Stories from Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Two of the purposes of the media are to inform and educate. More and more lately, we have seen parts of the media distort facts to inflame the public. Both ends of the political spectrum are guilty. The public then loses trust in both their leaders and the media responsible for monitoring them...

Contentment. Chaos. Choices as plain as the fare offered on the menu. Choices we make each day. Some people, I'll admit, thrive on chaos. When everything is up in the air, people running hither, thither and yon, crying with Chicken Little that the sky is falling, these folks are in their element. ...

A shopper, who said the horizontal snow and gusty winds don't bother her for a short, quick walk, waits in near-blizzard conditions for traffic at Norris and B in McCook at mid-morning today. Forecasters call for worsening weather, and the National Weather Service in Goodland has issued a wind chill warning through late Thursday afternoon. ...

LINCOLN -- The 23rd annual 5-day Tour de Nebraska bicycle ride will head to south central Nebraska on its 300-mile round trip journey, June 23-27, 2010. Approximately 200 cyclists will leave Clay Center on Wednesday, June 23 and camp overnight in Minden, Cambridge, Alma and Red Cloud...

BEAVER CITY -- Red Willow County's new K-9 officer got her first opportunity to show off her tracking skills during a manhunt on New Year's Day in Furnas County. R.C., the Red Willow County Sheriff's Department's new chocolate Lab tracking and drug detection K-9 officer, is credited with finding one man who fled from a Furnas County deputy after the man was accused of trying to run a fellow driver off of Highway 6 and 34 between Bartley and Cambridge...

CAMBRIDGE -- Southern Valley's Jessica Murdoch put up 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds to lift the Eagles over Hitchcock County 52-43 in the Cambridge Tournament girls championship game Tuesday evening. Paige Quinn added 16 point and Mattie Sadd chipped in 10 points for Southern Valley...

Sept. 13, 1923 - Jan. 2, 2010 HUTCHINSON -- Thelma I. Bainter, 86, died Saturday (Jan. 2, 2010) at Wesley Towers in Hutchinson, Kan. She was born Sept. 13, 1923, in Vona, Colo., to Harry Rice and Juanita Patton. She grew up in Prairie View, Norton and Jennings. She graduated from Jennings High School in 1941, and from KSU, with a degree in Dietetics, in 1945...

July 24, 1916 - Jan. 4, 2010 OBERLIN -- Lora Zwickle, 94, died Monday (Jan. 4, 2010) at the Good Samaritan Center in Oberlin. She was born July 24, 1916, in Danbury to Tom Cox and Nettie Fisher. She was raised in Danbury, Lebanon and Traer, Kan., and graduated from Traer High School in 1933...

PHILLIPSBURG, Kan. -- The McCook boys got off to a strong start Tuesday night en route to a 65-54 high school basketball victory over host Phillipsburg, Kan. The Bison outscored Phillipsburg 20-14 in the first quarter. McCook stretched the lead to 36-22 at intermission...

OBERLIN, Kan. -- McCook High School's varsity wrestlers split a pair of dual meets with northwest Kansas squads at Decatur Community High School in Oberlin, Kan. Tuesday evening. The Bison beat the host Decatur Community Red Devils 48-31 and lost a 42-24 decision to Phillipsburg...

The level of water in Hugh Butler Lake is near the target set by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for further exploration of damage to the dam. A public hearing is set for early February. The agency's current update is available here...