Stories from Thursday, March 19, 2009

LINCOLN -- The University of Nebraska football team will begin spring practice on Wednesday with an afternoon workout. The Cornhusker roster features Chase County-Imperial alum Mathew May and Wauneta-Palisade graduate Taylor Dixon. Practice Schedule/Events...

HASTINGS -- Lindsay Ducey, a junior from Omaha, capped off another fantastic year by being named to the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball All-America First Team. This is the second time Ducey has been honored on the First Team. She was a First-Team All-America selection in 2007-08...

CLEARWATER, Fla. (mlb.com and Cincinnati Enquirer) -- The Cincinnati Reds made 12 more cuts on Tuesday and have their spring training roster down to 44 players.

McCook's mayor hopes to be back on the job soon after receiving six months of treatment in Omaha for a rare form of cancer. Mayor Dennis Berry, who is principal at McCook Junior High and Central Elementary, said his cancer is in remission and he is expected to make a full recovery in seven or eight months...

A bill that will refund property taxes that were declared unconstitutional is being held hostage in committee. LB 681 has not advanced for full floor debate for several reasons, Dist. 44 State Sen. Mark Christensen said this morning, at the Government Affairs Legislature Conference Call at the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce...

INDIANOLA -- Several people were not amused by the dummy on a county road north of Indianola recently. The Indianola News reports that Marlene Mustion of Indianola thought Saturday night that it was a dead cow on the road just into Frontier County north of Indianola, only to change her mind as she drove around it and decide it was the fully-clothed body of a very large man...

McCook's slogan, "Nebraska's Hot Spot," could take on a whole new meaning. Attending this morning's McCook Chamber of Commerce legislative conference call was Duane Tappe, who asked whether the state electric chair, nicknamed "Old Sparky," could be exhibited in McCook as a tourism attraction...

If you haven't visited Barnett Park this week, you're in for a treat. The park has always been a beautiful place, with ponds, picnic shelters, the soccer field and playground equipment making it an inviting place to spend a few hours on a pleasant afternoon...

The sun has been moving slowly along the horizon at sunrise and sunset these past days heading for the Vernal (spring) Equinox on Friday, March 20. It will cross the celestial equator at 5:45 a.m. MDT moving from south to north and will appear to rise directly east and set directly west on that day...

Gallipoli, Verdun, Midway, Normandy, Bastogne, Pork Chop Hill, the Frozen Chosin, Khe Sahn, Hamburger Hill, Hue, Fallujah are all famous battles where American troops fought and died for their country. Many of those who returned are forever scarred by what they have seen and done for their country. ...