Stories from Wednesday, October 12, 2011

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Tougher laws would be one way to help prevent drunk driving in Nebraska the Legislature's Judiciary Committee was told at an Oct. 11 meeting. The committee focused on a study examining the impact of DUI convictions in the state and debated the most effective ways to reduce them, but no formal action was taken...

LINCOLN -- The Legislature's Judiciary Committee is examining the effects of a federal statute that has changed Nebraska law on sex offenders, their classification and their presence on national sex offender registries. The Oct. 11 meeting was held to study the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and recent changes to Nebraska statutes on sex offender registries...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- It always has been absolute gospel in this corner that without the First and Fourth Amendments the remainder of the Bill of Rights would be useless, easily circumvented by a powerful central government. The First Amendment is the one usually referred to in conversational shorthand as that which guarantees the freedoms of speech, press and religion...

After reading the letter from Helen Ruth [Arnold], I couldn't resist asking anyone interested in reading just what sort of values Christopher Columbus displayed that earned him a day of celebration each year, to please read this excerpt: http://www.commondreams.org/ archive/2007/10/08/4398 [The article,] "Thom Hartmann on Christopher Columbus" might shed a different light on this man and his crew...

At the time, I thought it was the worst thing that would ever happen to me and I was nearly undone by the entire experience. In February 1972, I was an overnight "guest" of the good people of Eureka County, Nevada, sleeping on an un-sheeted, blue tick mattress that was covered with numerous unidentifiable stains. ...

A hardware chain in the Omaha area is getting national exposure for its marketing plan exploiting the increasingly popular holiday of Halloween. And, it's reading the public pulse accurately, marketing home security equipment as a defense against the zombie apocalypse...

The Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) has done away with district meet qualification for Class B boys tennis. That means that each of the 25 schools competing in Class B can send entries in the two singles and two doubles divisions to the state meet that starts a two-day run Thursday, Oct. 13, in Lincoln. First-round matches are slated to begin at 8 a.m. at the Nebraska Tennis Center, located on the northeast edge of Lincoln...

GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska -- McCook High School's girls golf team shot one of its lowest team totals of the fall season in the second round of the Class B state meet Tuesday, Oct. 11, in Grand Island. Unfortunately for the Bison, Elkhorn South shot even lower...

Norma M. Grafel Oct. 15, 1929 - Oct. 10, 2011 OBERLIN, Kansas -- Norma M. Grafel, 81, died Monday (Oct. 10, 2011) at Decatur County Hospital. She was born Oct. 15, 1929 to Fred and Agnes (Behnke) Crocker in McCook, Nebraska. She was raised south of McCook...

Stanley Delmar Knudsen April 5, 1927 - Oct. 7, 2011 PARIS, Texas --Stanley Delmar Knudsen, 84, of Paris, Texas, former long-time Lexington resident, passed away peacefully Friday (Oct. 7, 2011), in Paris, Texas. Stanley had moved to Paris, Texas and resided at Springlake Assisted Living...

Maynard Eugene Wright Sept. 4, 1915 - Oct. 11, 2011 ATWOOD, Kansas -- Maynard Eugene Wright, 96, died Tuesday (Oct. 11, 2011), at the Rawlins County Health Center in Atwood. He was born Sept. 4, 1915, in Ruskin, Nebraska. He was a farmer. Survivors include his wife, R. Lucille (Quary) Wright of Bird City, Kansas; sons, Jon Wright and Gerald Wright, both of Bird City; daughter Eileen Moon of Westchester, Ohio; nine grandchildren, 25 step-grandchildren and three step great-grandchildren...

Shirley Joan Miner CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- Shirley Joan Miner passed away Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011, at the Cambridge Manor Nursing Home. She was born to Leo Joseph and Twila Lucile (Dolph) Sughroue in Indianola. She attended school and graduated from Indianola High School. ...

Martha L. Munson April 8, 1027 - Oct. 12, 2011 OBERLIN, Kansas --Martha L. Munson, 84, died today (Oct. 12, 2011), at Decatur County Hospital. Services are pending at Pauls Funeral Home.