Stories from Monday, January 18, 2010

Just a few weeks ago, the terrorist plot to bring down Northwest Airlines Flight 253 was thwarted by a combination of luck and vigilance on the part of everyday citizens. This incident aboard an international flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day combined with the assassination of seven CIA officers in Afghanistan by a double-agent just before the New Year are stark reminders the war on terror continues...

Kendra Wallace and Scott Lafferty announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Ronald Wallace of Douglas, Vira Wilson of McCook, Donald Lafferty of McCook and the late Linda Lafferty. The bride-to-be graduated from McCook Senior High School in 1999...

Brittany Nicole Tollman and Dean James Klotz, both of Manhattan, Kan., announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Kelly and Christina Tollman of Bartley and James and June Klotz of St. George, Kan. The bride-to-be is a 2009 graduate of Southwest High School and is now attending Kansas State University in pursuit of her Bachelor's in Animal Science and Pre-vet. She is employed at Little Apple Veterinary Hospital...

Mike and Kathryn Schroeder of Colby, Kan., announce the birth of a son, Joseph Peter Schroeder. He was born Dec. 25, 2009, at Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kan. He weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces and was 21 inches long. He has four brothers; Dominic, 6, Gabriel, 5, Benjamin, 3 and Jonathan, 1. Grandparents are Mike and Diane Sis of Atwood and Dan and Janet Schroeder of Colby, Kan. Great-grandparents are John and Virgie Burk of Atwood...

Friends and coffee-drinking buddies plan a 75th birthday celebration open house for retired McCook business owner and former McCook City Council member Dick Mitchell of McCook on Sunday, Jan. 24, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., in the Community Building on the Red Willow County fairgrounds, in the 1500 block of West Fifth, McCook...

Dec. 23, 1918 -- Jan. 15, 2010 Elma Irene (Teter) Phillips was born Dec. 23, 1918, in Frontier County, to Otis Earl and Irene (Mayo) Teter and grew up on the family farm near Bartley. She graduated valedictorian from Bartley High School at the young age of 16 and then taught in a one room county school...

The family of Bob Tiller of McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of his 80th birthday. He was born on Jan. 20, 1930. Cards of congratulations will reach him at Outdoor Resort, 69411 Ramon Road # 958, Cathedral City, CA 92234-3350.

Chris Jobe takes advantage of 50-degree weather Sunday to do some "shade tree" mechanic work on his restored 1959 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. Jobe, who usually rebuilds VW micro buses, is converting the sports car's engine into one with larger displacement. Jobe should be able to complete the job during this week's relatively mild weather, with no precipitation expected for a few days...

Memorial United Methodist Church is collecting items to be sent to Haiti through the United Methodist Committee on Relief organization. UMCOR is a first responder, taking or sending health kits into countries or areas of disaster. The health kit contents include:...

An undated tinted photograph of three boys is reflected in the mirror for which it served as a backing until Don and Jeanne Saathoff of Imperial discovered it late last year. Don said he and his wife paid $5 for the ornate framed mirror at a garage sale last summer, intending to restore and reuse only the frame. ...

The conservative Nebraska think-tank Platte Institute has plenty of ammunition in making an argument for charter schools in Nebraska. According to the executive summary for a study, "Race to the Top -- Can We Compete: Nebraska's Charter School Initiative," only about a third, 35.8 percent, of Nebraska's fourth and eighth graders are proficient in reading and math. That includes 45 percent who are not poor, 20 percent who are poor, fewer than 16 percent of Hispanics and 11 percent of Blacks...

Just do not know what all the fuss is about -- what Harry Reid said two years ago. It was his thoughts, he said it and was right. Obama is light-skinned, he has no black man's features, his mother was a white woman, he was raised by his white grandma and no doubt was in an all white community...

One of the most anticipated events each year -- worldwide -- is the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize, which honors a living individual who has significantly advanced peace in the world. This year the event was particularly meaningful here in the United States, since our own president was the recipient of this prestigious award. While the Nobel prizes are familiar, we are perhaps not so familiar with the man behind the prizes...

As the devastation in Haiti weighs heavily on all of our hearts, I commend you for reaching-out to offer support, as Nebraskans always do. I am pleased my office has been able to connect many of you with the appropriate federal agencies responsible for relief coordination. We are also assisting several Nebraska families in the midst of adopting Haitian children, hoping to help bring these children -- now in desperate need -- together with their new families...

Nebraska's 101st Legislature has convened for 2010 and we are approaching the third week of the second session. Up to now I have had six new bills introduced and ten bills that have carried over from the first session. A few of the bills that I have introduced to date are first, LB753, a bill that several people approached me on. ...

So very close, but so far away. The McCook High School girls came so close to gaining their first victory of the 2009-10 season Saturday, Jan. 16, against Hastings. The Tigers pulled away in the final quarter to top the Bison girls, 57-41. Saturday's contest at the Senior High gym saw the McCook team stay with Hastings through the first three periods. The Bison saw their hopes for that elusive first win disappear in the closing minutes as McCook was unable to convert at the offensive end...

McCook High School boys head basketball coach Tim Garcia wants his team to improve every day. Judging from final score comparisons, the Bison have taken some big strides forward since the holiday break. The McCook boys ran past Hastings 56-40 in a Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference contest Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Senior High gym. The Bison edged Hastings 58-54 in GNAC Tournament play at North Platte Dec. 30...