Stories from Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Nebraska linebacker Will Compton (51) drops South Carolina's quarterback Connor Shaw (14) for a sack in the Capital One Bowl. The Gamecocks defeated the Huskers 30-13 Jan. 2 in Orlando.

Colonel Melvin Frank Huss June 2, 1929 - Dec. 31, 2011 LEXINGTON, Nebraska -- Colonel Melvin Frank Huss, 82, of Lexington, Nebraska, died Saturday, (Dec. 31, 2011), at Lexington, Nebraska. Melvin was born on June 2, 1929, at Herndon, Kansas, to Frank and Pauline (Kogl) Huss. ...

Vernon C. LeMon Jan. 23, 1917 - Dec. 29, 2011 McCOOK, Nebreaska -- Vernon Cecil LeMon died Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, at the Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook, Nebraska at the age of 94. He was brn Jan. 23, 1917, at Free Port, Kansas, the son of the late Arthur and Cora LeMon. He left home at age 14 to support himself and graduated from Anthony Kansas High School in 1936...

Timothy 'Tim' T. Tillotson Sept. 3, 1944 - Dec. 29, 2011 CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- Timothy "Tim" T. Tillotson, 67, of Wilsonville, Nebraska, died Thursday, (Dec. 29, 2011), at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital. He was born Sept. 3, 1944, in Wobum, Massachusetts, to Clyde L. and Pauline V. Eliker. He moved to Wilsonville with his mother at the age of 6 months. Tim lived in Utah and Colorado before the family settled again in Wilsonville in 1961...

Sue Ellen Sims April 2, 1949 - Dec. 31, 2011 BEAVER CITY, Nebraska -- Sue Ellen Sims, 62, of Beaver City, Nebraska died Saturday (Dec.31, 2011), at her home in Beaver City, Nebraska. She was born April 2, 1949, at Maywood, Nebraska to James and Rosalie (Perkins) Embrey. ...

Alan D. Addleman March 31, 1932 - Jan. 1, 2012 OBERLIN, Kansas -- Alan D. Addleman, 79, died Sunday (Jan. 1, 2012) at Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kansas. He was born March 31, 1932 in Oberlin to Theodore Bush and Neva (Russell Addleman. He graduated from Decatur Community College High School and attended two years at the College of Emporia...

Manley Leon Baney Oct. 18, 1917 - Dec. 20, 2011 BENKELMAN, Nebraska -- Manley Leon Baney of Benkelman passed away Dec. 30, 2011, at the Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. He was 94 years old. Manley was born on Oct. 18, 1917, in Benkelman to Reverda E. ...

Libbie J. Schroeder Oct. 30, 1918 - Dec. 31, 2011 McCOOK, Nebraska --Libbie J. Schroeder of McCook passed away Dec. 31, 2011, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. She was 93 years old. Libbie was born on Oct. 30, 1918, at Clarkson, Nebraska to Alois and Mary (Pacas) Bures. She attended school District 41 in Cuming County near Dodge...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Apparently, the Golden Plains of Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas does not have a "New Year's Baby 2012" yet. As of mid-morning today, no one had contacted the Gazette about a baby born after midnight Jan. 1. Until the first baby of the new year is born, the Gazette's annual "First Baby" contest will continue on a day-to-day basis...

McCook, Nebraska, rings in 2012 with fireworks and dancing in the streets. Building up to the celebration at midnight, revelers listened to Wilsonville banjo player Dan Cook and "The Saggy Bottom Boys" and Danbury residents Patsy and Tom Jones of "The Lounge Lizards." Getting comfortable for music at the High Plains Museum were Ceanne Rinehart of Colby, Kansas, and 12-year-old Carolyn Cook and 9-year-old Ethan Cook of Durango, Colorado. ...

Orlando motorcycle cop Steve Brunton shows support for the Huskers with an N on his helmet and hat and a Husker flag on the back of his Harley. Brunton and several other officers escorted to the Huskers to practice and other activities the week of the Capital One Bowl game Monday...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Vandals broke windows out of several McCook businesses, including C&K Distributors, during the early morning hours Friday. The McCook Police Department is pursuing leads and is seeking any assistance from citizens as to who committed the crimes or was out driving between the hours of 2:30 a.m. and 4 a.m...

If you celebrated a little too much the other night, we hope you found a safe ride home -- perhaps with the local car dealer who was offering just such a New Year's service. If you were a little over the limit and made it home without incident, thank your lucky stars...

Temperature inversion is a common condition in Denver where I was raised. (Sometimes it occurs in McCook and the Trenton area.) When air close to the ground is cooler than the air above it, inversion takes place. In Denver, a sickening green smog forms and blocks the view of the mountains...

To all citizens of Nebraska, especially Southwest Nebraska: On. Nov. 28, 2011, a letter was sent to all the people who signed a petition that was circulated in August 2011 in Hitchcock County. The letter was sent to all signers of the petition to appear for questioning by the Nebraska State Patrol. ...

Contrary to what seems to be popular opinion I feel a little sorry for our own Senator Ben Nelson. Senator Nelson's decision to not run for re-election must have been painful but prudent after testing the water to determine the mood of Nebraska voters. ...

June 30, 1954-Dec. 28, 2011 MITCHELL, South Dakota -- Raymond "Ray" Hegwood, 57, of Mitchell, died Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011, at his home of natural causes. He was born June 30, 1954. Funeral services are today, Jan. 3, 2012, at the Mitchell Wesleyan Church with burial at Graceland Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 2, 2012, at the Will Funeral Chapel...

I received many nice calls, letters, and e-mails after I announced plans not to seek a third term in the U.S. Senate, but just because I'm leaving the Senate doesn't mean I'm retiring. Oh, sure, after I finish my term next year my schedule will once again be my own and I plan to catch up on a lot of missed hunting, fishing and time with my wife, Diane, children, and grand children. But I also intend to stay engaged in issues that concern Nebraskans...