Stories from Friday, December 11, 2009

GOODLAND, Kan. -- The McCook High School girls basketball team probably invoked Murphy's Law in Thursday's opening-round game at the Topside Tip-off Tournament in Goodland, Kan. The Bison girls had everything go wrong in a 68-24 loss to a talented Ottawa, Kan. team at the Goodland Junior High School gym...

A fire of undetermined cause left in its ashes and smoke residue an estimated $90,000 damage to the home and possessions of McCook residents Jim and Maxine Dusatko Thursday morning. Firefighters were called to the Dusatko home at 306 Apache at 11:42 a.m.; smoke was coming from the attached garage upon their arrival. Fire Chief Marc Harpham said late Thursday afternoon that Maxine Dusatko was home when she discovered the fire, and escaped without injury...

GOODLAND, Kan. -- McCook's boys were cool cats Thursday night. The Bison didn't wilt when they fell behind during first-round action at the Topside Tip-off Tournament in Goodland, Kan. Instead, McCook came back and stretched the game to overtime before claiming a 53-50 victory...

Investigations on the Red Willow Dam will move to the upstream face as early as next week, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced today. A road will be built across the face of the dam near the intake structure of the river outlet works to allow access to areas where additional excavations and investigations will occur, according to Marvin Swanda of the bureau...

Blaring sirens, flashing lights, big red trucks. What little boy -- or girl -- wouldn't want to be part of that? Helmets, fire suits, boots, axes and hoses, all deployed at breakneck speed in an effort to safe life and property. We've seen too many house fires around McCook recently, with families displaced just as the holiday season is upon us. ...

Just when I thought I had gotten out, I get pulled back in by the character assassinations in the last few weeks of Sen. Ben Nelson and other officials of the Democratic Party including the President himself. I remember clearly a few years ago when I referred to President G.W. ...

The Red Willow County commissioners will discuss elected officials' salaries at their regular meeting Monday. The meeting will be called to order at 9 a.m. in the comissioners' room at the courthouse, with the salary discussion set for 9:15 a.m. At 9:45 a.m., Andy Snyder of Smith-Hayes will discuss a recolution for reimbursement on recently purchased property...

Dec. 16, 1925 - Dec. 11, 2009 OBERLIN -- Kathryn D. Post, 84, died Friday (Dec. 11, 2009), at the Decatur County Good Samaritan Center, in Oberlin. She was born Dec. 16, 1925, on a farm west of Kanona, Kan., to Luther L . Capps and Pearl Trotter. She was raised in Kanona and attended District No. 47, near Kanona, as well as LPN school in Wichita, Kan., in 1969...

Sept. 27, 1921 - Dec. 10, 2009 ARAPAHOE -- Margaret Ida Dahms, 88, of Arapahoe, died on Thursday (Dec. 10, 2009) at the C.A. Mues Good Samaritan Center in Arapahoe. She was born Sept. 27, 1921, north of Arapahoe, to Karl F.J. and Ida (Hartman) Wendland, the 10th child of 12. She was raised north of Arapahoe, and went to Immanuel Lutheran School...

GRAND ISLAND --Anna Elizabeth Koch and Matthew Richard Serbousek were united in marriage Aug. 1, 2009, at Peace Lutheran Church in Grand Island with Pastor Mike Reiners officiating. Parents of the couple are Kurt and Susan Koch of Grand Island and Dr. Mark and Mary Jo Serbousek of McCook...

The family of Harold Moore is having an open house in celebration of his 80th birthday, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2-4 p.m. at McCook Evangelical Free Church. His family includes wife, Marian, of Bartley; sons, Lonnie and wife Claire, of Wahoo, David and wife Marilyn, of Oxford; daughters Nancy Smith and husband Rod of Boise, Idaho, Peggy Webb and husband Roger, of Billings, Mont., Michelle Lytle and husband Tim, of McCook; 15 grandchildren and five great grandchildren. ...

Megan Hankins and Eric Pittman of Phoenix, Ariz. announce the births of their sons, Shane Rick Pittman and Shawn Warren Pittman, born on Nov. 3, 2009 at Paradise Valley Hospital in Phoenix. They weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces and 6 pounds, 5 ounces. Grandparents are Mark and Deanna Hankins of McCook, and Mary Sams of McCook. Great-grandparents are Margalee Ruf of Wilsonville, and Betty Hankins of Grand Island...

Brian and Sara Mashek of McCook announce the birth of their son, Vince Alan Mashek, on Nov. 9, 2009, at Community Hospital in McCook. He weighed 9 pounds, 6.4 ounces and was 21 inches long. He has a 2 year-old-brother, Noah. Grandparents are Barb Brown of McCook, Tom Brown of Indianola, and Ted and Jenny Mashek of Curtis. ...

The family of LaMoine and Elaine Keene is hosting a card shower in honor of their parent's 68th wedding anniversary. The couple was married in McCook on Dec. 12, 1941. Their children include Dian and Chuck Trail and Steve and Patty Keene, all of McCook. They have five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 111 West G, McCook, NE 69001...

It is said the only things certain in life are death and taxes. Somehow the federal government has managed to combine both. The estate tax -- commonly referred to as the "death tax" -- is a tax on assets transferred following an individual's passing. This tax is a drag on our economy because it taxes capital, the fuel of economic growth...