Stories from Friday, December 12, 2008

GOODLAND, Kan. -- After scoring 43 and 33 points in their first two games, the McCook High School boys basketball team found some offense Thursday in the first round of the 20th annual Goodland (Kan.) Topside Tip-off Classic. The McCook boys routed the Weskan Coyotes 79-32 and advanced to the semifinals tonight against the host squad from Goodland, which defeated Wray, Colo., 56-49...

GOTHENBURG -- Southern Valley's girls basketball team lost 73-32 to Gothenburg Thursday night. Paige Quinn put in 9 points for the Eagles and was 2 for 2 in free throws. Cassie Brooks and Abby Schoen both had 6 points. Quinn, Brooks and Schoen all had 2 2-point shots. Jessie Sadd was also 2 for 2 in free throws and Schoen was 2 for 3...

The McCook High School freshman girls basketball team dropped to 1-1 on the year with a 36-15 loss to North Platte on Thursday at the high school gym. "The girls played pretty good defense, but our offense really struggled tonight, said McCook coach Jon Graff said. "The girls played hard all game. After a disappointing first half, they really came out in the second half and fought back."...

2008 D2-10 All-District Football Team Offense Quarterback Chase Wickard, SR, Banner Co. Running Back Casey Lundvall, SR, Wallace Keifer Messersmith, JR, Hayes Center Interior Line (Centers & Guards) Austin Lawson, SR, Hayes Center Brandon Clough, SR, Wallace...

June 29, 1915 - Nov. 30, 2008 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Helen M. Colfer, 93, of Scottsdale, Ariz., passed away on Nov. 30, 2008. Helen was born on June 29, 1915, in Sioux Falls, S.D., where she grew up. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in primary education from the University of Nebraska in 1937. Her first teaching assignment was in McCook, where she met and married Thomas Colfer in 1939. After 60 years of marriage, Tom predeceased Helen in 1999...

North Platte -- Efforts to control white-tailed deer may have hurt mule deer numbers, and are being re-evaluated, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The commission, as part of a statewide information effort, has recently completed public forums in Southwest Nebraska regarding management strategies for elk, pronghorn, mule deer and white-tailed deer...

The newest addition to the McCook City Fire Department is Axe, a 12-week old AKC registered Dalmation puppy that will stay at the fire house 24/7. The last of the litter, Axe was flown in Thursday night and donated by a breeder in North Carolina The high-spirited puppy has one brown eye, one blue eye but unlike many such dogs, is not deaf, said Fire Chief Marc Harpham. ...

Kudos to all involved in the new Center for Applied Science and Technology, which will be located in the old Pepper youth center in the 200 block of East B in McCook. The cooperative, between McCook Public Schools, Mid-Plains Community College Area, the Nebraska Department of Corrections Work Ethic Camp, Valmont Industries and Phoenix Transitional Services, will provide welding and machine shop skills toward college credit...

A few days ago, NBC announced -- with some fanfare -- that long-time "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno, who was rumored to be on his way to another network, would not only be staying at NBC, but in fact, be given a new prime time series. Leno's new show will launch this upcoming fall, and while there hasn't been any hint of what it will be, one thing is known: It will run at 9 p.m. every night, five nights a week...

I made a visit to your city to check out Sehnert's Bakery. Every year during the holidays, I ordered the famous "stollen bread" for friends and family. I was greeted wiht a wonderful surprise as I drove through McCook -- what a beautiful town. I visited the bakery and made my purchase; then met the owner of the bakery. ...

Brandon Rietcheck, 19, has been missing since 6 p.m. Tuesday. He is 6 feet, 1 inch takke, weighs 150 pounds, has brownhair, blue eyes and a scar on the bridge of hsi nose and right hand between his index finger and thumb. No tatoos, but both ears are pierced with lobe stretchers and he has a pierced tongue. ...

Jan. 22, 1942-Dec. 8, 2008 Lois (Hansen) McBee passed away Dec. 8, 2008, in Mesa, Ariz., surrounded by immediate family. Lois was born in Correctionville, Iowa on Jan. 22, 1942. She married Ward McBee on March 23, 1959 and enjoyed raising her four daughters and being a farmer's wife in Culbertson, Neb. Ward and Lois moved to Apache Junction, Ariz., in 1994 to enjoy the warm weather and to be closer to grandchildren...

Five properties in the city have been determined to be severely dilapidated or unsafe and the McCook City Council will be asked to convene the Health Board regarding them, at the regular City Council meeting Monday, 7:30 p.m, at City Council Chambers in Memorial Auditorium...

The heart of Community Hospital's new Siemens ultra-short bore MRI machine is lowered by crane Friday morning, on its way to a new in-house MRI suite. The McCook hospital now uses a fixed mobile MRI unit attached to the hospital, but the new suite, expected to be in use in about a month, will be much more convenient for patients and medical staff. ...

GOODLAND, Kan. -- The McCook High School boys basketball team will play for the championship at the 20th annual Goodland Topside Tip-off Classic Saturday night. McCook blasted the host Goodland Cowboys Friday night in the semifinals 59-39. The Bison will play Ottawa, Kan., tonight in the championship game at 8 p.m. central time/7 p.m. mountain time at the Max Jones Fieldhouse...

WAUNETA -- A last second 3-point shot by Bailey Soucie gave the Cambridge girls a win over Wauneta-Palisade 40-37 Friday night at Wauneta. The Trojans outscored the Broncos 16 to 3 in the fourth quarter. "The girls showed a lot of mental toughness, they know how to win," said Cambridge girls basketball coach Josh Graves...