Stories from Wednesday, June 20, 2007

NORTH PLATTE -- The McCook Rebels 14 and under girls fastpitch softball team went undefeated this past weekend. The Rebels posted a 6-0 record. In Saturday's pool play, they beat the Bennington Rebels, Cozad Classics and Colby Sweet Thunder to be the No. 1 seed for tournament action on Sunday...

June 30, 1933 - May 28, 2007 HOUSTON, Texas -- Clarence "Chaunce" Edward Cook Jr., 73, died May 28, 2007 in Houston, Texas. He was born June 30, 1933, in McCook. He grew up in McCook and graduated from McCook High School in 1951. He moved to California and later Houston. He worked at Union Oil Company from 1965-1995. After retiring he became a Special Education Substitute at Ponderosa Elementary School in 2002. He was also involved with the Senior Olympics...

The annual Crazy Days retail promotion, now known as Homespun Fun, will include a little extra this year. The McCook City Council approved Monday night the request from the McCook Chamber of Commerce to block traffic from West C between Norris Avenue and West First July 17 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., for an amateur backyard barbeque contest and activities for kids...

Community Hospital's officers say they are pleased that the 2007-08 budget meets long-term objectives and builds for the future without significant rate increases. "The only true increases we have," said President and CEO Jim Ulrich following a board meeting this morning, "are cost increases passed on by suppliers."...

Believe it or not, today is the last day of spring, and it was a pleasant one by way of temperatures, if not by way of the downpours that washed out roads, damaged homes and polluted wells. But at least it was a break from some of the blazing hot springs we've had over the last few years...

Aloha to all cosmetologists who graduated from McCook Beauty School, McCook, Neb., in the year 1957. You have been a cosmetologist for 50 years. It is time to celebrate with the very first 50th Cosmetologist Anniversary! Even if you didn't graduate in 1957, you are welcome to attend our celebration, July 15, 2007. Classes of 1956, 1957 and 1958 will be honored at this Hawaiian celebration...

The weight of the world laid upon my shoulders that day. Every step I took was an effort. It seemed no matter what I did, nothing helped, nothing changed and life was simply too hard. As I made my way down the staircase at Arvada Senior High, it all suddenly became too much and I stopped right where I was and sat down. I was done. I didn't care how long I sat there. I didn't care if I was in anyone's way. I didn't care about anything at all...