Stories from Tuesday, April 8, 2003

Both the quality and quantity of water are looking good at two proposed sites for a new well field for the city of McCook. Chris Miller of Miller and Associates and Greg Wolford of W Designs told the McCook City Council at its regular Monday night meeting, their firms' search for a new well field is moving along on target and the council should have the information it needs to make a choice between a new water well field and a water treatment facility by its April 21 meeting...

Relentless in their efforts, supporters of the Work Ethic Camp in McCook headed for Lincoln today for face-to-face meetings with members of the Nebraska Legislature's Appropriations Committee. "We will be trying to persuade members of the committee to bring Work Ethic Camp funding back for another vote," said Greg Wolford, president of the McCook Economic Development Corp...

Dear Editor, It is now 8 a.m. Friday, 4 April as I write this letter. Operation Iraqi Freedom has been a resounding success. Within a few days or even hours, our forces will roll into downtown Baghdad and millions of liberated Iraqis waving American flags will give our troops a great big welcome!...

Dear Editor, I see from tonight's (April 4) edition of the Gazette, the whiners and complainers are at it, even before the first race. I am So Sick of it. Why don't these people do something constructive for the community, instead of destructive. I live across the street from the racetrack and I support the races by attending and sometimes by donating my mechanical expertise. ...

The official kick off for the Beautify the B campaign sponsored by the McCook Chamber of Commerce will be Thursday, from 5-7 p.m., at Wagner Ford Mercury, 211 W. Second Street. "This is going to be a fun event for the entire family," said the Chamber's Executive Director Marie Owen. "We'll even make it so you don't have to cook."...

Dawn Record of rural Culbertson and Jeanette Wonderly of Benkelman won the two NOAA weather alert radios in a drawing co-sponsored by the Red Willow County Sheriff's Posse and the McCook Gazette. The radios -- "Weather All-Hazard Alert Radios with AM/FM Radio Built in" by Midland -- were provided to the Posse by Video Kingdom in McCook...

Red Willow County commissioners okayed a loan from the county's revolving loan fund to help finance a new business in McCook and purchased a used pickup for the county's weed department during their first-ever Monday morning meeting. Commissioners -- who changed their regular meeting from Tuesday afternoon to Monday morning to better accommodate commissioners' work schedules -- okayed a $15,000 loan from the county's revolving CDBG loan fund to Daniel and Amy Jones of McCook, who plan to develop a portable drive-through gourmet coffee and cappuccino business in a kiosk. ...

LINCOLN -- Swanson Reservoir will be featured on "Statewide," the Nebraska ETV Network's award-winning weekly TV news journal, next week. Reporter Mike Tobias traveled to Southwest Nebraska to examine the effects of the multi-year drought on Nebraska's reservoirs and the people who use them...

Gary K. Berry, 58, died Monday (April 7, 2003) at Bryan LGH East Hospital in Lincoln. He was born May 16, 1944, in McCook, to Carroll E. and Clara E. (Ruby) Berry. He grew up in McCook where he completed his junior year in high school before entering the U.S. Army. In 1984, he received his General Equivelency Diploma from Colby Community College...

Richard Levi Phares was born April 5, 1918, to Ruben and Anna Phares in Palisade, where he grew up with his three brothers on the farm. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1937. Shortly after, he met and married Wilma M. Bridgman, also from Palisade, on April 5, 1942, in Yuma, Ariz. They were blessed with two wonderful children...

Funeral services for Donald Lee Bilsing, 74, of Lubbock, Texas, were Wednesday (March 19, 2003) in Resthaven's Abbey Chapel with the Rev. Ken Horn officiating. Interment was at Resthaven Memorial Park under the direction of Resthaven Funeral Home. He died Saturday (March 15, 2003) in Lubbock. ...

AURORA, Colo. -- Paul Robert Bartels, 44, died March 31, 2003, in Aurora, Colo. He was born Nov. 15, 1958, to Robert and Marilyn Bartels. He grew up in Imperial and graduated from Chase County High School in 1977. He attended the University of Nebraska. He also graduated from aviation mechanic school...

HAYS, Kan. -- Darrel L. Purvis, 71, died Saturday (April 5, 2003) at his home in Hays, Kan. He was born April 4, 1932, at Atwood, to Ray and Naida (Koskie) Purvis. He attended elementary school in Northwest Kansas and graduated from Bird City High School. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict, he attended Fort Hays State University in Hays...