Stories from Friday, January 17, 2003

LINCOLN -- Last year was the third driest year for Nebraska and Wyoming in the more than a century that records have been kept, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln drought specialist said. "Though drought and even multi-year droughts such as we are experiencing now are a normal and expected climatic pattern, the current drought is rapidly setting records in a number of areas," said Mike Hayes, an Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources climate impact specialist with the National Drought Mitigation Center at UNL. ...

Thank you for putting the editor's note at the bottom of the Ed Townsley comment. Unfortunately, some city members are not aware of the time and effort Phil has put into this project. He is truly one of the greatest assets this city has.

Has it been duly noted by local fetus fanciers that one of the Grand Poobahs of the right-to-life movement is charged with felony interception of electronic mail? What makes this laughable is that although this bunch of uterus inspectors has official approval of "Joggin' for Jesus" Johanns and the majority of legislators, they again have managed to embarrass Nebraska's Ayatollahs by an act of utter stupidity...

Dear Editor, The cartoon below yesterdays Open Forum letters couldn't have been more timely or illustrative of my message. I hope you have been studying and poring over Jeremiah, chapters 50 and 51 and the related passages in Isaiah. Remember, modern-day Iraq is the same land as ancient Babylon and its total destruction was prophesied 2500 years ago. Only the God of Heaven knows the end from the beginning and, "He works all things after His will."...

Dear Editor, Yesterday (Thursday) a small kindergarten boy ran up to the van waving a dollar saying, "look Mr. Bill what the tooth fairy gave me." I said that is real nice of him. He then showed me the hole where the tooth once was. Looking at his dollar, he said " I got to make this last a long time." I asked why. He said "I don't have that many teeth."...

Dear Editor, That airport land auction ... the city of McCook paid $3 million but sold the holding for $2 million -- and city council members' pictures in the GAZETTE showed them smiling ? About what? Property owners of the city will have to pay $1 million for that mistake. And by the way, it appears the solution to the water problem has gone down the drain -- not to put too fine a point on that situation...

Starting Monday, a new $3.2 million building will help McCook Clinic provide more efficient service to more patients each day. Owned by Community Hospital of McCook, the building is a tangible sign of the hospital board's confidence in the future of our community and a commitment to provide more and better medical services more efficiently...

Abbi Smith and Zachary Beckenhauer try out the swingset used for display by PTOs in their effort to raise funds for new playground equipment at McCook's public schools. The groups' goal is $150,000, with new equipment installed before school starts this fall. ...

The Buy n Save store in McCook has announced it will be closing Saturday. Dave Grassia, manager, announced the store closing at about 3 p.m., Thursday. "We appreciate the opportunity of serving the community and our loyal customers." Grassia sited economic reasons for the store closing...

The McCook Area Chamber of Commerce is staying busy during the next month with three major events planned and several other projects in the works. The Harlem Ambassadors basketball game is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 25 at Memorial Auditorium in McCook. ...

Movers of an irrigation system tower work to place the center pivot on a truck after it fell off a trailer during transport. Traffic east of the intersection of U.S. Highway 83 and 6 and 34 was directed around the accident at about 1:15 p.m., Thursday...

Andrew Howell (back, center) persuaded his mom, Deanne Howell (to his right) and aunt, Deb Crawford (to his left), to create a quilt to benefit the McCook High School Art Club. Helping display the quilt (from left) are Monica Horkey, sponsor Jim Steinke, Deanne Howell, Andrew Howell, Deb Crawford, Nessa Hock and Sarah McPhillips. Winner of the quilt will be announced Feb. 8 at the half-time of the boys game...

The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles has changed the look of the "validation stickers" for license plates, hoping to make them easier to read. Red Willow County Treasurer Marleen Garcia said the new stickers will have white letters and numbers on a black background, and the months will be numerical -- 01 through 12...

For those of you who are counting down, it's nine days to Super Bowl XXVII (that's 37) in San Diego. The AFC and NFC Championship games are Sunday. In the AFC, the much-beloved Oakland Raiders host the Tennessee Titans at 5:30 p.m. on CBS. The NFC Championship Game features the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Philadelphia Eagles at 2 p.m. on FOX...

Ten items or less - Anyone who is living outside of a cave has heard about the supposed clone baby. The existence of this duplicate dependent has since been ruled as likely as the Rolling Stones retiring before their heads hit their tombstones. Most people have come out strongly against the practice of cloning people, saying it relegates humans to mere objects. But I'd like to look beyond that point...

IMPERIAL -- Mabel Bernard, 95, died Wednesday (Jan. 15, 2003) at the Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial. Survivors include a daughter, Jeannine and husband, Arlyn Cox of Champion; son, Royce Bernard and wife, Cathy of Imperial; three sisters, Vernace Groff of Imperial, Sue Jackson and Maxine and husband, Carl Matson all of Cheyenne, Wyo.; 11 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild...

SYRACUSE, Kan. -- Thomas Roger Malleck, 64, died Tuesday (Jan. 14, 2003) at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. He was born Sept. 30, 1938, at Indianola, to James John and Genevieve Elizabeth (Powers) Malleck. He attended school at Indianola Public Schools where he graduated from high school in 1957...

Mildred M. "Mickey" Woofter, 78, died Wednesday (Jan. 15, 2003) at Sunset Haven Nursing Home in Curtis. She was born Aug. 9, 1924, at Steele City, to Edward S. and Jessie (Carter) Davis. She was educated in McCook and Culbertson schools. For many years she was employed by J.C. Penney in McCook. She was a former McCook resident and had been living at Sunset Haven Nursing Home in Curtis for the past five months...