Stories from Friday, February 13, 2009

The McCook High School boys basketball team came up on the short end of another close game. The Bison lost 62-59 to Gering Thursday night at the McCook gymnasium in the first round of the East/West Shootout. In other first round Shootout games Thursday, Alliance defeated Lexington 66-53 and Scottsbluff beat North Platte 43-41...

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Maybe Louisville coach Rick Pitino needs to borrow the tough-love approach Notre Dame coach Mike Brey used the past few days. After a hard week in which Brey threatened that everyone's spot in the lineup was up for grabs and which saw him throw a player out of practice, the Irish followed their worst loss in nine seasons under Brey with their best game of the season, beating No. 5 Louisville 90-57 on Thursday night to end a seven-game losing streak...

DALLAS -- The Boston Celtics had just committed their 20th turnover, a frustrated Kevin Garnett was sitting on the bench with five fouls and coach Doc Rivers was already in the locker room after being ejected. And it was still only the third quarter in Dallas...

ST. LOUIS -- Oft-injured ace Chris Carpenter used to be the St. Louis Cardinals' top concern heading into spring training. Now, to borrow one of manager Tony La Russa's pet phrases, it's tied for first. Following Troy Glaus' unexpected shoulder surgery in mid-January and the surprise timing behind the release of second baseman Adam Kennedy on Monday, there's definitely holes to fill no matter how Carpenter fares...

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Federal Communications Commission has told 123 TV stations that were planning to stick to the Feb. 17 cutoff date for analog broadcasts that they will have to justify not extending their transmissions for four months. Affected stations are in or near Santa Barbara and Bakersfield, Calif., Dayton, Ohio; Eugene, Ore.; La Crosse and Madison, Wis.; Billings, Mon.; Kearney and Lincoln, Neb.; Sioux City, Iowa; Topeka and Wichita, Kan.; Waco, Texas; Mobile, Ala.; Pensacola, Fla.; and Providence, R.I., among others.. ...

Red Willow County Attorney Paul Wood fights a losing battle this morning, with snow filling the sidewalk in front of his office nearly as fast as he can scoop it away. About 6 inches of snow had fallen in McCook by press time. Schools were closed and most activities were canceled or postponed, including an EMS course scheduled to be downlinked from McCook Community College's Barnett Hall to Wauneta-Palisade, Maywood and Hayes Center high schools. ...

For years, we've been hearing that our old television sets must be replaced by digital receivers or augmented by add-on converter boxes by Feb. 17, 2009. Then, Congress decided no, all the nagging wasn't enough, and viewers should get another four months to get their televisions ready for the new signals. As we've observed before, we doubt four months will make any difference...

The History Channel did a week's worth of shows a couple of weeks back about Armageddon and the End Times so I DVR'd them in order to watch them back to back which I just finished doing. It's all some pretty incredible, far-out stuff and I wanted to comment on some of the conclusions drawn in the series...

I'm pushing myself away from the TV this week (well, no, not the whole week; that'd be silly) because I'm really quite excited about something monumental that I did a few days ago. I bought my fiancee a Valentine's Day gift. It's supposed to be a surprise, so I can't just blurt out what it is in this particular space. ...

I am glad that the name change of the airport in favor of Sen. Ben Nelson has been set aside for now. It's not that he doesn't deserve the recognition but I have serious reservations about doing it before he retires from public office. A point in reference is Illinois Gov. Blagojevich; he went from hero to dunce in a matter of days...

The McCook City Council will be asked whether to stand by or change its previous decision of condemning two properties as a public nuisance, at its regular meeting Monday, 7:30 p.m. at City Council Chambers in Memorial Auditorium. At its Jan. 19 meeting, the council accepted the determination from the McCook Health Board to condemn as a public nuisance properties at 301 E. ...

Don and Sonia Harms announce the birth of a son, Jacob Ron Harms. He was born Jan. 16, 2009, in Mankato, Minn., weighing 7 pounds, 12.4 ounces, measuring 20.5 inches. His grandparents include Margaret Andrijeski-Downing of McCook and the late Marvin Andrijeski...

The family of Tim and Kathy Lord of Indianola is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 25th wedding anniversary on Feb. 19. Children of the couple are Lisa, Kimberly and Michael Lord. Cards of congratulations will the couple at P O Box 190, Indianola NE 69034...

The family of Mildred Sughroue is requesting a card shower in honor of her 98th birthday Feb. 21. Her children are Ed Sughroue of McCook, Sharon Sughroue of McCook and Linda Grinde of Denver, Colo. Cards of congratulations will reach her at El Dorado Manor, P O Box 97, Trenton NE 69044...

Sabrina Davis of McCook and Josh Oltmans of Nelson were united in marriage on Nov. 1, 2008 at United Methodist Church in McCook with the Rev. Dr. Jeff Thurman officiating. Parents of the couple are Bill and Paula Davis of McCook and Jim and Terri Oltmans of Nelson...

LINCOLN -- Sara Vontz and Sean Pierce of Lincoln, were united in marriage Sept. 27, 2008, at Country Pines in Lincoln with Judge Hohn Hoffert officiating. Parents of the couple are Terry Vontz of McCook, Pamela Corey of Houston, Texas, Deb and Steve Miller of Callaway and Steve and Alice Pierce of Omaha...

Courtney and Joshua Hansmann of Colorado Springs, Colo., announce the birth of their son, Aiden Alexander Hansmann on Feb. 3, 2009, at Sidney Medical Center in Sidney, Neb. He weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces and measured 18 inches. His grandparents are Lynn Hansmann of Kewaskum, Wis., and Sherri Day formerly of McCook, of Potter. His great-grandmother is Darlene Scott, formerly of McCook, now of Potter...

Eddie and Maggie Sitzman of Johnstown, Colo., announce the birth of their son, Chase Edward Sitzman on Jan. 21, 2009, at North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, Colo. He weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 20 inches. His grandparents are Larry and Sally Sitzman, formerly of Culbertson, now of Lincoln...

As Ben Franklin put it so well, "The only things certain in life are death and taxes." Leave it to Congress to find a way to merge the two. One of the most egregious taxes is the federal estate tax -- more poetically known as the "death tax." The death tax was first enacted in 1916 to raise funds while America fought World War I, and Congress has kept it on the books ever since...