Stories from Monday, January 3, 2011

McCook welcomes 2011 with fireworks, music and dancing -- festivities, fun and laughter in the face of single-digit temperatures on the last night of 2010. During "First Night" activities at the Museum of the High Plains, lead singers Jeri Lynn Karr, above center, left, and Sue Ankersen of Tre Sostre and the Gentleman's Club performed classics from the past. ...

McCook ended the year with 21.78 inches of precipitation, a .16 inch surplus, aided by the year-end snow that left 5 inches on the ground, adding .08 to the year-end total. McCook saw only four days at 100 degrees or higher, set one new record high (Sept. 23, 96 degrees), tied one record high (Oct. 6, 84 degrees) and set one new record low (Sept. 7, 38 degrees)...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The heir to the McCook Daily Gazette's "First Baby of the New Year" title appears to be tiny Hope Elizabeth Marie Cacy, the daughter of Judy and Mike Cacy of McCook. Hope was born at 2:09 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011, at Community Hospital of McCook. She weighed 6 lbs., 6 oz., and measured 201⁄4 inches long...

McCOOK, Nebraska --Women are invited to attend the Women's Winter Conference, "Grow in Your Faith," sponsored by the McCook Evangelical Free Church, on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 28 and 29. The conference begins with a Friday evening concert featuring the entertaining gospel quartet, the 4Hyms, back by popular demand. ...

It was a different kind of Christmas this year. I made the long drive to Arkansas but this time, instead of going to Russellville, I drove to Bentonville and spent a day and a half with my youngest son Will and my daughter-in-law Erica. We had a great time together before I left Christmas Eve afternoon for the drive down to Russellville...

With the controversy over the demolition of the old West Ward building and Gov. Ralph Brooks' old residence, it's nice to see something we should all be able to agree upon, the renovation of the Norris Park band shell. The city staff is recommending that a local firm be awarded a $156,754 contract to renovate the structure, which is badly in need of repair...

First, I want to thank you for printing my letter regarding the missing wood south of Culbertson. The Methodist youth and sponsors would like to thank whoever sent the money for payment of this wood. God bless you, Culbertson...

Christmas is over and it is now time to take down all the decorations. Be sure to check the labels before you put them into storage. If you see a "made in China," take it to the city dump and be quick about it. These worthless objects are made in communist countries! They do not believe in the Bible, are not allowed to vote and do not have the democracy. It is irrational to display things made in evil foreign countries...

Oct. 24, 1927--Dec. 31, 2010 STRATTON, Nebraska -- Wilbur L. "Web" Wyss, 83, died Friday (Dec. 31, 2010), at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman, Nebraska. He was born Oct. 24, 1927, in Hitchcock County, Nebraska on the family farm south of Stratton, to John and Ida Mae (Losey) Wyss. Web attended District 34 grade school south of Stratton, and later attended Stratton High School where he graduated in 1947...

Feb. 17, 1918--Dec. 31, 2010 WORDEN, Illinois -- Corliss E. Gigax, 92, died Friday (Dec. 31, 2010), at Eden Village Retirement Center in Glen Carbon, Illinois. She was born on Sunday, Feb. 17, 1918, in Hayes Center, Nebraska, the daughter of Ray and Grace (nee Evans) Gigax...

April 2, 1929--Dec. 31, 2010 RED OAK, Iowa -- Rosetta May Abbuhl, the daughter of Henry and Stella (Matson) Miller, was born April 2, 1929, in Culbertson, Nebraska. She passed away on Friday (Dec. 31, 2010), at the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital in Red Oak at the age of 81 years, 8 months and 29 days...

Oct. 10, 1922--Dec. 30, 2010 TRENTON, Nebraska -- Alice Virginia Gohl, 88, departed this life on Thursday (Dec. 30, 2010), at the El Dorado Manor Home in Trenton. She was born to Clifford and Elizabeth (Scott) Wilson on Oct. 10, 1922, in Linn, Kansas. She attended school in Hayes County, Nebraska and upon graduation from Hayes Center High School, in 1943, she taught in country schools...

Nov. 14, 1930--Jan. 2, 2011 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Theodore Kerwin "Ted" Britt, 80, died Sunday (Jan. 2, 2011), at Highland Park in McCook. He was born Nov. 14, 1930, in North Platte, Nebraska, the son of the late Theodore and Alma (Giddon) Britt...

March 20, 1937--Dec. 30, 2010 HARTSELLE, Alabama -- Ronald Date Kepler, 73, died Thursday (Dec. 30, 2010), at his residence. He was born March 20, 1937, in Nebraska to Date Wilson Kepler and Emily M. Goodman Kepler. He was employed with Insurance Services Office (ISO) as a manager for eight states...

Having had the opportunity recently to enjoy the hospitality of Bryan Hospital in Lincoln, sampling their gourmet food and taking part in their unique entertainment practices -- it seemed like a good idea to find out a bit more about the man/family, who gave his/their name to one of the state's great medical complexes...

All the political bickering, blocking and gridlocking that went on in Congress during the old year is not what the public wants and certainly not the way we deal with things in Nebraska. Unfortunately, this is what occurred for most of 2010 in Washington and in the last weeks of the year we rushed to pass tax cuts, the START treaty, and the budget for a year that started 3 months earlier...

This time of year, New Year's resolutions are a common topic of conversation. People dedicate themselves to losing weight, watching less television, and finally reading those books which have been piling up. To add to the list, one resolution we should all make a priority is taking steps to protect our identity from cyber-thieves...

KEARNEY, Nebraska -- If not for a short period in the third quarter, the McCook High School girls basketball team most certainly would have attained a team goal at the 2010 Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference Tournament. The Bison girls battled North Platte in the fifth-place finals at Kearney High School Thursday, Dec. 30. McCook dropped a 36-33 decision after missing two shots in the final 10 seconds...

KEARNEY, Nebraska -- The Young Guns of McCook are ready to shoot it out with any boys basketball team. The Bison boys shot down Class A Columbus, 58-39, in the Thursday, Dec. 30 fifth-place final at the 2010 Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference basketball tournament at Kearney High School...