Stories from Friday, August 13, 2010

Family Features Whether you're sitting down to a macaroni and cheese dinner or a three-course meal, the simple act of eating dinner with your kids has a power­ful impact on the whole family. Almost two decades of research by The National Center on Addic­tion and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University has con­sist­ently found that the more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs...

Stephanie Ann Cahoj of Grand Island and Mark Thomas Dozler of Lincoln announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Greg and Julie Cahoj of Atwood, David and Loretta Studer of Atwood and LeRoy and Mary Dozler of Albion, Nebraska. Grandparents of the bride-to-be are Charles and Jonnie Arnold of Plainville, Kansas and Rex and Lucille Delaney of Grand Island. Grandmother of the prospective bridegroom is Edith Nordhues of Greeley, Nebraska...

The family of Duane and Darlene Bixler is hosting an open house celebration in honor of the couple's 60th wedding anniversary, Aug. 20, 2010. The celebration will be Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010, 2-4 p.m., at the Auxiliary Hall on South Main Street in Palisade. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at PO Box 72, Palisade, NE 69040...

The family and friends of Ron and Vicky Myers of North Platte are requesting a card shower in honor of the couples 40th wedding anniversary. They were married Aug. 28, 1970, at St. Patricks Catholic Church in McCook. Family of the couple includes two sons, Shane and wife, Heather of Omaha and Jason and wife, Renae of Olathe, Kansas; and three grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 914 West Reid Ave., North Platte, NE 69101...

Jason and Amy Downing, formerly of McCook, announce the birth of a son, Hudson Gregory Downing. He was born July 6, 2010, at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney weighing 8 pounds and measuring 21 inches long. He has two siblings, five-year-old Hadlea and one-year-old Harper. Grandparents of the newborn are Don and Pam Ahlers of McCook, Geraldine Downing of Stratton and the late Gregory Downing. Great-grandparents are Shirley Ahlers of Jackson, California and Mary Schwerdt of McDonald, Kansas...

Lance and Bree Frazier of Stratton announce the birth of a son, Bronson Giles Frazier. He was born June 23, 2010, at Community Hospital weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 20 inches long. He has a brother, Chandler Frazier of Clay Center, Nebraska. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Candace (Peterson) Bourg and Trevor Bourg, both of McCook, were married April 24, 2010, at Republican River Valley Event Center with the Rev. Robert Cross officiating. Parents of the couple are Daniel and Cindy Peterson of McCook, Jay and Melissia Blauvelt of McCook and Joe Bourg of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. ...

COLUMBUS, Nebraska -- Jeremy and Erica (Reitz) Zywiec of Columbus, Nebraska, announce the birth of a son, Chase Thomas Zywiec. He was born July 31, 2010, weighing 6 pounds, 14 ounces. Grandparents of the newborn are Deb and Jerry Reitz of McCook and Margo and Ed Zywiec of Columbus. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Jayce Joseph arrived and departed this world on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2010, at 6:05 a.m. at Community Hospital in McCook. He is survived by his mother, Mishae Victoria Lepper and his father, Jaime Jose Helm, both of McCook. Surviving grandparents include Lori and Brett Schmidt of McCook, DeWayne Lepper of McCook, and James and Yanis Helm of Danbury. He is also survived by a large, extended loving family...

Sept. 17, 1919-Aug. 6, 2010 HOLDREGE, Nebraska -- Funeral services for Herschel W. Sheffield were conducted from the Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Holdrege, Nebraska on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2010, at 2 p.m. with the Reverends Melvin Mertens and Kenton Birtell, officiating. Interment was in the Prairie Home Cemetery at Holdrege...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Less than two months after purchasing the property from a Baptist Church in North Platte, owner Kim Tietz opened the doors of Kingdom Kids Christian Daycare for business, April 26, 2010. Tietz, who has 12 years experience doing in-home daycare said a lot went into getting the former church ready in such a short period of time. ...

