Stories from Monday, November 4, 2002

Seven people have died in separate accidents on Nebraska roads since Thursday, including a 46-year-old Beaver City woman who died Friday after an accident on Nebraska Highway 22, four miles west of Monroe in Platte County. The 1:43 p.m. CST accident happened after the eastbound van driven by Cindy Bieghler, Beaver City, crossed the center line and collided with a westbound sport utility vehicle that had moved to the shoulder to avoid the accident, according to the Nebraska State Patrol...

Dennis and Shirley (Austin) Ridgley of Aurora, Colo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah Louise, to Jerome W. Graves, the son of Marie-Claire Rademaker of Phoenix, Ariz., and Walter and Erlinda Graves of San Jose, Calif. The bride-to-be is a granddaughter of the late Jane P. Austin and the grandniece of Mary Horendeck of McCook. The couple is planning a Nov. 16, 2002 ceremony in Manitou Springs, Colo. The couple will make their home in Colorado Springs...

The family of Dorothy Bortner is hosting an open house in honor of her 95th birthday Nov. 9, 2-4 p.m., at Heritage Senior Center, 1312 West 5th Street in McCook. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 1409 West 2nd Street, McCook, NE 69001.

The family of Dale and Marie (Kamla) Potthoff are hosting at open house in honor of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary Nov. 3, 2-4 p.m., at the Quality Inn of Fort Morgan. They were married Nov. 2, 1952, at the Lutheran Church in St. Francis and have numerous relatives in the McCook area. Their children include Kalrie Skraback, Marjorie Roberts, Joyce Malone, Stanley Potthoff and Rebecca Maag. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 311 Chapman Street, Wiggins, CO 80654...

Elizabeth Ann Barger of Culbertson and Steven Ray Klein of McCook were united in marriage June 29, 2002, at the Evangelical Free Church in McCook with the Rev. Bruce Lester officiating. Parents of the couple are James and Cathy Barger of Culbertson, Debra Klein of Eustis and Brent and Beverly Klein of McCook...

The family of Mildred Hauxwell, formerly of McCook, is hosting a card shower in honor of her 98th birthday, Nov. 7. Cards of congratulations will reach her at Linden Court, 4000 West Philip Ave., North Platte, NE 69101.

The family of Evelyn Norris is hosting a card shower in honor of her 90th birthday, which is Nov. 3. Cards of congratulations will reach her at El Dorado Manor, Room 109, P.O. Box 97, Trenton, NE 69044.

NORTH PLATTE -- Dawn Marie Grassia of North Platte and Jason R. Tuller of McCook were united in marriage Oct. 4, 2002, at Berean Church in North Platte with the Rev. Tom Walker officiating. Parents of the couple are Geoff and Pam Burks of North Platte and Ray and Pat Tuller of McCook...

Be proud. Exercise your privilege as an American. Go to the polls Tuesday and cast your ballots for the candidates and issues of your choice. That thought rings out across American in the days leading up the election. It is being heard especially often this year in light of predictions that the election turnout will fall to the lowest point in years ... ...

The proposed title -- "McCook College" -- is an excellent choice for the college facilities in McCook. The name is a good one because it honors the tradition of Nebraska's oldest junior college, while recognizing the expansion of the educational experience which has taken place in recent years...

Laura Jean Wilcox of McCook and Matthew Brooks Clause of Gering were united in marriage June 22, 2002, at Memorial United Methodist Church in McCook with the Rev. Steve Bales of the Nazarene Church in McCook. Parents of the couple are Mark and Betty Wilcox of McCook and Mark and Joyce Clause of Gering...

Don Dernovich, art instructor at McCook College, will have a showing of recent works executed in oil and watercolor. The exhibit will be on view from Nov. 3- 22 at the Wrightstone Fine Arts Gallery with a reception planned on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2- 5 p.m...

As of press time, a news conference with Gov. Mike Johann, Sen. Chuck Hagel and other GOP candidates was still set for noon at the McCook Municipal Airport. County Clerk Pauletta Gerver noted that Red Willow County voter registrations stand at 7,949...

