Stories from Thursday, March 27, 2003

Technical Sergeant Fern L. (Thieben) Glasgow, a 1986 graduate of McCook High School, and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Thieben of McCook, has been selected for Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force. Fern is assigned to the 46th Operations Support Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base...

Out of necessity, the schools of Southwest Nebraska are going to have to start working together to solve their money problems. The cooperation is important because the writing is on the wall: There are simply not enough tax dollars to go around. Every day, it seems, there is new evidence of this. ...

Roger and June Eschliman will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary March 31. Their family includes seven children; 16 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. A family celebration is planned for this summer. Cards of congratulations will reach them at RR 1 Box 86, McCook, NE 69001...

A colorful parafoil kite floats against blue sky and puffy white clouds on Sunday afternoon. Will March go out like lamb or a lion?

A crew from Horizontal Boring of Exeter unloads equipment needed to dig near Farmer's Coop on Main Street in Trenton. Daryl Nyberg, general manager of Farmer's Co-Op in Trenton, said excavation crews removing underground fuel storage tanks have found "free products," gas and diesel, that will have to be removed. ...

Before we get to an actual review, I need to say something personal to everyone involved in SWNCTA's production of State Fair, which opens tonight. You see, my wife and I have been experiencing a little stress this past week. Our 18-year-old son David is over in the Middle East as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and like many other parents of deployed military people, we don't know exactly where he is or what he's doing because he isn't allowed to tell us that. ...

Steve Andrews, program specialist with the Nebraska State Recycling Association in Lincoln, stands on the front porch of the "House that Recycling Built," on Norris Avenue in McCook. The house is being built by America Recycles Day, with recycled and/or recyclable and environmentally-friendly building products. ...

Red Willow County deputies transported two McCook men to Omaha this morning for arraignment in federal court on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Sheriff Gene Mahon said this morning sheriff's officers, State Patrol personnel and a Game and Parks officer arrested Joshua O'Neil, 28, Tuesday afternoon at his home at 1109 E. Fourth. Mahon said sheriff's officers arrested Jonathan Harvey, 29, Wednesday morning in the back yard of 907 W. Second...

Red Willow County commissioners and Bartley farmer Tom Smith discussed the value of river bottom farmland and timberland during the commissioners' regular meeting Tuesday. Also during the meeting, commissioners made the last payment on the new Kiplinger Arena and approved the refund of a $4,600 tax over-payment...

City officials from around Southwest Nebraska voiced their frustration over the arsenic and uranium rules mandated by the federal Safe Water Drinking Act. In a meeting at the Country Kitchen restaurant in McCook on Wednesday, 12 community leaders from around the area talked about the problems their towns were facing with the upcoming change in the allowable levels of the two compounds. ...

The McCook school board will consider ways to save up to $700,000 in spending at a special meeting today. The board will consider discontinuance, reduction or changes in subject areas, programs and teaching positions at 5:30 p.m. today in the junior high conference room...

NORFOLK, Va. -- Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Kevin S. Powell, son of Jerry A. Peter of St. Francis, is halfway through a scheduled six-month deployment while assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman home ported in Norfolk, Va. Powell is one of more that 8,000 Atlantic Fleet Sailors and Marines on a six-month deployment tot he Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf while aboard the ships and squadrons of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Battle Group. Powell joined the Navy in July 2001...

NORFOLK, Va. -- Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan A. Quick, whose wife, Misty, is the daughter of Carol and Hal Walker of Benkelman, is halfway through a scheduled six-month deployment while assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman home ported in Norfolk, Va...

Like so many people, I've been finding it hard to tear myself away from the news of the war. Wednesday night, I watched the 60 Minutes program on CBS. A correspondent, "embedded" with the 15th Division of the U.S. Marines in Umm Qasar was talking to several of the soldiers...

Gilbert William Schumacher, 65, died Wednesday (March 26, 2003) at Bryan Lincoln General Hospital West in Lincoln. He was born Aug. 5, 1937, at Fort Collins, Colo., to Theodore F. and Louise M. (Zimmerman) Schumacher. He had resided at the McCook South West Area Training Service, Dorm No. 5, since 1998. He also participated in the SWATS activities winning several medals...