Stories from Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Anonymous donors are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the man charged with the assault and sexual assault of a teenage girl at her home northeast of McCook on Aug. 31. Officers of the Red Willow County sheriff's department, Nebraska State Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are looking for 24-year-old Jose Cruz Cepeda-Lopez, who faces charges of first-degree sexual assault and false imprisonment, burglary and theft...

A new integrated management plan for the Middle Republican Natural Re-sources District has left McCook City Manager John Bingham with a few reservations. Bingham met with the MRNRD Board of Directors Tuesday night to voice his concerns over the presentation of the final draft of he Ground Water Management Area and Integrated Management Plan for the Middle Republican Natural Re-sources District...

McCook High School netters imrprove duel record to 7-1 The McCook High School boys tennis team swept all nine varsity matches from Lexington Tuesday at the Bison tennis courts. The Bison improved their duel record to 7-1. "I saw improvement at every position," said McCook High School tennis coach Matt Wiemers...

McCOOK -- The McCook Bison softball team beat the Hastings Tigers 10-2 at the Jaycee Complex Tuesday night. The McCook JV also won. They took a 12-0 decision in four innings. Stephanie Douglas allowed one hit in six innings, striking out four and walking one. She gave up two runs, one of them unearned. Taryn Placzek pitched the last inning for the save...

GOTHENBURG -- Three McCook golfers finished in the top ten, helping McCook to a runnerup finish behind Minden at the Gothenburg Invitational Tuesday. The Bison shot a team score of 370, 21 strokes behind Minden. McCook's Katherine Morell took the individual medal with a round of 77. The medal is her fifth of the season. Justine Hager shot a 92 and Lesley Nelson a 93 to finish 7th and 8th for the Bison...

TRENTON -- The Maywood High School volleyball team topped Hitchcock County in four sets Tuesday night, 25-22, 19-25, 25-11, 25-15. Kate Voss led the Falcons with eight kills, nine blocks and 27 digs. Laci Brennan added another five kills, while Laken Cook finished with 27 digs in the effort. Trisha McDonald and Kelly Bernt each served up two aces...

Sept. 15, 1915-Sept. 14, 2004 NORTON -- Maxine Severns, 88, died Tuesday (Sept. 14, 2004) at the Andbe Home in Norton. She was born Sept. 15, 1915, to Roy and Clara (Mason) Wyatt in Norton. She grew up in Norton and graduated from Norton High School...

July 18, 1929-Sept. 10, 2004 Kenneth Richard Bollerup, 75, died Friday (Sept. 10, 2004) at Madonna Rehabilitation Center in Lincoln. He was born July 18, 1929, to Christian and Elfrieda (Shaper) Bollerup in McCook. He grew up in McCook and graduated from McCook High School in 1947. He joined his father at Otto Oil, the family business of mobile and propane products...

Oct. 1, 1915-Sept. 14, 2004 WAUNETA -- Gertrude Mae Geseking, 88, of Wauneta, died Tuesday (Sept. 14, 2004) at Community Hospital of McCook. She was born Oct. 1, 1915, to Merlin Austin and Mary Anne (Huff) Freeman of Ottumwa, Iowa. She attended school in Ottumwa and Alton, Ill...

Lt. j.g. Christopher and Kristina Forch of Honolulu, Hawaii, announce the birth of their son, Chase James Forch. He was born Aug. 2, 2004, at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu. He weighed 8 pounds 14 ounces and was 20 inches long. Grand parents are Paul James "Jamie" and Patricia Forch of Trenton and Greg and Rita Hartel of Murray. Great-grandparents are Willard and Vernie Hoyt of Culbertson...

Stuggling to cope with a devastating water crisis, a growing number of Nebraskans are saying the southern and western parts of the state have too many trees. You heard right. Too many trees. The problem -- which started after the Flood of 1935 -- is the uncontrolled growth of water-sucking trees along stream beds, particularly the Republican River...

I'm ready for a road trip. This is a real danger signal for me. Road trips in the past have landed Danny and me in some interesting situations, up to and including a night in the Eureka, Nev., jail. (We weren't under arrest, it was considered "protective custody" as there had been trouble in the desert. ...

HAYES CENTER -- Hayes Center school district voters rejected a proposal Tuesday to build more classrooms and a new gym. The $2 million project failed, 192 votes against to 180 for, in a special election. The proposed addition to the east of the existing building would have included six classrooms, a gym, locker rooms, weight rooms, restrooms, concessions area and equipment storage...

CAMBRIDGE -- Cambridge businessman J. Richard Shoemaker has an-nounced the formation of the Cambridge Technology Incubator. In an effort to foster innovation and create en-trepreneurial opportunities, Shoemaker formed the Incubator by gathering and aligning the combined resources of educational institutions, private businesses, business support organizations, commercial lending institutions, venture capital networks and foundations...

Candidates for 2004 homecoming royalty at McCook Senior High are: (front row, from left) Kimberly Serbousek, daughter of Dr. Mark and Mary Jo Serbousek; Katherine Morell, daughter of Marcia and Steve Morell; and Abbee Haney, daughter of Cassa and Rick Haney. ...

May 11, 1951-Sept. 11, 2004 LEBANON -- Marion Gardner Warner, 53, of Lebanon, died Saturday (Sept. 11, 2004) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. He was born May 11, 1951, to Harry Dean and Betty Hope (Ward) Warner in McCook. He graduated from McCook High School in 1969...