Stories from Thursday, August 29, 2002

NORTH PLATTE -- In a show of force, 16 members of the McCook community traveled to North Platte Wednesday night to vigorously plead for a return to McCook Community College as the name for Nebraska's oldest junior college. Speaking in the open forum portion of the Mid-Plains College Area board meeting, the McCookites said that the "campus" title -- imposed by former Mid-Plains Area President George Mihel -- is disrespectful to Southwest Nebraska area citizens and alumni, who have generously supported the college in McCook for the past 76 years.. ...

Dear Editor: Timing is everything, especially in the world of politics. Prior to July 12, Mayor Taylor requested from the City Attorney information regarding the timing of Chris Overman's resignation. In a letter dated July 12, 2002, the Mayor was advised if Overman resigned prior to Sept. ...

Way to go, McCook citizens! You did an excellent job of standing up for the McCook Community College name at Wednesday night's meeting of the Mid-Plains Area board. All the remarks were sincere and impassioned, showing once again how devoted the people of McCook are to Nebraska's oldest junior college...

An Arapahoe man was arraigned in Red Willow County District Court for intent to deliver methamphetamine because of an anonymous call through the McCook Crimestoppers line. Christopher T. Ott, 27, pleaded not guilty to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, a Class III felony...

North Platte -- Certified Public Accountants from the firm, Dana J. Cole completed an audit of enrollments for the 2002 year at Mid-Plains Community College Area. Their findings indicate that the institution's Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) rose 5.29 percent over last year's figures. In hard numbers, there were 1644.85 FTE recorded for the 2002-year and a gain of 82.64 FTE from 1562.21 in 2001...

BEAVER CITY -- Furnas County District Court Judge James Doyle IV Wednesday morning sentenced an Oxford man to one year in jail on charges that he sexually assaulted a minor. Doyle also sentenced to intensive probation a North Platte man involved in break-ins in Cambridge and accepted a guilty plea from an Oxford woman charged with aiding in the manufacture of methamphetamine...

Two horses, three humans confirmed with West Nile A horse in Red Willow County and one in Hitchcock County have been confirmed to have the West Nile virus, according to Dr. Jason Osterstock of the Red Willow Animal Clinic. State officials also confirmed three more human cases of the virus have been reported to the Nebraska Health and Human Services System, bringing the total of presumptive positive cases for the virus to four people in Nebraska. ...

One more time, the McCook National Bank will bring in a local band to entertain at the Hot Summer Nights concert series, Thursday in Norris Park. Blackwater Haze will perform classic and country rock and the McCook Chamber of Commerce will serve homemade ice cream as their summer treat...

John Kugler of McCook and Neida Naumburg of Albuquerque, N.M. take advantage of a crisp, clear, calm, Southwest Nebraska morning to make a "Realescape" in the Naumburg hot air balloon of the same name. The launch created momentary concern when a neighbor called in the burner's flame as a possible fire north of McCook...

Old-timers are saying our current drought is worse than the one experienced in the '30s. Reports from weathermen vary on the length of time we can expect to endure the dryness and heat. Will it end with the coming of the winter snowfall or will it continue another year...another five ... or -- as some are reporting -- another 30 or more?...

If the Chicago Cubs hit the field at 2:20 p.m. CST Friday, there's no Major League Baseball strike. If they don't hit the field, there's a strike. Then again, it's the Cubs -- how can you tell? The big bad billionaire owners and the big bad millionaire baseball players are quibbling over pennies while the game makes billions...

CAMBRIDGE -- Robert "Bob" Burke, 52, died Tuesday (Aug. 27, 2002) in Frontier County. He was born Nov. 4, 1949, to Charles and Rachel (Meyers) Burke in McCook. He grew up on the farm north of Cambridge. He graduated from Cambridge High School in 1968...