Stories from Friday, January 23, 2009

NORTH PLATTE -- The McCook Community College men's basketball team snapped a long losing-streak against North Platte Tuesday night at the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium. The Indians (9-10) defeated the Knights (15-3) 69-60 and won their first game at the NPCC facility since the 2002 season...

Oct. 9, 1940 -- Jan. 20, 2009 OMAHA -- Stuart R. Jaeger, 68, died Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 at Hospice House in Omaha. Stuart was born Oct. 9, 1940, in Lodgepole, Neb. to Homer and Helen (Thomas) Jaeger. He grew up in McCook and attended St. Patrick's School in McCook and McCook High School...

HASTINGS -- The McCook High School wrestling team dominated Hastings 60-15 in a dual match Thursday at Hastings. Individual winners for McCook were Jesus Gauna, 103 pounds; Nate Morgan, 112; Jake Fahrenbruch, 119; Skyler Kalinski, 125; Drew Peterson, 130; Keldon Osterman, 140; Deon Allen, 160; Eric Chalupa, 171; Hank Lichtenwaldt, 189; Derek Chancellor, 215; and Ross Stewart, heavyweight...

The 2009 MAC Attack begins Saturday and runs through Sunday in McCook. Boys and girls in grades fourth through eighth will play in the McCook Junior High, Senior High and St. Patrick's School gyms. Players from Southern Valley, North Platte, McCook, Hayes Center, Oberlin, Goodland, Hoxie and Phillipsburg, Kan., Yuma, Colo., Cambridge and Arapahoe...

CAMBRDIGE -- The Cambridge girls basketball team, ranked No. 2 in Nebraska Class C-2, improved to 12-0 with a 59-48 win over Dundy County-Stratton Thursday night. Traci Keyser was top gunner with 23 points for the Trojans. Bailey Soucie chipped in 20 points and Frankie Petersen scored 11...

The McCook Junior High School seventh grade boys basketball A, B and C teams swept Ogallala Thursday at the MJHS gymnasium. The Bison A team won 20-14, the B team won 21-2 and the C team won 21-7. The Bison host Lexington at 4 p.m. on Feb. 2. Mack Alspaugh led the Bison A team with 8 points, followed by Hunter Felker with 5 and Austin Wright 4...

Four McCook girls score in double figures; Bison boys lose opener in Colby tourney COLBY, Kan. -- The McCook High School girls basketball team, led by four players in double figures, routed Goodland 65-45 Thursday night in the first round of the 24th annual Colby Orange and Black Classic...

HASTINGS -- The Botsford's Tae Kwon Do program from McCook was represented by four members at the SCTKD Winter Blast last Saturday at Central Community College-Hastings. Seth Jones, a yellow belt, placed first in forms and third in sparring in the adult division...

NORTH PLATTE -- The man accused of killing an Arapahoe woman as he allegedly drove drunk in October 2007 is now serving 30 days in jail on another driving while intoxicated charge, this one in Lincoln County. The Lincoln County DWI charge against Herchel Huff, 36, of Grant and Holbrook, was reduced from third offense to second offense. ...

The City of McCook appears to be in good fiscal shape, with net assets exceeding its liabilities by $27,321,937. A financial snapshot of the city using the 2007-08 budget was presented to the McCook City Council Monday night at its regular meeting, from information gathered by the auditing firm of Almquist, Maltzahn, Gallway and Luth of Grand Island...

BENKELMAN -- His photographs caught many nuances of Laura Lutz's expressions -- the high school student that she is ... a strikingly pretty young woman ... the fashion model that she could become. Laura carried her senior pictures to a modeling audition in Kearney in October, and, although a talent agent said she could envision Laura in toothpaste commercials, she realized, with Benkelman photographer Stan Stroup's portfolio, that Laura is so much more than just a pretty smile...

The new president will receive criticism for most of his first executive orders, some of it justified. Thursday, he signed orders closing the Guantanamo Bay prison within a year, as well as secret overseas prisons used to hold prisoners associated with terrorism...

