Stories from Monday, December 8, 2008

Leah and Byron Els celebrated their 60th anniversary on Dec. 1, 2008. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 70339 Avenue 348, Benkelman, NE 69021.

Friends and relatives are hosting a card shower for Harry and Elsie Petsch's 65th wedding anniversary on Dec. 11, 2008. Cards will reach them at RR 1 Box 108, 101 South Churchill, Palisade, NE 69040.

The family of Doug and Sylvia (Langley) Stutzman formerly of Trenton, now of Schuyler is hosting an open house in honor of the couple's 30th wedding anniversary. They were married Dec. 22, 1978, in Trenton. Children of the couple are Erin Stutzman of Lincoln, Katrina Stutzman of Lincoln and Nicholas and Katie Stutzman of Yankton S.D. ...

Hailey Eskew and Jake Thomas of Curtis announce the birth of their daughter, Kristen Corinne Thomas on Nov. 21, 2008, at Community Hospital in McCook. She weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 20 inches. Her grandparents are Robert and Barb Eskew of McCook and Jeff Thomas of Nunn, Colo. Great-grandparents are Donna Eskew of Oberlin and Fred Waldo of Oberlin...

Greg and Julie (Cobb) Swanson of Harris, Iowa announce the birth of their son, Luke Gregory Swanson. He was born Oct. 29, 2008, in Spirit Lake, Iowa. He weighed 6 pounds, 131/2 ounces and measured 20 inches. His grandparents are Dallas and Diane Cobb of McCook and Gail and Grace Swanson of Sutherland, Iowa. Great-grandparents are Ardyce Bick of Farnam and Eldred Cobb of McCook...

LINCOLN -- Betsy George and Layne Perkins, both of Lincoln exchanged wedding vows in an Oct. 18, 2008, ceremony at Messiah Lutheran Church in Lincoln, with the Rev. John Kunze officiating. Parents of the couple are Gerry and Pam George of Waco and Ron and Jean Perkins of McCook...

Jan. 4, 1951 - Dec. 2, 2008 Daniel Joseph Wallen of McCook, died Dec. 2, 2008, at Kindred Hospital in Houston, Texas after a short but valiant fight with cancer. He was 57 years old. On Jan. 4, 1951, he was born in McCook to Robert L. and Carollee G. (Franklin) Wallen. He graduated from McCook High School in 1969, McCook Junior College in 1971 and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1973. 

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HASTINGS -- Mark Nichols scored 29 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead the McCook High School junior varsity basketball team to a 41-31 victory over Hastings Friday night at Hastings. Nichols had 13 points at halftime, 8 points in the third quarter and 8 more in the final frame...

HASTINGS -- The McCook Bison Swim Team opened its season on Saturday with the Hastings Invite. All of the conference schools who offer swimming competed, making this a preview to the GNAC meet in February. Top performer for the Bison was Whitney Korgan, a triple medalist. Korgan broke her own school records in the 50 free with a time of 25.63 and the 100 free with a time of 57.54...

112-pounder Nate Morgan places first COZAD -- The McCook High School wrestling team placed seventh out of 14 teams at the Cozad Invitational Saturday and sophomore Nate Morgan won the title in the 112-pound weight class. "The Bison wrestling team competed very well considering we only put eight wrestlers out on the mat for the varsity portion of the tournament," said McCook wrestling coach Nick Umscheid. ...

ALMENA -- The Rawlins County boys basketball team opened the season with a 67-35 win over Northern Valley Friday. Drew Basgall led the Buffs with 23 points. Elijah Kastens added 21 points. Rawlins County -- Solko 4, Basgall 23, Grafel 2, Kastens 21, Cahoj 12, Holub 3, Johnson 2...

LAMAR, Colo. -- The McCook Community College men's basketball team went 0-2 at the Lamar Junior College Classic over the weekend in Lamar, Colo. MCC lost to Otero Junior College, La Junta, Colo., 94-72 Friday night and 88-69 to Lamar Saturday. Ronnell Grant led MCC in scoring against Otero with 19 points. Ray Robinson added 15 and Trey Mosby 10...

LA JUNTA, Colo. -- The McCook Community College women's basketball team lost three close games at the Region IX Sub-Regional Tournament. The tournament was hosted by Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colo. The Indians lost to Western Nebraska 68-56 Thursday, Otero JC 76-64 Friday and Lamar Junior College, Colo., 61-57 Saturday...

For one quarter, the McCook Bison varsity girls basketball team had Grand Island Northwest's number. The Bison rallied from an 18-10 deficit in the second quarter and took the lead 19-18 with a 9-0 run. Then the Vikings scored the final 5 points of the first half, then outscored McCook 14-8 in the third quarter and blew the game open in the fourth quarter...

Karissa Stengel, the 16-month-old daughter of Kim and Chad Stengel of Maywood, tries really, really hard not to pout, or to cry, as she sits on the lap of Santa Claus Saturday morning in Maywood. "Breakfast with Santa Claus" was sponsored by the Maywood Community Hall...

It has been a mild fall and snowfall has been limited, but if the nip in the air and snowy forecast weren't enough to put you in the Christmas mood, there was no excuse after last weekend. Perhaps the best KFNF Christmas Lights Parade yet rolled down Norris Avenue Saturday night, with hundreds sticking around for the entertaining Santa Cash Grab from the money machine at Norris and C. It was a pleasant night and the floats were more colorful than ever...

During the past year, during the Presidential Campaigns, we have heard a great deal about "Changes," in our government, our industries, and our way of life. The 1932 Presidential Campaign, which pitted New York's Governor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt against incumbent, Herbert Hoover, was another time when "Changes" was the hot topic on the political circuit...

The McCook Community College Music Department, under the direction of Glenda Baker, will perform their Christmas concert Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Weeth Theater while the departmental recital is set for Sunday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. in the Weeth Theater...