Stories from Friday, April 24, 2009

LINCOLN -- The Nebraska State Patrol in conjunction with the Nebraska Department of Roads has reopened a 10 mile stretch of Interstate 80 following a multiple vehicle crash which claimed one life and injured two others. West bound I-80 reopened at the Sunol Exit (mm 69) shortly before 5:00 p.m. ...

TRENTON -- Betty M. Overbye, 82, died today (April 24, 2009) at El Dorado Manor in Trenton. Funeral information will be available online at www.carpenterbreland.com or mccookgazette.com. Services are pending and will be announced later by Carpenter Breland Funeral Home of McCook, which is in charge of arrangements...

July 14, 1937 - April 23, 2009 INDIANOLA -- Beverly Ann Fritz of Indianola died Thursday, April 23, 2009 at Cambridge Memorial Hospital. She was 71 years old. Beverly was born July 14, 1937, in Cambridge to Walter E. and Loretta Elizabeth (Kehr) Baker. She attended Cambridge Public Schools...

Aug. 26, 1922 - April 21, 2009 ORD -- Otto Zapp, 86 of Ord died Tuesday (April 21, 2009) at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Grand Island. He was born Aug, 26, 1922, at Worshach, Germany to Gustav and Hermine (Schehr) Zapp. At the age of two, the family immigrated to the United States. The family settled on a farm at Culbertson. He was raised in Culbertson where he received his education and graduated from Culbertson High School in 1940...

July 21, 1945 - April 22, 2009 OBERLIN -- LeRoy "Roy" VanPelt, 63, died Wednesday (April 22, 2009) in Oberlin. He was born July 21,1945, in Akron, Colo. He worked as a driller for Murfin Oil Company. Survivors include his wife, Dona VanPelt of Oberlin; son, Brian and wife, Shaundell VanPelt of Hays, Kan.; daughter, Lisa and husband, Glenn Dreiling of Colwich, Kan.; brothers, Keith and wife, Maritta VanPelt of Oberlin and Charlie and wife, Janelle VanPelt of Indianola; and four grandchildren.. ...

June 29, 1921 - April 22, 2009 OBERLIN -- Robert G. Wurm, 87, died Wednesday (April 22, 2009) at Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. He was born June 29, 1921, to George J. and Elizabeth (Hoffbauer) Wurm, in Traer, Kan. He grew up in Traer and Oberlin and attended Green Valley, Oberlin Elementary and Decatur Community High School...

March 15, 1923 - April 22, 2009 PALISADE -- Charles J. Vrbas passed away at the family farm home near Palisade on Wednesday, April 22, 2009. He was born in Beardsley, Kan., on March 15, 1923, to Frank and Mary (Bartosovsky) Vrbas. He attended a country school near Beardsley through the eight grade...

Feb. 8, 1929 - April 23, 2009 Charlotte Elizabeth Rogers died Thursday, April 23, 2009, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook at the age of 80. She was born Feb. 8, 1929, in Red Willow County, the daughter of the late Charles and Bessie (Meyers) Wilcox. Charlotte grew up on the family farm and attended McCook High School and received her GED from Republican Valley High School in 1975...

Ben Haag, a full-time student at North Platte Community College, had some big dreams when he was just a little shaver watching TV with his mom, Mary Sue Haag, formerly of McCook. U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson was there, announcing his candidacy for Governor of Nebraska...

If a picture can be worth a thousand words, this one is worth a million. Freelance photojournalist Michael Clancy will be at the Fox Theatre in McCook on April 29, at 7 p.m. to present the story behind his remarkable photograph, often called "The Hand of Hope."...

Wyatt Clark of Wellfleet (above), a senior at Medicine Valley High School in Curtis, will compete in bareback riding during the Southwest Nebraska High School Rodeo scheduled today, Saturday and Sunday in the Kiplinger Arena on the Red Willow County fairgrounds in the 1500 block of West Fifth, McCook. ...

Second grader Zach Latimer holds his nose during the McCook Waste Water Treatment plant tour Tuesday morning. McCook Elementary second graders toured the facility as part of their Earth Day activities. The students learned how the waste from their homes is treated and how the cleaning process works. Plant operators, Mike Joneson and Ken Keslin show students how clean the water gets after it has been processed through the plant...

