Stories from Saturday, October 11, 2008

Running has become a favorite pastime for many Southwest Nebraska residents. So it was not an unusual sight when Marshall Ulrich ran through McCook on East B Street Thursday afternoon. What was unusual was to see the police escort, followed by a film crew, followed by Ulrich, and then a motorcycle escort taking up the rear...

Sen. Ben Nelson hopes last week's financial bailout will be enough. "I think we've stopped a credit crisis from turning into a catastrophe," he told the Gazette Thursday afternoon. Nelson, who said billionaire investor Warren Buffett warned him that the situation could become "the biggest meltdown you've ever seen," voted for the measure...

Rep. Adrian Smith said he hopes he was wrong when he voted against the 700 billion bailout plan, but he hopes the country "will be stronger when things do turn ar-ound." Speaking to the Gaz-ette following a "mobile office" visit to McCook on Thursday, the 3rd District congressman said he had to "dig deeper into my soul than with any other question" he's faced in his 14 years in elected office. ...

McCook High School homecoming attendants crowned Friday night included, from left, second attendants John Huffman, son of Jim and Ann Huffman and Kali Lyons, daughter of Chad and Kim Lyons; Queen Molly Peck, daughter of Bill and Emily Peck; King Austin Larson, son of Greg and Cindy Larson; first attendants Tara Powell, daughter of Michael and Tammy Powell; and Ryan Hardin, son of Ben and Susan Hardin. Junior attendants are Cody Armstrong and Autumn Quint...

There's a killer among us who claims nearly 40,500 victims and sets its sights on 182,460 people each year, yet could easily be thwarted in many of those cases. The problem is, many of its intended victims don't do what they can to survive. That's why the American Cancer Society is encouraging women to fight the killer -- breast cancer -- by encouraging women to fight it by taking charge of their personal breast health and support efforts against the disease during October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.. ...

I read a fascinating article on Yahoo News yesterday. Two old dudes, Tony Vessman, 74, a retired Missouri state trooper, and Les Spencer, 60, got politically active last year when it occurred to them there must be other lower income, rural, beer-drinking, gun-loving, NASCAR race enthusiasts fed up with business as usual in Washington...