Stories from Friday, January 30, 2009

TRENTON -- The Class D1 No. 6 ranked Wauneta-Palisade girls basketball team advanced to the championship game of the Republican Plains Activities Conference with a 51-48 win over Maywood Thursday. "This was a heartbreaker tonight," said Tiger coach Kim Stengel. "The girls all played so hard and gave a solid effort all 32 minutes. This game will make us stronger and help us learn. Wauneta-Palisade is a very tough defensively and can shoot the ball well...

The McCook High School freshman boys basketball A and B teams split games with North Platte Gold Thursday at the MHS gymnasium. The Bison A team lost to North Platte 52-29 and the B team defeated the Bulldogs 43-33. Kyle Gaston led the A team in scoring with 11 points. Gabe Ware added 5. Trevor Schramm led North Platte with 11 points. Jake Berglund added 9...

The McCook High School freshman girls basketball A team lost to North Platte 49-23 Thursday night at McCook and the B team won 25-17. The Bison A team was led in scoring by Shelby Allen and Taylor Matson with 6 points each. Sierra Ortiz and Rachel Bradley both added 3. McCook was led in rebounding by Ortiz with 6. Erin Wright and Bradley each had 5 boards and Taylor 4...

KEARNEY -- The University of Nebraska-Kearney volleyball program announced a full slate of camps for summer 2009. The Loper Volleyball Camp will conduct two sessions of individual and team camps along with a one-day setter/libero camp. Traveling camps may also be arranged throughout the months of June and early July...

CURTIS -- The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture-Curtis equestrian team's Western horsemen met with success at four shows during the fall season. On Saturday, October 11, 2008, the students participated in the UNL Intercollegiate Horse Show with nine other colleges and universities...

IMPERIAL -- On Thursday night the McCook Bison wrestling team traveled to Chase County for a dual. The Bison defeated the Longhorns 55-18 and along the way were able to pick up five pins in the matches that were contested. "Overall we were very pleased with how our wrestlers competed," said McCook coach Nick Umscheid. "They looked very determined to put on a good show and you could see the focus in their preparation...

Nov. 18, 1908 - Jan. 28, 2009 OBERLIN -- Muriel Ready, 100, died Wednesday (Jan. 28, 2009) at Decatur County Good Samaritan Center. She was born Nov. 18, 1908, to Roy and Eva (Wagner) Conrad in rural Larned, Kan. She grew up near Larned and attended school there. She then attended Fort Hayes State University...

Jan. 7, 1930 - Jan. 29, 2009 Ellen D. (Miller) Ringenberg, 79, died Thursday (Jan. 29, 2009) at her home in rural Elwood. She was born Jan. 7, 1930, in Dawson County on a farm northwest of Gothenburg, to Henry J. and Dora L. (Rathe) Miller. She was baptized, confirmed and married in the Zion Lutheran Church north of Gothenburg. ...

June 29, 1936 -- January 27, 2009 ATLANTA, Ga. -- Mary Lorraine (Orin) Avery, age 72, passed away Jan. 27, 2009, in Atlanta, Ga., surrounded by her family. Mary was born in Culbertson, Neb., on June 29, 1936 to Charles "Jack" and Eloise (Moore) Orin and grew up on the family ranch south of Culbertson where her grandfather, Ed Orin, raised horses and trained Kentucky Derby winner and member of the Jockey Hall of Fame, Steve Brooks. ...

HOLDREGE -- The McCook eighth grade boys basketball teams went 3-0 at Holdrege Thursday. The Bison won the A, B and C team games. Sean Baker and Austin Cherry teamed up with 9 points each and Matt Collicott had 8 for the Bison A team. The A team is 3-0...

When the only thing in your toolbox is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail. For the Republicans, that nail has traditionally been tax cuts. Now that the Democrats have the majority, the nail looks like spending. Both approaches have the disadvantage of draining the national coffers and running up the national debt...

The House passed the $819 billion stimulus bill Wednesday night in the hope of giving a shot in the arm to our comatose economy. The vote was 244-188. Eleven Democrats voted against the bill while no Republicans supported it. Even though pleas were made from both sides of the aisle for bipartisanship, little was to be found...

