Stories from Thursday, February 19, 2009

Aug. 30, 1943 - Feb. 15, 2009 PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Donald Wayne Snellings, of Phoenix, Ariz., was born on Aug. 30, 1943 in Fredericksburg, Va. Donald lost a valiant battle with cancer on Feb. 15, 2009. He was preceded in death by his parents, Emmet and Julia Snellings of Fredericksburg, Va. ...

March 8, 1945 - Feb. 17, 2009 HAYES CENTER -- Jerry Filmore Potter, 63, of Trenton, Neb., died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. He was born March 8, 1945 in McCook, the son of the late Victor Joy and Cleo Marna (Cross) Potter. ...

March 20, 1936 - Feb. 21, 2009 ATKINSON -- Mary Joan Serbousek, 72, formerly of Atkinson, died Wednesday (Feb. 18, 2009) at her home in Grand Island. Survivors include her children, Dr. Mark Serbousek and wife, Mary Jo of McCook and Dr. Leann Serbousek and husband, Terry Tietsort of Edmond, Okla.; brother, Jim Konrath and wife, Cathy of Boise, Idaho; sister, Delores Hulseman and husband, Wally of Guernsey, Wyo.; and two grandchildren...

McCook Speedway will be back in action for the 2009 season, with Chuck Gray as the promoter for the fourth consecutive year. Because of the retirement of Jim Lewis at Culbertson Speedway, Gray will promote two races at that track, with those points counting as McCook Speedway points...

SIDNEY -- Blair Dixon scored 16 points to lead the Wauneta-Palisade girls basketball team past Crawford 58-29 in the Class D1-12 sub-district semifinal Tuesday. Tia Simpson and Bethany Riener both scored 12 points. Wauneta-Palisade will take on Hitchcock County (12-10) Thursday for the D1-12 championship...

The Cheylin boys and girls basketball teams were assigned to the Kansas Class 1A regional at Colby and will start playing on Monday. The Cheylin boys (5-13) will host Weskan (3-17) and the Cheylin girls (3-15) will play at Sharon Springs (14-6). Both games start at 7 p.m...

The McCook Community College men's basketball team had fell short 83-80 to Mid-Plains rival North Platte Wednesday night at True Hall Gymnasium. North Platte won the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference title with a 6-2 record and and MCC placed second with a 5-3 record. MCC placed fourth in the NCCAC last year with a 3-5 record...

The McCook Community College women's basketball team held North Platte to 13 second-half points and posted a 54-47 win Wednesday night at True Hall Gymnasium. North Platte (12-11) led at halftime 34-29. Skylar Johnson led the Indians (7-18 overall, 1-3 Region IX South Sub-Regional) with 14 points. Sierra Guy and Emmalee Fladland added 10 points each. Alexa Ward and Britney Bunker each scored 5, Keri Novacek 4, Michelle Price 3 and Julia Hale 1...

Without making any promises, the president of the McCook Public Schools board of education assured a group of artists wanting to add elementary art education to McCook schools that the board supports the concept and will research the possibility. Tom Bredvick acknowledged to artists and officers of the McCook Art Guild that past requests for art education may have fallen on deaf ears or been put on back burners by other boards. ...

Community Hospital is keeping on top of the rising occurrence of identity theft by implementing a new security program. The hospital's board of directors approved a resolution Wednesday morning at a regular meeting to adopt a policy to combat identity theft...

Creating awareness for Southwest Nebraska is important to Daphne Tidyman of Hayes Center, as she prepares for one of the most memorable experiences of her life. Tidyman will be competing in the 2009 Mrs. Nebraska contest in April and from there the opportunities are endless...

Farmers are special people. There's nothing profound about that statement, which isn't news to anyone in our area. But University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension researchers have reinforced that view with scientific facts. Taking a look at four counties in the Blue River/Tuttle Creek Lake Watershed in Nebraska and Kansas, they found that a number of factors determined whether farmers practiced conservation tillage. ...

I hope the skies are clear this week because there will be several great opportunities for some excellent viewing. First off this week and next will be a good time to look for the Zodiacal light. It could be a thin pyramid of light or a brightening of the western horizon reaching almost half way up the sky. Look after 7 p.m. in the west. You must have a clear horizon and be in your favorite dark-sky place...

Thank you Susan (Doak) for writing some of the history on the old house on East Second. That was the first thing I thought of when I see it is doomed -- "What is the history of that old house?" For some reason that beautiful old place always caught my eye. What a shame to see it destroyed...

DODGE CITY, Kan. -- The McCook Community College Indian baseball team started its season Tuesday by splitting a doubleheader with Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kan. Dodge City won the opener 11-0 while the Indians came back to take the nightcap 5-4...