Stories from Thursday, October 15, 2009

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Shirley Margaret Premer Ploughman passed to eternal life on Oct. 9, 2009. Shirley was born in Palisade and attended the fine school in that small community. As a young girl she was an accompanist at church and at school. She graduated from the University of Nebraska with honors and a BA in music education. Later, she earned a Masters degree in Music from the University of Denver...

Colds, flu and strep throat are making the rounds in McCook schools, with the junior high being hit the hardest. About 12 percent of end-of-day absenteeism was seen at the junior high Wednesday, confirmed Dawn Garcia, RN, McCook Public Schools nurse. At 10 percent or higher, the public health department is contacted and the situation is watched more closely, she said...

AARP, an advocacy group for senior citizens, hasn't come out for or against proposed health care reform being debated in the Senate, but just to get the facts straight, sponsored a town hall meeting Wednesday at the McCook Heritage Senior Center. "For the vast majority ... there will be no change," said Mark Intermill of the AARP...

The latest Leadership McCook class stopped by the Gazette office Wednesday on a tour of local businesses, and the topic naturally turned to technology. Just how much has the Internet changed the newspaper business? The question might as well have been: Just how much has the Internet changed life in general?...

Nebraskans for Peace is pleased that President Barack Obama has received this year's Nobel Prize. The Nobel Committee appears to have awarded the prize for Mr. Obama's work to reduce and eliminate nuclear weapons around the world; his efforts to reduce the greenhouse gases that create climate change and threaten global security, forcing mass movements of refugees to escape climate change; and his stance of relying on negotiation, regional alliances and the United Nations instead of unilateral American actions to solve global problems.. ...

Where's the good manners when you're talking about the president of the United States? ("Nobel Peace Prize triumph of style over substance" Weekend Oct. 9-11, 2009) The Nobel Prize deserves a "congratulations, Mr. President" not "unproven commodity" how awful. You could give both sides...

Dr. Klug receiving an award for his contribution to all of what he has volunteered for throughout Southwest Nebraska is truly deserving ... ("Klug receives volunteer award" Oct. 14, 2009). I not only was a patient of his -- he truly did work hard to save my life and put me back on the road to recovery during a time I was really needing that in my life...

On multiple occasions during this legislative session, Congress has passed legislation without an informed vote. Last week, the Senate Finance Committee waited until 2 o'clock in the morning to strike two amendments which had been adopted earlier. What's more, the sponsors of the amendments were at home asleep, unaware of the fact that on Capitol Hill their Committee colleagues were scrapping their hard work...

Autumn is here and we can now expect the warm, clear night of summer to be relegated to only fading memories and the cloudy, cool nights of autumn will set in. Well now, hold on there Sparky, information obtained from the National Climatic Center reports October, for at least one quarter of the nation, is the least cloudy month of the year...

MCC forward Jonathan Estis (left) keeps the ball from Hastings College forward Brent McNurlin. Cambridge High School grad Waid Vontz hit a three-point shot in the final seconds to help Hastings College edged the Indians 71-70.

STEVE KODAD Gazette Sports Editor OGALLALA -- State meet berths are on the line Thursday afternoon at the Class B-4 District cross-country meet. The McCook High School teams will join seven other schools in the district competition at the West Winds Country Club in Ogallala. The Bison squads will compete with boys and girls teams representing Alliance Gering, Holdrege, Lexington, Ogallala, Scottsbluff and Sidney...

Win and we're in. That's the mantra for the McCook High School football team this week as the Bison prepare to meet Holdrege in an important Class B-7 District battle Friday night. The task is a simple one for the Bison -- dust off the Dusters, and McCook should secure a spot in the 2009 Nebraska Class B State Playoffs...

Did it snow in Hastings today? That probably would have been a plus for the McCook Bison girls softball team. Not rain nor snow or sleet slowed down McCook during the Class B-6 District Tournament at Chadron last weekend. The Bison dropped a one-run decision to Lexington in opening-round action last Thursday dropping the locals into the loser's bracket. ...