There have always been two distinct sides to my personality. One is the hard-charging, have-a-good-time, politically and socially interested, macho, sports-minded side and the other is the vulnerable, caring, emotional side when something really touches my heart. I've cried at the movies, cried watching television shows, and cried in front of the loves of my life. I had several of those emotional moments while watching Tuesday's Presidential Inauguration...

Wednesday nights just got great again. The fifth season of "Lost" debuted on ABC on Jan. 21, and delivered another pair of fiercely entertaining, spectacularly produced hours that put most of the rest of primetime television on notice -- a prime example of what TV can accomplish when everyone behind the scenes, including network executives, break the shackles of the ordinary and willingly take big (and bigger) risks...

The McCook Public Schools board of education plans four special board meetings next week, Monday through Thursday, to interview candidates for the position that will be vacated June 30 by two-year-interim Superintendent Dave Schley. Each meeting will begin at 6:45 p.m., in the junior high conference room. Board members will interview each candidate until 8:45 p.m., after which they will go into closed session to evaluate the candidate. No board action will be taken following closed sessions...

Red Willow County commissioners will listen to another presentation on a county jail and get an update on Pawnee Aviation loans at their weekly meeting Monday, starting at 9 a.m., in the commissioners' room on the third floor of the courthouse in McCook...

The family of Dr. and Mrs. R.R. (Forsberg) Morgan of Cambridge is requesting a card shower in honor of the couples 50th wedding anniversary. They were married Jan. 25, 1959, in Herman. Children of the couple are Greg Morgan of Topeka, Kan., Eugene and Joan Koch of McCook, Suzanne Morgan of Kearney, Sara Minnick of Broken Bow and Eric and Erika Morgan of Omaha. They have 13 grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at POB 366 Cambridge, NE 69020...

Gabe and Melissa Critchfield of Bartley announce the birth of their daughter, Juliett Alice Critchfield on Dec. 30, 2008. She weighed 5 pounds, 12.5 ounces and measured 19 inches. She has a 10-year-old sister, Karlie, 4-year-old sister, Delaney and 2-year-old brother, Treven. Her grandparents are Steve and Pat Downer of Bartley, Glenda Critchfield of McCook and Martin Critchfield of Denver, Colo. Her great-grandmother is Alice Rummel of Cambridge...

Tanner and Lori Rousselle of Lincoln, announce the birth of their daughter, Lauren Deanne Rousselle on Jan. 11, 2009, at Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln. She weighed 7.5 pounds and measured 20 ounces. She has a 2-year-old sister, Linden Rousselle. ...

LITTLETON, Colo. -- Stephanie Hagan and Jeffrey Dusatko of Aurora, Colo., were united in marriage on May 25, 2008, at Arrowhead Golf Club in Littleton, Colo. with Jim Dusatko, father of the bridegroom, officiating. Parents of the couple are Pat Hagan of Culbertson, Don Hagan of McCook and Jim and Maxine Dusatko of McCook...

The family of Velma Steinke, formerly of Culbertson, is requesting a card shower in honor of her 101st birthday Feb. 1. Cards of congratulation will reach her at PO Box 97, Trenton, NE, 69044.

The friends of Ivalee Balderston are hosting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday on Jan. 26, 2009. Cards will reach her at 41616 Rd705 Wilsonville,Ne 69046.

Troy and Deb (Ridlen) Palser of Elsie, announce the birth of their son, Gage Allen Palser on Jan. 10, 2009, in North Platte. He weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 21 inches. His grandparents are Dave and Pam Ridlen of Enders and James and Monica Palser of Fort Collins, Colo. Great grandparents are Hertha Holien of Enders, DeLoris Ridlen of Hot Springs, S.D., and Ronald and Gabriella Vernon of Julesburg, Colo...

Theresa Maxine Hock of Culbertson and Everett Charles Deger II of Grant were united in marriage at Saint Patrick's Catholic Church in McCook on June 14, 2008, with Monsignor Mark Huber of Denton, cousin of the bridegroom, officiating. Parents of the couple are Brad and Mary Jo Hock of Culbertson, Linda Robinson of Lincoln and Steve and Mary K. Deger of Fairbury...