Stories from Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Red Willow County commissioners are asking that other counties share proportionately in the cost of juvenile justice services provided to them by Lutheran Family Services. Chris Berry of Lutheran Family Services asked commissioners at their weekly meeting Monday for Red Willow County's annual contribution of $12,000 to help LFS fund its Southwest Nebraska juvenile diversion program...

Poetry is rewarding in its own right, but McCook High School students are taking it more seriously this year. They should be. For the first time, McCook is participating in a poetry competition that could win the school $500 for the purchase of books and the national winner a $20,000 scholarship...

McCook Public Schools' business manager Rick Haney answers questions before the board of education Tuesday evening, interviewing for the position of superintendent. Interim Superintendent Dave Schley will vacate the position June 30, after serving two years. ...

McCook Senior High "Color Day" royalty candidates for 2009 pose in the school library/media center. The queen, the king and their attendants will be announced following the girls' and boys' basketball games against Lexington in the MHS gym Saturday. ...

The Omaha World-Herald will be roasted and remembered Tuesday at the February meeting of the Buffalo Commons Storytelling Committee. The good-bye to Nebraska's largest morning daily newspaper will be at the Bieroc Cafe, starting at 7 p.m. "Many of us are having withdrawal symptoms," said Walt Sehnert, who is working with Cloyd Clark and Gene Morris to arrange the World-Herald roast...

CURTIS -- The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture experienced its first-ever enrollment increase between the fall and spring semesters, multiplying the student population by 7 percent, according to officials. While normal enrollment increases are experienced in the fall semester, new academic and improved retention programs have yielded additional students for the spring semester. ...

Members of the YMCA Lifeguard staff practice their backboard techniques on fellow lifeguard Jayde Aufrecht. According to Anna Sis, Aquatic Director at the Ed Thomas YMCA, whenever an injury victim is suspected of a neck, back or spine injury it is crucial to get the victim immobilized to prevent further damage. ...

This past week at the Capitol, we had the final introductions of bills and began Committee Hearings. All in all, the first regular session of the 101st Legislature has seen 689 bills and resolutions introduced, with two of those bills already withdrawn...

June 14, 1929 - Jan. 25, 2009 LONGWOOD, Fla.,-- Lucile Mae Newman, 79, formerly of Leesburg, Fla., and Littleton, Colo., died Sunday (Jan. 25, 2009). She was born June 14, 1929, in Wauneta. She married Bob L. Newman. She was an elementary school teacher and later joined her husband, in the family real estate business. She was also a homemaker...

"Am I my brother's keeper?" While Cain and God both knew the answer -- Cain had already killed his brother Abel -- not all of us have answered the question for ourselves. As economic conditions deteriorate, more and more of us are needing help from our friends and neighbors -- and more and more of us are being called upon to provide that help...

Oct. 3, 1932 - Jan. 21, 2009 ARAPAHOE -- Funeral services for Carl W. Leising were conducted from Trinity Lutheran Church of Arapahoe, Neb. on Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, with Reverend David Otten officiating. Interment with military honors followed at Fort McPherson National Cemetery at Maxwell, Neb...

If you watch the news you know that times are tough and getting tougher. Jobs are being lost across the country and in our own town. My concern is the people in this area are not taking advantage of programs that are there to help. One place in particular is the Community Supper on Thursday nights at the Methodist Church. ...

The family of Darrell and K.C. Eckhardt of McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 45th wedding anniversary on Jan. 31, 2009. Children of the couple are Brenda and husband, Joe Anderjaska of Hayes Center and Steve and Darcy Eckhardt of McCook. They have six grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 803 Missouri Avenue, McCook NE 69001...

ALMA/MAYWOOD -- Boys basketball teams from Hayes Center, Dundy County-Stratton, Arapahoe and Medicine Valley moved into the division semifinals of the Republican Plains Activites Conference tournament after second round action Tuesday night. Golden Plains Division...

Another holiday season has passed and we have coiled up the last of the power cords to our musical digital light show. We appreciate all of you who came out to see the lights dance to the music. I enjoyed going out to greet you and have you sign the guest book. As we counted up the entries, we came up with more than 3,766 people in 1,426 vehicles. We passed out more than 200 dozen candy canes! Even on the very cold, windy nights, there were still carloads of you watching the show...

Dick Trail's article of Tuesday, Jan. 20, in the McCook Daily Gazette had some truths in it, but mostly sounded like a very biased Republican who is in the state of vexation over the Republicans' defeat in the last two elections. His first sentence in this article is true, and I quote: "Before leaving town, President George W. Bush declared Washington D.C. a disaster area."...

It is about time someone came out with a clear explanation of the international financial crisis. For weeks and weeks, officials have been rushing about holding conferences and councils and having their pictures taken going up and down the steps of government buildings and getting on and off airplanes...

SCOTTSBLUFF -- The McCook High School girls swim team placed second at the Twin Cities swim meet Saturday in Scottsbluff. "We had some excellent performances at the meet," said McCook head coach Lori Jumps. "Omaha Westside was unable to attend the meet which allowed the Bison to claim more points than usual."...

Bison frosh/soph girls clipped by Chase County IMPERIAL -- The McCook High School freshman-sophomore girls basketball team lost Tuesday to Chase County 26-23 in Imperial. McCook struggled offensively for three quarters before surging back in the forth quarter to close to within 1 point late in the game...

LINCOLN -- Four days after suffering a tough overtime loss, the Nebraska Cornhuskers return to their home court again tonight when they take on the defending national champion Kansas Jayhawks. The teams will tip off at 6:32 p.m. at the Devaney Center with Bob Wischusen calling the action and Doug Gottlieb serving as color analyst. The contest will be seen nationally on ESPN2...

LINCOLN -- The Gator Bowl champion Nebraska Cornhusker football team had a pair of Southwest Nebraska standouts in Chase County-Imperial alum Mathew May and Wauneta-Palisade graduate Taylor Dixon. Both players are walk-ons in the tradition of Husker alum and Culbertson High School product Ben Eisenhart, who played at Nebraska from 2003-07...

The high country on the Western Slope, "just over the mountain" as Sunny Poole used to say, can be a lonely place. Especially in the dead of winter. Especially if you're laid off work. Especially if your wife and children take off for an extended visit with family. That's where my friend Sunny's husband found himself, many long years ago, long before we knew them...