Stories from Monday, December 15, 2008

LINCOLN -- Kristen Miller and Joe Lienemann of Lincoln were united in marriage Aug. 9, 2008, at First Evangelical Free Church in Lincoln with the Rev. Scott Kerr officiating. Parents of the couple are Kim Miller of North Platte, Kelvin and Leigh Ann Miller of McCook and Doug and Mary Lienemann of Lincoln...

Jeff and Tiah (Harris) Becker of Auburn announce the birth of their son, Camron James Becker, on Nov. 6, 2008, at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Lincoln. He weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 20.5 inches. He has a 2-year-old sister, Lilyan. His grandparents are Vernette Becker of Arapahoe, Larry Becker of Beaver City and Steve and Marni Harris, formerly of McCook, now of Pittsburg, Kan...

Scott and Tracy Kaps announce the birth of their twins Gunner Justin and Avery Nicole. They were born Nov. 13, 2008 at Community Hospital in McCook. Gunner weighed 6 pounds, two ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. Avery weighed 5 pounds, ten ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long. They have two siblings, Ellisa, 6 and Garrett, 4, Grandparents are John and Cindy Polk of Antioch and John and Jean Kaps of Lisco. Great-grandparents are Mary Custer of Gering and Jean Blain of Oshkosh...

Nicholas and Tiffany Vargas of Curtis announce the birth of their sonTrey Nicholas Vargas on Nov. 14, 2008, at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. He weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces and measured 21 inches. He has a two siblings, 4-year-old Ashton and 3-year-old Hilary. His grandparents are Lois Vargas of North Platte and Neal and Teresa Meyers of Holbrook. Great-grandparents are...

Adam and Jami (Brennemann) Helmbrecht of Kearney announce the birth of their daughter, Bailey Mae Helmbrecht on Nov. 11, 2008. She has a 2-year-old sister, Addison Helmbrecht. Her grandparents are Will Brennemann of Fairbanks, Alaska and Don and Shirley Helmbrecht of Kearney. Great-grandparents are Neal Callan of McCook, Dorothy Helmbrecht of Grand Island and Evelyn Glover of Grand Island...

Bill and Penny Sailors of McCook announce the birth of their son, Benjamin J. Sailors on Oct. 13, 2008, at Community Hospital in McCook. He weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 20 3/4 inches. His grandparents are Carol Bridgman of McCook, Barry Bridgman of Whitten, S.D., and John and Mary Douglas of Coffeyville, Kan...

HOLDREGE -- The McCook High School wrestling team placed second out of 10 teams at the Holdrege Tournament Saturday. McCook's Nate Morgan captured first place in the 112-pound weight class with a 2-0 record. Placing second were Skyler Kalinski, 125 pounds; Rusty Sullivent, 135, 2-1; and Eric Chalupa, 189, 2-1...

Maywood's girls and Arapahoe's boys basketball teams won the McCook Cattle Trail Invitational basketball tournament titles Saturday at the McCook High School gymnasium. Girls division Maywood took the girls tournament title after pushing out Hitchcock County 37-28 in the finals and Arapahoe 47-37 in the semifinals...

BREWSTER, Kan. -- The Rawlins County-Atwood boys and the Stratton, Colo., girls claimed the championships of the 2008 Brewster Sagebrush Shootout. The Rawlins County boys blasted St. Francis 86-44 for the championship. The Stratton girls defeated Rawlins County 50-41 for the girls title...

GOODLAND, Kan. -- The McCook High School boys basketball team placed second in Saturday's championship game at the 20th annual Goodland Topside Tip-off Classic.

Jan. 4, 1923 - Dec. 11, 2008 Edward Hlavinka died Thursday (Dec. 11, 2008) at the Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook at the age of 85. He was born on a farm near Ord, Neb., in Valley County on Jan. 4, 1923, the son of Frank and Mary (Dohnal) Hlavinka. He went to country school which was during the time of the Great Depression, drought, dust storms, grass hoppers and heat...

March 11, 1936 - Dec. 12, 2008 MAYWOOD -- Richard Cox, 72, of Sutherland, formerly of Maywood, died on Friday (Dec. 12, 2008) at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. He was born on March 11, 1936, at Maywood to Richard and Rita (Bates) Cox. He graduated from Maywood High School. He served his country in the U. S. Army from January 1955-January 1958. He worked for the Nebraska Department of Roads...

Aug. 25, 1927 -- Nov. 28, 2008 TOPEKA, Kan. -- Gladys Katherine Awtrey, age 81, died Nov. 28, 2008, at Stormont-Vail Health Center in Topeka. She was born Aug. 25, 1927, in La Junta, Colo., the daughter of George and Katherine (Schimpf) Dorsch. Gladys had lived in Ulysses since 1963. She grew up near La Junta and graduated from La Junta High School...

Feb. 28, 1954 - Dec. 11, 2008 LOGAN, Kan. -- Wanda Lea Turner died Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008, at Logan Manor Nursing Home at Logan, Kan., at the age of 54. She was born Feb. 28, 1954, in Norton, Kan., the daughter of the late Robert A. and Laura Belle (Laughlin) Turner. ...

April 27, 1923 - Dec. 12, 2008 LEOVILLE -- Aloysius B. Schuhart, 85, died Friday (Dec. 12, 2008) at Cedar Living Center in Oberlin. He was born April 27, 1923, in Sheridan County, Kan., to Peter J. and Anna (Ritter) Schuhart. He grew up on the family farm near Leoville and attended Green Valley School...

May 19, 1933 - Dec. 14, 2008 CAMBRIDGE -- Joan L. Gufford, 75, died at Sunday (Dec. 14, 2008) at her home in Cambridge. She was born in Cambridge, May 19, 1933. She grew up in the Cambridge area and graduated from Cambridge High School in 1951. She worked while in high school for Dr. Taylor's dentist office and the Minnick Hospital. She move to Denver to take a job...

A new program at Mid Plains Community College where businesses are partnered with employees is up for approval by the MPCC Board of Governors, at a regular meeting 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the North Campus in North Platte. The Mid-Plains Center for Enterprise is seeking approval for a new academic program, Corporate Associate of Occupational Studies degree, to be available at both McCook and North Platte campuses. ...

Check out Sunday's high temperature in today's paper and you may do a double-take. Yes, the highest temperature Sunday was 43 -- but it came at midnight following a balmy 54-degree Saturday. By daybreak Sunday, the temperature had dropped to 7 degrees on its way to 5 below by midnight this morning and continuing to drop...

After World War I, there was a strong movement to outlaw alcoholic beverages in the United States. This all culminated in 1920, when the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, known as the Volstead Act (Prohibition), was ratified by 36 States and became the law of the land...

Movie Review - Australia Rated PG-13 for some violence, a scene of sensuality, and brief strong language. Run time of 2 hours 45 minutes. Starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman Directed by Baz Luhrmann Australia is a huge beast of a flick. This movie was made on an epic scale with grand visions of recreating the grand old days of epic movie making such as 'Gone with the Wind.' Forgive me, as I will probably say epic a lot in this review...