Arbor Day has a PR problem. We're celebrating J. Sterling Morton's legacy in Nebraska today, the last Friday in April, because it's a legal holiday and the courthouse is closed. The problem is, Arbor Day usually involves planting a tree, and depending on where you live, the last Friday in April may not be the optimum time to do so...

One of my favorite cable shows is Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel which airs on HBO every month or so. It's a penetrating, introspective look at how sports impact on people's lives; sometimes individually, sometimes collectively. A recent episode examined the culture war that continues in our nation's K through 12 educational system in regards to competition and the "no touching" policy that many schools are currently implementing...

In the next few weeks, the broadcast television networks will firm up their fall schedules, hoping to find the next big hit -- or, failing that, at least one or two minor successes that will propel their ad sales on an upward trend. Many shows that are currently on the air will not see another season; such is the nature of the industry...

NEGRIL, Jamaica -- Cari Anne Mashek and Dustin Lee Acton of Wauneta were united in marriage on March 14, 2009, in Negril, Jamaica with the Rev. Trevorton Ferguson officiating. Parents of the couple are Ted and Jenny Mashek of Curtis and Randy and Cindy Acton of Wauneta...

Kelsy L. Czarnick of North Platte and Brett R. Brown of Hayes Center announce their engagement and upcoming marriage. Parents of the couple Tim and Juanita Czarnick of North Platte and Rick and Carol Brown of Hayes Center. The bride-to-be will graduate from Fort Hays State University in May 2009 with a Bachelor degree in diagnostic medical sonography. She will begin employment with Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte after graduation...

The family of Gene and Delores Wiemers formerly of McCook, of Omaha, is hosting a card shower in honor of their 45th anniversary. The couple was married April 28,1964. They have three sons, Jeff and wife, Lori of Norfolk, Greg of Omaha and Chris and wife, Mackenzie of Omaha. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 2105 North 144th Ave., Omaha, NE 68116...

Amy and Harry Myers of McCook announce the birth of their son, Blake Alexander Myers on March 31, 2009, in North Platte. He weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 18 3/4 inches. His grandparents are Donnie and Boonie Woodring of Moorfield and Joan Austin of McCook. Great-grandparents are Barb Woodring of Curtis, Marvin Woodring of Curtis and Maxine Logan of McCook...

Jolene Banick of Highlands Ranch, Colo. and Brian Wilson, formerly of Culberton, now of Highlands Ranch, announce their engagement and upcoming marriage. Parents of the couple are Dennis and Kathleen Banick of Little Falls, Minn. and Ken and Cindy Wilson of Culbertson...

Michala Foster and Cooper Wilson announce the birth of their son, Braylon Lee Wilson on March 25, 2009. He has a sister, Ashland, of Garden City, Kan. His grandparents are Brian Foster and Missy Jens of Bartley, Robin and Rick Anderson of McCook and Leroy and Carolyn Wilson of Garden City. Great-grandparents are Larry and Linda Foster of Bartley. His great-great-grandmother is Dorothy Foster...

Joshua and Regina Lewis announce the birth of their daughter, Lakyn Marie Lewis on March 23, 2009. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and measured 20 inches. She hasa 23-month-old sister, Savannah. Her grandparents are Pat Ed and Ronda Lewis of Trenton and Robert and Ruth Zaruba of Bennington. Great-grandparents are Noel and Claudia Schnabel and Dessie Lewis, all of Trenton. His great-great-grandmother is Iva Schnabel of Denver, Colo...

Right now is only "the second-best time" to plant a tree. "The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago," said Dan Dueland, a member of the City of McCook Tree Advisory Board, during an Arbor Day celebration Friday morning. "The second-best time is now."...

A pair of homebuilt airplanes rest at the McCook Regional Airport while their pilots take a lunch break. The planes are Bushby Mustang II, back, and a Kodiak, front. Summer brings a number of unusual aircraft to McCook as pilots take advantage of a quick turnaround, free courtesy car and low fuel prices. (Bruce Crosby/McCook Daily Gazette)...

June 4, 1926-April 24, 2009 Betty M. Overbye died April 24, 2009 at El Dorado Manor in Trenton. She was 82 years old. On June 4, 1926 she was born to Ira Ernest and Maggie (Woods) Peters at Denver, Colo. She grew up south of McCook and received her GED from McCook College. She worked at the Rubber Hose Manufacturing for around 14 years...