Stories from Tuesday, June 22, 2010

BURWELL, Nebraska -- The chute gates from Nebraska's Big Rodeo in Burwell are for sale. The rodeo committee is replacing the old wooden bucking chutes and crow's nest with new metal Priefert brand chutes, and selling off the old chute gates. "They've seen a lot of history," Al Hitchcock, rodeo committee member said...

Jan. 26,1941-June 19, 2010 KEARNEY, Nerbaska -- Dennis L. Hosick, 69, of Kearney died Saturday (June 19, 2010) at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday at Kearney Evangelical Free Church with the Revs. Mike Shields and Ken Olenik officiating. Interment with military honors will be at the Kearney Cemetery conducted by the Navy Honors Team in conjunction with the VFW Post 759 and American Legion Post 52 of Kearney...

Feb. 12,1942-June 20, 2010 YORK, Nebraska -- Daryl E. Nyberg, 68, died Sunday (June 20, 2010) in York. He was born Feb. 12, 1942 in Central City, Nebraska to Edwin and Elna (Stranberg) Nyberg. He grew up in Polk and in 1956, during his sophomore year of high school, he and his family moved to Holdrege...

July 9, 1948-June 19, 2010 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Mary Lou Glaves, 61, died Saturday (June 19, 2010) at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Mary was born on July 9, 1948, in Charleston, West Virginia to Homer and Maudie O. (Buzzard) Underwood. She graduated from Seth High School in Seth, West Virginia...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The county-owned apartment house at 524 Norris Ave. in McCook, Nebraska, won't work for the family resources organization that looked at it as a possible rent-free location. Red Willow County commission chairman Earl McNutt said during the commissioners' weekly meeting Monday morning that representatives of the Family Resources Center "threw up their hands" after touring the large, two-story apartment house that the county purchased last year for the city lot on which it sits. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Red Willow County commissioners and the county's surveyor are estimating armor coating projects this summer will cost about $13,500 a mile. During the commissioners' weekly meeting in the courthouse in McCook, Nebraska, Monday morning, commissioners and county surveyor Gary Dicenta decided to continue the process in which the county buys the oil and gravel, and bids only the application...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Justin Harris doesn't pull any punches when it comes to matters of faith. Treasurer of "Sinners Sanctified" the former self-described persecutor of Christians is all-too aware of how self-righteous believers can appear to be, and how that attitude can put people off, especially people who are seeking answers to the deeper questions of life...

Robert Butts of Palisade, top left, greets Rory McCarthy of Bath, Maine, one of the "shepherds" on the State Farm Sea to Shining Sea inaugural ride, late Monday afternoon at McCook's Days Inn. McCarthy is one of three civilians riding with 18 wounded warriors from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Red Willow County, Nebraska, tax payers have until Wednesday, June 30, to file protests of their tax valuations. County Assessor Sandra Kotschwar told county commissioners during their weekly meeting Monday that her office mailed out approximately 5,000 notices of valuation increases on ag land, commercial and residential properties, the owners of which have the right to protest the increase...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Youth between 8 and 12 years of age are invited to participate in the on-line 4-H Family and Consumer Science Web Quiz. It's an opportunity for youth to use technology, to have fun and keep learning this summer. The FCS Web Quiz can be accessed on the Nebraska 4-H website at 4h.unl.edu under 4-Kids. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook Main Street Consortium donated $17,244.96 to the city to assist with development of the property that the soon to be demolished "Romanoff Building" at Norris Avenue and B Street is located on. "We really do appreciate the contribution the Main Street group has made, not only on the Romanoff project but to our community as a whole" said McCook Mayor Dennis Berry after being presented with the check from representatives of the group at Monday's semi-monthly McCook City Council meeting at Memorial Auditorium.. ...

Fremont, Nebraska, has joined Arizona at the epicenter of the illegal immigration debate. Monday, 57 percent of the voters in the meat packing town of 25,000 supported an ordinance to require renters to apply for a license from the city, which can only issue it after confirming that the applicant is in the country legally...

"Good enough." Those were the words spoken by the 2nd Lieutenant as I congratulated him on being assigned to fly C-17 cargo aircraft. "Good enough‚" but I could see the disappointment on his face betraying his inward disappointment at not getting an A-10 or reconnaissance C-12 or about anything more exciting than flying a big ole cargo hauler. He may have been disappointed but I was overjoyed as I know in my heart that he will grow to love the assignment...

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee -- The Amputee Coalition of America urges families to make sure their children are properly supervised and all instructions followed when using fireworks this Fourth of July. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2008, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 7,000 people for fireworks-related injuries. These injuries most often involve hands, fingers, eyes and legs...

On Thursday, June 18, 2010, United Methodist Bishop Ann B. Sherer-Simpson issued an urgent call for Flood Buckets, cash donations and volunteer help to assist in the clean-up efforts in northeast Nebraska. The word went out in United Methodist Churches around the state on Sunday morning, June 20, and efforts are being made to get all donations to Norfolk by the end of this week! Many churches have risen to the challenge, not least among them the Culbertson & Trenton United Methodist Churches! Together, these two churches put together 6 Flood Buckets (estimated $75 each) plus an additional $1184 to be sent immediately to the relief efforts in northeast Nebraska!. ...

HASTINGS -- Two former Gazette area athletes made a big connection in the annual Sertoma Eight-Man Football State All-Star Classic Saturday, June 19. Medicine Valley quarterback Trevor Wells and Drew Wetovick of Eustis-Farnam made a potent combination to lead the West All-Stars to a record-setting 43-12 win over their East All-Star counterparts...

Area volleyball fans were treated to a strong display of talent at the 2010 Sertoma All-Star Volleyball Classic. The 19th annual all-star match was held at the McCook High School gymnasium Saturday, June 19. The teams matched some of the top senior players from the 2009 fall season representing schools across southwest Nebraska...

LINCOLN -- Perhaps no motto more aptly fits than the one applied to the Nebraska Shrine Bowl. "Strong Legs Run, That Weak Legs May Walk." For the 52nd time, many of the Cornhusker State's top high school senior football players battled in the all-star classic to help raise money to support the Shriners Hospitals for Children. This year's Shrine Bowl edition was held Saturday, June 19, at Lincoln's Memorial Stadium, home to the University of Nebraska Cornhusker football team...

IMPERIAL -- The McCook Community Bank Juniors B Legion baseball team got half of their scheduled double-header at Imperial in the books Monday, June 21, before Mother Nature intervened. The combined Juniors B squad topped Imperial 14-11 in Monday's opening game. Severe lightning helped officials call off Monday evening's nightcap...

Area baseball and softball fans won't have any trouble finding games to watch in McCook this coming weekend. The McCook Rebels will host what tournament officials are calling possibly the biggest softball tournament in the history of the city. The McCook Rebels State Prep Tournament will be played Friday through Sunday, June 25-27, at the Jaycees Sports Complex, located at West 10th and M Streets next to the Red Willow County Fairgrounds on the northwest edge of the city...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook Community Foundation Fund is pleased to announce that a special dedication of the Nelson Family Sculpture will be held on Saturday, July 3 at 11:30 a.m., at the Nelson Family home at 608 Norris Ave. in McCook. Highlighting the event will be the keynote address by John Gottschalk, the Immediate Past National President of the Boy Scouts of America and Chairman of the Omaha World-Herald Co., who noted, "This is another important example of McCook doing a tremendous job showcasing its rich heritage of providing Nebraska with governors and senators. ...