Stories from Tuesday, May 22, 2007

YANKTON, S.D. -- Mount Marty College women's volleyball coach Tracey Grotenhuis signed Sara Cappel, McCook High School and McCook Community College, for the 2007-08 season. In her sophomore year at McCook Community College, Cappel, a libero, led her team with 40 service aces while averaging 4.8 digs a game with a total of 660...

McCook Bison Championship Youth Football Camp June 4-7 The McCook Bison Football Team will be hosting the annual Championship Football Camp from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. June 4-7 at the McCook practice field. The camp will feature many of the players that helped McCook to 5 straight undefeated seasons, four straight state football championship games...

The McCook Police Department has issued citations to eight individuals allegedly involved with vandalism at the McCook Senior High April 22. According to a press release by the McCook Police Department, this morning, the investigation revealed that eight persons allegedly entered the school without permission and damage was caused that resulted in clean-up costs of approximately $350...

David Jaramillo clears the finish line and Vernon DeBerry follows in the 50 yard dash Friday during the McCook Central Elementary School track meet. Fourth and fifth graders competed in the annual track meet. Parents also had to run, walk or crawl with their kids in the annual Central Mile...

Bright young people with their lives cut short. Whether thousands of miles away on the streets of Baghdad or deserts of Afghanistan, or on a lonely Southwest Nebraska road, we can think of no greater tragedy. We will not address the war on terrorism and to what extent we should be involved. Nor, today, will we address the possibility of alcohol being involved in car accidents...

Jan. 5, 1921-May 19, 2007 STRATTON -- Delores Lorraine Priddy, 86, died Saturday (May 19, 2007) at the El Dorado Manor in Trenton. She was born Jan. 5, 1921, near Wilcox, to Clarence and Goldie (Seybold) Jessen, and moved with her family to a farm northwest of Trenton in 1926. She attended country school near her home in District 52, and graduated from Trenton High School in 1938 before attending Kearney State Teacher's College...

Last week the stargazing tip was to use a star chart, and I forgot to give you a very good place to find one. Point your computer browser to http://skymaps.com/downloads.html. It will give you a very usable, and printable, star chart for your evening or early morning viewing sessions...

City staff, department heads and council members attended the council meeting Monday night sporting matching red polo shirts, embellished with the logo of McCook's 125th celebration. City Manager Kurt Fritsch said the city purchased the shirts for all city employees, which number about 75 full time, who are free to wear them on Fridays. Upon the request of Councilman Lonnie Anderson, the shirts were worn on Monday night...

Jan. 12, 1919-May 19, 2007 BENKELMAN -- Alphonse J. "Bunt" Reining, 88, died Saturday (May 19, 2007) at the Sarah Ann Hester Memorial Home in Benkelman. He was born Jan. 12, 1919, at Benkelman, to Joseph and Marie (Reiman) Reining and attended country school near his home in District 66. He returned to the family farm after school...

The McCook High School yearbook could be posted on the Internet in the future, if enough funds are collected to purchase pod casting equipment for the McCook Public Library. Library Advisory board member Steve Batty told the McCook City Council Monday night at its regular meeting that he will be collecting funds from his high school class of 1965 to purchase the equipment...

Dec. 23, 1986-May 20, 2007 Christopher R. Botsford, 20, died Sunday (May 20, 2007) near Trenton from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. He was born Dec. 23, 1986, at Garden City, Kan., to Robert and Chrystele (Bomberger) Botsford. He came to McCook in 2000 where he graduated from McCook Senior High School in 2005...

April 8, 1921-May 21, 2007 Vonnie Mae Riley, 86, died Monday (May 21, 2007) at Community Hospital in McCook. She was born April 8, 1921, at Hiwasse, Kan., to William Albert and Thella Louise Duncan. She received her elementary education at Hiwasse before moving to Elgin, Kan...

July 20, 1957-May 20, 2007 LINCOLN -- Jolene Rose (Priest) Heldenbrand, 49, died Sunday (May 20, 2007) after battling cancer. She was born July 20, 1957, in Columbia, Tenn., to Frank and Marilyn (Rousey) Priest. She grew up in Hamlet, attending Hamlet Grade School and graduating from Wauneta High School in 1976...

April 16, 1989-May 20, 2007 Clayton L. Pierson, 18, died Sunday (May 20, 2007) in Hitchcock County from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. He was born April 16, 1989, in Hahn, Germany to Robert A. and Kimberly R. (Wurm) Pierson. He was a 2007 graduate of McCook High School...

Nov. 25, 1926-May 13, 2007 SUN CITY, Ariz. -- Merle L. Paul of Sun City, Ariz., died May 13, 2007 at the age of 80. She was born Nov. 25, 1926, in McCook, Neb., to Chester J. And Ethel (Scott) Smith. Merle graduated from McCook High School in 1945, on October 25 of  that year she married Glen E. Paul.  They made their home in McCook for 23 years moving to Spearfish, S.D., in 1968, then to Bismarck, N.D., in 1971, Spokane, Wash., in 1980, and finally to Sun City, Ariz., in 1992...