Stories from Tuesday, August 20, 2002

Dear Editor: I'm sincerely grateful for the service that Councilman Overman has provided to our city. His dedication will be greatly missed when he moves. His resignation comes at a critical time in our city's future. It's wonderful that he will be able to vote on the water issue which he has spent so much time preparing for, but it is unfortunate that the timing could take away the opportunity for the citizens of McCook to select a replacement using the ballot November 5...

Every day ... in more dismal and devastating ways ... we are feeling the depth of the Drought of Twenty-O-Two. It's depressing to see. Pastures burnt to brownness ... dryland cornfields shriveled to shreds ... and long lines of trucks carrying cattle to the sale barn...

Dear Editor: I'm no longer sitting out on my porch without using mosquito spray. The report in the Gazette about the penguin dying at the Rochester, N.Y. zoo from West Nile virus has influneced my thinking. So did the information about the horse diagnosed with the disease in North Platte and the bird and horses with it in Colorado...

McCook City Councilman Chris Overman announced his pending resignation at the regular City Council meeting Monday night. In a letter, advising fellow Council members of his decision, Overman said he plans to resign his position on the Council in early November...

Drivers be prepared to slow down and stop -- students are gearing up for their first day of school. McCook Schools will begin classes Thursday under new direction by Dr. Don Marchant, superintendent. Marchant, formerly of Lead, S.D., is a native of Chadron and a graduate of Chadron State College. He taught and coached at Kimball and served as principal at Lewellen and Culbertson and served as superintendent at Niobrara, Oakley, Kan., and Lead, S.D...

Free T-shirts will be given to everyone who volunteers to give blood on Wednesday and Thursday at the Community Building at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds in McCook. "Starve a mosquito: Give Blood" is emblazoned on the shirts. The sessions are set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, and noon to 6 p.m. thursday. Appointments can be made by calling (308) 345-4473...

CAMBRIDGE -- The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce plans its annual "Old-Fashioned Saturday Night" celebration Saturday, Aug. 31. The celebration recreates a Saturday evening of the 1950's, when the family went into town or downtown so "Mom" could do her "tradin'," "Dad" could play cards with the neighbors, "the kids" could go to the movies and everyone could catch up on the news...

IMPERIAL -- Nebraska State Patrol officers worked a "selective" during the last two nights of the Chase County fair, and ended up with arrests for minor in possession, procuring liquor for minors and driving while intoxicated. Nebraska State Patrol Sgt. Ted Mashek of McCook said the Chase County fair "is the closest thing to the state fair outside of Lincoln," and, because of its size, has become a likely target for liquor violations...

An old friend came to visit this weekend. She brought her two girls, one now in high school, the other in junior high. While our children talked and ate snacks in the kitchen, my friend and I passed the time sitting on the living room floor, looking through old photo albums...

MINNEOLA, Kan. -- 1st Lt. Nathanial D. Buckley of the United States Air Force, 25, died Wednesday (Aug. 7, 2002) near Caguas in Puerto Rico. He was born Aug. 14, 1976, to David and Debra (King) Buckley in McCook. He was a 1995 graduate of Minneola High School in Minneola, Kan. ...