Stories from Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Nelda N. Barenberg Jan. 17, 1924 - Dec. 23, 2011 KEARNEY, Nebraska --Nelda N. Barenberg, 87, of Kearney and formerly of Hastings died Friday, Dec. 23, 2011 at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Memorial services will be Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, at 10:30 a.m. ...

65th anniversary The children of Eugene and Donna Jesch of Stratton, Nebraska are requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 65th wedding annivesary. They were married Dec. 28, 1946. Their children include Vicki of North Platte, Nebraska, Geoff of LIncoln, Nebraska, Doug of Kearney, Nebraska, Monica of Parker, Colorado and Brad of Stratton. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 805 Bailey Street, Stratton, NE 69043...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The City of McCook was rocked early on in 2011, with the murder of a teenage girl in January. It was tragedy that never should have happened and cast a temporary pall on a city known for its friendliness and openness. In August, a sudden hail storm devastated parts of West McCook, with some areas, most notably the golf course, looking as if it was razed to the ground...

Kit Ellis of Stratton, Nebraska, wears a traditional dress of the Republic of the Philippines, as she and Rose Hidy, also of Stratton, hosted a Christmas party Dec. 17 for fellow natives of the Philippines. Twenty Filipino women, living in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas, gathered for visiting, singing, games, gift-giving and the traditional roast pig dinner at St. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Who will be the first baby born on the Golden Plains of Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas in 2012? That's the question on the minds of parents expecting a newborn on or about Jan. 1. The McCook Daily Gazette will help celebrate the birth of the first baby with accolades from across the area and gifts from area businesses...

Most media outlets would like to run more positive news, really, they would. Especially during the holidays, this newspaper and most other media outlets look for feel-good stories to make the season brighter. Unfortunately, it's the darker side of the news that gets all the attention...

Before the Gazette and a few callers, letters to the editor and bloggers christen young Mr. Kircher as the Second Coming, maybe we should review the past. When first elected, he had a very inexperienced and unremarkable past. He did graduate from high school. He had not served on any boards or commissions. He did sell popcorn and candy at the movies and was friendly there. Why he left working at Valmont is a mystery...

The year 2011 is about to draw to a close. It has been interesting to watch the pattern of new construction in the local area. A considerable number of new homes have been built, several in progress, in rural areas surrounding McCook. However I can recall only one house constructed within the city limits. Hmm, how can that be?...

December 27, 2011 OMAHA -- Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson made the following announcement today regarding his plans for 2012. video here. I've had the honor of serving as your Governor and United States Senator. During this time we've accomplished a great deal...

Make sure to extinguish your fireplace fires Saturday night, because Santa Claus is coming to town. So Ol' St. Nick doesn't burn you and leave your toy stash short, don't burn him first with flames at the bottom of your flue Christmas eve. Will Santa treat you well? Have you been good? We'll know the answer to those questions early Sunday morning...

McCook High School will swap Hastings opponents on the varsity football schedule the next two seasons. The Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) recently announced classifications for high school football programs across the Cornhusker state for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years. Several schools will be moving up and down in the NSAA classifications, with direct effects on several Gazette area teams, including the Bison...

If everything goes according to plan, Dave Almany's book about the 2011 McCook High School football program should now be in the hands of the printer. Almany, former high school and college coach-turned author from St. Louis, spent time in McCook last fall gathering information for his book featuring three successful small-town prep football programs along U.S. Highway 83...

GREATER NEBRASKA ATHLETIC CONFERENCE HOLIDAY BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 28-30, at Lexington High School GIRLS DIVISION (Team's tournament seed, won-loss record in parenthesis) Wednesday, Dec. 28 First-Round Games Columbus (#1, 6-1) vs. Hastings (#8, 0-5), 2 p.m., west gym...