Stories from Thursday, July 31, 2003

The McCook National Bank Seniors will be taking the baseball field in Blair at 5 p.m. on Friday to compete against the Lincoln Amigos in the first-round of the American Legion State Tournament. The Amigos consist of players from Lincoln Lutheran and Lincoln Christian High Schools...

Lawrence "Larry" Vrbas, 52, died Tuesday (July 29, 2003) at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. He was born Aug. 2, 1950, to Charles and Mary (Keeney) Vrbas in Atwood. He grew up in Trenton, until the family moved to Palisade. He graduated from Palisade High School in 1968...

Dear Editor, Our country has lost a true patriot -- Bob Hope. I hope you will all take the time to say a prayer and thank God for all the love and laughter and Hope that Bob gave to us here at home and to our servicemen and women all over the world...

During his 1988 visit to North Platte, the late Bob Hope quipped "I come to North Platte all the time. Where are we, anyway?" For those of us in the media covering the visit, especially small-town Nebraska journalists, it was an assignment of a lifetime...

Around the Gazette, summer is often a time to relax a little and get in our summer vacations, because during the summer -- aside from fairs and community activities -- there's not a lot of hard news to cover. The Nebraska Legislature has adjourned, school is out, and people are away on vacation...

Joe and Colleen Benson of McCook announce the birth of their daughter, Korinne Reannan Lee, June 25, 2003, at Community Hospital of McCook. She weighed 8 pounds and 14 ounces. She has a sister, KateLyn and a brother, Kaden. Grandparents are David and Kathy Benson of Cambridge, and Ann McKee and Tim McKee, both of Denver, Colo. Great-grandparents are Ferris and Helen Magee of McCook, Theira Garner of McCook and Molly Bumford of Platteville, Colo...

Kevin and Jeanette Burkhalter of Bird City announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their daughter, Alicia Marie, to Timothy John Rippe, the son of Richard and Theresa Rippe of Ludell. Grandparents are Mary Schwerdt, the late Don Schwerdt, the late Kermit Downing, Irene Burkhalter, the late Arthur Burkhalter, Clarence Sattler, the late Stella Sattler and the late Edwin and Verneda Rippe. ...

Josh Howard's friends memorialized Josh and his brother, Ira, killed in an roll-over accident July 26, with this custom-designed cross erected at the scene of the accident 13 miles south of Hayes Center. The friends -- Mitchel Hamilton, Chuck Hogeland, Brett Widger, Morgan Sines, Chelsea Gigax and Kip Richards -- used an award-winning pipe crusher that Josh invented in ag class at Hayes Center High School to build the cross. ...

Cancer came roaring into Brenda McGuire's life at age 26. But with three small boys to raise by herself, she roared back. "I knew no one but me could raise my sons," she said. "In those days, I believed I could do all things through Brenda who gave me strength."...

A fund has been started for three children whose mother was recently killed in a motor vehicle accident. Sammy Slater, 18 months, Tommy, 10, Brittany, 14, Josh, 16 and Chance, 18, lost their father in 1998 and their mother, Traci Slater, earlier this month...

HAYES CENTER -- Amanda Fornoff earned a purple ribbon during the Hayes County fair Wednesday morning with a family recipe called, "Maple-Nut Danish Coffee Twist." Amanda, the 12-year-old daughter of Ann and Kevin Fornoff of rural Hayes Center, told Judge Sue Morgan the recipe is a lot of work, and involves many steps and being patient waiting for the dough to rise...

OMAHA -- A baby girl from McCook may move upstairs at Children's Hospital in Omaha this week, a long-awaited sign that she's improving and that doctors have her seizures and life-threatening complications under control. Cami Hesnault said Monday her daughter, Ava, is improving, and doctors will talk Tuesday about when she can be dismissed...

BENKELMAN -- An accident Wednesday killed a 71-year-old retired Benkelman veterinarian, Dr. Don Hudson. Dundy County Sheriff Rob Bellamy said this morning Dr. Hudson was replacing balusters on a railing on a second-story balcony, when he apparently fell. "His wife discovered he had fallen from the balcony," Sheriff Bellamy said...

Mid-Plains Community College has shown a 6 percent overall increase in enrollment for the summer term, according to college officials. Contributing to the increase are McCook Community College figures, where there are 24 more full-time students and 31 part-time students, resulting in students enrolled in 61 more credit hours than they did at the same time a year ago, according to Dr. Ford Craig, dean of research, planning and grants...

HASTINGS -- The McCook Rebels 18 and under girls fastpitch softball team stayed alive at the Western Nationals Tournament at Hastings. The Rebels defeated Lodi Valley, Calif, 3-2 Wednesday in a Class B division consolation bracket game. McCook lost its first round game 3-2 to Jackson, Wyo., Tuesday...

After sailing through the district tournament, McCook American Legion Juniors coach Jade Muehlenkamp is feeling confident about his team's chances at the state tournament at Seward Friday. McCook will be playing a familiar opponent in Ogallala, a team they've gone 2-1 against this season...

Adam Hook, 97, died Wednesday (July 30, 2003) at McCook Community Hospital in McCook. He was born April 5, 1906, to Jacob and Catherine (Eckhart) Huck in Huck, Russia. In 1907, the Huck family moved to the United States and resided in Lincoln, before moving to Culbertson in 1924, where he began to farm...