Stories from Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Feb 13, 1940 - Oct. 26, 2008 BERTHOUD, Colo. -- Karen Joy Frecks, 68, went into the presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday (Oct. 26, 2008) at her home after a long battle with cancer. She was born Feb. 13, 1940, on the family farm near Palisade, Neb., to Kenneth Glen and Elizabeth Jane (Miller) Hayward. ...

Dr. Kenneth Stout of Benkelman will celebrate his 90th birthday on Nov. 1, 2008. Cards of congratulations will reach him at P O Box 587, Benkelman, NE 69021.

Friends and neighbors of Libbie Schroeder are requesting a card shower in honor of her 90th birthday Oct. 30. Cards of congratulation will reach her at 301 E. Fourth, McCook, NE 69001.

Don and Mary Jo Longnecker will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.They were married Oct. 29, 1983, in the Catholic Church in Indianola. Children of the couple are Kristen, Bret, Mariah, Kelsey and Natalie. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 71850 Dr. 391, Indianola NE 69034...

By CONNIE JO DISCOE Regional Editor The crumbling wing wall of an almost-box culvert on a county road east of McCook is exposing a portion of the historic "DLD (Detroit-Lincoln-Denver) Highway." In Nebraska, the DLD Highway became U.S. Highway 38 in 1926 and then U.S. Highway 6 in 1931. It was relocated to the north with a subsequent highway renovation project, and the original portion of the concrete highway through Red Willow County became a county road...

It smells like a permanent, and it seems hair spray lingers in the air. Its walls are lined with lots of sinks, and there's lots of plumbing. Red Willow County commissioners toured a former beauty shop next door to the courthouse in McCook during their weekly meeting Monday morning, pondering how to best use the property that the county purchased for $79,500 earlier this year...

EDITOR'S NOTE -- Wednesday will be the final day election-related Open Forum letters, are accepted, and they will be published on Thursday .

Depletion of the aquifer has caused and will continue to cause more loss of surface water, plus an ever-increasing number of ground water wells going dry. Charts show on an average, since 1972 the river and stream flow has and will continue to decline without sustainability of the aquifer. This is especially harmful to those in the southern counties of the Republican Basin areas...

As a former McCook resident, a former McCook Daily Gazette staff member and an adamant supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, I have to say that when I went to the Gazette's Web site recently, I was very disappointed. I understand that the Gazette, at the very least, has to endorse Sen. ...

Soliciting Corporate Officers' opinions is, by necessity, a part of the decision process for choosing the direction our bailout program will steer. A problem with this was pointed out by Alan Greenspan's admission that he made a fundamental error in assuming a Board of Directors would always act prudently for the benefit of the company and its shareholders...

EUSTIS -- Kendra E Hock, age 23, of Gurley died in a one-vehicle rollover accident on a county road three miles west and a half-mile south of Eustis shortly after 6 pm, Monday, according to Dan Rupp, Frontier County Sheriff. Hock, the only occupant in the pickup, was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle. She died at the scene. Eustis Fire and Rescue responded to the scene and the accident was investigated by the Frontier County Sheriff's Office...

Colder weather and shorter days mean more time inside, and it will be darker, sooner, thanks to Sunday's end of Daylight Saving Time. That means the lights will be on for longer hours, but that doesn't necessarily mean bigger electric bills. That's because compact fluorescent light bulbs are becoming cheaper and more easily available in a wider variety of applications. Some of them are even able to able to handle a dimmer switch, but not the run-of-the-mill version available most places...

The first hard freeze happened last night. Standing watching bright yellow leaves floating like huge snowflakes to the ground -- enchanting. I love this place! Our recent "road" trip to San Antonio was interesting. As in any reunion, it is the people that attend that are the big story. We were not disappointed, for in the 40-plus years that have elapsed most of my squadron mates have done well...

I just read the Open Forum letter from Mr Randall and it did bring to mind some questions about the candidates that are banding together. Personally I think this is a very dangerous situation for individuals to band together as a voting group before they are on the board. It would be even more dangerous if they are planning on doing this if they get on the board...

ENDERS -- The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation plans to perform maintenance on the outlet works stilling basin at Enders Dam through much of November.\ The maintenanance will result in a noticeable increase in activity downstream of the dam in the vicinity of the outlet works. Activities will include drilling to investigate subsurface soil conditions and repairs to the outlet works stilling basin.}...

I don't know about the rest of you, but I can hardly wait for next Tuesday to be done and over with. Don't get me wrong, I've taken more of an interest in politics this year than I have at any other time in my life. I've even converted my husband. For the first time in his life he's registered to vote. ...