Stories from Tuesday, December 29, 2009

It's unfortunate that a provision in the health care bill that will help Nebraska taxpayers and eventually taxpayers in all states picked up an unfair nickname -- "The Cornhusker Kickback" -- because it is definitely not a kickback that came in exchange for my vote. Partisan misnomers like this are designed to confuse the public about an important issue...

Area teams struggled in the opening round of the Arapahoe Holiday Basketball Tournament played Monday at Arapahoe High School. Arapahoe's girls were the only Gazette area team to win Monday. The Warriors topped Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 53-50. Hitchcock County's girls dropped a 50-38 decision to Pleasanton. The Hitchcock County boys lost 59-24 to Pleasanton, and SEM topped Arapahoe's boys 60-42...

And the beat goes on ... It's not a pleasant rhythm, however. By quitting time Monday afternoon, nine people had been killed in Nebraska in weather-related accidents since Dec. 22. The latest included a 75-year-old man killed after a pickup truck driven by a 17-year-old boy went out of control and slid into the wrong lane south of Chadron; and a 19-year-old man struck and killed in a high school parking lot by a loader removing snow...

With the New Year comes resolutions. Most frequently, the resolutions' focus is on ourselves. We pledge to lose weight, exercise more, stop smoking, read more, attend church more regularly or other such goals. Americans have the best track record in the history of the world of helping others. A suggestion would be combine your New Years' resolution with the history of helping to make a resolution to help another rather than just focus on ourselves...

He said: "Come spend the night with me." She said: "No it is against my principles!" He said: "Would you do it for $1,000,000?" She said: "Well maybe for $1,000,000 YES I would" He said: "Okay would you do it for $50?" She said: "Of course not! I am not a prostitute!"...

May 12, 1931 - Dec. 27, 2009 HOLBROOK -- Lewis Archie Guthrie, 78, died Sunday (Dec. 27, 2009), at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, encircled by family. Lewis was born to Lee and Lottie (Bonar) Guthrie in Indianola, on May 12, 1931. He graduated from Indianola High School in 1950...

Just about a year ago, Chloe Weber was content to sit on her big brother's lap, let him hold her and introduce her to visitors. Now, as the pretty little strawberry blond nears her first birthday, she's too busy to sit still very long, she wiggles when she's held and she makes her own introductions...

May 3, 1921 - Dec. 27, 2009 Ola Nadine Yauk, 88, died Sunday (Dec. 27, 2009), at the Mary Lanning Hospital in Hastings. She was born May 3, 1921, at Oberlin Kan., the daughter of the late Roy Franklin and Dollie Alice (Van Pelt) Maggard. Ola grew up at Oberlin, Kan., where she graduated from high school in 1938...

Feb. 11, 1924 - Dec. 27, 2009 OBERLIN -- Elsie E. (Scott) Macy, 85, died Sunday (Dec. 27, 2009) at the Decatur County Good Samaritan Center in Oberlin, Kan. She was born Feb. 11, 1924, in Decatur County to Henry Scott and Bertha Cooper. She grew up on a Decatur County farm near Oberlin and attended Decatur County District no. 7...

CLAY CENTER, Kan. -- Haileah Grace Hedman, infant daughter of Ted and Mindy (Harris) Hedman died Friday (Dec. 25, 2009), at Clay County Medical Center in Clay Center, Kan. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents William and Eva (Clapp) Harris...

By his own account, Casey Stewart of Fremont kind of drifted along in life. Getting a job was never a top priority, the 24-year old recently admitted. "I worked at a telemarkerting company once," he said, "but I had no direction. Finding a job was hard."...

WAUNETA -- Velma Moody, 93, died Thursday (Dec. 24, 2009), at the Heritage of Wauneta Nursing Home in Wauneta. Survivors include her son, Ronald Moody and wife, Ellen of Tucson, Ariz.; her daughter, Mary Etta Gage and husband, Keith of Wauneta; eight grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren...

WAUNETA -- Esther Fanning, 93, died Sunday (Dec. 27, 2009), at the Sutherland Care Center in Sutherland. Survivors include her daughter, Donna Lorine Beck of Paxton; brothers, Loren Wright and wife, Irene of Palisade, Don Wright and wife, Irene of Roswell, N.M.; four grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and six great-great grandchildren...