Stories from Friday, June 14, 2002

Following a request from McCook City Council members to determine options that might be taken by the city in the issue of solid waste disposal, city staff will present them with four options at the regular regular council meeting Monday night, 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Memorial Auditorium...

Linda Crandall-Jones (center), journalism teacher at McCook High School, poses with former Gov. Frank Morrison and Josefina Martinez, 2002 graduate of McCook High School. Crandall-Jones received the Morrison award from the McCook Rotary Club. The award is given to educators for making a difference in the lives of students and community members and is named after Morrison who is a former teacher who is a big supporter of education. ...

School Board Officers were elected for the Chase County High School and Imperial Grade School at the June 11 meeting. The four officers who will sit on the Chase County High School Board of Education are: Charley Colton, president; Bob McGrath, vice-president; Cindy Arterburn, secretary; and Dave Hannah, treasurer. The Imperial Grade School also elected four members. They are: Sheila Stromberger, president; Richard Norman, vice-president; Tom Gaschler, secretary; and Carolyn Lee, treasurer...

McCook Public Power District's Board of Directors will meet Tuesday to discuss the possibility of refunding their 1999 tax exempt bond issue and the issuance of a new construction bond. Also on the agenda is discussion and action on contributions in aid of construction requirements of the board policy No. 440 and the adoption of board policy No. 2002-3 to comply with IRS requirements regarding the spending of tax-free borrowing proceeds...

Gabe and Kristine Stritt of Edison announce the birth of a daughter, Kaylea Ann, born Monday (June 3, 2002). She weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces. Grandparents are Delvin and Tina Leibbrandt and Pat and Ivy Stritt of Bartley.

Not long ago, hearing and speech problems among infants often went undetected for months and, in some unfortunate cases, more than a year. But that's changing. As the result of new federally-mandated regulations, hospitals soon will be required to do hearing testing on all newborn infants...

Dear Editor, Enough already, race car foes. The arguments, both yea and nay, have become trite and redundant. You need to vote, express yourselves, not be another pundit. Don't waste space on the Op-Ed page so you can see your name. Remember what the Good Book says, "Scoffers set a city aflame" -- Prov. 29:8...

Dear Editor, I was born in Culbertson in 1953 to John and Evelyn Fritz. My grandparents names were Christian and Opal Fritz. I have relatives and friends who live in McCook and surrounding towns who I have lost contact with. Anyone familiar with the family name or friends or relatives please contact me at eage1678@juno.com...

Dear Editor, To: Member of the City Council, John Bingham, City Manager, City of McCook From: Concerned Citizens of McCook Re: Proposed Course of Action and Implementation Schedule as it relates to the City of McCook's alterative water source study...

Dear Editor, Just a thought on noise. If you would look in the dictionary, under the third definition for noise, you would find: "unwanted disturbance." It would seem that the lack of noise would be a good thing. Now if you would look m the dictionary again under quiet you would find: 1) marked by little motion or activity: and 4) free from noise and uproar...

Cable gun locks will be given away in McCook on Thursday as part of a gun safety lock distribution tour. Lieutenant Governor Dave Heineman and law enforcement representatives kicked-off the tour Tuesday morning at the Capitol. The tour will distribute 22,500 gun safety locks across Nebraska over the next two weeks...

Help is now available for businesses in the Golden Plains who are having difficulty meeting normal operating expenses through a low interest Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the U.S. Small Business Administra-tion. Loans are available to help businesses in: Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Gosper, Hayes, Hitchcock, Perkins, Red Willow, Cheyenne, Decatur and Rawlins counties, as well as 30 other counties throughout Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota and Wyoming...

A breakfast was held at Heritage Senior Center is honor of Father's Day. Those in attendance were: (right front to back) Fran Broz, Ken Carlson, Bud Manker, Harold "Rocky Kummer, Jerry Felker and Russ Dowling; (left front to back) Lloyd Nokes, Mac Newberry, Mel Nokes, Lewis Hoschouer and Ralph Priest. Not pictured: Tom Burns and John Weskamp...

