Stories from Wednesday, September 29, 2004

The reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of an assault suspect wanted in Red Willow County has been doubled. Sheriff Gene Mahon said this morning the reward is now $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of 24-year-old Jose Cruz Cepeda-Lopez...

The McCook Bison varsity softball team defeated the sixth-rated Lexington team Tuesday night 1-0 using pitching and good defense to win. The Bison (14-10) played their final home game of the season, marking the final home appearance for seniors Natalie Brooks and Kim Serbousek, who were honored on Senior Night...

The McCook High School tennis team played its final home match Tuesday at the Bison tennis courts. The Bison handed Hershey a 6-3 loss. McCook will compete Saturday at Lexington at the Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament. The meet starts at 10 a.m...

OBERLIN -- Cambridge runner Kyle Custer set a new course record en route to first place at the 37th Annual Oberlin Invitational cross country meet on Tuesday. Custer ran the race in 16:11 to set a new record at the Oberlin Country Club, leading his team to a third-place finish...

The McCook Community College men's basketball team is ranked second in the nation -- for their academic achievements -- and two MCC women have attained distinguished All-American status for their work in the classroom. Accolades for MCC's student athletes came from the National Junior College Athletic Association's which recently compiled team rankings and announced individual honors based on grade-point average...

PERU -- Peru State College honored McCook native Mick Haney Saturday by inducting him into the Hall of Fame. Also inducted were longtime women's basketball coach Dr. Wayne Davidson and the 1991 Bobcat football team. Haney, a McCook High School graduate and a NCAA Division I recruit, eventually found his way to Peru State College with two seasons of remaining eligibility...

The McCook Community College Indians have their ducks in a row, so to speak. The MCC men's basketball team is ranked second in the nation for academic achievements, and two MCC women have All American status for classroom work, according to the National Junior College Athletic Association, which recently compiled team rankings and announced individual honors based on grade-point average...

A little of this ... Gambling. Argh. It surprises me we're even having this conversation. I guess we never learn. Legalized gambling is simply the legal exploitation of the natural human tendency toward greed. "Easy money here," is the cry. And the heart responds -- more money, more money, more money...

Her gentle smile of remembrance is tempered by a shadow of melancholy as Marie Owen recalls the past nine years as the director of the McCook Chamber of Commerce. Marie sits at her desk writing the final thank-you notes for the many volunteers who worked to bring about another successful Heritage Days...

CURTIS -- "I think this is the earliest in the tenure of any University of Nebraska President to visit Curtis," said new University of Nebraska President, J.B. Milliken, as he removed his sports jacket and sat on the first table in the amphitheater - avoiding all formality and the podium...

McCook Community Foundation's annual Foun-ders celebration will include the first presentation of a new, special award. John T. and Eleanor Harris will receive The Benefactor award on Saturday, Oct. 9, at the Bieroc Cafe in McCook. "Three local non-profits also will receive funding gifts from McCook Community Foundation," according to board chairman Gene Morris...

Emergency crews attend an accident (below) Tuesday morning after a truck-train collision one mile west of McCook. The driver of the truck, Wendell E. Peters, 64, McCook, is in critical condition in Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. According to the Nebraska State Patrol, Peters was the driver of a semi truck and trailer that was westbound on County Road 715, turned north on County Road 383, and apparently did not see the approaching eastbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe train...