Stories from Monday, February 25, 2008

Paul Miller and Carrie Allen of McCook announce the birth of their son, Michael Anthony Miller on Feb. 8, 2008, at Community Hospital in McCook. He weighed 8 pounds, 10.8 ounces and was 22 inches long. His grandparents are Robert and Carol Allen of Lamar, Mo., and Dennis and Thelma Miller of McCook...

Brad and Sharleen Riemenschneider announce the birth of of their son, Grady Eugene Riemenschneider on Feb. 1, 2008, at Community Hospital in McCook. He weighed 9 pounds, 5 ounces and was 22 inches long. He was two older sisters, McKenzie and Madison Crowe. His grandparents are Norma (Kerst) and Ron Barnett of McCook, Don and Linda Riemenschneider of Anton, Colo., Patsy Riemenschneider of Otis, Colo., and Bill and Joyce Kerst of Jamestown, Tenn...

Joshua and Carla Taylor of Grant, formerly of Palisade, announce the birth of their son, Ryan Dale Taylor on Jan. 29, 2008, at Great Plains Regional Medical Center. He weighed 7 pounds and was 19.25 inches long. He has two 8-year old twin brothers, Nathan and Clifton. ...

Ashley Dawn Latham of Winona, Kan. and Jeremiah Carl Stroup of Benkelman announce their engagement and upcoming marriage. Parents of the couple are Brad and Linda Latham of Winona and Steve and Julie Stroup of Benkelman. The bride-to-be is a graduate of Fort Hays State University with a Bachelors of Art degree in information systems. She is employed at Lincoln Federal Savings Bank in Benkelman...

The children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Leona Trout are requesting a card shower in honor of her 85th birthday March 1. Cards of congratulation will reach her at 610 East 14th, Apt. D-4, McCook, NE 69001.

Lamont and Denise (McArthur) Stringfellow of Houston, Texas announce the birth of a daughter, Ava Alana Stringfellow. She was born Feb. 4, 2008 at the Cy-Fair Medical Center in Houston and weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and was 20 1/4 inches long. She has two brothers, Avery, 11 and Aidan, 1 1/2. Grandparents are John and Paula McArthur of McCook and Karen Washington of Washington D.C. Great grandparents are the late Jack & Ruthella Jones and Dean and Velma McArthur of Wray, Colo...

Feb. 14, 1921 - Feb. 23, 2008 Marjorie Delores (Faubion) Richardson died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008, at Hillcrest Nursing Home. She was 87. She was born on Feb. 14, 1921, to Leonard and Hazel (Thompson) Faubion. She grew up in Cambridge, where her father barbered. ...

Jan. 25, 1932 - Feb. 21, 2008 RED CLOUD -- Lester J. Bell, 76, died Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008, at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital in Hastings. Lester was born Jan. 25, 1932, to Dora (Koch) Cook and Earl Bell in Rivertson. He attended school in Franklin County and graduated from Guide Rock High School in 1949...

June 14, 1934 - Feb. 23, 2008 EUSTIS -- Nora "June" Lehmann, 73 of Eustis, died Saturday (Feb. 23, 2008) at her home in rural Eustis. She was born June 14, 1934, at rural Elwood to Frank and Josephine (Heny) Jorges. She attended the Salem parochial school...

Feb. 27, 1911 - Feb. 23, 2008 STRATTON -- Iris Josephine Gummere, 96, of Stratton, died Saturday (Feb., 23, 2008) at Community Hospital in McCook. She was born Feb. 27, 1911, at Culbertson, the daughter of Joe and Rena (Brown) McNiece, and grew up in the Culbertson area. She lived for three years in Upland, Calif., before returning to Culbertson, where she graduated from high school in 1930...

All emergency crews could do was stand by ... wait for power company personnel to cut power to electric lines draped over the pickup ... hope and pray that the man inside the pickup didn't decide to get out. "That's a worst-case scenario," Brian Buhr, of Nebraska Public Power District, said this morning. "EMT's can't go in until the scene is cleared, and there's a person in the vehicle."...

He was a little bashful, unsure of his public speaking skills ... uncertain why he'd been asked to speak at the annual banquet of the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce Saturday evening. But Garrett Nokes, McCook's own world-class cowboy, put his words together just right to express his sentiments and the thoughts of everyone gathered to celebrate successes of last year. "No one makes it anywhere without the support of their family and their community," Nokes said. "I didn't do this by myself."...

McCook High School senior Paul Carlon will play "A Day in the Life," by the Beatles, during the MHS varsity choir's "Cabaret Show," scheduled Tuesday, March 4, in McCook's Memorial Auditorium. Carlon joins fellow singers to present "Six Decades of Sound," featuring the varsity choir, Sound System, the Entertainment Committee, small groups and soloists. ...

McCook Economic Development Corporation announced at the 18th Annual McCook Home & Builders Show held at the Army Reserve building they were accepting applications for the second Purchase, Rehab, Resale house project in McCook. This program targets first-time homebuyers in the City of McCook that meet certain income levels. ...

March is only days away, and with it the promise of spring and more outdoor activities. Prom time isn't that far away, with graduation close on its heels. It's a time for optimism about the future. Too often, however, this time of year is marred by the tragedy of young drivers, killed, injured or permanently disabled by motor vehicle crashes...

Over the last several years, there has been an on- going debate between the University of Nebraska Medical Center and pro-life, family, and ethical research groups regarding human cloning and the destruction of human embryos for research. Last week, we had a positive step forward with an amendment to which both sides have agreed...

I was reading the lead article in the Feb. 23 issue of the Gazette about the good job the city government was doing collecting tax money to run the city operations, and a nice surplus. Then, I noted there were thoughts about creating new ways of getting more money, and the thought of increasing the tax on cell phones...

The latest hot topic in McCook has left some citizens out on a limb. Specifically, the trees in Norris Park. Should we branch out and find other roots? Or perhaps develop shady plans? My proposal is this: Let the trees be used by the military for target practice. After they are all shot away, a 100-foot tall statue of President Bush, with 200-foot ears will be placed at the center of the park...

**Dear Editor, The cartoon in the Wednesday Gazette was a real eye-opener. For years, I believed Nebraska politicians were owned by drug and chemical companies. **Ron Hermes, Oxford

Few men in McCook have been more closely identified with a worthwhile cause than Charlie Heber, with his work for the McCook YMCA. Mr. Heber was a native of Peoria, Ill. He was born there in 1872, but came west, to McCook as a lad of 16, in 1888, where he started to work for the Burlington RR as a messenger boy. 54 years later, in 1942, he retired from the Railroad as Wire Chief of the McCook office...

Three area teams will be competing in the Nebraska state girls basketball tournaments Thursday-Saturday at Lincoln. Cambridge and Perkins County will compete at the Class C2 state tournament for the second straight year. Cambridge fought off Ravenna 49-46 in overtime to claim the Class C2-5 district title and Perkins County downed Bridgeport 59-46 in the C2-6 title game...

LINCOLN -- McCook High School senior Matt Hall placed second in the boys one-meter diving competition at the Nebraska State Swimming and Diving Championships this weekend. Hall scored 419.80 points. Millard South junior Bradley Schoreit placed first with 427.70 points...

The McCook Community College women's basketball team dropped its final two regular season games at home this weekend at True Hall gymnasium. The MCC women dropped to 7-23 overall with a 78-72 loss to Eastern Wyoming College Saturday and 76-42 to Northeastern Junior College Friday night...