Stories from Friday, March 31, 2006

Wauneta-Palisade senior state champion wrestler Jesse West and basketball standouts Waid Vontz of Cambridge and Megan Becker of Southern Valley headline the McCook Daily Gazette's 2006 All-Area Teams. West, who won the Nebraska Class D state title at 130 pounds, is the Gazette's Wrestler of the Year...

The McCook Bison fifth grade boys basketball team finished its season with a 32-1 record. The Bison won the Holdrege tournament with wins over Central City, Oberlin and the McCook Indians (title game). The Bison also won the Grand Island Hoops Classic with wins over Wood River, Grand Island Magic and Central City...

April 21, 1924 - March 29, 2006 BENKELMAN -- Nels Brynoff, 81, of Benkelman died Wednesday (March 29, 2006), at Midland Hospital in Papillion. He was born April 21, 1924, at Happy, Texas to David and Grace (Cochran) Brynoff. Nels was the eldest son of five children...

Lyman G. Hilker CAMBRIDGE -- Lyman G. Hilker, 79, of Cambridge, died Thursday (March 29, 2006) at Cambridge Manor. He was born to Charles "C.W." and Rosa Anna (Riepe) Hilker in Gosper County. He married Maxine Sayer on August 5, 1949, in McCook. He farmed all of his life near Cambridge...

CAMBRIDGE -- James Monroe Manley, 81 died Wednesday (March 29, 2006) at Cambridge Manor in Cambridge. He was born June 19, 1924, to Edgar and Sarah (Stewart) Manley in Edison. He attended McCook Public Schools. He married Rowene Myers on June 6, 1948, to this union one son, Jerry, was born. They made their home in McCook...

The McCook school board agreed at a special meeting Thursday night to spend $70,800 on a new school information system -- SIS -- that one board member feels will improve communications with parents. The "Infinite Campus" SIS will be purchased from CIC of Greeley, Colo. The first year's cost -- equipment and training -- will be $70,800. The yearly cost after that is estimated at $25,800...

McCook Public Power District REA gave away 11 electrical appliances, demonstrated the awesome power of electricity and treated visitors to cookies fresh from the (electric) oven during an open house March 24 that celebrated the 70th anniversary of the company's first year in existence and the completion of remodeled and expanded office and warehouse facilities...

It's been a long battle for proponents, but Nebraskans will soon have the right to carry a concealed weapon, if Gov. Dave Heineman carries through with his plans to sign the bill. That makes Nebraska the 48th state to make some provision for carrying a concealed weapon...

Regarding Mayor Berry's comments in the Gazette on 2/27 defending the actions of City Council and supporting Mr. Bingham, I see things differently. Mr. Berry claimed things were done by the book and were completely legal. There's a book that says "an eye for an eye" however we no longer live by the book in this instance. The book that told us how to build a home in 1920 no longer applies. Many things are completely legal but are unethical...

Recently I attended the McCook Economic Development Corporation's annual meeting. (Also reported in March 29, 2006 Gazette.) Over the past year, the MEDC has been busy helping attract new business to McCook and continuing to nurture those already here...

Everyday, we learn new things -- whether we want to or not. And today, I am here to help. Life is full of information we never knew, ideas we never considered, opinions we never recognized. Relax, we're not going to go that deep. Instead, we'll look at things out there in the big, wide world that you never knew you needed and may just wonder how you got by in the world without them...