Stories from Monday, June 30, 2003

Some of the better racing of the year and some of the not-so-good moves were observed during the June 27 action at McCook Speedway. David Murray of Oberlin, Dustin Small of North Platte, Jason Koch of Cambridge, Karl Wickizer of Palisade, Bruce Hagan, Sr. of Culbertson, and Bob DeRouchey of Ft. Collins, Colo. were parts of the better racing, winning the night‚s six main events...

The family of Jim and Leah Sughroue is hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 50th anniversary, July 1. The couple married in 1953 at St. Cathrine's Catholic Church in Indianola. Their children are Jeanette and Larry Munger of Imperial, Julie and Mike Anderson of Cheyenne, Wyo., Jay Sughroue of Denver, Colo., and Joe Sughroue, Jill Bartels, Jeff and Marcia Sughroue, Jimmy and Ramona Sughroue, all of Indianola. ...

The family of Dean and Wyona Shackelford is hosting an open house in honor of the couple's 50th anniversary, July 5, 2-4 p.m., at the United Methodist Church in Trenton. The couple married July 8, 1953. Their children are Barbara Sydow of Stratton, Cindy Corfer of Lincoln, Jerry Shackelford of Trenton, Diane Riggs of Stratton and Nancy Chitwood of Aurora. ...

The family and friends of Daniel and Cindy Peterson are hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 25th anniversary, July 7. Their children are Sean, Candace and grandson, Draven, all of McCook, and their son, the late Justin Peterson. Parents of the couple are Jerry and Mary Crawford of Kearney, Ethel Peterson of Trenton and the late A. Frank Peterson. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 103 East Fifth, McCook, NE 69001...

The family of Rex and Twyla (Jordan) Steinbrink are hosting an open house in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary July 5, 2-4 p.m., at the T.C.D.C. Building in Trenton. They were married March 21, 1953, in Kearney. Their family includes Connie and husband, Tom Bryant of Wayne, Okla., Diane Dailey of Grand Island, Janet and husband, Dick Higley of Palisade, Colo., Rodney Steinbrink and wife, Kim of Scott City, Kan., Carol and husband, Rick Brown of Hayes Center, Richard Steinbrink and wife, Judy of Garden City, Kan., and Larry Steinbrink and wife, Bonnie of North Platte; 19 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. ...

The children of Bernard and Sharon Koetter are hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 50th anniversary July 4. Children of the couple are Mike and Merry Koetter of Denver, Colo., Sara and Dave Blankenship of Lincoln, Juli Koetter of Columbia, S.C., and Todd and Lisa Koetter and Lisa and Terry Einspahr of McCook. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 1101 East 2nd, McCook, NE 69001...

Dennis and Sherry Damrow of Johnson Lake announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their daughter, Lynse, to Timothy Schmidt, son of Lamar and Verneta Schmidt of Holdrege. The bride-to-be is a graduate of Creighton University and received her education specialist degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. ...

If there were a rating system for days and nights -- with ideal at the top of the charts and awful at the bottom -- this morning, Monday, June 30, 2003, and last evening, Sunday, June 29, 2003, would be among the best on record. After a beautifully cloudy and calm morning and afternoon, Sunday reached a glorious peak between 8 p.m. ...

Dear Editor, This morning, somewhere between sleep and waking, the McCook water situation passed over. It seems easier to ask questions while fully awake but answers with no dimensional limits arrive between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. Memory and reality gets to become a game as this body continues to rack up the years. As these thoughts unfold, I offer my apologies to the memory of Harry Strunk...

When they put in a national do-not-call list, they should have put the politicians and the charities on it, because they are two of the biggest scam artists in the world. Anyone who does not want a call from a telemarketer can follow the instructions on their credit card, instead of throwing the paper away and rushing out to use the card. I have two cards, and get no calls...

Each of the Republican Valley and Twin Valley schools voted to pay for one- half of the bonds to to build the new school, therefore, each district should be responsible for one-half of the bonds.

Domestic Abuse/Sexual Assault Services is looking for businesses and/or individuals who will show their commitment to taking a stand against domestic violence by making a financial contribution to our agency during our third annual fund drive which runs through July 25th...

