Stories from Thursday, December 8, 2005

LINCOLN -- The Nebraska State Patrol has entered the name of James Mintle, of Thedford, in Thomas County, Neb., into the Nebraska Missing Persons Information Clearinghouse. Mintle is described as a white male, 69-years-old (DOB 10-28-36), 5'10" and 230 lbs, with brown eyes, gray thinning hair and glasses. He was last...

WELLFLEET -- The National High School Rodeo Association has named a Wellfleet cowboy to its 2005-06 Wrangler Division junior high All-Star Rodeo Team. Wyatt Clark, the 15-year-old son of Jeff and Julie Clark of Wellfleet, is among 10 competitors from Nebraska to be awarded positions on the team...

McCook's own Garrett Nokes finishes 2nd in steer wrestling LAS VEGAS -- Team roper Kory Koontz might have lost his partner Jake Barnes on Tuesday night to a right thumb amputation, but he hasn't lost his competitive fire to win a world title. Wednesday was the sixth round out of 10 at the National Finals Rodeo...

Nott of Arapahoe excels thanks to his Nebraska ties; assists athletes at Hampton From an article in the Tri-City Tribune, Cozad HAMPTON, Va. -- Zach Nott was assigned as the new assistant strength and conditioning coach at Hampton University in Hampton, Va., in July 2005...

By GENE MORRIS Publisher With a combined 62 years in the grocery business, members of the Schmick family are combining their talents as the new owners of Schmick's Market, formerly Sunmart, in McCook. "This has been our dream for a number of years," said Bob Schmick, who started in the grocery business in 1971 in Bayard, and has since been followed in the business by his four sons: Jason, Tyler, Cody and Adam...

By Connie Jo Discoe Regional Editor Forty years ago, Bill Stewart of McCook repaired one donated bicycle and put together one new wagon for a Christmas toy give-away that his employer, Sharon Snyder, owner of Cornbelt Chemical Co., wanted to start. Forty years later, for the 2005 Christmas Toy Box give-away, Bill -- now affectionately called "Santa's Head Elf" -- and his helper elves have assembled or repaired 165 bikes, 12 tricycles, 16 wagons and eight scooters...

Because he faced many tough issues during his years as McCook's city manager, John Bingham often felt the sting of public criticism. Yet -- as he prepares to depart for a job in Oregon -- past and present members of the McCook City Council are joining in praise of his performance in McCook during some very trying times...

**Dear Editor, I would like to thank the citizens in McCook and Southwest Nebraska for their generosity in supporting the Christmas outreach 2005 program for our offenders at the Work Ethic Camp. This will enable our offenders with children to send gifts from the Toy Box home to their kids, helping to maintain family ties...

**Dear Editor, I have really enjoyed reading the articles about Christina Houghtelling and the Husker Volleyball Team. I appreciate all the coverage and recognition you have given her. She is truly an amazing athlete and an exceptional young lady. I wish her and the Husker Volleyball Team the best...

**Dear Editor, Great story ("Pearl Harbor Remembered" http://www. mccookgazette.com/story/1129420.html) and one we must never forget. My son married a Japanese woman. We were very worried because his grandfather had been in the war and didn't think much about Japanese people. We very soon found that her father indeed been on the war -- on our side. Needless to say everything was fine thereafter...

**Dear Editor, Thank you for the kind and wonderful editorial viewpoint in Monday's paper about the musical and the fantastic transition into the Sound of Music. We all greatly appreciate your kind words and hope to continue to make you proud of our community and the many talented people that are involved with these projects...

There is no legal way for Republican River Basin NRDs to comply with the Settlement Agreement with Kansas. The only authority the NRDs have is to regulate the amount of water that can be pumped from the ground. Even if the NRDs ordered the shut down of every Basin irrigation well for the next 2 years, Nebraska would still fail to comply by the 2007 deadline. ...

Aug. 24, 1940--Dec. 5, 2005 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Marlene Joyce Johnson, 65, died Monday (Dec. 5, 2005) in Birmingham, Ala. She was born Aug. 24, 1940, in Sioux City, Iowa, to John Smith and Leona Uehlin. She grew up in Oberlin and graduated from Decatur Community High School in 1958...

Oct. 18, 1924--Dec. 6, 2005 OBERLIN -- John A. "Jack" Lamb, 81, died Tuesday (Dec. 6, 2005) at the Cedar Living Center in Oberlin. He was born Oct. 18, 1924, in Grant to Charles E. Lamb and Emma J. Welding. He graduated from Perkins County High School...

Feb. 9, 1953--Dec. 4, 2005 ATWOOD -- Michael Kenneth Migchelbrink, 52, died Sunday (Dec. 4, 2005) in Tulsa, Okla. He was born Feb. 9, 1953, in Atwood to Kenneth and Elaine (Fikan) Migchelbrink. He graduated from Atwood High School in 1971 and attended Goodland VoTech...