Stories from Friday, March 13, 2009

April 6, 1911 - March 11, 2009 Elizabeth Ann "Betty" Harsh, died Wednesday (March 11, 2009) at Community Hospital in McCook at the age of 97. She was born April 6, 1911, at Rockford, Neb., the daughter of the late Rev. Willis and Etta (Tibbetts) Mills. Betty and her family resided in several communities and she graduated from Benedict High School in 1929 at Benedict, Neb. She attended the University of Omaha and began teaching school...

Oct. 14, 1907 - March 12, 2009 EUSTIS -- Truman Barrett, age 101, of Eustis, died March 12, 2009 at Gothenburg Memorial Hospital Long-Term Care. He was born Oct. 14, 1907, at Orafino, NE to Harley and Pearl (Bailey) Barrett. He attended Orafino High School. Following his schooling, Truman worked on the family farm southwest of Eustis...

LINCOLN -- The McCook High School Bison went head-to-head for four quarters with the Nebraska Class B No. 1 ranked Ralston Rams in a first-round state playoff game at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln Thursday night. Ralston ultimately edged the Bison 68-57...

For the second time, the McCook City Council will be asked to extend the completion date of the injection well project at the sewer. The council will take up the request at its regular meeting, 7:30 p.m. Monday at City Council Chambers in Memorial Auditorium...

The McCook man has a couple of broken ribs and a bruised liver, and he said he seems to discover new bumps and bruises every day. Bryan Jones says, "I could be hurt three times as bad, and it would still be a miracle that I'm alive." Jones and his pilot, Jim Van Winkle of rural Wood Lake, are recovering from injuries they sustained Wednesday, March 4, when Van Winkle's 1954 Piper Super Cub single-engine, two-seater airplane crashed shortly after taking off from Van Winkle's grass landing strip a mile northwest of Wood Lake, in the Nebraska Sandhills southeast of Valentine.. ...

The President has come out in favor of merit pay for teachers, a concept I have long supported, although most teachers' unions do not. Consequently, as President of the McCook College Faculty Association, a branch of the Nebraska State Education Association which is a member of the National Education Association, I might find myself at odds with the policy of those two bodies...

Red Willow County commissioners will continue discussion of county court office security and County Road 713 at their weekly meeting Monday, scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., in the commissioners' room on the third floor of the courthouse in McCook. County Judge Anne Paine requested security measures be implemented in her outer offices, during the commissioners' meeting March 9. ...

IMPERIAL -- The Chase County Fair in Imperial has booked the rock band, "38 Special" and the country band, "Little Big Town," to play at the 2009 county fair. 38 Special -- whose hits include "Hold on Loosely" and "Caught up in You" -- will play Friday, Aug. 14. Little Big Town -- known for "Boondocks" and "Bring It On Home" -- performs Saturday, Aug. 15...

LINCOLN -- Sidney TroBaugh of McCook won $22,000 playing 2by2 from the Nebraska Lottery. There were more than 6,000 Nebraska Lottery winners in the Tuesday, March 3, drawings. Among these winners was TroBaugh, who purchased his quick pick 2by2 ticket at Holiday Plaza Conoco, 201 Eugene Avenue in North Platte. The ticket contained the winning red ball numbers (13, 15) and white ball numbers (5, 9) from the March 3 drawing for a corresponding prize of $22,000...

The new Center for Applied Science and Technology is a remarkable example of cooperation to take advantage of a great opportunity. Cooperation, because it involves the McCook Public Schools, McCook Communitys College and its parent Mid-Plains Community College Area, Nebraska Department of Corrections Work Ethic Camp, Nebraska Work Force Development, Phoenix Transitional Services and Valmont Industries...

Ann Hitt, formerly of McCook, of Concord, Calif., and Tracy Rodriguez of Concord, announce their engagement and upcoming marriage. Parents of the couple are Kevin and Barb Hitt of Long Island, Kan., and Teddy and Melga Rodriguez of Baypoint, Calif. The bride-to-be is a 1999 McCook High School graduate. ...

Dustin and Kelsey Vakiner of Central City announce the birth of their sons, Luke Clifford and Logan James Vakiner on Feb. 11, 2009 at Mary Lanning Hospital in Hastings. Luke weighed 7 pounds and Logan weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces. Both boys measured 19.5 inches. ...

The family of Geraldine (Ball) Leibbrandt, wife of the late Clarence W. Leibbrandt, of Holdrege, are hosting an open house and card shower in honor of Geraldine's 80th birthday. She was born March 18, 1929. Her children are Roy and wife, Elaine Leibbrandt of Chadron and Gary and wife, Lori Leibbrandt, of Wilsonville. ...

Vivid images of hell and hellfire, both in words and demonstration, brought gasps from the 125 community members attending the 2009 Community Lenten service Friday at St. Alban's Episcopal Church. The Rev. Jon Albrecht, pastor at McCook Harvest Church, underscored the reality of both heaven and hell as he examined the parable of "The Rich Man and Lazarus" from the Gospel of Luke 16:19:31...