President Barack Obama was set to sign the Southwest Border Security Bill today, providing $600 million to hire 1,000 new U.S. Border Patrol agents, 250 more U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and 250 more U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers...

Recent [Open Forum letters] have misrepresented the programs and policy of the Middle Republican NRD and I feel a comment is necessary. Anyone who participated in or listened to the discussion for the consideration of our recently adopted Integrated Management Plan knows that the direction given by the board was to prevent the shutdown of acres in the rapid response area. Discussions with the Bureau of Reclamation have eased some of their concerns...

The descendents of Austin Dutcher held their bi-annual reunion Aug. 7-8 at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds community building. We all had a great time visiting and celebrating our wonderful family. We were blessed to have our two beautiful aunts, Ruth Sughroue and Hazel Malleck, attend the get-together...

I've been asked several times over the past few weeks why I never write about politics anymore and I'm going to use this column to explain why. Politics used to be interesting, fun, and exciting, regardless of which political party you were a member of. ...

GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska -- State Fair-goers will enjoy 500,000 square feet of new exhibit space on new $39 million state fairgrounds that are almost ready for the event two weeks away in its new Grand Island home. PR and Marketing Director Jana Hafer told the Gazette a new "personal planner" on the fair's website (statefair.org, click "Things to Do and See" then "Daily Calendar" then "Create Your Day") allows visitors to create a personalized itinerary by selecting from among some 150 items per day over the Aug. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- City Council will review a recommendation by city staff to increase the minimum sewer charge, effective Oct. 1, 2010, for both residential and commercial users by $1 per month at Mondays semi-monthly meeting, 7:30 p.m., at Memorial Auditorium...

NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- True American heroes are becoming harder to find. In his most recent book, Clearing the Bases, Major League Baseball's American League past president and former university chancellor, Gene A. Budig, selects nine individuals who truly fit the "Hero" model and in his words, "did it with grit and class."...

I've been having this mental image ever since I sat down for a few minutes Wednesday night and watched Sports Center on ESPN. Imagine Memorial Stadium, football Saturday in Lincoln, the Sea of Red with wall-to-wall carpet. A real Crimson (Scarlet) Tide.....

High school fall sports athletes across the Cornhusker State have been toiling in tough conditions through twice-daily workouts this week to mark the start of the 2010-11 school year. Perhaps no sport is more grueling than football. The participants don full pads and sweat through early morning and evening workouts in sweltering heat and humidity through the first week of fall drills...

McCook High School head softball coach Jason Cochran doesn't pull any punches when it comes to scheduling for his Bison girls. Cochran's teams will basically play anybody, anytime, and the 2010 Bison schedule will be loaded with the state's top teams, including several Class A teams in tournament and Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference action...

As I've traveled the Third District, I've had the chance to meet with hundreds of Nebraskans. They are concerned about our economy and the ever increasing intrusion by the government into our lives. They are frustrated Congress continues to pass one stimulus bill after another without actually improving our economy...

CASA displays stolen from Norris Avenue McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook Police Department received a report Thursday morning that several of the life size stand-up displays planted in the middle island of Norris Avenue had been stolen. The displays were planted to raise awareness for abused and neglected children by Prairie Plains Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteers...

Sept. 29, 1949-July 29, 2010 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Charles "Tom" Hutto, 60, died July 29, 2010, in McCook. He was born Sept. 29, 1949, in San Francisco, California, to Charles and Jean (McGuire) Hutto. He grew up in McCook and graduated from McCook High School. He attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln...

Summertime in Nebraska is the perfect time for a road trip. Families often set off throughout the state to visit Chimney Rock, chart the Louis and Clark Trail, Fort Robinson, or any of our beautiful state parks. Today marks the inception of another Nebraska travel destination: Nebraska's First State Veterans Cemetery at Alliance. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The local branch of a mentoring program started by Tom Osborne is showing positive results, according to a program official. The latest annual metricks indicated that students involved with the McCook TeamMates program had 100 percent fewer absences than they did before they became part of the program, according to Dennis Berry, TeamMates president...