Stories from Thursday, October 3, 2002

TRENTON - A Hitchcock County jury found Renae McDaniel, 24, of Palisade, guilty of child abuse, agreeing McDaniel did indeed inflict as many as four blows powerful enough to shatter her little boy's skull. The jury deliberated for two hours and 40 minutes, following 2 1/2 days of testimony that described how one-year-old Johnathon T. Witt was brought to Community Hospital of McCook and flown by helicopter to Good Samaritan Hospital with life-threatening head injuries...

Dear Editor: The play currently being presented by the Southwest Nebraska Theatre group, "Mornings at Seven" is absolutely wonderful. All the local actors totally fit their assigned part...both the two "young people" and all of the geezers. I thoroughly enjoyed everything...the dinner and the play...and want to congratulate all involved...

Dear Band Parents/ Band Booster Organization; Just a brief note to thank you for your participation in last weekend's Heritage Days Marching Festival. I'm sure that I'm speaking for all of the judges when I say that a contest such as that cannot happen without a lot of volunteer help and support from the parents of band students!...

With cattle prices teetering at break-even levels, a debate continues to rage about what the problem is ... and how best to solve it. Many blame the packers. With so few packing companies buying fat cattle, the fear is that they are manipulating the market to their advantage...

McCook City Council candidate Dan Petty is showing improvement after being injured when kicked by a horse early Sunday evening. Petty was spraying his horse for flies when she spooked. The kick tossed Petty into the air and the impact with the ground was believed to have caused his injuries...

Tryout for the McCook Community College production of The Wizard of Oz will be on 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 10, in the Tipton Minitheater on campus. The production is a version of the familiar movie and includes songs such as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "If I Only Had A Brain" and "Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead."...

The Women's Fellowship of First Congregational Church plans its 15th annual International Food Fair Saturday, Oct. 12, in the basement of the church at 212 East E. The sale of baked goods starts at 9 a.m.; serving is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. or until the food is gone. Meals for delivery can be ordered between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., for delivery starting at 11:30 a.m...

LINCOLN -- Allen D. Strunk, publisher emeritus of the McCook Daily Gazette, will be inducted into the Nebraska Newspaper Hall of Fame during special ceremonies Friday night in Lincoln. Strunk, who served as the newspaper's general manager and publisher from 1953 to 1986, is being honored as "a courageous publisher and savvy businessman."...

TRENTON -- Judge John Battershell described Joey D. Podoll's crime as "extremely terrible," and Wednesday, sentenced the 26-year-old Palisade man to 7-10 years in the state penitentiary. Podoll pleaded guilty in August to charges of first degree sexual assault and sexual assault of a child. The charges stem from incidents June 28 and July 7 in which Podoll assaulted a Palisade girl...

Firefighter/paramedic Rick Metcalf uses the Jaws of Life to pry open the door of a car to free a driver following a collision at the junction of U.S. Highways 6-34 and 83 just before 3 p.m. Wednesday. The driver, Clarence R. Liggett, 76, of Cambridge, apparently was not seriously injured. His car was struck broadside by a pickup truck driven by Charles E. Johnson, 67, Kearney, who also was not seriously injured...

MOOREFIELD -- Jacob Ray Dameron, 84, died Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2002) at the Premier Estates in North Platte. He was born May 29, 1918, at North Platte to Daniel Franklin and Martha Ellen (Hankins) Dameron. He served in the Navy during World War II. After getting out of the service he farmed and ranched near Moorefield...

ARAPAHOE -- Daisy E. Gardner, 96, died Wednesday (Oct. 2, 2002) at the C.A. Mues Good Samaritan Center in Arapahoe. She was born April 4, 1906, to Owen D. and Rachael (Meyers) Morse in rural Bertrand. She was raised on the farm near Edison. She attended school at Edison Public Schools...

WILSONVILLE -- Charles Allyn Ballou, 78, died Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2002) at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital following a lengthy bout with cancer. He was born July 26, 1924, to John and Helen (Colling) Ballou in Wilsonville. After graduating from Wilsonville High School in 1942, he enlisted in the Marines and fought during World War II. ...

GOTHENBURG -- A.T. "Tolle" Tollefson, 90, died Wednesday (Oct. 2, 2002) at his home in Gothenburg. He was born April 21, 1912, to Olaf and Ida (Thompson) Tollefson at Viroqua, Wis. He graduated from Viroqua High School in 1931. He graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa in 1935. He taught school in Hills, Minn...

HUMBLE, Texas -- Doris Marie Ham, 83, died Saturday (Sept. 28, 2002) at Rosemont Assisted Living in Humble, Texas. She was born Aug. 31, 1919, in Dundy County to Ray O. and Nellie (Foster) Ham.  She graduated from the 8th grade in District 28 and attended Benkelman High School where she was a member of the graduating class of 1937.  After high school, she taught for three years in country schools in Dundy County. ...

Until about a year ago, when I was "volunteered' to take over the sports desk for a brief transition period, I had absolutely no interest in football. After being forced to pay attention to it -- at least to the point where I know the difference between a field goal and a foul -- I began taking interest in the Huskers' games...

WAUKEGAN, Ill. -- Iona Juanita (Myers) Horacek, 90, died Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2002) at Victory Lakes in Lindenhurst, Ill. She was born Aug., 24, 1912, to Angus and Murrell (Ike) Myers in Hitchcock County. She graduated from McCook High School in 1929 and then from Denver General School of Nursing in 1932...