Stories from Saturday, November 15, 2008

Now that cold weather and the first snows of the season have got your attention, how ready for winter are you? We're all waiting for another nice day to put up the Christmas decorations, but besides that, there are some things we should do around our homes to save energy and improve safety through the cold months...

I'm asked that a lot because of this column. People sometimes tend to not be very nice when they criticize a column I've written and those people close to me, those people who care about me, often ask me how it makes me feel when I hear or read the biting, stinging, often personal criticisms of others...

I have attended many conferences in my day, and I've come to the conclusion that they are all pretty much the same. Well, all except for parent/teacher conferences. Last week, I attended a parent/teacher conference. In attendance were six people -- me and five middle school teachers - all trying to determine if my son's bizarre behavior could somehow be attributed to my incompetence as a mother. ...

CURTIS -- Electing board members by subdistrict rather than the current at-large process was discussed by board members of the Middle Republican Natural Resources District at their regular meeting Tuesday night. Under the current system, the 11 board members are elected from all four counties in the MRNRD area: Red Willow, Hitchcock, Frontier, Hayes and part of Lincoln counties...

The McCook City Council will be asked to approve a metal building in place of a fiberglass structure for a new injection well, saving $30,000 in the process. The council meets at 7:30 p.m. Monday night. Waste from the water treatment plant will be injected underground through the well, which is located at the sewer plant. Currently the waste is being run through the sewer...

COLUMBUS -- The Nebraska Public Power District Board of Directors approved rate increases Friday for wholesale and retail electric customers, effective Jan. 1. The rate adjustments are needed to pay for increased expenses associated with rising fuel and operating costs and added investments in infrastructure to meet an increasing demand for electricity...

LINCOLN -- Ravenna will face unranked Cambridge (20-11) in Saturday's final of the Nebraska Class C-2 state tournament tonight at 9 p.m. in the NU Coliseum.

KEARNEY -- RMAC-kill leader Andrea Tuck had a season-high 29 kills, and RMAC-block leader Darcy Jennings had nine blocks, to propel the Adams State volleyball team to a 3-2 win over 5th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney (22-25, -19, -22, 19-25, -13) Friday night at the Health & Spots Center...

LINCOLN -- Nebraska connected a school-record 12 three-pointers to shoot the Husker women's basketball team to a 96-47 season-opening victory over Weber State at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Friday night. The Huskers, who improved to 33-2 all-time in home season-openers, had five players score in double figures while 12 Huskers played double-figure minutes...