Stories from Tuesday, October 1, 2002

TRENTON -- Testimony Monday morning indicated that the Palisade mother accused of child abuse was alone in the bedroom with her young children for 15 hours before the baby boy was taken to the hospital limp and lifeless. Renae McDaniel, 24, of Palisade, pleaded innocent to the charges in June, and a jury of 12 was selected Monday morning in district court in Trenton...

Sorry, Folks, but we have to attack Saddam Hussein right away. I saw George W on the news last Friday night, and he has changed his mind again. It now seems the reason he wants to get Saddam, is because he tried to kill his father. George didn't explain how this came about, since they were 9,000 miles apart and no missiles hit D.C. that we know of...

Dear Editor, Readers: How many of you attended and graduated from college at NCTA at Curtis, Neb., or had a relative that attended and graduated from that school? The reason I ask is because I feel that NCTA is in serious trouble. In May 2002, there were 30 some students registered for the Ag Mechanics program. ...

Dear Editor, I am writing this letter to give public acknowledgement that Bryan Regier, third-year band director of the McCook High School band, is doing a great job. I was very pleased with both the appearance and sound of our band in me Heritage Days Parade. They were rewarded with a "Superior" rating in both marching and the field competition, which took place at Weiland Field...

Dear Editor, Thank you for Karrer Park. Each year, since I moved nine years ago, I have returned to visit my uncle and some friends. I now travel in our motor home and stay a couple of days in your nice park. This year I returned for my 50th high school class reunion. What a wonderful time we had that night!...

If unevenly applied, any tax is unfair. The truth of that statement came crashing home today as Nebraskans were hit with a new round of tax increases. The center point of the higher rates is a half-cent hike in the sales tax. At first glance, that appears fair, and, as things now stand, it is...

Former McCook residents John T. and Eleanor Harris presented checks worth $10,000 last week to McCook foundations as a token of their appreciation of the community in which they raised their family. The Harrises, who moved to Alabama in 1976, gave $1,000 to the Heritage Square Foundation; $3,000 to the McCook College Foundation; and $6,000 to the McCook Community Foundation...

The McCook "Cool The Schools" program is $461.45 closer to providing air conditioning to McCook's classrooms. Coyote Country 105.3 and the Prairie 93.9 received the money during the Heritage Days Festival through public donations. Sitel Corp. has also hosted fund raising events and has added $265 in donations from the public...

The McCook school board approved a $4.8 million tax request and unanimously approved authorization for the FFA chapter to travel to the national convention in Louisville, Ky. The latter decision drew discussion, because two other school groups -- cheerleaders and a vocal music group -- were given only tentative approval for similar trips while the school board reconsiders its trip policy in light of recent court rulings...

Grasshoppers may be out of sight, but that doesn't mean they're out of mind. Eco-Bait, which destroys grasshoppers along with a variety of other insects, may soon be manufactured in McCook. An environmentally-friendly pesticide, Eco-Bait is manufactured by Peacock Industries, currently based in Saskatchewan, Canada. Owner Neil Wagner intends to have a business up and operating in McCook by the beginning of 2004 or as early as fall of 2003...

ATWOOD -- Alice Collier Samson, 98, died Saturday (Sept. 28, 2002) at the Lantern Park Manor in Colby, Kan. She was born Oct. 19, 1903, to John R. and Anna Jane (Evans) Collier in Rawlins County six miles west of Chardon on the family farm. She graduated from the Rawlins County High School with the class of 1921. ...

ERIE, Colo. -- Barbara L. Switzer, 29, died Sunday (Sept. 29, 2002) at the Longmont United Hospital in Longmont, Colo. She was born June 5, 1973, to James and Leola Ann (Traupe) Switzer in Lincoln. She had lived in Lincoln and Beatrice and recently moved to Erie, Colo. She had been employed at the Jefferson County Workshop as an assembler...