Stories from Friday, March 11, 2011

Have you or someone you know experienced the tsunami resulting from the major earthquake near Japan? Comment here or e-mail us at editor@mccookgazette.com.

Family Features With spice consumption at an all-time high across America, it's an exciting time for flavor. Accord­ing to the McCormick® Flavor Forecast® 2011, different tastes, textures and colors are mixed and matched to deliver fun and excite­ment to eating...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Amanda Pollnow and Ahren Hays, both of McCook were united in marriage on Oct. 9, 2010, at the Keystone Business Center in McCook with Francine Martin officiating. Parents of the couple are Greg and Kristy Pollnow, Greg and Cindy Hays, and Glenda Harmon, all of McCook. ...

Crystal Cruse and Keenan Dack, both of McCook, Nebraska, announce their engagement and upcoming marriage. Parents of the bride-to-be are Philip Cruse of Fremont, Nebraska, and Duke and Becky Ebert of Culbertson, Nebraska. Parents of the prospective bridegroom are Shirley Dack of Omaha, Nebraska, and the late Richard Dack Sr...

Sheree Eschliman and Jerome Hollenhors, both of Bartley, Nebraska, announce their engagement and upcoming marriage. Parents of the bride-to-be are Rick and Theresa Eschliman of Indianola, Nebraska. Parents of the prospective bridegroom are Cory and Bonita Hollenhors of Trenton, Nebraska...

Robert and Amy Stanley of Big Springs, Nebraska announce the birth of a son, John Robert Stanley. He was born Feb. 10, 2011, at Community Hospital in Ogallala, Nebraska, weighing 8 pounds, 11.5 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches long. He has three sisters, Caroline, 9, Lauryn, 7, and Ella, 2. ...

Nicholas and Tina Osborne of McCook, Nebraska announce the birth of a son, Alecsander Lee Osborne. He was born Feb. 26, 2011, in McCook, weighing 8 pounds, 7.6 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches long. Grandparents are Sandra White of Ketchikan, Alaska, Robert Bucknell of McCook, Paula Osborne of McCook and Robin Osborne of Denver, Colorado...

James and Crystal (Hein) Buscher of Waverly, Nebraska announce the birth of a son, Alexander John Buscher. He was born Dec. 27, 2010, at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 21 inches long. He has a brother, Isaac, 8, and a sister, Aliya, 2. ...

David and Angela Barber of Culbertson, Nebraska announce the birth of a daughter, Liana Rene Barber. She was born Jan. 26, 2011, weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces and measuring 19 inches long. She has a brother, Micaiah, 4. Grandparents are Jerry and Kristene Mustion of Culbertson and Randy and Mary Barber of Blue Springs, Nebraska. Great-grandparents are Ray and Marion Arnold of Trumbull, Nebraska, Bill Barber of Glenwood, Iowa, and Kenneth Dvorak of Wymore, Nebraska...

The family of Beulah DeHart of Imperial, Nebraska is requesting a card shower in honor of her 86th birthday, March 19, 2011. Cards of congratulations will reach her at Imperial Manor, Room 213, P.O. Box 757, Imperial, NE 69033.

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- The Arapahoe High School boys staged a furious comeback late in their Class C-2 state tournament first-round game Thursday, March 10, against North Platte St. Pat's. The Warriors rallied from a 10-point deficit to force overtime. But Arapahoe's tanks might have run dry in the extra period as St. Pat's held on for a 63-57 victory...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Two of the top teams in the state's Class D-2 ranks battled Thursday, March 10, in the first round of the Nebraska state high school basketball tournament. When the dust settled, Wauneta-Palisade was just a little bit better than O'Neill St. Mary's in the second half to lift the Broncos to a 63-54 victory...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- In an move to preserve and protect the school district's pre-existing budget authority, McCook Public Schools board of directors will, at their meeting Monday evening, amend the district's 2010-11 budget. The meeting will open at 6 p.m., in the junior high cafeteria, with a public hearing to explain and accept comments from the public on the proposal to move $1.8 million from budgeted cash reserve to budgeted disbursements and transfers...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- At 10:15 a.m., Monday, Red Willow County, Nebraska, commissioners will select a firm to do a feasibility study of jail options available to the county. The commissioners' weekly meeting begins at 9 a.m., in their office on the third floor of the courthouse in McCook...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- With another Home and Builders Show under their belt, the staff and Board of Directors of the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce are ready to look forward to other upcoming activities. Even though the attendance numbers were down slightly, Chamber Director Pam Harsh told the board at their monthly meeting that this year's show was a good one, with several new and fun vendors as well as the loyal regulars...

A group of third and fourth graders practices soccer at Barnett Park Thursday night. The YMCA soccer season begins March 19, and runs through the last weekend of April. Clocks will "roll forward" Saturday night.

CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- The local American Cancer Society office of Furnas County is looking for volunteers and teams for the annual Relay For Life of Furnas County. Relay For Life is a fun-filled, overnight event that mobilizes communities throughout the country to celebrate survivors, remember loved ones and raise money for the fight against cancer...

3.55 -- that's how many dollars it takes to buy a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in McCook this morning. It takes 103 dollars to buy the barrel of crude oil to refine that fuel. 2.5 million people are following Charlie Sheen on Twitter, and 14 Democratic senators were missing from the Wisconsin Senate before Republicans found a way to do their deed without a quorum...

There's a company in Scottsdale, Arizona, that, for a small fee, will preserve your body after clinical death for decades or even centuries, they say, until a cure is found for whatever killed you. Once that happens, they will "wake" you up, apply the cure and then you can go to a ballgame or to the beach or whatever you want to do with your second life...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A visit to the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives evokes many hard questions, including perhaps the most poignant question of all, "why?" The Rev. Gary Brethour, pastor at St. Patrick's Catholic Church and the inaugural speaker at the 2011 Community Lenten Service Friday at First Congregational Church in McCook, addressed a community congregation of 83, with the "why" questions of the suffering of the Christ, first in the Garden, then following through to the cross...

Wauneta-Palisade senior Ricky Martin (33) shoots over Sterlings Connor Malone (32) in Class D2 semifinal game Friday at the Pershing Auditorium in Lincoln. The Broncos knocked off number 2 seed Sterling 50-46 to advance to the Class D2 championship game in the Bob Deveny Sports Center Saturday morning with tip-off at 9 a.m. Wauneta-Palisade will take on the winner of the Wynot-Giltner game. Martin finished the game with 10 points...