Stories from Thursday, July 29, 2004

After dominating performances from the McCook American Legion baseball teams at the Class B Area 6 tournament last week, both the First Central Bank Juniors and McCook National Bank Seniors are poised to make runs at their state tournaments starting Friday...

LEXINGTON -- McCook's Connor Larson captured first place in the boys 12 singles at the Lexington Tennis Tournament July 24-25. Larson posted a 3-0 record en route to the title. McCook's Austin Larson posted a 1-1 record and finished second in boys 14 singles...

Oct. 11, 1914-July 26, 2004 Lois Fern Stinnette, 89, passed away peacefully July 26, 2004, at her home in Pocatello, Idaho with her daughter and granddaughter at her side. Fern was born at the family home south of Wauneta, Oct. 11, 1914, to John J. and Mary (Donze) Kitt. She grew up on the family farm, attending Calvert Country School through eighth grade and Wauneta High School, graduating in 1933...

Oct. 3, 1910-July 28, 2004 CAMBRIDGE -- Holly H. Case, 93, died Wednesday (July 28, 2004) at Cambridge Memorial Hospital. She was born Oct. 3, 1910, in Red Willow County near Bartley to Charles George and Abbie Elizabeth (Carr) Kerst. She attended rural school and graduated from Bartley High School in 1929...

CIMARRON, Kan. -- Gerald R. Riepl, 79, died Tuesday (July 27, 2004) in Cimarron, Kan. He was born in February of 1923 to Math and Susie (Pingetzer) Riepl in Herndon. Survivors include his wife, Helen Bendon; and four sons. Services are Friday, 10:30 a.m., at the United Methodist Church in Cimarron. Graveside services are at 4 p.m., Friday at the Oberlin Cemetery...

The architects designing McCook's new elementary school got the go-ahead on their latest set of drawings and school board members got their first look at the sketches of the exterior, during the board's special meeting late Wednesday afternoon. Jim Berg of Bahr Vermeer Haecker, architects, told board members, "We're ready to go. We've gotten off to a great start."...

In order for McCook Community College increase enrollment and the number programs it offers, it will have to begin looking at physical growth. With that in mind, the Mid-Plains Board of Governors has hired Alley Poyner Architecture to develop a master plan for its McCook facility...

If you've ever had a flat tire on Interstate 80, you know how frightening it can be. Struggling with your car jack and spare tire is tough enough without cars and 18-wheelers whizzing by at 75 mph or more, only inches away. Now imagine that working alongside a busy highway is part of your job, perhaps a dozen times a day, more than 300 days a year...

Wednesday night, Brad and I took Jeremy to Indianola to introduce him to some Rocket Inn Pizza. In reality, he took us, since we let Jeremy drive. As we were driving home, I was giving him driving instructions, trying to help him improve his skills as a new driver -- after all that's my job...

I've worn corrective lenses since the seventh grade to retune my far vision. I remember being absolutely dumbstruck when I donned my first pair of glasses and saw individual leaves on a summer green tree in sharp detail. I knew what trees were of course, I wasn't blind by any stretch of the imagination. I just couldn't believe the detail that was hidden by my visual defect. I kept taking my glasses off and putting them back on, reveling in the clarity of creation as it was meant to be seen...