FORT RILEY, Kan. -- One hundred and thirty-five members of McCook's Detachment 2, Co. B, 735th Transportation Battalion, Nebraska Army National Guard, traveled to Fort Riley, Kan., for their annual two-week annual training, June 1-15. The unit is responsible for providing transportation support for a number of other Army Guard units, including Nebraska's 167 Calvary. ...

ENDERS -- The First State Bank in Enders has closed its doors after 85 years of service in the community. According to this week's Imperial Republican, the bank's charter officially moved to Imperial on Thursday. Bank President Dick Falldorf told the Republican that while there are sentimental feelings about the closing, safety played a major role in the decision...

A full night of activities -- including a car show, races and a dance -- are planned during the third annual McCook Speedway Car Show at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. The event will be Saturday, June 22. Chairman Terry Sitzman announced that registration will be from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. the day of the show. The $20 entry fee covers participation in the car show as well as two passes to the McCook Speedway races and a dance from 9 p.m. to midnight in the 4-H Building...

NORTH PLATTE -- Lt. Col. Oliver North will be in North Platte on Saturday as the keynote speaker for the Veterans Expo 2002 at the Sandhills Convention Center in North Platte. Oliver North is a combat-decorated Marine, best selling author, former candidate for the U.S. Senate, host of a nationally syndicated radio show and host of FNC's War Stories. He claims his most important accomplishment as being "the husband of one and the father of four."...

Winter wheat varieties will be showcased in four West Central Nebraska plot meetings next week. Meetings will take place in Furnas (43 varieties), Red Willow (48 varieties), Keith (42 varieties), and Perkins (47 varieties) counties. According to Robert Klein, cropping systems specialist at WCREC, each plot features common varieties to the area, new varieties he thinks producers ought to consider, and experimental varieties being developed for future use. ...

"2001 Ag Disaster Relief Funding is imperative for the survival and recovery of Nebraska farmers and ranchers hit by drought in 2001," declared Nebraska Women Involved in Farm Economics President Pam Potthoff of Trenton in announcing a WIFE meeting to be held in McCook on Saturday. "The economy of the entire state suffers when the rural economy is stressed."...

The Nelson Institute, in conjunction with the Freedom 50 Club of McCook National Bank and the Live Y'ers of the YMCA, are planning a benefit garage sale on Saturday in coordination with the third annual Join Hands Day. Connecting young people and adults in neighborhood volunteering is the unique focus on Join Hands Day, a day designed to create cross-generational friendships that help break down age barriers...

CULBERTSON -- "God Bless America," is the theme of this year's annual Culbertson Fourth of July parade. The parade will be held on Thursday, July 4, at 10 a.m. First place prizes will be given in the following categories: Culbertson business, non-Culbertson business, organization, youth, farm equipment, automobile, judge's choice...

STAPLETON -- The Nebraska Veterans of Foreign Wars and Memorial Highway 83 Association plan a Veterans Jamboree "Welcome Home Party" on Sunday at the Logan County Fair Building in Stapleton. A special invitation is extended to Vietnam-era veterans. A trail ride will be from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., and the "Jamboree for 83" is from noon to 7 p.m...

In my household, there is a strict division of labor. I do everything, while my husband does everything else I can't or won't do. Two major tasks came up for implementation at the same time recently -- installing a swing set and planting the garden -- so we split them up. Each went to their respective side of the house and began installing and planting...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Dennis Hart Townsend, 53, died June 4, 2002, at the Sienna Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D. He was born March 28, 1949, to Loren and Gwendolyn (Coyle) Townsend in Scottsbluff. He moved with his family to McCook where he graduated with the Class of 1967. He served in the Vietnam War as a Crew Chief on the KC-135 Ariel Tanker...

CURTIS -- Doris Gladus Petersen McKinney, 83, died Wednesday (June 12, 2002) at her home in Curtis. She was born Dec. 15, 1918, to Nels and Dorthea (Jensen) Petersen in Curtis. In 1943, she married John Y. McKinney. Before she retired in 1982, she held various positions including a rural school teacher, a secretary, bookkeeper, a furniture salesperson and interior decorator...