Stories from Monday, December 7, 2009

Like many of my fellow Nebraskans I watched President Obama deliver his West Point speech announcing a troop buildup in Afghanistan and I generally support the revised mission as it was outlined. The President maintained the goal he outlined in March which is to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda. To achieve this goal, the President listed his main points:...

CURTIS -- Board members of the Middle Republican Natural Resources District will consider and possibly vote on one of the three options the state has presented to NRDs for water-short years, at their regular meeting Tuesday, 1:45 p.m., at the Curtis Community Center...

At their weekly meeting this morning, Red Willow County commissioners purchased the big white and gray apartment house at 524 Norris, on the corner north of the courthouse in McCook. Commissioners unanimously authorized commission chairman Earl McNutt to sign the purchase agreement to buy the apartment house for $50,000 from Stannis and Kenneth Spencer of McCook...

Christmas icons light up Norris Avenue during the annual KFNF Lighted Christmas Parade through downtown McCook at dusk Saturday. First Central Bank recreated the Christmas manger scene with lights and twinkling stars, while Community Hospital of McCook supplied a multitude of angels and a motorcycle gang called "Sinners Sanctified" provided Santa Claus (AKA Steve Bales). ...

Vicky Knight and Brian Payton grab and stuff "Santa Cash," after they and eight other drawing winners won 30 seconds each in the money machine after the annual Christmas light parade through downtown McCook Saturday evening. The winners can spend their "Santa Cash" at the McCook Chamber of Commerce's Christmas gift auction Saturday, Dec. 19, at 4 p.m., at the Chamber office...

Evie Caldwell, director of the McCook Area Community Choir, directs the choir Sunday at the annual concert at Memorial United Methodist Church. The performance, enhanced by appearances by Central Connection, the Methodist church bell choir, Sarah Frank, flutist and Joyce Hershberger, pianist, included a selection of sacred and secular holiday songs. Rehearsals begin in September for the annual event, which serves to kick-off a number of seasonal celebrations in McCook...

At 6:05 a.m. 68 years ago today, six Japanese aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a first wave of 183 airplanes, mostly dive bombers, horizontal bombers and fighters, headed toward Hawaii. Less than two hours later, at 7:51 a.m., they broke the Sunday morning stillness by striking the military airfields on Ford Island...

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, there were fewer than 1,000 nurses in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Eighty-two of these nurses were on Oahu, Hawaii, serving three Army medical facilities on the island. They were swamped by the early casualties of the bombing, and joined with Navy and civilian doctors and nurses to care for the wounded, as casualties quickly mounted...

Since my last communication seemed to fall on deaf ears with the state, I guess we will have to leave industrial hemp alone until the "powers that be" find out the difference between it and marijuana. Since it is nearing Christmas, my thoughts are turned to our spending practices. It is estimated that $65 billion is spent annually on holiday gifts. Why not play a little Scroogenomics, which is solid economics, not "bah humbug."...

May 21, 1937-Dec. 4, 2009 Kenneth W. Ellis, MD, McCook, Neb., age 72, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Friday, Dec. 4, 2009. Kenneth was born in Cambridge, Neb., on May 21, 1937, the son of Orville and Pearl (Roberts) Ellis. Kenneth was a pioneer orthopedic surgeon in Kearney for 26 ½ years and established the Kearney Orthopedic and Fracture Clinic in 1973. ...

May 4, 1918 - Dec. 3, 2009 PALISADE -- Charles D. Curtis, 91, died Thursday, (Dec. 3, 2009), at Heritage of Wauneta Nursing Home. Charles was born on May 4, 1918, at Beatrice, Neb., to James Orlando and Anna Corneala (Dodson) Curtis. He graduated from Lewiston, Nebraska High School in 1936...

Mar 26., 1948 - Dec. 3, 2009 ELWOOD -- Pansy Marie Schwenninger, 78, died Thursday, (Dec. 3, 2009), at the Tri-County Hospital in Lexington. She was born March 26, 1931, at Smithfield to Lee and Sylvia Mills. She graduated from Eustis High School. On Feb. ...

April 7, 1934 to Dec. 1, 2009 PUEBLO -- Edward Leroy Quaduor, 75, died Tuesday (Dec. 1., 2009) in Pueblo, Colo. Edward was born in Indianola April 7, 1934, son of Rudolph Edward Quaduor and Delma Fay Keeney. He attended grade school in Red Willow County and graduated from high school in 1951 in Danbury. He attended college at McCook Community College...

Wauneta-Palisade 93, Wallace 32 WAUNETA -- The Wauneta-Palisade boys hammered Wallace 93-32 Saturday. Drew Harris led the Broncos with 29 points. Chris Bartels added 22 and Ricky Martin 12 points. Sean May had 12 points for Wallace. Wauneta-Palisade will travel to Cambridge Friday...

Eight Gazette-area basketball teams will battle for top honors in two divisions in a busy week of basketball in McCook. The 2009 Cattle Trail Invitational Tournament is scheduled this week. The annual area small-school tournament is scheduled to open Tuesday with first-round games in both boys and girls divisions...

HASTINGS -- Senior Whitney Korgan led the McCook High School swimming and diving teams at the season-opening Hastings Invitational last Saturday. Korgan turned in two strong efforts in the girls sprint events. Whitney hit a state meet automatic qualifying time in the 50-yard freesyle with her second-place time of 25.61 seconds. Korgan also placed third in the 100 freestyle with a secondary state qualifying time of 57.12 seconds...

COZAD -- McCook opened the 2009-10 high school wrestling season with a fourth-place finish at the Cozad Invitational last Saturday. The Bison scored 136.5 points, just a half-point behind Hastings Adams Central and five points behind runner-up Aurora. Gretna scored 182.5 points to win the team championship...

COLUMBUS -- The weather reports expect a major storm to affect central Nebraska Monday evening through Wednesday, and Nebraska Public Power District crews are preparing for what could be adverse working conditions. NPPD's crews have already had some experience in November when a snowstorm struck southeast Nebraska, but the size and footprint of this week's storm is reportedly larger and anticipated snow accumulation is much greater...