Stories from Tuesday, June 10, 2003

NORTH PLATTE -- The McCook National Bank American Legion Seniors posted a 1-3 record at the North Platte Baseball Tournament Saturday and Sunday. The Seniors dropped to 14-7 overall. McCook defeated Rapid City, S.D., 12-3 in five innings and lost 3-1 to Kearney, 8-3 to North Platte and 3-2 to Rapid City...

KENESAW -- Margaret C. Hinz, 94, died Sunday (June 8, 2003) at Perkins Good Samaritan Village in Hastings. She was born Dec. 6, 1908, in Adams County, to Tieman and Martha (Naggatz) Dudden. She graduated from Kenesaw High School in 1926. On March 16, 1927, she married Reinhold Hinz in Kenesaw. ...

Bessie Ault, 95, died Monday (June 9, 2003) at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. She was born Aug. 6, 1907, at Bartley, to Elmer L. and Charlotte (Burton) Turpen. She attended District No.18 rural school and Bartley High School. She married Dave Ault. They made their home on a farm north of Indianola where she was a homemaker and helped with the family farm. They retired in 1960, and moved to Bartley. She has been residing at Hillcrest since 1997...

Not too many years from now -- possibly as soon as 2004-05 or 2005-06 -- pupils in the same grade in McCook could stay together in school groupings from the time they enter kindergarten until they graduate from high school. The changes are already in progress...

What a surprise. Peter Jennings said on the 6 o'clock news tonight that our leaders may have been too hasty in accusing Iraq of having weapons of mass destruction. Sounds like a cop-out in case none are found.

As Miss Rodeo America, Lori Bortner of McCook is doing everything from signing autographs at West Ward, to attending the Country Music Awards this fall to meeting national leaders of all types. Charming and outgoing, Lori represents the sport of rodeo, the state of Nebraska and the Golden Plains well, as she accumulates more experiences than most of us experience in a lifetime...

Brent and Tonia Hazlitt of McCook announce the birth of their daughter, Shelbi Jo Geraldine, born Tuesday (April 22, 2003). She weighed 5 pounds, 13.8 ounces. Grandparents are Phyl and Trish Rippen of Culbertson, Monte and Mary Hazlitt of McCook and Scott and Mick Minnick of Bartley. ...

OGALLALA -- Serena Knight of Ogallala announces the birth of a son, Brody Lee Knight, born Wednesday (May 14, 2003). He weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces. Grandparents are Vicki Knight of McCook and Howard Blanton of Culbertson. Great-grandparents are Milton Tidyman of North Platte and Fred and Rose Moore of Golden, Mo...

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- John and Kay (Randel) Robben of Manhattan, Kan., announce the birth of a daughter, Isabella Rose, born Wednesday (May 28, 2003). She weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces and has an older sister, Anna. Grandparents are the late Gary Randel and Sandra Randel of McCook. Great-grandfather is Dick Merrell of McCook...

Abundant rainfall refilled a pond in a canyon north of McCook. This spring's rains have revived Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas.

Red Willow County and Southwest Nebraska will be healthier, cleaner and more secure because of four grants discussed Monday morning at a Red Willow County commissioner meeting. Sheriff Gene Mahon said the county has received a $23,838.85 Homeland Security grant from the federal government to purchase equipment for law enforcement, fire departments, ambulance services and hazmat response...

MADRID -- Spectators see the horses, the bulls, the cowboys, the clowns. They watch calf ropers, bulldoggers, barrel racers. What they don't see is all the work that goes into the production before and after the flag-waving and the grand entry. Riding bulls in college and working weekends for a rodeo stock contractor, Chester Harger of Madrid has seen the sport of rodeo from both sides...

INDIANOLA -- A group of poor children in Mexico has a future off the streets because of "Winter Texans" with hearts as big as the state. Don and Suzie Burton of Bartley are Nebraskans who spend their winter months in Texas, not because they don't like Nebraska's cold winters. "I like cold weather," Don insists. "We're down there because we like what we can do for the children."...

DODGE CITY, Kan. -- Roger W. Brown, 78, died Saturday (June 7, 2003) at his home in Wichita, Kan. He was born Aug. 13, 1924, in McCook, to Orville and Irma (Flitcraft) Brown. He grew up at McCook and graduated from McCook High School. He started out in dairy farming and later changed to raising cattle and farming...