Stories from Wednesday, March 18, 2009

May 13, 1923 - March 16, 2009 HAYS, Kan. -- Loren William Chapman of Hays, Kan., died Monday, March 16, 2009, at the age of 85. He was born to Verne and Mary Chapman in rural Smith County, Kan., on May 13, 1923. He was attending Seattle Pacific College in Seattle, Wash., majoring in electrical engineering when Pearl Harbor occurred which changed his life as it did many others...

HASTINGS -- The McCook YMCA swim team participated in the YMCA Championship Meet Saturday. The meet was held in Hastings with teams from Omaha, Lincoln, Norfolk, Beatrice, Fremont, Columbus, Blair, Grand Island, Hastings and McCook all in attendance...

SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- The Morningside College women put the finishing touches on a storybook season when the Mustangs won the NAIA Division II National Championship with a 68-63 victory against GPAC rival Hastings College in Tuesday's title game in Sioux City's Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena...

The Republican Plains Activities Conference All Conference boys basketball teams have been chosen. Golden Plains Division Hayes Center and Wauneta-Palisade players dominate the Golen Plains Division first team. Sophomores Drew Harris and Chris Bartels will represent the Broncos and junior Keifer Messersmith and senior Matt Gohl represent Hayes Center. Junior Kendal Glidden joins in from Dundy County-Stratton...

Decatur Community, Rawlins County and St. Francis High School girls basketball team members have been named to the NWKL all-league basketball. Hillary Chvatal of Rawlins County and Jordan Dreher of Oberlin were named to the basketball team. Chvatal is a 6-foot freshman and Dreher is a 5-7 sophomore...

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The Nebraska baseball team could not overcome an early three-run deficit, falling to Arkansas, 7-3, Tuesday night at Baum Stadium. It was a night of missed opportunities for the Huskers (11-6-1), who could not capitalize on the early control struggles of the Arkansas pitching staff...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Daniel Faris had a career night, and now it's Back Home in Indiana for New Mexico coach Steve Alford. Faris logged career highs with 28 points and 13 rebounds, lifting New Mexico to an 83-71 win over scrappy Nebraska in the NIT's first round on Tuesday night...

Although geese gliding by seemed oblivious, park visitors were eager to shower compliments on the new lighted fountains at Barnett Park. "I like them," said three-year old Breanna Rath, who was climbing on the playground equipment nearby as her mother watched. "They're sparkly."...

A design agreement between the city and engineers for water and sewer lines to be extended to the proposed joint facility for the Nebraska National Guard and Army Reserve was approved Monday night by the McCook City Council. Miller and Associates of McCook are the consulting engineers for the $8 million project, which is estimated to begin this fall and finish up in 2010. The joint facility will be on 30 acres between U.S. Highway 6-34 and Airport Road...

City coffers appear to be holding steady, with $10.3 million as of February, according to the treasurer's report. The McCook City Council received and filed the city's financial report as a consent agenda item and approved it without discussion. According to the report, cash on hand beginning Oct. 1, 2008 totaled $9.7 million...

McCook public radio fans have a new digital option, sort of. NET Radio officials announced that Nebraska public radio is now available through a Public Radio Tuner application available as a free download at the APP section of Apple's iTunes store, making broadcasts avaliable through an iPhone or iPod Touch device...

Barry Schaeffer commented on the decision by McCook High School to make a head coaching change for the girls basketball program. Sports editor John J. Mesh interviewed Schaeffer by e-mail. Would you like to make a statement about the decision and about your time as McCook girls basketball coach?...

Barry Schaeffer will not be the varsity girls basketball coach at McCook High School next season. "At this time we feel that McCook High School girls basketball needs to go in a different direction," said MHS athletic director Darin Nichols. "After visiting with coach Schaeffer we have made a decision to open up the head girls basketball position for the 2009-2010 school year...

Doane College track coach Ed Fye knows there is a potential wealth of talent in the Southwest Nebraska area and he is going back to the well. Fye, who currently has Kelsee Meisner (McCook) on the women's roster and Scott Ohlson (Imperial), Brandon Park (McCook) and Brett Cribelli (Cambridge) on the men's roster, signed McCook pole vaulter Danae McCorkle and Wauneta-Palisade sprinter/hurdler Blair Dixon on Tuesday for the 2009-10 season...

Corrections * Bill Ramsay is the McCook High School pole vault coach, not the high jump coach. * Barry Schaeffer's coaching record is 130-202 not 130-212. Schaeffer coached volleyball, basketball and track at Culbertson High School.

Four lighted fountains have been installed at the ponds in Barnett Park. We asked park visitors what they thought of them and this is what they said: "They're great. I come down here a lot and (the city) has done a great job keeping the park cleaned up."...

Occasionally, I find myself overwhelmed by frustration. When that happens, I will approach a co-worker, friend or family member -- whoever is handy at the time -- and seize them by the shoulders. Holding them perfectly still, I then shake myself silly until my head spins. Thankfully, I haven't yet had to resort to this type of release by accosting perfect strangers, but I'm not making any promises...