Stories from Friday, February 9, 2007

On Thursday, Feb. 8, the 1074th Transportation Co. of the Nebraska Army National Guard said "goodbye" to one if its own, killed by an explosive in Baghdad, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spec. Randy J. Matheny, of McCook, died Feb. 4, when an improvised explosive device detonated next to the armored security vehicle in which he served as a gunner...

ATWOOD -- The flu is still making its rounds, forcing the closure of Rawlins County Elementary School in Atwood Thursday. The school will remain closed the rest of the week and reopen on Monday. More than a third of the student population at the elementary school are absent with a variety of illnesses but mainly with upper respiratory infections, said Superintendent Mark Walters...

The U.S. Geological Survey has confirmed what McCook residents remember every time they pay their city utility bills. Fresh water is precious commodity. New USGS research, comparing shallow groundwater quality beneath irrigated cropland in Nebraska, to similar water in Texas, reveals that concentrated contamination is more common in the Cornhusker State...

Having generations of roots in Punjab, Dr. Herbans Sidhu is unmistakably a Sikh. Sikhism was founded about five hundred years ago by the tenth guru, Guru Gobenda Singh, as a monotheistic branch of Hinduism. The people were being raided at the time, invaded from the north, from Pakistan, and Guru Gobenda Singh taught the people to fight back. He taught them that they must become fearsome, like their enemies, even looking in some ways like their enemies...

As you scramble to get dressed in the morning and get everyone out the door on time, feelings about your shoes are probably few and far between. First, do the shoes match the outfit? For growing kids, do the shoes still fit if it's been more than two days since last worn? But most importantly, do the two shoes match?...

July 10, 1937 - Feb 8, 2007 NORCATUR, Kan. -- Dorothy A. Breiner, 69, died Thursday (Feb. 8, 2007) at Andbe Home in Norton, Kan. She was born July 10,1937, to Charles and Genevieve (Dellere) Carroll in Norton. She grew up on a farm east of Norton and attended Norton County School and Norton High School...

Dec. 17, 1909-Feb. 8, 2007 Hannah Grace (Baumfalk)?Hein, 97, died Thursday (Feb. 8, 2007), at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. She was born Dec. 17, 1909, at Culbertson to Henry Walter and Anna Frieda (Volrath)?Pollmann. She grew up in Culbertson and attended Culbertson High School...

Fine frost forms dainty artwork on an evergreen tree near Max on Thursday. Cold, snowy weather is forecast as far forward as Wednesday.

The McCook boys hosted the East-West shootout Thursday night against Alliance. The Bison fell to 58-45 to the Bulldogs. "Overall we played a good game tonight," said Bison boys coach Tim Garcia. "We worked hard on both sides of the court, but just fell short...