Stories from Monday, January 12, 2004

CURTIS -- Helen R. Grannis, 90, of Curtis, died Saturday (Jan. 10, 2004) at Community Hospital of McCook. She was born May 18, 1913, in Summer to Lester and Cora (Gilson) Kitchen. She graduated from Lexington High School. On Aug. 10, 1939, she married Knute Larsen. He preceded her in death on Dec. 9, 1949...

KEARNEY -- Kolby Allen Woodring, 27, of Kearney, formerly of Stockville, died Jan. 9, 2004, at Kearney. He was born in North Platte, on May 8, 1976, to Dale Allen and Sharlene Joy Claymon Woodring. He attended Maywood Public Schools, excelling in music, academics, and track. ...

Vincent Donald Thompson, 72, of McCook, died Sunday (Jan. 11, 2004) at Community Hospital of McCook. He was born Feb. 23, 1931, to Donald Everett and Ruby Pearl (Hannah) Thompson in Stratton. He graduated from Trenton High School in 1950. He enlisted into the military service and was in the Air Force. He served his country during the Korean Conflict and was honorably discharged in 1955...

LINCOLN -- Leon J. O'Brien, 68, of Cambridge, died Saturday (Jan. 10, 2004) at LGH East Hospital in Lincoln. He was born north of Cambridge in Furnas County to Joseph and Sophia (Brinkman) O'Brien. He grew up on the farm and attended school in Cambridge. He graduated from Cambridge High School in 1953...

While McCook's search for good water has taken a new turn with the legal maneuvering of neighboring landowners, a previous misstep has helped the city win the dubious honor of having the highest property tax rates in the state. McCook, which had the 18th highest property tax rate last year, has the highest this year, a total of $2.43 per $100 property valuation, thanks in part to 17 cents added to cover the air base judgment...

CURTIS -- In an apparent attempt to derail the city of McCook's plan to build a new wellfield in southern Frontier County, a group of neighboring landowners have filed for zoning permits to build cattle feedlots. Mayor Jerda Garey said she would have no comment on the issue until after an executive session at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Memorial Auditorium...

Lynn Swanson of Swanson Realty sells the elementary school in Stockville, getting a final bid of $9,000, from Jan Laux of Golden, Colo. Laux, a carpenter by trade, plans to repair the school's roof immediately, and then take his time repairing and renovating the interior. ...

Because of the uprising of opposition which has arisen in Frontier County, the McCook City Council needs to rethink how it's going about the search for a safe and plentiful water supply. What is needed -- as quickly as possible -- is a change in the council's priorities. ...

It seems that the case of the leaking of the name of the agent in the CIA to retaliate against former ambassador Wilson, who had the nerve to criticize Bush's claim that Nigeria provided nuclear material to Saddam ... the agent happened to be Wilson's wife, and the leak could have put her life in danger. Wilson says he knows who it is. Bush might also, and hope it just goes away. The culprit's name may be K.R...

On 60 Minutes II on Jan. 7, they showed where Bush as governor of Texas, claimed no child left behind, and the Houston school system, especially Sharptown High School had no dropouts. It turns out that they had up to 40 percent dropouts, but claimed the students had transferred to other schools, in order to keep their no dropout rating...

On the Ted Koppel program Jan. 6, the guest was Stuart Cohen, former member of the national atomic agency. He hinted that the CIA overplayed the weapons of mass destruction threat in Iraq at the urging of the White House, in order to get the war started, a familiar pattern...

Let us surmise that a husband beats up his wife, and then goes to work. He puts in his eight hours, and returns home. His wife is still there. She is standing at the stove, with a black eye and a split lip, stirring a pot full of his supper. Man, you had best not eat that food...

**Dear Editor, I am writing this in regard to our City Council. I am wondering why all but two of our City Council (members) do not have much regard for the farmers? I am a farmer who has moved into McCook to retire; also, I know a lot of farmers who also have moved here to retire...

Let me start out this column by apologizing for its tardiness. I had really planned for it to be ready by the end of December. But things just popped up that took priority instead; things like the flu, Christmas programs, shopping, college classes, and my family that took up any "spare time" I might have had last month...

The Bison girls improve to 8-3.

Riding back to town on the bus after a tough overtime loss to Hershey on Friday night, McCook's Paul Putz said that he and his teammates talked about how they needed to prove that they were a better team the next night against the Sidney Red Raiders...

SCOTTSBLUFF -- The Bison wrestlers finished with one champion in the Scottsbluff Invitational Saturday. Richard Smock was the lone medalist for the Bison and he did it in style. The NSWCA Coach's Class B top rated 215-pounder pinned his first two opponents. Chris Saunders from Lexington fell in 3:30 and Ryan Farthing from Chyenne Central fill in 5:06...

PLATTSMOUTH -- Barbara Jane Ozbun, 72, died Friday (Jan. 9, 2004) at her home in Plattsmouth. She was born Jan. 7, 1932, to William and Beulah Lorraine (Gohl) Weber in Culbertson. She grew up in Culbertson where she graduated from Culbertson High School. She graduated from business college in Fairbury. She worked as a bookkeeper in McCook and Harlan, Iowa before going to work for the Nebraska Department of Revenue for several years, until her retirement...