Stories from Monday, May 16, 2011

I was pleased to join a number of education leaders and others interested in creating opportunities for more Nebraska students to pursue higher education at the Nebraska College Access Summit. We want to provide our kids the best education that we can and prepare them to compete in a knowledge-based, technology driven, global, free-market economy. ...

Feb. 20, 2011-April 21, 2011 HERNDON, Kansas -- Jasper Kendall Grafel, the first child of Benjamin and Mariah Grafel of Herndon, Kan., was born at 9:53 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011, at Presbyterian Saint Luke's Medical Center. Not only was Jasper's arrival, 12 weeks early, a surprise, but when he let out a little yelp and began to fuss all on his own, he turned every head in the room...

July 22, 1919-May 13, 2011 PALISADE, Nebraska -- Paul Vern Applegarth, 91, died Friday (May 13, 2011) at Heritage of Wauneta, Nebraska. He was born July 22, 1919, in Haxtun, Colorado to Albert and Effie (Kinzie) Applegarth. He attended rural school south of Haxtun and later at Zell rural school west of Wauneta after the family had moved to Nebraska...

Legislative Bill 629, introduced by Sen. Kate Sullivan, which would enact the Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Reclamation and Recovery Act, in response to intentions by TransCanada to run its Keystone oil pipeline through Nebraska. It has been a hot topic of discussion for many Nebraskans, and many of you in District 44 who have taken the time to contact me with your opinions regarding the bill. I truly appreciate receiving your opinions and involvement in this important issue...

TRENTON, Nebraska -- While fishermen unloaded their boats for another day of excellent walleye fishing at Swanson Lake, Hitchcock County Schools unloaded three busloads of students for the second annual Swanson Lake cleanup day. Students, faculty, volunteers and the Nebraska Game and Parks spent today clearing out trash, painting picnic tables, shingling picnic shelters, and helping the area recover from the May 5 fire...

The clock was winding down for the final launch of the space shuttle Endeavour as this was being written Monday morning, the second-t0-the-last launch of an exorbitantly expensive, tragic, yet successful space program. If all goes as planned, the shuttle will spend two weeks in orbit, delivering a partical physics experiment and another package with spare parts for a robot and other items to the International Space Station, crews performing four space walks in the process...

By October 1935, life in McCook and Southwest Nebraska had begun to return to normal after the ravages of the Memorial Day flood, which had killed more than 100 people, swept away thousands of farm animals, laid ruin to farm buildings and thousands of acres of prime farm land in the Republican Valley, downed hundreds of miles of telephone and power lines, and destroyed miles of railroad bed and tracks of the Burlington Railroad, which skirted the banks of the Republican River through the entire length of the Valley. ...

Patriotism and a strong belief in service to country are some of the values that prompt so many Nebraskans to join the military. It's not easy to be a member of the military and it requires considerable sacrifice, not only from the service member, but also from his or her family...

JUSTIN BASS McCook Daily Gazette McCOOK, Nebraska -- McCook High School graduates weathered cool temperatures and wind on Sunday afternoon at Weiland Field for the opportunity to walk at the 2011 MHS Graduation. A total of 120 seniors walked across the stage to receive their diplomas and finish their high school educations...

Jan. 12, 1954-May 12, 2011 HASTINGS, Nebraska -- Craig Eugene Francis, 57, passed away Thursday, May 12, 2011, at his home in Hastings. He was born Jan. 12, 1954, in Oberlin, Kansas, the son of Verle and Dolores (Barnes) Francis. Craig grew up and received his education in Norcatur, Norton and Herndon, Kansas, moving to McCook where he graduated from McCook Senior High School in 1972...