Stories from Thursday, July 10, 2003

McCook High School will be represented by graduates Stuart Frazier, Ben Klug and Krae Dutoit and head coach Jeff Gross at the 45th annual Nebraska Shrine Bowl Classic. Proceeds from the game benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The Bison foursome will lead the South Team against the North Team when the All-Star football game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. July 19 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln...

Boulder, Colo. -- Veta Mae Ray, 91, died Wednesday, July 9, 2003, at Frazier Meadows Manor in Boulder, Colo. She was born to Otto and Emma Poore in Minden, NE on June 15 of 1912. Her family farmed her grandparent's property in Minden until 1922, when they moved to Traer, KS. Five years later the family moved to the Summerville farm just west of McCook. Veta Mae completed high school at McCook High School and entered McCook Junior College in 1930...

Dear Editor, I do not completely understand your article (Senate committee approves funding, published July 9). It is confusing and does not explain what all the money is for and what it will do. Expeditionary Logistics does not mean nothing to the average person. Come on, make it simple and explain...

Dear Editor, First I would like to commend Councilman Phil Lyons for the job he is doing and has done in the past on our city council. Mr. Lyons has always appeared to have taken the time to do research and study the issues and make intelligent, logical, common sense decisions on those issues, rather than rely on hiring out consultants, engineers or others to make the decisions for him. ...

After a long and needlessly difficult transition period, the State of Nebraska and Gov. Mike Johanns are finally back on track with economic development in rural Nebraska. The turning point came Wednesday when Gov. Johanns announced the appointment of Richard Baier of North Platte as the state's new Deputy Director for Rural Development...

My boss was nice enough to let me take an afternoon off last week for a trip to the lake with my 15-year-old son, his 14-year-old cousin and her 14-year-old friend. During the three hours I spent there, splashing in the water and tipping people off their air mattresses, I learned a very important lesson -- there was at least one of us that was about two and a half decades from being 15...

OBERLIN -- Greg and Terese Vontz of Oberlin announce the birth of their daughter, Gracie Anne Vontz, June 7th 2003, at Community Hospital of McCook. She weighed 7 pounds and 14.6 ounces. She was 20 1/2 inches long. Her siblings are brother Canann and sister Chantelle...

Dear editor, Next year when July 4th rolls around: To save money and avoid an accident, get a flash light, take colored ellophane, (red, white or blue, you name it) and tape it over the lense. Then take a kazoo, make a whistle and toss the flashlight into the air. Then stamp around on some of those plastic bags with air bubbles. It will go pop! pop! pop pop pop... pop!...

A dump truck sits at the Red Willow County road shop in McCook, filled to overflowing with trash collected by Work Ethic Camp offenders and road crew members Wednesday along three miles of county roads. The load includes -- amongst the general trash -- seven mattresses and box springs, a stove, a refrigerator, an air conditioner and ductwork, a couch, an overstuffed chair and a bar stool. ...

Two special days are planned at the McCook Heritage Senior Center to celebrate the beginning of a new era. The center will be hosting an Aloha Party, Friday at noon as a way of saying good bye to the old. On Wednesday, July 16, a ground breaking ceremony will herald in the new...

McCook motorists will have a chance to try out the new pavement on B Street next week as the B Street renovation enters Phase II. All traffic from West 4th Street to East 4th is scheduled to be moved to the new pavement on the south half of B Street Monday, July 14. Two-way traffic will be maintained on the newly constructed eastbound lanes during the construction of the new westbound lanes, or Phase II of the project...

Sports Shoppe employees, Jo Beebe (from left), Chelsea Hubert and Jill Fahnholz, beautify Bob Elder this morning during Crazy Days. The Sports Shoppe won first place in the Crazy Days costume contest, judge by the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce. Second place went to Farrell's Pharmacy and third went to Brown's Shoe Fit. ...

The wheat harvest in Southwest Nebraska is beginning to wind down along with cash grain prices -- but the good news is yields and future prices are up from last year. According to Jan Mahon with Frenchman Valley Coop in McCook this year's harvest has been successful. She said yields are running from 50-75 bushels per acre. The average test weight is 59-60 pounds per bushel...

At least one City Council member is asking the city of McCook to reduce its property tax levy in order to offset the expense of paying the $1 million debt owed for the purchase of the McCook Army Air Base. Councilman Dick Trail asked the council and administration to consider reducing its budget for 2003-04 by reducing the amount administrators are suggesting be placed in a reserve fund...

The McCook Rebels 18 and under girls fastpitch softball team played two games against the North Platte Belles Tuesday night at the Jaycees Sports Complex. Both games ended in ties. The final in the opener was 3-3 and the nightcap was 1-1. In the first game, Kassi Cunningham and Erica Reitz each hit two singles...

GRAND ISLAND -- The McCook National Bank Seniors American Legion baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader Wednesday night to Grand Island Home Federal. The doubleheader was played at Grand Island. Grand Island won the opener 4-3 and the nightcap 13-1 in a five-inning run-rule contest...

KEARNEY -- McCook High School golfers Brandon Crick and Tyler Lawson tied for third at the 2003 Nebraska Boys Junior Amateur Championship. The 54-hole tournament was played Monday and Tuesday on the par-71 Meadowlark Hills Golf Course at Kearney. Crick, a sophomore-to-be at McCook, and senior-to-be Lawson posted 213 scores to finish in a tie for third with three other golfers...

Bertilla Ann "Bert" Conroy, 70, died Monday (July 7, 2003) at Community Hospital of McCook. She was born Nov. 6, 1932, in Decatur County, to Albert Nicholas and Martha Amanda (Gilleece) Hickert. She attended Lone Star School and graduated from Jennings High School, Jennings...