Stories from Tuesday, July 22, 2003

GOTHENBURG -- The South squad squeezed out a 6 1/2 to 5 1/2 victory on Friday at The North-South Junior Cup at the Wild Horse Golf Club. The North team fought back from a 4-2 morning-round deficit, but fell short as Steph Sutton and Shelly McLaughlin led the South...

OBERLIN -- Sylvia L. Martin, 87, died Saturday (July 19, 2003) at Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. She was born Dec. 31, 1915, to Irl and Mary (Combs) Gilliland in Rooks County, Kan. She was raised in Webster, Kan., and graduated from Webster High School in 1933...

Well folks, Bush says someone told him there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but he can't remember who. Stooge Tony Blaire says he knows in his heart they are there, and Ted Stevens says there is no doubt. So where are they? Anyone questioning this reasoning is a nit-picker or unpatriotic, right?...

Dear Editor, A recent report in the Gazette stated that attendance at the High Plains Museum was down. Imagine that!? It is not surprising if you've been there more than once, say two or three times. Not much changes between visits, and the atmosphere does not encourage a revisit. Let me explain...

You've heard it said before ... and you'll hear it said again ... that the best things in life are free. While admitting that might not always be the case, we do know that -- quite often -- opportunities arise for great experiences at absolutely no out-of-pocket cost...

I have been accused of never seeing an electronic gizmo I didn't like. OK, I'll admit it. Too often, my accusers are correct. I began to realize the problem on a recent morning as grabbed all of the stuff I normally carry to work: A digital camera, a cellular phone, a Palm pilot "personal digital assistant" and, of course, a digital watch. ...

Jarrod and Julie Hilker of McCook announce the birth of their daughter, Tessa Renee, June 17, 2003, at Community Hospital in McCook. She weighed 6 pounds and 6 ounces and was 19 inches long. Grandparents are Gary and Bev Henderson of Stratton and Terry and Tammie Hilker of McCook. Great-grandparents are Warren and Rose Harrison of Stratton and June Henderson of Iota, La. Cleo Harrison of Imperial is the great-great-grandmother...

Dann and Sue Ann Nelms of Benkelman announce the birth of their son, Mark Paul, July 14, 2003 in Benkelman. He weighed 9 pounds and 2 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long. He has two brothers, Brent and Craig, and three sisters, Kelli, Juli and Laura. Grandparents are Dick and Yvonne Hayes of Cambridge and Don and Shirley Nelms of McCook...

4-H clubs decorated the fairgrounds with big round bales of hay on Monday in preparation for Wednesday's opening events for the Red Willow County Fair. Wednesday's events include church night including comedian Torry Martin at 5 p.m. and the Colgate Country Showdown at 8 p.m...

Firefighters from Red Willow Western, Culbertson, Trenton and Herndon departments fought a range fire ignited by lightning Monday evening 17 miles southwest of McCook. Red Willow Western Fire Chief Bill Elliott said a storm that passed over Southwest Nebraska was full of lightning, which started the blaze that burned 40-60 acres of land owned by Porter Ross and Roland Miller...

Red Willow County commissioners won't tax airport land owned by the city of McCook, after the state's highest court told York County commissioners they couldn't tax leased airport land owned by the city of York. County Attorney Paul Wood advised commissioners and county assessor Sandra Kotschwar Monday morning to take the land that is farmed around the McCook airport off the tax rolls...

Red Willow County commissioners were caught between a pig and a dry spot as they listened to property owners questioning valuations placed on their property by the county assessor's office. Many of the protesters were concerned with the lack of water in the irrigation canals and their homes' proximity to hog confinement units...

Citing a Wall Street Journal story about more stringent standards expected to be adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency, city councilman Phil Lyons called on the city to abandon its "third-world strategy" of attempting to find a new source of good water far from town, and instead return to a plan to build a treatment plant...

Don Klein (front left), representing the Red Willow County fair board, and Leigh Hoyt, representing the Red Willow County commissioners, welcome the 2004 Southwest Nebraska Rodeo Queen contestants to the new Kiplinger Arena on the fairgrounds in McCook. ...

Arthur "Art" Arnold Phelps, 95, died Monday (July 21, 2003) at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. He was born June 4, 1908, to Arthur Stanley and Myrtle (Miller) Phelps in Orleans. He graduated from Orleans High School in 1928. On February 28, 1941, he entered the US Army and served during World War II. He was honorably discharged on October 14, 1945...