For almost every calendar day, there is an observance. Some of these observances are the very definition of obscure (January 26th's Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, for example, or July 22nd's Health, Happiness with Hypnosis Day, for another), while others are a little more elevated than rest (Arbor Day, anyone?), but the pinnacle of scheduled observances is the holiday...

The proposed national economic stimulus package seems to have something for everyone, including possible funds for street improvements in McCook. A public hearing for street work slated this year and for the next six years will be conducted at the regular meeting of the McCook City Council, 7:30 p.m., in City Council Chambers at Memorial Auditorium...

McCook Public Schools' board of education plans a special meeting today to make its choice to fill the superintendent's position. Four men -- Paul Calvert of Columbus, Rick Haney of McCook, Grant Norgaard of Leigh and Vernon Fisher of Lincoln -- have interviewed throughout the week for the position that will open up with the departure June 30 of two-year-interim Superintendent Dave Schley...

Red Willow County commissioners will discuss flood damages, weeds and an eco-retreat at their weekly meeting Monday morning, starting at 9 a.m., in the commissioners' room on the third floor of the courthouse in McCook. In correspondence from the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, the county will receive a disaster relief payment of $89,507.25 for damages to county property caused by floods in the spring of 2008...

CURTIS -- "Opening the Doors to New Rural Opportunities" will be Saturday, Feb. 9, in Curtis at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in the VT Building. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. "Opening Doors" gives aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn the steps needed to develop new opportunities in rural Nebraska...

Teaghan Thomas Shackelford of Thousand Oaks, Calif., appears in a commercial for Universal Studios that will be aired during Super Bowl XLIII Sunday. Teaghan is the six-year-old son of Rick and Bethany Shackelford; the grandson of Arthur R. Berndt, also of Thousand Oaks, formerly of the Cedar Bluffs/Oberlin area; and the great-nephew of Leona Nelson of McCook. Teaghan also appears in a Campbell's chicken noodle soup commercial as a little pirate boy...

Julie Guerra-Mansfield and Scott Farwell, both of Lincoln, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are James and Shirley Mansfield formerly McCook, of Altus, Okla., and the late Gayle and Charlene Farwell. The bride-to-be is a 1985 McCook Senior High graduate and is employed with Community Action of Nebraska as the Statewide EITC Coordinator. ...

Klarissa Bellamy, formerly of Grand Island and Joe Haag, formerly of McCook, of Kearney announce their engagement and upcoming marriage. Parents of the couple are John and Bonnie Bellamy of Cairo and Stephen and Shari Haag of McCook. The bride-to-be graduated from Grand Island Central Catholic High School and is a December 2008 graduate of the University Nebraska at Kearney with a Bachelor of Science in journalism and public relations with a minor in marketing. She is employed with US Bank...

Randi and Carrie (Waddell) Smith of Watonga, Okla., announce the birth of Jillian Cynthia Smith on Aug. 21, 2008, at Integris Hospital in Yukon, Okla. She weighed 9 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 22 inches. She has three siblings, 7-year-old Jaden, 6-year-old Jordan and 2-year-old Jacen. ...

Michael and Angela (Corman) Millington announce the birth of their son, Max Everett Millington in Tulsa, Okla., on Jan. 14, 2009. He weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 20 inches. His grandparents are Richard and Mary Alice Corman of Edgar, Jeannie Ryan of Garden City, Kan., and Dale and Jonnie Millington of Shell Knob, Mo. ...

Nick and Kati Landenburger of Stratton announce the birth of their son, Scot Stiles Landenburger, on Jan. 13, 2009 at Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial. He weighed 8 pounds, 14.6 ounces and was 21 inches long. He has one sister, Haley, 16 months. ...

Patrick and Pamela Minary of Indianola announce the birth of their daughter, Olivia Ida Minary on Dec. 23, 2008. She weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces and measured 201/2 inches. She has two sisters, Raelynn and Amelia Minary. Her grandparents are Arlyn and Penny Minary of McCook and Dean and Ann Sladek of Bartley...

The family of Ted Deuter is requesting a card shower in honor of his 101st birthday Feb. 4. Cards of congratulation will reach him at PO Box 97, Trenton, NE 69044.

