Stories from Tuesday, March 29, 2005

NORTH PLATTE -- The McCook High School boys golf team tied for fourth place at the North Platte Invitational Monday. The Bison and Lexington both posted a 330 score. North Platte and Scottsbluff tied for first at 308, followed by Gering with 323. The North Platte junior varsity placed sixth at 332, followed by Kearney 338, Ogallala 352, Grand Island Central Catholic 356, Broken Bow 357, Hastings 357, Grand Island 365 and Gothenburg 407...

July 7, 1917-March 27, 2005 IMPERIAL -- Calvin M. Pierce, 87, died Sunday (March 27, 2005) at Heritage of Wauneta Nursing Home in Wauneta. He was born July 7, 1917, to Frank and Florence (Rummell) Pierce on his parents farmstead northwest of Lamar. He attended school near District 75 and later graduated from Chase County High School in 1936. He attended Barnes Business College in Denver, Colo., for a year...

Kenneth E. Serl Aug. 1, 1940-March 19, 2005 Kenneth Eugene Serl was born Aug. 1, 1940, southwest of Yuma to Alvin and Vonda (Watson) Serl. He passed away at home on March 19, 2005. He attended school at Eckley until the 3rd grade when the family moved to Yuma. He graduated from Yuma Union High School in 1958...

Sept. 30, 1911-March 28, 2005 OBERLIN -- Paul Skoda, 93, died Monday (March 28, 2005) at Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. He was born Sept. 30, 1911, to Anthony and Mary (Skorepa) Skoda in Cleveland, Ohio. He was raised in Cleveland and graduated high school there. He attended Underwood Sunstrand School in Harrisburg, Pa...

March 7, 1950-March 20, 2005 LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Linda A. Allen, 55, died Sunday (March 20, 2005) in Las Vegas, Nev. She graduated from McCook High School and worked as a bookkeeper and office manager for DeGroffs and Lots to Love, Inc., for many years...

Aug. 31, 1909-March 27, 2005 Arthur C. "Dick" Merrell died Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. He was 95 years old. Dick was born in Rawlins, Wyo., on Aug. 31, 1909, to Edward C. and Lulu Louise (Hesse) Merrell. He graduated from Hayes Center High School. He was employed for 42 years with the Burlington Railroad. He was a conductor on Amtrak, retiring in 1974...

Jan. 23, 1925-March 24, 2005 BRIGHTON, Colo. -- Margaret L. Baker, 80, formerly of Trenton, died Thursday (March 24, 2005) at the Brighton Care Center in Brighton, Colo. She was born Jan. 23, 1925, to Clarence and Ellalou "Ella" (Seybold) Taul on a rented farm north of Trenton. ...

McCook Fire Chief Marc Harpham said the actions of a McCook electrician -- and also a bunch of lucky stars -- kept a fire smoldering in the attic of a McCook home from bursting into flames. Harpham said, "Sometimes we're good, and other times, we're lucky. This time we were lucky."...

Each board gave a little, but at the end of two board meetings Monday evening, McCook and Culbertson school officials could not agree completely on all the details of a plan to combine the two districts. Culbertson's board of educators is investigating options for its school when a seven-year unification with Trenton and Stratton expires in 2006. ...

As the demand for ethanol soars because of high gasoline prices, the people of Nebraska need to say a big thank you to the state's ethanol pioneers. These men and women of vision realized more than a quarter of a century ago that ethanol was the wave of the future. By using renewable resources -- principally corn and milo -- the ethanol supporters foresaw the day that the nation's gasoline supply could be extended by using alcohol from grain as an additive...

**Dear Editor, As I sit here following the ongoing saga of dueling demagoguery betwixt the "Religious Right" (tm) and the "Godless Communists" (tm), it occurs to me that maybe, just perhaps, there might be some middle ground here. A radical concept occurs to me: what if each side could have half of what they wanted? What if the "Religious Right" could be guaranteed the right to freely exercise whatever religion they choose? What if the "Godless Communists" could be promised that Congress would make no laws which would impose an "official" religion upon them?. ...