Stories from Friday, February 19, 2010

OMAHA -- McCook High School has two representatives still in the hunt for gold medals at the 2010 Nebraska State Class B Wrestling Championships. Senior Nate Morgan and sophomore Jesus Gauna each won two matches Thursday to advance to the championship bracket semifinals Friday night at the Qwest Center in Omaha...

Jackie Creamer's national award winning Vision Dance Company will perform at the Oberlin Gateway on Sunday, February 21 at 2:00 PM. The dance studio makes its home in Hays, Kansas and consists of 90 members ranging in ages from 5 to 18. They will bring 25 dancers to Oberlin. ...

Signing a beam that will become part of Community Hospital's new patient wing are, from left, Pilar Eason, Darla Wilson, Karen Morthole, Sarah Wolford and Larisa O'Brien. "We are the foundation of Community Hospital." Community Hospital employees, board of directors, medical staff, contract staff and Community Hospital Health Foundation board of directors were invited to sign one of two steel beams for the new patient wing, forever capturing their signatures into the steel foundation framework. ...

There wasn't a lot of time for questions and answers during Thursday night's informational meeting on Red Willow Dam, at least for the standing-room-only crowd. Individuals did, however, have time to ask various officials questions following the half-hour PowerPoint presentation...

It's my understanding that last week's column created quite a stir. I say "it's my understanding" because I write my columns the same way a football coach prepares for and coaches a game. Most coaches don't read their press clippings and neither do I. They're not going to change the way they coach and I'm not going to change the way I write. I pick my subjects carefully, write what I feel or believe and then do it all over again the next week...

LINCOLN -- The Nebraska State Treasurer's Office, along with Nebraska's College Saving Plan Program and The Omaha Royals Baseball club are currently sponsoring the 8th annual "Why I Want to Go to College" essay contest across the state and surrounding areas for 7th and 8th grade students...

The family of Jack Pursley is requesting a card shower in honor of his 80th birthday. He was born Feb.25. 1930. Cards of congratulations will reach him at 33974 Old 34, Benkelman, NE 69021.

The family of Maxine Hilker is hosting an open house in honor of her 80th birthday. The open house is 2-4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Cambridge Community Room. Cards of congratulations will reach her at PO Box 396, Cambridge, NE 69022.

The family of Mildred (Moore) Downing is requesting a card shower in honor of her 90th birthday Feb. 22. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 900 East B Street, Apt. 211, Hasting, NE 68901.

The family and friends of Mary (Austin) Horendeck are requesting a card shower in honor of her 95th birthday, Feb. 27. Cards of congratulations will reach her at Hillcrest Nursing Home, 309 W. Seventh, McCook, NE 69001.

The family of Delores Abbey, formerly of McCook, is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday. She was born March 1, 1930. Her children include Randy and Deb Abbey of Keller, Texas, Kathy Wallen of McCook and Kent and Susan Abbey of St. Joseph, Mo. She has five grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 6 Leisure Lane, Pharr, Texas 78577...

The family of Lemoine Keene is requesting a card shower in honor of his 89th birthday Feb. 22. His family includes his wife, Elaine; daughter, Dian and husband, Dick Trail; son Steve and wife, Patty Keene, all of McCook; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach him at 111 West G Street, McCook, NE 69001...

Nickie Frye and Chad Keller, of Omaha announce their engagement and upcoming marriage. Parents of the couple are Jim Frye and Gloria Anderson and Bill and Julie Keller. The bride-to-be is a 2001 graduate of North Platte High School. She attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney to play softball and earn her prerequisites for pharmacy school. ...

The family of Patty Grafel is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday on Feb. 26.Cards of congratuations will reach her at Box 332 Trenton, NE 69044.

Jenny Marie Hamilton and Bryan Robert Gibbs, both of Kearney, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Jim and Lesa Johnson of Hayes Center, Dave and Kerry Hamilton of Wauneta, Steve and Terri Nutt of Garden City, Kan., and Michael and Joyce Gibbs of Haxtun, Colo...

Courtney Hansmann and Joshua Hansmann of Colorado Springs, Colo., announce the birth of a son, Haven James Hansmann. He was born Dec. 19, 2009, at Evans Army Hospital, Fort Carson. He weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces and was 19 inches long. He has a 1-year-old brother, Aiden Hansmann. Grandparents are Sherri Day of Potter, Lynn Hansmann of Kewaskum, Wis., and Darlene Scott of McCook...

ELKHORN -- Stacey Ann Worman and Clint Ross Robinson, both of Arlington, were united in marriage on Sept. 19, 2009, at Elkhorn Hills Methodist Church in Elkhorn with the Rev. Tom Buckley officiating. Parents of the couple are Bradley and Julie Worman of Nelson and Mike and Ann Robinson of Valley. The bride is the granddaughter of Don and Gwen Miller of Culbertson...

McCook Public School board of education members approved a contract for the new special education director and plans for a classroom addition at McCook Elementary during a special board meeting at noon Friday. John Hanson of Elba will split his time as SPED director 60/40 between McCook Public Schools and Educational Service Unit No. 15, Trenton, when he starts with the 2010-2011 school year...

Sept. 9, 1922-Feb. 17, 2010 Dale Theodore Corder died Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010, at Mother Hull Home in Kearney. He was 87 years old. On Sept. 9, 1922, Dale was born in Arapahoe to John Franklin and Mable Ellen (Roggensees) Corder. He lived most of his life in McCook and graduated from McCook High School in 1941...

Parts of the earthen Red Willow Dam have settled at different rates, creating cracks that will literally take an act of Congress to fix. And while the lake water level is low, local interest is high, judging by the turnout at a Bureau of Reclamation open house Thursday at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds...

This broken world, disease-ridden bodies and hearts gripped by grief, all cry for healing. A word, according to the Rev. John Strecker-Baseler, pastor at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, that is foreign to our culture. Strecker-Baseler, addressing a community congregation of 113 at the first of seven Community Lenten services at Memorial United Methodist Church, said that in our culture, we "want a quick fix, if something's broken, we want it fixed and fixed now."...