Stories from Thursday, September 26, 2002

For the first time in the history of McCook Heritage Days, a king has been crowned as part of the royal entourage. Dustin Petty, son of Daniel and Deb Petty of McCook was crowned during the annual Heritage Days mixer Wednesday night. Petty, a senior. ...

By now, you've heard many reports on how the Nebraska economy has suffered in the past three years. But, perhaps, no story has been as sobering as one told this morning at the meeting in McCook presented by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry...

"Miss McCook" flew like an old truck compared to B-17s, but the B-24 made 83 bombing missions in the South Pacific before too many hard landings wore her out and forced ground crews to salvage her for parts. Orville Fritsch said as crew chief for the B-24, he and fellow McCookites Bob Bahl and Wayne Chilcoat were able to persuade fellow mechanic Don Duell of Norfolk, Neb., to help apply the painting of an attractive lady to nose of the aircraft, using purloined paint from the base supply tent of their base in New Guinea.. ...

The son of two 1942 McCook Senior High graduates has donated his father's collection of brass instruments to the high school music department. Scott Niccolson hopes the trombones and coronet will inspire up-and-coming musicians and entertain music-lovers as they did his father, Robert D. Niccolson, and his mother, Betty Jane (Dutton) Niccolson...

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of a few Southwest Nebraska residents, McCook will soon be home to the first Habitat for Humanity Home in this region. The screening process for Habitat homeowners begins this week. Southwest Nebraska Habitat for Humanity, established in 2002, is comprised of three member counties, Red Willow, Furnas and Frontier...

Dear Editor, "Peace, peace when there is no peace," Jeremiah 6:14. This is another Bible prophecy that has literally come true and it is one of the many signs that God has given to us that we are living in the end of this age. Our world is becoming more and more chaotic and will become even more so as time moves on. Mark 13:8 says, "For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines and calamities."...

OK, so the state of Nebraska will begin charging its new taxes in five days. The cable bills are going up, the electric guys are looking at the possibility of raising rates, the state's saying McCook is too cheap on its water bills, the drought will cause the prices to rise on anything grown in, on, or around dirt -- and for those who care, tobacco prices will go up 30-cents a pack...

ARAPAHOE -- Alec Marshall Koller, 4 1/2 months, died Tuesday (Sept. 24, 2002) at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge. He was born May 8, 2002, to Steven and Jana (Dawson) Koller at Kearney. He was preceded in death by grandparents, Lloyd "Barney" and Betty Barnhart, John H. Koller, Lowell Dawson, Edward Schroder and Clayton Witt...