Danton Downing of McCook and Branden Morgan of Phillipsburg in the 145-pound weight division...

The McCook High School sophomore boys basketball team improved to 2-0 with a 49-31 victory over Lexington Thursday at the MHS gymnasium. Dustin Parde led the Bison with 15 points and Connor Larson poured in 14. Ethan Hardin and Mark Nichols each scored 8 and Tye Smith 4...

The McCook High School sophomore girls basketball team overcame a one-point deficit at the end of the third quarter and defeated Lexington 42-37 Thursday night at the MHS gymnasium. Lexington took a 27-26 lead at the end of the third quarter, but McCook rallied with a 16-10 run in the fourth period...

LEXINGTON -- The McCook freshman girls basketball team dropped to 2-2 with a 31-27 loss at Lexington Thursday. McCook was led in scoring by Megan Carfield with 9 points, Gretchen Sehnert added 7 and Jessa Sughroue had 4. Carfield led the defense with 9 steals, Laura Brooks added 4 and Morgan Schaeffer 3...

KEARNEY -- The University of Nebraska-Kearney basketball team grabbed 57 rebounds and overcame 30 percent shooting to rally for a 77-71 overtime win over Colorado State-Pueblo Thursday night at the Health & Sports Center. UNK (10-4, 4-1 RMAC) stops a two-game losing streak while the Thunderwolves fall to 8-5 (2-3 RMAC)...

May 22, 1935 - Jan. 2, 2008 LINCOLN -- Kenneth "Wayne" Gates, 72, died Wednesday (Jan. 2, 2008) at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln. He was born May 22, 1935, to Kenneth C. and Clara Malinda (Nickerson) Gates in Hayes County. Wayne attended rural school in Hayes County, graduating from Hayes County High School in 1952...

April 7, 1920 - Jan. 2, 2008 NORTH PLATTE -- David Grant Howard of North Platte, formerly of McCook, died Wednesday (Jan. 2, 2008) at his home. He was born April 7, 1920, at Cameron, Mo., to Wayne and Zephyr Vanila (Spore) Howard. He was a graduate of Cameron High School and he served in the U. S. Navy during World War II from 1941 to 1946...

June 21, 1935 - Dec. 24, 2007 KEARNEY -- Adda Marie (Bell) England was born June 21, 1935, in Norcatur, Kan., to Warren and Viola Bell. She died Dec, 24, 2007, in Kearney. She married John H. England, May 8, 1953, at the Assembly of God Church in Oberlin. To them were born three beautiful daughters, Deb, Robbi, and Terri Jo. She was baptized and was a member of the Methodist Church. She made her home in Wilsonville for many years before moving to Kearney in 1985...

July 3, 1927 - Dec. 30, 2007 BELLEVILLE, Kan. -- Iolene Marie (Hickert) Levendofsky, 80, died Sunday (Dec. 30, 2007) at the Belleville Hospital. She was born on a farm southeast of Jennings, Kan., July 3, 1927, to Albert and Amanda (Gilleece) Hickert. ...

The family of Myrth Norman is hosting a card shower in honor of her 99th birthday. She was born on a farm near Venango on Jan. 13, 1909. Cards of congratulations will reach her at Highland Park, 610 East 14th, Apt. B-7, McCook, NE 69001.

At 9 o'clock New Year's Day, Dr. Mark Serbousek asked Bruce Hagan Jr. when his new baby was going to be born ... just how much longer would Dawn be in labor? " ... won't be here until 2 o'clock," Bruce said. "Yep, two o'clock." Dr. Serbousek was probably surprised by Bruce's certainty, and Dawn probably wasn't too thrilled with Bruce's prediction of five more hours of labor...

It may take years to settle the Republican River conflict, but farmers who were promised money for water they didn't use last year don't have years. High corn prices and an easing of the drought have taken some of the pressure off, but there are loans to repay and seed, fuel, fertilizer and chemicals to buy for next year's crop...

My little boy is growing up. It's sad and exciting all at the same time. Before he was born, so many years ago, I bought a baby blanket at a garage sale. It was brand new; still in the packaging. It was made of white flannel with blue satin trim around the sides and a little blue teddy bear embroidered on one corner. I didn't know, at the time, how much this little garage sale purchase would mean to my little boy after he was born...

May 4, 1913-Jan. 3, 2008 IMPERIAL -- Gerald E. Wine, 94, died Thursday (Jan. 3, 2008), at Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial. He was born May 4, 1913, in rural Chase Couty. On Oct. 23, 1949, he married Arlene M. Trowbridge. He was a farmer/rancher in Chase County...

Housekeeping business in connection with the start of a new year and a number of other items are on the agenda for Monday's meeting of the Red Willow County board of commissioners. Like the McCook City Council that night, the county board lists a closed session to discuss a possible real estate purchase on the agenda...

NORTH PLATTE -- Who says you can't get something for free anymore? North Platte Community College and McCook Community College will have "It's Free Night" from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday. During "It's Free Night," MCC and both campuses of NPCC will offer free tours, free advising, free food, free give-a-ways, and best of all, three free credit hours of tuition for new students or those who have not attended Mid-Plains Community College since Dec. ...

Russ Dowling looks over a scrapbook of photos from the 1935 Republican River flood. Dowling will be the featured speaker at a Buffalo Commons discussion on the flood at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the High Plains Museum. Anyone who has memories of the flood to share, or who is interested in learning more, is invited to attend...