Stories from Tuesday, October 22, 2002

Twin Valleys Public Power of Cambridge celebrates "Public Power Month" with area students who learn about the power and the mystery of electricity. In 1936, Sen. George W. Norris of McCook sponsored federal legislation that brought electricity to rural America...

What is the legal status of the illegal noise levels, created and ignored every Friday night, all summer on public property, on the fairgrounds by our McCook Police Department, City Council, fairboard and county commissioners? In 2002 noise testing was done, the race promoter quit, but now a new race promoter picks up where he left off with 15 new races scheduled for 2003 and is already selling season tickets for 2003 season...

Dear Editor, May I please use your newspaper to speak to the (probably young) people who are stealing campaign signs? It isn't funny! It's a crime! Those campaign signs are a very important part of our democratic process, which made the United States of America the greatest country in the world. ...

Dear Editor, Certain politicians in recent years and months have used the term "civilized" to describe certain countries, regimes, etc. The USA, according to their rhetoric, is indeed civilized. What evidence is there for this? Rap music. That's what...

Dear Editor, Sunday, November 10th will be the 227th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. In 1775 the Continental Congress authorized the formation of two Marine battalions. They made their first landing on the Bahamas in 1776 during the Revolutionary War and have been active in nearly every conflict since that time...

In our desire to restore the name of McCook Community College, we have spooked the board and administration of the Mid-Plains College Area, sending them on a wild goose chase in search of a "politically correct" title for the college area and the campuses in McCook and North Platte...

JULESBURG, Colo. -- Kelly and Jennifer Kitt announce the birth of a daughter, Molly Kayleen, born Wednesday (Oct. 16, 2002). She weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces. She has one brother, Colin, who is 4 years old. Grandparents are Jim and Yvonne Garner of Trenton, Keith Kitt of Wauneta and Woody and Karla Morford of McCook...

The ground crew scrambles to get out of the way of falling masses of fabric belonging to Neida Naumburg of Colorado Springs, Colo., during Saturday morning's liftoff for Freedom Flight II at McCook Municipal Airport. "Realescape" and 13 other balloon soon offered a colorful sight bobbing over McCook to the southwest...

Last week, during their monthly Board of Directors meeting, the six member agency co-op known as Regional Efforts Win Additional Regional Dollars -- REWARD -- announced that their first four grant applications have been successful. And the amount of awards totals more than $600,000...

On a request by McCook businessman Jay Austin, the McCook City Council voted unanimously Monday evening to table a request by Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns to declare Oct. 24 as United Nations Day. A letter from the Governor requesting the proclamation told the Council, "We have a timely opportunity, as Nebraskans to explore and establish our role in the global response to terrorism. The 2002 theme for the United Nations Day is 'A Global Response to Terrorism: The U.N.'s Role.'"...

A full moon rises over a cornfield south of Hayes Center. With up to five inches of snow in the weather forecast, corn harvesters waiting for the grain to dry may have to wait a while longer to get their crop out of the field.

A monarch butterfly lights on autumn-gold mums in Linda Rooney's yard in Culbertson. The mums might be dusted with white later this evening.

Residents of the McCook area are being encouraged to turn out in large numbers Wednesday evening to show support for McCook Community College as the name for Nebraska's oldest junior college campus. Dr. Mike Owens, president of the McCook College Foundation, said "everybody and their dog should be there. This is a very important meeting for determining the future of the college."...

Lori Bortner, Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2002, will be traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada, to compete in the Miss Rodeo America Pageant for the title of "Miss Rodeo America 2003." The competition dates are Dec. 1-8. The contestants will be judged on Horsemanship, Personality, Appearance and Speech. Lori is the daughter of Robert and Barbara Bortner from rural McCook...

The way I see it, good literature should enlarge our lives, broaden our perspectives, and encourage us to try new things. In fact, it was good literature that first prompted me to try hog roping. I got the idea from reading "Old Yeller," the classic coming-of-age story in which a boy must choose between the life of his beloved, rabies-infected hound and the safety of his family...

CHAMPION -- Oneta Silvester, 73, died Sunday (October 20, 2002) at Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial. Services will be Wednesday, 1:30 p.m. (MDT), at First United Methodist Church in Imperial with Rev. Karl Lent officiating. Interment will be at Crete Cemetery in Champion...

SUTHERLAND -- William A. Wederski, 73, died Tuesday (Sept. 3, 2002) at the Sutherland Nursing Home in Sutherland. He was born Feb. 2, 1929, to Elijah and Sarah (Bramblette) Wederski at Stratton. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Nathan; and one sister, Mary Crews...

ONAWA, Iowa -- Naomi Elizabeth King, 7, died Sunday (Oct. 20, 2002) at her home in Onawa, Iowa. She was born Jan. 4, 1995, in Onawa, to David and Cindy (Romine) King. She attended Lark Elementary School in Onawa and was in the 2nd grade. She wanted to be a zookeeper when she grew up and take care of the cats...

Sylvia Elizabeth Mihm died on Saturday, October 19, 2002, at McCook Community Hospital. She was 76 years old. Sylvia was born on January 28, 1926, at McCook, to Mirl LeRoy and Ola Elizabeth (VanVleet) Townsend. She graduated from Danbury High School in 1943 and attended Kearney State College. She taught school for two years...