Stories from Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Sept. 10, 1923-May 17, 2010 BEAVER CITY, Nebraska -- Donald E. Cass, 86, of Beaver City died Monday (May 17, 2010) at Beaver City Manor. He was born September 10, 1923 in Furnas County, Nebraska to Clyde and Doris (Inman) Cass. He grew up in the Beaver City area and graduated from Beaver City High School in '41...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Lloyd V. Beckwith, 90, of Lincoln died quietly in his sleep during the overnight hours of May 10-11, 2010. Born to Vern and Iva Beckwith on a farm north of Culbertson, he was known to friends and family as Bill. As a child, Bill enjoyed the company of his younger brothers Leon "Jack" and Keith "K.C." as well as that of many cousins in the Hayes Center area. Several of these cousins convinced Bill and his brothers that a blow out was an active volcano...

WAUNETA, Nebraska -- Betty M. Mintling, 84, died Monday (May 17, 2010) at the Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial. Survivors include her son, R.J. and wife, Jana of Wauneta; two daughters, Penny Smith and husband, Philip of Pampa, Texas, and Polly Mintling of Los Osos, California; three sisters, Lois Fernstrom of Yakama, Washington, Wanda Jaycox of Sterling, Colorado, and Alberta Karriker and husband, Donnie of Cortez, Colorado; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Fire Chief Marc Harpham recalls that in 1984, the fire department had three full time people, compared to nine in 2010. "We relied heavily on our volunteers then, requiring them at times to make several meetings a week, respond to more calls than we require per week today and the paperwork our personnel in general were required to do was very time consuming," he said...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Bill Mathies, whose property 71⁄2 miles southwest of McCook on Road 711, was discussed during the Red Willow County Commissioners meeting Monday, and reported on in the Monday edition of the McCook Daily Gazette, maintains that his private property is not a salvage yard as indicated in the story...

We were disappointed to hear that the idea of moving City Council meetings to the Heritage Senior Center on a permanent basis didn't gain much traction at Monday night's meeting. That's OK; members of the council have the right to make that decision -- after all, it's their meeting, isn't it?...

I never knew who would be on the phone when I answered it at the Nutrition Services office where I worked for several years. We served eight schools and nine kitchens, including the central bakery, and no two days were ever alike. Kitchens and catastrophes seem to go hand-in-hand. ...

Hopefully by now everyone has either purchased or received, on a letter/bill, the USPS stamps featuring animals adopted from shelters. Although the small animal shelters like the McCook Humane Society's, located at 100 South St. in McCook, don't receive any monies from the stamps, perhaps when placing one of them on an envelope to mail or when opening one that was received, it will remind everyone of the important job that is accomplished with the adoption or rescued neglected or unwanted pets of the area.. ...

I want to highlight the accomplishments of some students I've had the pleasure of meeting during special events this week. They represent some of the outstanding young people in our state who have distinguished themselves both in and out of the classroom...

McCook High School and many of the girls tennis teams from the western part of the Cornhusker State are likely at a disadvantage when it comes to state competition against the eastern schools. That won't stop the Bison girls from giving a strong effort at the 2010 Nebraska Class B State Tennis Championships...