Stories from Thursday, April 16, 2009

On Saturday, April 18 a very important event will be held in Kearney for all students interested in attending one of our nations four military academies. All Academy Day will provide students, parents, and guidance counselors with information and resources about applying to a military academy. ...

SCOTTSBLUFF and GREAT BEND, Kan.-- The McCook Community College baseball team blasted Western Nebraska 11-4 in a nine-inning game Wednesday at Scottsbluff and were swept at Great Bend, Kan., Tuesday by Barton County. Against WNCC, McCook took advantage of a six-run third inning and a five-run seventh to open up a 11-3 lead before closing out the win...

LINCOLN -- The Nebraska football team practiced for 2 1/2 hours on the grass practice fields outside the Hawks Championship Center on Wednesday afternoon. The Huskers are wrapping up their final preparations for the Spring Game this Saturday. Head coach Bo Pelini talked about what the fans will see with the quarterback situation on Saturday...

The McCook United Red and Black Soccer Teams hosted the Axtell Black Cats Monday evening in what turned out to be a thrilling display of great soccer control and balance throughout the entire match. The match with Axtell was to be a full sized 11 against 11 game but Axtell limped into town after losing three players to injury the previous week. With only eight yellow shirts suited up for the match, an 8 against 8 format was inserted which created a very large field for few players...

The McCook Area APA Pool Leagues are now accepting team registrations for the upcoming Summer Session. Registration deadline is May 1. Play begins in May and runs through August. APA Pool Leagues that are available include Sunday Open 8-Ball, Tuesday Open 8-Ball, Wednesday Masters (no handicap), Thursday Open 9-Ball and Friday Ladies 8-Ball...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Nebraska men's golf team wrapped up its regular season Tuesday with a 14th-place finish at the Palisades Collegiate Classic. The Huskers finished the tournament with a team score of 897 after shooting a final-round 298. Scott Willman led NU with a 221, which tied him for 33rd. After not qualifying for the Husker lineup in the final three tournaments of the fall, the freshman from Prairie Village, Kan., participated in every spring tournament for NU...

LINCOLN -- Jeff Tezak matched his season-high with four RBIs, lifting the Nebraska baseball team to an 8-5 victory over Iowa Tuesday night at Hawks Field. Nebraska snapped its nine-game losing streak. Tezak went 3-for-4 on the night, as the Huskers (17-18-1) rapped out 11 hits on the evening...

Friday-Saturday, April 17-18 -- Track & Field at John McDonnell Invitational Fayetteville, Ark. noon/10 a.m. Friday, April 17 -- Women's Tennis at Missouri Columbia, Mo. 5 p.m. Friday, April 17 -- Women's Gymnastics NCAA Championships - Super Six Devaney Center 6 p.m...

ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- In these days of specialization, young athletes with Division I potential usually start playing their sport early in life. By the time they are in junior high they have often specialized in one or maybe two sports. When they reach high school, the kids are training year round in preparation for the next level...

GRANT -- Wauneta-Palisade's Blair Dixon earned four gold medals in the E. Lee Todd Invitational in Grant Tuesday. Dixon won the 100 meter dash with a time of 13 seconds and the 200 in 26.4. She also won the 400 in 1 minute and 0.4 seconds and the 110 hurdles in 16.0...

SOUTHERN VALLEY -- Cambridge boys and Southern Valley's girls took first place team finishes in the Southern Valley track meet Tuesday. Carson Farr led Cambridge in the boys division with two first place finishes. Farr won the pole vault with 12-6 and the 300 intermediate hurdles in 45.7...

GOODLAND, Kan. -- The Decatur Community-Oberlin High School golf team finished 10th in their first meet of the season in Goodland Tuesday. "This was our first meet of the year," said Oberlin coach Dick Ahlberg. "Most of the teams played last week. We will work hard and improve. It was a tough day."...

The kickoff celebration for the renovation of the Keystone Hotel into the Keystone Business Center occurred Wednesday afternoon at the historic site on Norris Avenue. The hotel will be renovated to house the offices of 21st Century Systems Inc., the McCook Chamber of Commerce and the McCook Economic Development Corp., as well as provide a business incubation center...

About 30 protesters showed up at McCook's "Tea Party" Wednesday night, the last day to file taxes, joining thousands of others across the nation who demonstrated against excess government spending. Based on the Boston Tea Party in 1733, when colonists revolted against the unfair taxation by England and dumped tea in the Boston Harbor, the TEA -- "Taxed Enough Already" -- Party on Wednesday at Barnett Park drew a wide range of protesters not normally thought of as agitators, including farmers, businessmen, teachers and senior citizens.. ...

McCook junior and senior high students with failing grades can make up missing credit hours at summer school this summer. McCook Public Schools board of education members Tuesday evening unanimously approved the start of summer school classes and the implementation of a computer software credit recovery curriculum called "A+."...

Someone crossed out the "Republican" on the sign marking the river at McCook's Barnett Park, and substituted a cardboard sign, "Democrat" Wednesday night. It was, doubtless, someone at the "Tea Party" which was hastily moved to one of the picnic shelters nearby after a misguided attempt at a windy-night roadside rally at the other Republican River bridge a mile and a half west...

What is wrong with the sun? Oh, it isn't going to blow up or anything like that, at least not for a few billion years. What I am referring to is there have been no sunspots, what is being called a deep solar minimum. The sun has sunspot cycles that normally last for 11 years. Going from one peak of sunspot activity down to a minimum then back up to an active sunspot season. We are in a minimum period now...