Stories from Tuesday, November 1, 2005

Nov. 11, 1932--Oct. 30, 2005 OBERLIN -- Charles "Chuck" Votapka, 72, died Sunday (Oct. 30, 2005) at the Cedar Living Center in Oberlin. He was born Nov. 11, 1932, in Decatur County to Guy F. Votapka and Helen M. Vermillion. He graduated from Decatur Community High School in 1950...

March 20, 1989--Oct. 29, 2005 JOHNSON LAKE -- Levi Matthew Doss, 16, died Saturday (Oct. 29, 2005) as the result of an auto accident near Lexington. He was born March 20, 1989, in McCook to David Lee and Sandra Raye (Johnson) Doss. He and his family then moved to Lexington, where he was a sophomore at Lexington High School...

By GENE MORRIS Publisher State Sen. Tom Baker will be among a group of Nebraska legislators who will meet with the Gov. Dave Heineman's staff Nov. 28 to begin discussions about changes in the state's tax policies. Sen. Baker, who represents the 44th District in Southwest Nebraska, made the announcement at this morning's Legislative Forum in McCook, alerting the media that "this may be the scoop of the morning."...

East Ward and the modular classrooms are empty -- their second and third graders, teachers and staff officially relocated to new classrooms and offices at McCook's remodeled and expanded single-site elementary school. It took April Green's third graders about 20 minutes this morning to settle into their new classroom in what is being called -- for the time being -- McCook Elementary...

McCook football fans are all geared up for a great playoff game Wednesday at Weiland Field, and the weather promises to be nearly ideal. With the mild, beautiful weather we've been enjoying this fall, it's easy to forget how quickly weather can turn bad in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas...

**Dear Editor, After reading the article about needing new comfortable seats for the McCook Auditorium, I did some calculating and determined I better open my checkbook and support my local community. Gas money to drive to Omaha for a good concert, $60, tickets to the concert, $50 and up, motel for two nights, $200, meals, $50, extra time on the road, hard to put a price on it...

**Dear Editor, So let's see "the only thing President Clinton was actually guilty of was having an overactive libido and bad taste in women"? I guess that explains why in his last days in office he struck a deal with the office of the special prosecutor, where Clinton admitted to making misleading testimony (perjury) and he was suspended from practicing law in Arkansas...

For some, the approach of a 50th birthday is met with dread or resignation. But for Dawn Cribbs of McCook, the day couldn't come soon enough. Cribbs, associate editor and columnist at the McCook Daily Gazette, celebrated her 50th birthday Oct. 21 by cutting off the 10 inches of hair she had been growing for the past four years...

Call them the "Unsung Seven." Seven seniors are playing key roles for the McCook High School Bison football team as it makes another run toward a possible Nebraska Class B state championship game berth. All of them are listed at similar positions -- wide receiver/linebacker/defensive backs...