The family of Bernice (Deaver) Straub, formerly of McCook, is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday on Feb. 9. Cards will reach her at 707 Price, Oakley, Kan. 67748.

The family of Miriam Tuller of Topeka, Kan., is hosting an open house and card shower in honor of her 80th birthday She was born Feb. 4, 1929 at St. Catherine Hospital in McCook to Lucy Irene and Hardy Lee Phillips. Her family includes her daughter, Barbara Anne DeBolt and son-in-law, Leonard DeBolt. ...

The family of Eileen Moore are requesting a card shower in honor of her 95th birthday on Feb. 5. Cards will reach her at Willow Ridge No. 40, 1500 East 11th Street, McCook NE 69001.

The children of John and Eileen Hubert are requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 60th wedding anniversary. They were married Feb. 6, 1949, at Peace Lutheran Church in McCook. They have five children, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 901 Sunset Road, McCook, NE 69001...

Melissa Bennett of Kearney and Brett Melchert of Benkelman were united in marriage July 12, 2008, at Evangelical Free Church with the Rev. Tim Peterson officiating. Parents of the bride are Tim Bennett and Angie Bennett of Kearney. Parents of the bridegroom are Rick Melchert of Trenton and Linda Melchert of Benkelman...

The Red Willow-Frontier County FSA Office has scheduled two informational meetings to discuss significant changes in the 2009 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program. The first meeting will be Tuesday Feb. 10, at the Curtis Community Center in Curtis. The second meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. ...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The plan to move the Nebraska State Fair to Grand Island in 2010 is prompting Nebraska 4-H to determine how it can improve its offerings to the state's young people. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension offices statewide are being asked to survey youth and adults in 4-H to find new ideas to bring to the fair once it moves from Lincoln, said Kathleen Lodl, assistant dean of extension...

WASHINGTON -- Last night (Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009), the United States Senate passed legislation to reauthorize and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson joined 65 of his colleagues in supporting the measure...

WASHINGTON -- Today (Friday, Jan. 30, 2009), Sen. Mike Johanns made the following statement after voting against the proposal to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP): "As Governor, I rolled out Nebraska's Kids Connection program using SCHIP funds. We reduced the number of uninsured children in our state by nearly 50 percent and it was regarded as one of the most successful programs in the nation...

March 20, 1914-Jan. 29, 2009 ARAPAHOE -- Helen C. Cunningham, 94, died Thursday (Jan. 29, 2009), at the C.A. Mues Good Samaritan Center in Arapahoe. She was born March 20, 1914 in Furnas County near Cambridge to Herman P. and Lean (Rupp) Heisleman. She grew up in the Cambridge area and attended school at Cambridge High School, graduating with the Class of 1932...

Aug. 15, 1925-Jan. 29, 2009 OBERLIN -- Phyllis E. Lohoefener, 83, died Thursday (Jan. 29, 2009), at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. She was born Aug. 15, 1925, at Norcatur, Kan., to Jacob R. and Loretta F. (Bell) Betts. The family moved to Oberlin in 1934. She attended Norcatur Grade School, graduated from Decatur Community High School in 1943 and earned a business degree at Kansas University...

Feb. 22, 1916-Jan. 30, 2009 JENNINGS -- William Carter, 92, died Friday (Jan. 30, 2009), at Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. He was born Feb. 22, 1916, at rural Jennings, to Jesse and Grace (Tice) Carter. He was raised in Jennings and attended school there...

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Ben Nelson released the following statement regarding the economic recovery package currently being discussed in the Senate: "I am troubled by the worsening impact the national economic downturn is having on Nebraskans and I believe we may need a targeted, tailored stimulus bill to create new jobs, save jobs and open new job opportunities...

Red Willow County Sheriff Gene Mahon reminds county residents that he and his deputies are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. "We may not always have enough personnel to have someone on duty at all times," Sheriff Mahon said. "But we're always on call, and always available."...

Nebraska is one of only nine states currently not in a financial crisis, Gov. Dave Heineman told a group of McCook entrepreneurs at a luncheon strategy session Friday. That comes from the Nebraska values of fiscal common sense, a well-known work ethic and honesty and integrity, he said, standards that are helping the state weather the current faltering economy...