Stories from Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Andrea Howe and Jerod Houghtelling of Billings, Mont., announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Dan and Kari Howe of Big Timber, Mont., and Dennis and Donna Houghtelling of Indianola. Grandparents of the couple are Jim Howe and Lucy Davis both of Big Timber, Mont., and Lamoine and Garnet McConville of McCook...

Rob and Brenda McConville of Indianola announce the birth of their daughter, Shyann Lorraine McConville, born April 26, 2007 at Community Hospital in McCook. She weighed 5 pounds, 15 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. She has a 2 year old sister, Summer. ...

The family of Vincent and Melissa Sis is requesting a card shower in honor their 30th wedding anniversary. They were married May 28, 1977, at St. John's Church in Beardsley, Kan. Cards of congratualtions will reach the couple at P.O. Box 128, Stratton, NE 69043...

The family of Charles and Cecelia McConville of Indianola is hosting a card shower in honor of their 60th wedding anniversary on May 29. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at P O Box 143 Indianola, NE 69034.

Brock and Amy Erdman of Downs, Kan. announce the birth of their daughter, Kaliana Rose Erdman, born April 27, 2007, at Mitchell County Hospital in Beloit, Kan. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 3/4 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long. Grandparents are Ronda Erdman of Culbertson, Troy and Rita Erdman of McCook, Alan and Roseann VanDerAa of Marysville, Calif. Great-grandparentts are Susan and Bill Weber of Culbertson and Rosella Crouse of Olverhurst, Calif...

The family of Frank and Norene (Chancellor) Hamilton of McCook are hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 30th wedding anniversary. They were married May 28, 1977, at the First Church of God in McCook. Their children are Heather Hamilton of Colorado Springs, Colo., Heath Hamilton and wife, Pam of Trenton and Ashley Hamilton and fiance Tim Shepherd of McCook. They have one grandchild. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 901 West J, McCook, NE 69001...

Ryan and Ashley Wheelbarger of McCook, announce the birth of their son, Isaac Ray on May 9, 2007, at Community Hospital in McCook. He weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces and was 21 1/4 inches long. His grandparents are Doug and Mary Palmer of Wilsonville, Don Wheelbarger of McCook and Kelly Brown of Oberlin. Great-grandparents are Darrel and June Palmer of Wilsonville, Carolyn O'Brien of Cambridge and Maralyn Courange of Trear...

The family of Terry and Theresa (Koetter) Einspahr is hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 25th wedding anniversary. The couple was married May 28, 1982 at T. Patricks Catholic Church in McCook. They have two daughters, Jessica and Amanda. Cards of congratulations can reach them at 205 N. Cherokee, McCook,, NE 69001...

The family of Viron E. and Mildred E. (Birt) Baxter of Palisade is hosting an open house in honor of the couple's 65th anniversary They were married June 2, 1942, in Hickman. The open house will be Saturday, June 2 at the United Methodist Church in Palisade. Their children are Judith and Darrel Wissmann of Bertrand, Barbara and Jon Reilly of Omaha, Patricia of Palisade and David of Houston, Texas. They have six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren...

The family of Harold and Betty (Burton) Brauer is hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 60th wedding anniversary. They were married June 4, 1947 at Memorial Methodist Church in McCook. Their children are Nancy Dukes and David Brauer. They have three grandchildren. Cards of congratulations can reach them at 10129A Grove Court, Westminster, Colo. 80030...

Kellie Neises, Madison Snyder, Heather Neises and Kimberly Neises of McCook, would like to announce the engagement of their parents Deanna Rae Neises and Gary Dean Snyder of McCook. Deanna is the daughter of Mary Oller of Cunningham, Kan., Len and Vicky Pratt of Indianapolis, Ind. and the late Judy Williams...

The families of Lucille Weber, 92, of McCook, Gladys Weimer, 90, of Fort Morgan, Colo. and Dorothy Ivins, 86, of Smithsville, Texas, invite you to a combined birthday celebration June 2, 2-4:30 p.m., at the Comfort Inn, 147 Barlow Road, in Fort Morgan. Cards of congratualtions can reach Lucille at 1500 East 11th, McCook, NE 69001; Gladys at 12023 City Road 12, Fort Morgan, CO 80701 and Dorothy at 1700 SE 4th Street, Smithville, Texas 78957...

The family of Richard and Judy Bair of McCook is hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary. They were married June 16, 1957, in the First Christian Church in Independence, Mo. Their family includes sons, Robert and wife, Robin Bair of Hudson, Iowa, Bruce and wife, Susy Bair of Culbertson and 11 grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 405 West R Street, McCook, NE 69001...