Amy Frandsen and Brent Bouley, both of North Platte, were united in marriage May 3, 2003, at the Memorial United Methodist Church in McCook with the Rev. Dr. Jeff Thurman officiating. Parents of the couple are Sam and Mary Frandsen of McCook and Jean and Ray Bouley of Cheyenne, Wyo...

The family of Bertha Hood is hosting an open house in honor of her 90th birthday, July 7, at Willow Ridge from 2-4 p.m. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 1500 East 11th, Apt. 109, McCook, NE 69001.

The family of Vera (Witte) Laughlin, formerly of Cambridge, is hosting a card shower in honor of her 90th birthday. Her children are Jean Crist of Ulysses, Kan., Patrick of Castle Rock, Colo., Kay of Denver, Colo., and Jack of Cañon City, Colo. She has four children and 10 great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 105 Baldwin Ranch Road, Castle Rock, CO, 80104...

Two extra holes were needed to decide the championship of the Nebraska Senior Amateur championship Friday afternoon at Heritage Hills Golf Course. Tom Olson, Omaha, defeated John Haney, Lincoln, in a two-hole playoff to capture the championship. Olson has won five state titles, including last year's Nebraska State Senior Championship...

Southwest Biofuels LLC is continuing to move forward with its plans to build an ethanol plant west of McCook. Van Korrell, president of AmFirst Bank and a member of the McCook Economic Development Corp. said the plan is continuing to progress. In order for the plant to be eligible for state tax incentives and ethanol credits, the facility must be in full production by June 2004, and developers fully plan to meet that deadline, Korrell said...

Late-afternoon sunshine glistens on the petals of a day lily blossoming in time for the Good Earth Gardeners' annual summer garden tour Saturday. The tour is scheduled from 8 a.m. until noon. Tickets will be available, until 11 a.m., at Common Scents or at 813 Sunset Drive or 809 East G...

Brian Welch of Gillette, Wyo., scores 82 points on a Rodeo Rose bull during the sixth annual South Central Nebraska Bullnanza Saturday night in Beaver City. Going face-to-face with the bull is bullfighter Lance Keim of Overton. Welch won the bull-riding bonanza with 168 points on two successful eight-second rides. ...

CULBERTSON -- The 2003 season at the Hitchcock County Speedway in Culbertson starts Thursday with hot laps at 7 p.m., followed by green-flag racing at 8 p.m. Taking the track will be I.M.C.A. modifieds, stock cars, hobby stocks, classic modifieds and mini-trucks...

LINCOLN -- As mosquitoes become more prevalent in Nebraska, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Health and Human Services System are urging Nebraskans take preventative measures to protect themselves and their animals from West Nile Virus...

A new women's support group for victims of domestic abuse, with a new educational format, will begin Tuesday, July 8 at the offices of Domestic Abuse/Sexual Assault Services on the second story of the Temple Building at 322 Norris Ave. The former support group at that location focused primarily on victims currently in an abusive relationship or on those who had recently left an abusive situation...

While cities around the state are beginning to feel the sting of the cuts in state funding to municipalities, the cuts should not be an issue for the city of McCook. City Manager John Bingham said City Clerk Lea Ann Doak had already compensated for the cuts in the city's 2003-04 budget...

Construction work for the new elevator at the Ed Thomas YMCA is running ahead of schedule and should be complete well before the end date of Sept. 30. Without a grant from the Peter Kiewit Foundation, the elevator project would never have gotten off the ground in the first place, according to YMCA executive director Mike Gonzales...

Nebraska recycling officials plan an open house in late July for "The House that Recycling Built" on Norris Avenue in McCook. Progress on the house built with recycled, recyclable and environmentally-friendly products at 902 Norris Ave. is coming along well, said Steve Andrews, program specialist with the Nebraska State Recycling Association. "It's in the final stages," Andrews said...

LINCOLN -- Gov. Mike Johanns has appointed Phyllis Gardner of Max to serve a 6-year term on the Nebraska Economic Development Commission. Gardner is a graduate of Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado. She currently serves as an executive committee member of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and vice chair of the Nebraska Republican Party...

If you are a teenager or the parent of a teen, please pay close attention to the following words. They were written by Harold W. Andersen, the publisher emeritus of the Omaha World-Herald and one of the most distinguished journalists in Nebraska history...