Stories from Tuesday, November 16, 2004

In case you haven't heard, the McCook football team is going to Lincoln. The Bison will be playing at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, attempting to bring an unprecedented third straight Class B state title home. Coach Jeff Gross and his squad will be playing Lincoln Pius X, which will be playing a virtual home game. Or will it be a home game of sorts for the Bison...

Oct. 30, 1937-Oct. 30, 2004 LAFAYETTE, Colo. -- Virginia "Ginni" Speaker, 67, of Lafayette, Colo., died Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004, in Lafayette. She was born Oct. 30, 1937, to Charles Isaac Larreau and Ruby Alice Parkhurst Larreau in Oberlin. On Aug. 27, 1955, she married Richard L. Speaker in Georgetown...

June 11, 1926-Nov. 11, 2004 The only daughter of the founders of the McCook Daily Gazette, Harry and Arlene Strunk, died last week in Arizona where she had resided for the last quarter century. Shirley Margaret Strunk Powell, 78, died Nov. 11, 2004, at Sun City, a retirement suburb of Phoenix. She suffered many years with crippling arthritis and recently with cancer...

Gabe and Melissa Critchfield of Bartley announce the birth of their daughter, Delaney Nicole, Oct. 23, 2004, at Community Hospital of McCook. She weighed 6 pounds and was 19 inches long. She was a sister, Karlie. Grandparents are Steve and Pat Downer of Bartley, Glenda Critchfield of McCook and Martin Critchfield of Denver, Colo. Great-grandparents are Walter "Pinky" Warburton of McCook and Alice Rummel of Huntington Beach, Calif...

OMAHA -- Robert and Becky Samuelson of Omaha announce the birth of their son, Mathew Robert, Nov. 11, 2004. He weighed 9 pounds, 3 ounces and was 22 inches long. He has a sister, Makela Nicole. Grandparents are Doug and Joyce Samuelson of McCook, Buster and Pat Miers of Omaha and Jack and Billie Jean Allen of California. Great-grandmothers are Wanda Miers of Omaha and Marguerite Samuelson of McCook...

While not all the i's are dotted and all the t's crossed, the McCook City Council has begun the process of reaching a $3 million settlement with Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad. While BNSF has agreed to pay the city $3 million the contract still needs a little bit of work, William Delmore, special legal counsel for the city told council members, Monday night...

After a lengthy presentation by Shawn Veltman a consultant with Miller & Associates, the McCook City Council chose to go ahead with a plan to remove ammonia from the city's wastewater. The council based its decision on two major issues -- should the new treatment technology allow for growth in the city and how should the water be treated...

Councilman Dick Trail cast the lone dissenting vote against new McCook water rates, which passed on second reading Monday night. He told the council he was uncomfortable voting for an increase until he saw what other types of funding was available, such as grants, loan forgiveness, sales tax revenue and the settlement with BNSF...

Red Willow County commissioners approved the appointment Monday morning of an Indianola man as the replacement for retiring Veterans Service Officer Joe Williams. Williams told commissioners that the hiring of Tom Stritt is recommended by the county's Service Committee. Stritt was hired from a field of nine applicants...

With an American flag as a reminder of last week's Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving only 10 days away, city crews hang decorations for the next holiday -- the biggest of the year. Greg Hays installs a Christmas decoration across the street from Wells Fargo Bank on Monday afternoon...

Feb. 26, 1917-Nov. 15, 2004 TRENTON -- Frances Elenora "Fuzzy" Blue, 87, died Monday (Nov. 15, 2004) at the Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. She was born Feb. 26, 1917, to Enos Taylor and Katherine (Walters) Blue in Broughton, Kan. As a child, her family moved to Trenton, where she grew up and attended Trenton High School...