Stories from Friday, November 3, 2006

WAUNETA -- Trevor Ridlen threw for 252 yards and 3 touchdowns to win over an unbeaten Axtell in the second round of the Class D1 playoffs Wednesday 19-16. Ridlen hit Jake Smith with a 37-yard pass to set up the first Bronco score in the first quarter. In the next series Ridlen connected with Smith again for a 7-yard score...

There is extra motivation for the McCook Community College men's basketball team to claim the Region IX East sub-regional championship this year. The top team will host the Region IX tournament which rotates between the four sub-regions. MCC Coach Ty Orton has assembled a team that has set its site on claiming that east sub-region title...

KEARNEY -- The season may have come to an end for the McCook High School volleyball team Thursday at the Class B-5 district tournament at Kearney, but the Bison did not go quietly. The Bison volleyball team fought hard before falling to Lexington in five sets 23-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-27, 15-8...

After completing its most competitive showing in recent memory last season, the McCook Community College women's basketball squad is looking to take that next important step and coach Michelle Orton's believes her team is on the verge of doing that this season...

Area resident Jack Lytle appeared impressed with his recent flight from Omaha, using the new airline service offered at McCook. "This is the way to go," he said, minutes after arriving at McCook Regional Airport Wednesday with Kent Weskamp. "It only took us only an hour and half to get here."...

WILSONVILLE -- The origin of the helium balloon that landed in Illinois with requests for prayers for a Furnas County soldier in Iraq has been discovered. The father of "Liz," who wrote on a silver Mylar balloon and released it in July, is Bruce Ollinger of Wilsonville...

In a non-confrontational atmosphere, in a setting reminiscent of coffee shops and community gatherings of the 1950s, political candidates for McCook City Council, McCook Public Schools board of education and the 44th District Legislative seat made last-minute statements during a candidates' forum Thursday evening at Sehn-ert's Bieroc Cafe in downtown McCook...

Whether it's two days or two weeks or two months, there is nothing like the feeling of walking through your front door, sleeping in your own bed, bathing in a tub which hasn't been used by hundreds of strangers. Actually, traveling to a larger city just makes you appreciate what you have even more. ...

Is politics in the genes? Taking a tip from Aristotle, who wrote in 350 B.C. that "Man is by nature a political animal," a team of political scientists and geneticists are trying to prove that hypothesis with extensive studies of twins, genes and brain scans...

Nov. 10, 1939 - Oct. 29, 2006 HOLDREGE -- Spencer L. Lonn, 66, died Sunday (Oct. 29, 2006) at Holdrege Memorial Homes. He was born Nov. 10, 1939, on the family farm north of Alma in Harlan County to Roy and Almeda (Covey) Lonn. On March 24, 1940, he was baptized at the United Methodist Church in Oxford. He attended school in Omaha and Oxford and graduated from Arapahoe High School in 1958...

Republicans make last-minute visit to 3rd District.

Several questions have arisen -- during community meetings to explain and discuss the proposed Red Willow County jail sheriff's office and City of McCook police department and fire station -- that moderators have referred to Allied Correctional Services, the jail study consultant firm hired to study the need for and functional programming of a facility...

Andrea L. Sawyer, age 45, died Wednesday (Nov. 1, 2006) at McCook Community Hospital.  She was born April 18, 1961, to Earl D. and Letha M. (Stephens) Svoboda at Seward. She attended grade school in Norton and McCook Public School and graduated from McCook High School in 1979. She attended college to become a Para-legal...