WICHITA, Kan. -- The Rawlins County boys and girls took home the Kansas State Class 1A track title Friday and Saturday in Wichita. Oberlin's girls and boys competed in the Class 3A and St. Francis was in Class 2A. Macy Migchelbrink led the Buffaloes competing in four events. Migchelbrink won the 100m high hurdles with a time of 15.51 and was second in both the 300m long hurdles and the triple jump...

McCook High's Taryn Placzek named West Girls MVP CAMBRIDGE -- The West was the best at the Cambridge All-Star Basketball Games Friday night in the Cambridge High School gymnasium Friday night. The West senior boys placed five players in double figures and nearly had seven in a 110-65 rout of the East squad...

HAYES COUNTY -- Many county roads and bridges in Hayes County are under water or washed out following Memorial Day rain storms that dumped up to 11 inches across the county. "We have a major mess up here," said Hayes County Sheriff Tom Dow. Dow said rainfall amounts vary from two inches to nine inches. He has heard one report of 11 inches, he said...

KEARNEY -- The driver of the SUV involved in a one-vehicle rollover in which two McCook men were killed May 20 died Friday, May 25, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Jonathan N. Peterson of Fort Lewis, Wash., also known as Jon McCart and a former resident of McCook, was 19 years old...

On Memorial Day, a day to honor soldiers who have given their lives for their country, a McCook soldier remembered "one of our own," Sgt. Randy J. Matheny, killed in action serving his country, Feb. 4, in Iraq, and brought home to rest forever in Memorial Park Cemetery Feb. 16...

BLAIR -- Nebraska-based telecommunications provider Great Plains Communications has signed an agreement to purchase the McCook cable television system serving approximately 2,000 analog video customers from a subsidiary of Charter Communications, Inc (NASDAQ: CHTR), helping expand the company's presence in Southwest Nebraska. The purchase is scheduled to close on or about Oct. 1 of this year, pending government and regulatory approval...

CURTIS -- LB701 has been signed by the governor and is now available to be used by the NRDs. While parts of the legislation apply to all NRDs, only the Republican River Basin NRDs are allowed to issue what are referred to as River Flow Enhancement bonds...

COLUMBUS -- Over the past year -- after building Nebraska's largest wind-powered electric generation facility near Ainsworth - the Nebraska Public Power District has received approximately a half dozen proposals from private wind developers interested in building one or more similar- or larger-sized facilities in the state...

I am a past administrator of the McCook Public Schools and I am happy to say a "past administrator." According to the articles I read in the Lincoln and Omaha newspapers the school system has another "black" mark to their credit. I have visited with numerous superintendents who laugh and say, "Who would want to be the superintendent at McCook?"...

With gas prices in the mid-$3 range, we hope Memorial Day travel prices weren't too much of a shock. Now that the first holiday of the summer is history, it's time to get serious about vacation travel plans. According to AAA Nebraska, there won't be any relief in your wallet this year, with average lodging and restaurant costs up 3.7 percent over last year...

We've known for years that having "fun" is a key ingredient for "fund" raising. Just look at all the techniques used successfully in this area, such as golf tournaments, rubber duck races, tennis ball drawings, dunk tanks, charity auctions and celebrity waiter dinner parties...

And now for number five on our Top Ten countdown of stargazing tips. As you are outside after dark, notice the star patterns. Constellations or asterisms. For the last several months, I have been outlining the constellations, so by now you should have an idea of what is there. I haven't covered all of them, just the major ones so there are more to be found, 88 in all in fact but some of those are in the southern hemisphere...

Feb. 7, 1920 - May 27, 2007 OBERLIN -- Genola Aileen Claussen, 87, died Sunday (May 27, 2007) at Cedar Living Center in Oberlin. She was born Feb. 7, 1920, in Oberlin to Clifton and Ida M. (Barr) Waldo. She grew up in Oberlin and attended Oberlin Elementary School and graduated from Decatur Community High School in 1938...

Nov. 29, 1953 - May 25, 2007 CURTIS -- Gregory Garrett Vreeland, 53, died (May 25, 2007) in Curtis. He was born Nov. 29, 1953, at Kearney to Nelson Eugene Jr. Vreeland and Mary Lou (Florom) Vreeland. He grew up and attended school in Curtis. He graduated from Medicine Valley High School in 1972...

The family of Paul and Marlene (Huffaker) Holthus of Culbertson are hosting an open house in honor of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary. They were married Jan. 19, 1957, in Rapid City, S.D. The open house will be June 9, at 5 p.m., with a dinner and dance at the Culbertson AgComplex on the Culbertson Fairgrounds. ...