Stories from Tuesday, September 14, 2010

June 22, 1933-Sept. 13, 2010 CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- LaVern M. "Pete" Petersen, 77, died at Tri Valley Assisted Living on Monday (Sept. 13, 2010). He was born in Cambridge on June 22, 1933, to Elmer C. and Gladys (Estergard) Petersen. Pete grew up on the farm north of Cambridge. He attended and graduated from Cambridge High School in 1952...

Dec. 28, 1939-Sept. 12, 2010 STRATTON, Nebraska -- Daniel "Roland" Sandberg, 70, died Sunday (Sept. 12, 2010), at his home in rural Stratton. He was born Dec 28, 1939, in North Platte to Nels Ejnar and Vida (Tabler) Sandberg. He attended elementary school in a county school south of Hershey, Nebraska, and graduated from Sutherland High School in Sutherland, Nebraska in 1958. He worked several jobs in Denver, Colorado and later worked with a home builder in Lincoln as a carpenter...

If it seems like the election season has started early, there's a reason. Since 1999, Nebraskans have been allowed to submit their ballots early without giving a reason, and a lot of us have been doing it. "Every campaign should have a good early vote program," said Dave Boomer, campaign manager for the 2nd District GOP incumbent, Rep. Lee Terry. "If they don't, the manager should be sued for malpractice," he told The Associated Press...

"Look, look at that pivot over there! See the brown spots in the corn and look, there is a small lake of standing water. See how green everything else is too?" Such were the words of my passengers on a recent flight. We started over water in the filled-to-capacity reservoir at Alma and flew the Republican River west into its headwaters in Colorado. ...

In my letter to the editor on 9-9-10 concerning the George Norris sculpture, I gave you the wrong day for the George Norris prayer breakfast. Mea culpa! It is actually scheduled for 7 a.m. on Friday Sept. 24 at the McCook Heritage Senior Center on 1400 West 5th Street...

I am a native of McCook, having been born and raised a Bison through and through. I remain loyal and continue to be interested in my hometown. That's why I'm writing this letter to the editor. I am not certain why The Gazette continues to publish the Dick Trail columns with his partisan political diatribes. ...

NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- On Wednesday, Mid-Plains Community College will present a 2010-11 budget that will require no increase in the local tax levy. If passed on Wednesday night, the current 2009-10 levy request of 8.7994 cents/hundred for the college budget will not change for 2010-11...

Lincoln, Nebraska -- The University of Nebraska Public Policy Center will facilitate a task force appointed to address water sustainability of the Republican River Basin. The center will assist the 26-member Republican River Basin Water Sustainability Task Force in meeting its requirements established by LB 1057, introduced by state senators Tom Carlson of Holdrege, Mark Christensen of Imperial and Deb Fischer of Valentine...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook Public School system will be facing major fiscal challenges in the next few years, but officials hope a budget approved unanimously Monday night will help ease the pain. After a hearing at which no member of the public chose to speak, the school board voted unanimously to approve a $20 million budget of expenditures that will ask for $5.6 million in local property taxes...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Red Willow County Commissioners adopted a $16,357,476.12 budget following a 30-minute public hearing Monday. Then, following a 15-minute hearing, they set the tax request at $2,788,590.06, based on a $0.39 levy, which was increased from $2,422,044.42 for the prior fiscal year, based on a $0.36 levy...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sen. Ben Nelson said today that he has posted 94 fact sheets for each of Nebraska's counties, and the state, showing the impact to date of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to promote transparency and provide factual information for Nebraskans...

KEARNEY, Nebraska -- The McCook High School boys tennis team turned in a strong showing Monday, Sept. 13, with a pair of dual meet victories in Kearney. The Bison varsity topped host Kearney Catholic, 7-2, and beat Grand Island Central Catholic, 6-3. McCook upped its season dual meet record to 4-1...

It took a few plays, but the McCook High School junior varsity football team finally got rolling Monday, Sept. 13, against Lexington. When the dust settled, the Bison reserves owned a dominating 49-0 win over the Minutemen JV in the contest played at McCook's Weiland Field...