Stories from Monday, August 30, 2010

Oct. 9, 1926--Aug. 27, 2010 OMAHA, Nebraska -- Carolyn "Connie" Bowen died Aug. 27, 2010. She was preceded in death by husband, Norval E. Bowen; parents, Ramond and Edna Parker; brother, Gayle Parker; sister-in-law, Edna Zuehlk; brother-in-law, Francis "Tad" Bowen...

Sept. 7, 1931-Aug. 27, 2010 EMPORIA, Kansas -- Alvena Helen Ahrens Williams, died Friday (Aug. 27, 2010). She was born Sept. 7, 1931 in Alamos, Colorado to Alfred and Helen Jussel Ahrens. The oldest child, she grew up in the McCook, Nebraska area. She went to grade school in McCook. She moved to St. Francis, Kansas where she started high school...

Dec. 14, 1923-Aug. 29, 2010 CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- Raymond "Ray" Walter Ficken, 86, passed away Sunday (Aug. 29, 2010) at the Tri Valley Heath System Long Term Care Facility. He was born on Dec. 14, 1923, south of Eustis, Nebraska to John and Johannah (Noltensmeier) Ficken. He was baptized on Jan. 20, 1924 and confirmed April 10, 1938 at the Salem Lutheran Church in rural Elwood, Nebraska. He attended the Salem Lutheran School...

May 24, 1947-Aug. 24, 2010 INDIANOLA, Nebraska -- Mary Margaret Helm died Aug. 24, 2010 at St. Mary's Catholic Hospital in Tucson, Arizona. She was born to John Francis Helm and Helen Margaret Sughroue Helm on May 24, 1947. She joined a family of three brothers. Later another brother and three sisters made up the Helm family. The family lived on their farm in Decatur County, Kansas...

I just reread Mr. Smith's "Misrepresentations" and Mr. Nelson's "Solve Problems" in the opinion section of the Gazette. They offered an amended integrated management plan (IMP). Nowhere did I see any reductions in allocations for those outside the quick response area, just the shut down. Both said the added rules will be studied in the next couple of months. Mr. Smith, "The rules will probably set up a procedure where all allocations are reduced in dry years, not for just a few."...

Just a few thoughts about building a new firehouse\police\city offices. I feel we need a new fire house -- they are definitely very crowded and unsafe. Before we spend millions of tax dollars -- let's look at just a new firehouse at this time, we could always do more when things are better...

In late April 1945, two weeks before the Nazi Army surrendered unconditionally, officially ending the European phase of World War II, American soldiers of two Divisions of the 7th Army liberated the Concentration Camp at Dachau, just 10 miles from Munich...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A Nebraska state fire marshal tracked the cause of Thursday's fire at the Frenchman Valley Farmers' Co-Op grain storage and maintenance shop west of McCook to an electrical short in a truck parked in the shop about 5 p.m., Thursday...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- When merging into traffic, it is best to do so as seamlessly as possible, selecting your spot in the forward moving traffic, then easing into it, all the while keeping a close watch for any changes in the traffic stream -- in front of you, beside you or behind you...

During the 1990s, as Nebraska's Governor and Commander in Chief, I had to call out the National Guard a number of times to deal with floods, tornados and other natural disasters. In the 2000s, during several visits to Iraq and Afghanistan as Nebraska's Senator, I met with members of Nebraska's National Guard who were serving their country in war zones...

HOLDREGE -- Hot bats and Kelsey Gillen's strong arm was a formula for success for the McCook High School girls softball team at the Holdrege Invitational Saturday, Aug. 28. The Bison bats came alive and Gillen pitched three strong games as McCook went undefeated to claim the Holdrege tournament championship...

The home-course advantage was big for the McCook High School girls Friday, Aug. 27. The Bison girls ran away with the team championship in the McCook Invitational golf tournament. The hosts broke a team scoring record with their winning total of 357 strokes. Ogallala was a distant second with 424 strokes. Dundy County-Stratton was sixth at 494...

As we enter into the fall, students across Nebraska are returning to classes, catching up with friends, and meeting new classmates. A new school year is always exciting, and I've been honored to meet with students of all ages and share their excitement. After every meeting, I've come away impressed with the quality of Nebraska's youth, and I am committed to helping them make the most of opportunities to expand their horizons...

Few issues are more complicated than the struggle between Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska over Republican River water. The river has been a vital lifeline since prehistoric times, providing precious water to a parched prairie since before the region's earliest European explorers named it in reference to the Kit-ke-hak-i, or Republican Pawnees...

Sheets of galvanized steel ripped by gusty winds off the roof of Kildare Lumber, on the southeast corner of East First and B in McCook, Nebraska, skid north up the street and enshroud a truck on B Street and parked vehicles in the 200 block of East First about 3:06 p.m., Monday. ...

May 13, 1933-Aug. 28, 2010 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Verna L. Dame, 77, died Saturday (Aug. 28, 2010) at Community Hospital in McCook. Verna was born in Rawlins County, Kansas to Charles L. and Eleanora F. (Sramek) Sis on May 13, 1933. She graduated from Atwood High School in 1951. ...

Nov. 14, 1919-Aug. 29, 2010 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Margaret Hanna Powell died Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010, at Community Hospital. She was 90 years old. Margaret was born Nov. 14, 1919, at Lincoln to Pauline (Knowles) and Rex I. Hanna, Sr. The family moved to McCook in 1927. Margaret graduated from McCook High School in 1937. During that year, she was crowned the first Miss McCook and went on to compete in the Miss Nebraska pageant. She also attended college at Central School of Commerce and McCook Jr. College. She worked as a Stenographer for Northwestern Mutual Insurance Agency. She also worked at Kansas University Medical Center and a Credit Union. She was married to Richard F. Powell July 22, 1966, at the Methodist Church in North Platte. She was preceded in death by her parents; infant sister, Lucille; brother, Rex Hanna, Jr.; and step-daughter, April Patchin. She is survived by her husband, Richard; step-son, Donald Powell and wife, Jeanne of Greeley, Colorado; brother, Robert Hanna and wife, Joanne of Allen, Texas; step son-in-law, Steve Patchin of Virginia Beach, Virginia; four step-grandchildren and eight step-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorials may be given to the American Cancer Society or the McCook Humane Society. Memorial services will be Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010, at 10 a.m. at Carpenter Breland Funeral Home with Terry McCorkle officiating. Inurnment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Friends may sign her book at the funeral home or send condolences online at www.carpenterbreland.com. Carpenter Breland Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

If voodoo really works, Brad Baumbach dolls will probably pass for pin cushions around the Scottsbluff High School football locker room this week. For the second consecutive year, Baumbach made the deciding defensive play to lift McCook to victory over the Bearcats. The Bison senior safety intercepted a Scottsbluff pass deep in McCook territory in the final minute Friday, Aug. 27, to help seal a 14-7 win for the Bison...