Stories from Tuesday, January 24, 2006

SCOTTSBLUFF -- Matt Hall and Rebecca Rawlings received fifth and sixth place medals respectively at the Twin Cities Invitational in Scottsbluff on Friday. Rawlings, in her first season of diving, has improved at each meet. "She is doing a great job of learning the dives," sad Bison diving coach Jim Brandt. "She has a great work ethic."...

Southwest, Southern Valley and Bertrand's girls all won close opening-round games Monday night in the Republican Valley League Tournament. Southwest edged Cambridge 42-40 at Cambridge, Bertrand clipped Dundy County 55-53 at Benkelman and Southern Valley fought off Alma 55-42 at Southern Valley...

The 15th Annual Mac Attack Youth Basketball Tournament took place Saturday and Sunday at four gyms in McCook -- the high school, junior high school, college and St. Patrick's Elementary School. Fifty teams played 71 games. 4th Grade Girls: Hoxie defeated McCook 38-12...

The McCook Community College women's basketball team dropped a 68-64 decision against Otero Junior College Monday night at True Hall Gymnasium. "It was a hard fought battle and I was proud of how they stepped up and played hard until the last second," said MCC women's coach Michelle Orton. "Otero is one of the top five teams in the region and they are the best three point shooting team...

Orange and Black Classic honors McCook Bison players, cheerleader COLBY -- Four McCook High School basketball players earned All-Academic or All-Tournament Team honors at the 21st annual Paul Wintz Orange and Black Classic, which took place Thursday through Saturday at Colby...

June 14, 1921--Jan. 20, 2006 NORTH PLATTE -- Vinton Jones was born on June 14, 1921, at his parents' home in Southwest Chase County.  He was the second son of Arda and Grace (Williams) Jones. He departed this life on January 20, 2006, in North Platte, at the age of 84. ...

Dec. 7, 1934--Jan. 20, 2006 BARTLEY -- William "Bill" Edward Nelson Jr., 71, was called from this life on Jan. 20, 2006, while surrounded by family. He lost a four year battle with cancer. Bill was born Dec. 7, 1934, to William and Ruby (Schmidt) Nelson on the family farm west of Bartley. At age 8, the family moved to the present day Nelson farm north of Bartley. Bill never lived more than two miles from where he was born...

March 7, 1913--Jan. 21, 2006 NORTH PLATTE -- Floyd L. Nicholson, 92, died Saturday (Jan. 21, 2006) at the Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. He was born March 7, 1913, to William and Grace (Morland) Nicholson at Beaver City. He graduated from Beaver City High School in 1932 and attended Barnes Business College in Denver, Colo...

If the City of McCook decides not to cooperate with Red Willow County on a new joint public safety center, the county-only jail issue most likely will go before voters in the primary election May 9. However, County Commissioner Earl McNutt said during a regular commissioners' meeting Monday morning, if City Council members agree to the become a part of the project, voters probably won't get a final say-so until the general election in November...

Few can pinpoint the time that the chimes at the college in McCook stopped ringing. However, many people -- especially graduates of Nebraska's oldest two-year college -- have missed the quarter-hour chimes and tunes that rang out over the campus and throughout nearby neighborhoods...

Legislative candidate Larry Harvey of McCook announced Monday that he is stepping out of the race for Southwest Nebraska's seat in the Legislature. Harvey has developed some unexpected heart problems, and though the prognosis seems good he said it nevertheless seems wise to change plans at this point...

HAYES CENTER -- A 15-year-old Hayes Center High School freshman died in a one-vehicle rollover accident at 4:19 p.m., Monday. Patrick Sheets was killed when he lost control of his westbound pickup and it rolled on a county road 14 miles west of Hayes Center. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the accident report by Nebraska State Patrol Troopers Dan Johnson of Imperial and Jeremiah Johnson of McCook...

Any public servant from any area would be wise to study the congressional career of Virginia Smith. "She wrote the book on how to represent western Nebraska," said Dr. Don Blank, who ran against Virginia in her first Nebraska 3rd District congressional race in 1974...

By Pam Potthoff Nebraska WIFE Let's play a game of "what would you do?" Let's say you are CEO of a small company and had been selling me pink yachts with blue polka dots at a very lucrative income for five years. Let's say two years ago I discovered that one of the polka dots was painted with lead-based paint and I refused any additional yachts from your company because I felt it was a health threat to my family. ...