Stories from Tuesday, October 24, 2006

CURTIS -- After the first round of the GPAC volleyball tournament on Monday, only four teams remain. Southwest, Hitchcock County, Dundy County and Wallace begin semifinal action Tuesday in Curtis. Southwest and Hitchcock County start the tournament off at 2 p.m., with Dundy County and Wallace following at 3:30 p.m...

WAUNETA-PALISADE -- Wauneta-Palisade's football team rolled over Creek Valley Friday 60-22. Taylor Dixon scored five touchdowns for the Broncos and Christopher Crowell and Trevor Ridlen both had 1. Trevor Ridlen also led in passing with 5 passes and 3 completions...

FOOTBALL Nebraska state football playoff schedules Class A First-round games Friday Fremont (4-5) vs. Lincoln SW (9-0), 1 p.m. at Seacrest Field Millard North (6-3) at Bellevue West (7-2) Papio-LV (4-5) at Om. North (8-1) Grand Island (5-4) at Om. Westside (9-0)...

The family of Jody Braun are hosting a card shower in honor of her 90th birthday. She was born Oct. 29, 1916. Cards of congratulations will reach her at Highland Park, 610 East 14th, Apt. A-4, McCook, NE 69001.

LINCOLN -- Nebraska State Director Scot Blehm of USDA Rural Development today presented a $38 million ceremonial check to the citizens of Nebraska, including $35 million to get a McCook ethanol plant off the ground. The check represents the USDA Rural Development energy dollars recently infused into the state that will support the renewable energy industry and promote energy conservation...

Working to become one of Nebraska's leading family events, event coordinators have launched a photography contest for the upcoming 2006 McCook Balloon Fest this weekend. Balloon festivals provide excellent opportunities for photographers to capture some amazing photographic images. Everyone's in for an excellent show this year. Balloon pilots will be coming to McCook from around the country, painting a variety of color across the Southwest Nebraskan sky...

Congratulations to SW Energy LLC and all the people who have been working so hard for so long to make the ethanol plant just west of McCook a reality. With Monday's announcement, one of the major pieces of the puzzle has fallen into place. The $35 million in loan guarantees -- $10 million in a Renewable Energy Systems Guaranteed loans and $25 million in a Business and Industry Guaranteed loan from USDA Rural Development, represent the best type of partnership between business and government...

I am disgusted at the action of McCook School Board and the parents listed in your Oct. 20 article, "Parents of Elementary Students Concerned about Restrictions." School board policy, according to your article, states that parents wanting to visit classes must receive prior approval. I don't see any of the parents who were allowed to violate this policy complaining to anyone...

As I've been following the run-up to the upcoming elections, particularly in the last month, I have grown increasingly disgusted and disappointed. Political mud is being slung in all directions, and from all directions. Nelson vs. Ricketts, Christensen vs. Shoemaker, Hoyt vs. Batty.  (Wait ... there's only one politician in that last pairing ... )...

Bush is suddenly pushing hard to search cargo going into No. Korea. It makes good sense -- we want to stifle their nuke-making capabilities, and searching in-going cargo would probably help to that end. But it's odd, because we don't even bother to search the mountains of cargo coming into our own ports every day. Do they intend to wait until someone sneaks in components, builds a bomb and conducts a "test" in an American city before we get serious?...

The night of Oct. 13, very late, two young men driving south Highway 83 saw an older lady in her car by the side of the road, slumped over the steering wheel. These two young men stopped to help the lady and found her to be disoriented. She did not know her name nor where she was...

So you are catching flak from candidates and their opponents. That's great! It means the McCook Daily Gazette is doing its job. Journalists have long known that in a controversy or political race, if both sides criticize you, it means you are doing your job...