Stories from Thursday, February 7, 2008

The McCook Community College baseball team will open the 2008 season Friday and Saturday with a pair of doubleheaders in Texas. The Indians, under the guidance of Jon Olsen, who returned to MCC after four seasons at Independence (Kan.) Community College, will travel to Snyder, Texas to take on Western Texas Community College...

NORTH PLATTE -- McCook's sophomore girls and boys basketball teams were edged out by North Platte Monday. The Bison boys came up short 40-35 and the girls were defeated 58-22. Dustin Parde led the Bison with 15 points. His name was left out of the article on Thursday because the point totals were cut off on the stat sheet...

NORTH PLATTE -- The McCook Junior Bison seventh grade girls basketball team won first Place at the Valentino's Mid-Winter Classic Tournament Feb. 2-3 in North Platte. The McCook Jr. Bison beat Ogallala 15-4 in the first game and Gothenburg 20-19 in the second game. The seventh grade girls won against North Platte 18-3 in the championship...

Dec. 11, 1936 - Feb. 5, 2008 STRATTON --James A. Mutschler, 71, of Stratton, died Tuesday (Feb. 5, 2008), at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. He was born Dec. 11, 1936, at Geneva, Iowa to Fred and Maria (Sailer) Mutschler, and grew up in the Geneva area where he attended school...

Dec. 10, 1919 - Feb. 6, 2008 BENKELMAN -- Alda Jane Pearson, 88, formerly of Stratton and Palisade, died Wednesday (Feb. 6, 2008), at Sarah Ann Hester Memorial Home in Benkelman. She was born Dec. 10, 1919, at McCook, the youngest of seven children born to Archibald and Mamie (Mar) McKillip. She spent her childhood on the family farm in Hayes County...

April 25, 1911 - Feb. 5, 2008 ARAPAHOE -- Bertha Marie Monter, 96, died Tuesday (Feb. 5, 2008) at C.A. Mues Good Samaritan Center in Arapahoe. She was born April 25, 1911, in Gosper County to Charles and Emilie (Hinz) Gehring. She was baptized and confirmed at the Immanuel Lutheran Church, north of Arapahoe. She attended the Lone Tree and Immanuel Lutheran schools...

Sen. Mark Christensen said the intent behind his LB751, is to eliminate as many noxious weeds as possible along stream banks. But he doesn't expect the bill to go anywhere this session, he added, as there is plenty of weed management work going on as it is...

All good things must come to an end, but it is sad when they do. The McCook Tree Advisory Board and Parks Advisory Board will meet Friday to determine the fate of a number of linden and hackberry trees in the city park. If board members decide as expected, a number of the stately old trees have seen their last summer...

The sight of grain trucks rumbling from harvest fields has traditionally meant the restocking of our nation's pantry. But the destination of much of that grain has changed. Today, one of every six truckloads is burned as ethanol fuel. Farmers have been recruited into the energy business with the promise of OPEC-style riches. They are plowing highly erodible acres retired a generation ago, all in the name of energy independence...

The voting public must be very vigilant before casting a vote for the next president. As horrible as war is, America cannot afford to exit the Middle East hurriedly. We must elect the person who realizes the Arab Nations hate us and their agenda is to destroy us and have Islam dominate the world...

**Dear Editor, I strongly urge all taxpayers to send their bonus checks to the orphans in Iraq. Then they will not throw rocks at the American soldiers. **Steve Stramel, McCook