Barb Ostrum (left) of Mid-Nebraska Community Action hands donated warm clothing to volunteers Steven Goodenberger and Barb Marquardt this morning as the donation phase of the annual Coat Closet wraps up. Distribution is from 1:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday...

The Red Willow County Commissioners will consider zoning regulation changes, hear a report on telecommunications services and appoint fair board members and an alternate to the RC&D board at the county's regular meeting, 1 p.m. Tuesday in the courthouse...

LEBANON -- The Beaver Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7719 and the Jack Helt Post 313 of the American Legion of Lebanon, are going together for a pancake supper beginning at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the American Legion Hall in Lebanon.

The November Chamber Mixer and Annual Meeting will be Friday at the Knights of Columbus Hall. The Mixer will start at 5:30 p.m., with the Annual Meeting to follow at 7 p.m. The November Mixer will be hosted by the McCook Education Association, McCook College, McCook Public Schools, St. Patrick's School and the Education Committee of the Chamber...

With the cold and snow arriving early this year, the timing couldn't have been worse for the boiler at the McCook City Auditorium to give out, according to City Manager John Bingham. "I don't know why it couldn't have happened this summer," joked Bingham in a telephone conversation Friday...

Red Willow County commissioners Tuesday will consider changes in the county's zoning regulations to allow for the creation of industrial zoning within the county. The changes, if approved, would clear the way for a proposed ethanol plant to apply for required permits...

Hundreds of starlings cling to a communications tower on B Street in McCook, while fellow members of their flock flutter by. Migratory birds as small as these starlings and as large as geese are swiftly finding their way south as early winter weather arrives in the Golden Plains...

The city of McCook is ready to take the next step toward creating improved and more available housing through the Rural Technical Assistance Program. A group of committed citizens recently gathered local information on housing conditions in the community as part of the program, developed by FHLBank Topeka...

WILCOX -- Dorothy Luella Mote, 78, died Saturday (Nov. 2, 2002) at the St. John's Center in Kearney. She was born Aug. 14, 1924, in a sod house on the family farm southeast of Ringgold to Oscar and May (Holmberg) Tupper. The family made their home on a farm in McPherson County. ...

ARAPAHOE -- Bernard H. Schutz, 83, died Friday (Nov. 1, 2002) at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital at Cambridge. He was born Dec. 13, 1918, to Martin and Sophia (Stagemeyer) Schutz in rural Eustis. he attended school at Salem Lutheran Parochial School. After school, he farmed with his father and various neighbors until he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943. After being discharged in 1946, he moved back to Nebraska...

My Dad, Walter Sehnert, was what you would call a fiscal conservative (Some called him just plain tight.) He really never cared for banks, or stocks and bonds, or even insurance. I believe there were good reasons for this. Dad's folks had come from Germany in the late 1890s, to South Dakota, which they looked upon as the land of opportunity. ...

On Friday morning, I was given a position paper authored by Carlton Williams, Interim President of the Mid Plains Community College Area. The paper addressed the naming for the "delivery sites" of the Area and included what is being recommended to the Board of Governors for action at the Board meeting scheduled for Nov. 13 in McCook...

There might be a 64-year-old man out there from Ludell, Kan., whose last name is Luedder who will really love it that I found this story in the Oct. 16, 1942, McCook Daily Gazette. It seems Mom Luedder was in McCook for a dentist appointment and Dad was shopping at Montgomery Wards (Top Office) when the police noticed this little 4-year-old "shopping" solo at Dunbar and Osburn (Plaza Park at Norris & B)...

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- Ida M. "Heidi" Blair died Saturday (Oct. 26, 2002) in Grand Junction, Colo. She was born Feb. 11, 1913, to August Henry and Dicy Rebecca Meyer at Auburn. The family moved to Lincoln when she was four years old. She spent her childhood there and attended school. She graduated from Lincoln High School and Lincoln Business College with a degree in bookkeeping...