Stories from Wednesday, March 10, 2004

No. 1 Trojans get No. 2 seed at state tourney CAMBRIDGE -- The boys participating in athletics at Cambridge High School have already had enormous success this year. They added a football championship in the fall and now head basketball coach Del Schoenfish and his team, ranked No. 1 and seeded No. 2 in Class C2, hopes to show they have what it takes to take the Class C2 state basketball championship in Lincoln Thursday, Friday and Saturday...

IMPERIAL -- After overcoming a mess of early season injuries, the Chase County-Imperial boys basketball team earned a trip to the Nebraska Class C-1 state basketball tournament. After starting the year with four straight losses, Chase County (17-6) has won 17-of-19 including the final nine games of the season...

April 20, 1944-March 7, 2004 OBERLIN -- Alvin Duane Jording, 59, died Sunday (March 7, 2004) at his home in Oberlin. He was born April 20, 1944, to Alvin Jay and Fern (Towery) Jording in Oberlin. He was raised in Oberlin and attended school at Oberlin Elementary. He graduated from Decatur Community High School in 1962 and attended Fort Hays State University...

June 21, 1920-Feb. 22, 2004 RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Kjell Axelson, 83, died Feb. 22, 2004, in Rancho Mirage, Calif. He was born June 21, 1920, to Carl and Amanda (Hermansen) Axelson in Oslo, Norway. The family moved to America in 1925 and made their home in McCook. He graduated from McCook High School in 1938...

The family of Helen Meyers is hosting a card shower in honor of her 97th birthday, March 13. Cards of congratulations will reach her at RR1 Box 65, McCook, NE 69001.

The friends of Kay Clesson are hosting a card shower in honor of her 85th birthday, March 15. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 609 East Sixth, McCook, NE 69001.

The family of Nelma Pugh is hosting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday, March 12. She was born in Hamlet. Her children are Carol Phillips of Lakewood, Colo., and Lynda Tincher of Broken Bow. She has four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at Box 321, Palisade, NE 69040...

Shawn and Janie Havlicek of McCook announce the birth of their son, Logan Christopher LeRoy, Feb. 25, 2004. He weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces. He has a three-year-old sister, Cady Sue. Grandparents are Ron and Cindy Sabin of McCook and Andy and Susan Havlicek of Red Cloud. Great-grandparents are Wayne and Dorothy Cash of Omaha, Maxine Havlicek of Milleville, N.J., Fay Claflin of Farnam and Dan and Marilyn Sabin of Lexington...

Joel and Sarah Uerling announce the birth of their daughter, Addyson Christine, Feb. 9, 2004, at Community Hospital of McCook. She was 7 pounds, 10.8 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. Grandparents are Jack and Mary Gutchewsky of Herndon and Mark and Sherri Uerling of McCook. Great-grandparents are Robert and Claire Uerling of Indianola...

Trevor and Molly Horner of Benkelman announce the birth of their son, Corbin Dane, Feb. 24, 2004, at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. He was 6 pounds, 4.4 ounces and 18 1/2 inches long. Grandparents are Bobby and Joan Krutsinger and Barb Horner, all of Benkelman. Great-grandparents are Leon and Josephine Schrader of Benkelman...

Nebraska Game & Parks Commission personnel are turning surplus trees into abundant fish habitat at Hugh Butler Lake north of McCook. As part of a multi-year, extensive fish and wildlife project on southwest reservoirs, evergreen trees are being cut down, floated offshore and anchored to create artificial reefs in coves...

Middle Republican Natural Resources District directors Tuesday evening approved a well variance that would allow an ethanol plant or other ag processing facility to drill an industrial well on land west of Moorefield. The vote followed a public hearing during which Jerry Wilcox of Medicine Valley Economic Development and land owner Lyle Grabenstein requested a variance from MRNRD's temporary suspension of the drilling of new wells...

Several emergency organizations in Red Willow County have received funds for the purchase of equipment from the 2003 Homeland Security Grant funds. The McCook Fire Department received $35,454 and used the funds to buy a thermal imaging camera which will enable firefighters to discover hot spots in a burning building and determine where people may be located. The cost of the equipment was $10,500...

Boo went missing for two full days a few weeks back. Boo is our nearly-year-old all gray Wal-Mart kitty. No, Wal-Mart isn't selling kittens. Boo was in a box outside the south entrance to Wal-Mart, in the company of his litter brothers and sisters, tempting all who passed by to add to their home menagerie. One look at that gray bundle of fur and we were helpless in the face of temptation...

**Dear Editor, Again this year, Legislators are proposing to eliminate small school districts and close the smallest of schools. Although education faces many problems, small Class I schools are not one of them. Instead, they are a great asset to our state and should not be dismantled further...

Or, is it just part of the 2006 Senate race?

Aug. 26, 1915-March 9, 2004 Eleanor M. Perkins, 88, died Tuesday (March 9, 2004) at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. She was born Aug. 26, 1915, to Frank and Hannorah (Moore) Hassler in McCook. She grew up in McCook and graduated from McCook High School in 1933. She attended McCook Junior College...

LINCOLN -- Gilbert Nordhausen of Wauneta, died Tuesday (March 9, 2004) at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln. Services are Friday, 10 a.m. (MST), at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Wauneta. Visitation is Thursday, 2-6 p.m. (MST) at Liewer Funeral Home of Wauneta...