Stories from Friday, April 20, 2012

WESTERN CAPE, South Africa -- Alicia Shaffer of McCook, Nebraska, and Peter Leith of Pretoria, South Africa, were united in marriage Oct. 22, 2011, at Laborie Wine Farm, Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa, with Patrick Boucher, Celebrant, officiating...

Kylee Ann Sanderson Nate and Kayla Sanderson of Wellfleet announce the birth of their daughter, Kylee Ann, who was born April 3, 2012, at Great Plains Regional Center in North Platte. She weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces and was 18 3/4 inches long. Grandparents are Paul and Kathy Prochaska of Wellfleet, Joan and Lynn Brockel of Glenham, South Dakota and David and Georgia Sanderson of Huron, South Dakota. ...

Livia Lee Hall Charles and Amee Hall of McCook, Nebraska, announce the birth of their daughter, Livia Lee Hall, who was born March 29, 2012, at Tri Valley Hospital in Cambridge, Nebraska. She weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 20 inches long. Grandparents are Rodney Wonch and Jody and Ken Slingsby of Ansley, Nebraska, Lyman Hall of Culbertson, Nebraska, and Liz Moffett of Trout, Louisiana. Great-grandparents are Maxine Wonch and Gale and Judy Moody of Ansley...

Scarlet Lynn Thayer Matthew Michael Thayer and Rachel Izabel Krepcik of McCook, Nebraska, announce the birth of their daughter, Scarlet Lynn Thayer, who was born March 12, 2012, at Cambridge, Nebraska. She weighed 6 pounds, 5.5 ounces and measured 19 3/4 inches long. ...

30th anniversary The family of Charlie and Diana Gull of McCook, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's wedding anniversary. They were married April 17, 1982, at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in McCook. Their family includes children, Veronica Anderson of Kearney, Nebraska, Angie and Todd Felber of McCook and seven grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 811 West 12th, McCook, NE 69001...

102nd birthday The family of Caroline Patzelt Wood of McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of her 102nd birthday. She was born April 22, 1910, in rural Maywood. Her family includes children, Leonard and wife, Michelle Wood, Carla and husband, Jeff Hill and Karen and husband, Roger Erickson, 10 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 1500 E. 11th, No. 15, McCook, NE 69001...

90th birthday The family of Alma Miller of Culbertson, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of her 90th birthday. She was born April 24, 1922, in Culbertson. Her family includes children, Leland and wife, Barb Miller, of Culbertson, Ramona and husband, Jerry Kotschwar of Culbertson, Kasey Rigg, Jo Bunstock and Deb Gilliland, all of Lincoln, Nebraska, 12 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 37345 W. Wyoming Drive, Culbertson, NE 69024...

91st birthday The family of Elaine (McClure) Keene is requesting a card shower in honor of her 91st birthday. She was born April 22, 1920. Her family includes children, Dian and husband, Chuck Trail and Steve and wife, Patty Keene, all of McCook, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at Hillcrest Nursing Home, 309 W. Seventh, McCook, NE 69001...

Albers, Gooch Courtney Albers and Josh Gooch announce their engagment and upcoming marriage. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Randy and Barbara Albers of Colby, Kansas. She is a graduate of Colby High School and earned a bachelor's degree in medical diagnostic imaging from Fort Hays State University. She is a technologist at Comcare in Salina, Kansas...

40th anniversary Ronald W. and Joanne E. Allen of McCook, Nebraska, are hosting an open house in honor of their 40th anniversary and Ron's retirement. Ron's great- grandparents moved to Red Willow County in the 1880s and 1890s, where his family has farmed and operated businesses since then. ...

Yost, Freouf Stacey Megan Yost and Cody Eugene Freouf, both of Ord, Nebraska, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the bride-to-be are Roger and Alice Yost of Maxwell, Nebraska, formerly of Wauneta, Nebraska. Grandparents are Bonnie Yost of Wauneta and the late Paul Yost and Irene Johnson of Maxwell and the late Melvin Johnson...

Verda Pauline Ervin March 27, 1913 - Feb. 15, 2012 ROCKLIN, California -- Verda Pauline Ervin was born in Red Willow County, Nebraska, on March 27, 1913 to Elmer and Clara Ervin. She passed away peacefully on Feb. 16, 2012, in Rocklin, California. Verda was 98 years old...

Robert F. Klemm Jan. 4, 1934 - April 18, 2012 NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- Robert F. Klemm, 78, of Lake Maloney, longtime North Platte businessman, passed away April 18, 2012, at his home. He was born Jan. 4, 1934, to Fredrick and Delia (Wittchow) Klemm at Kenosha, Wisconsin...

Twila L. Bortner April 6, 1927 - April 17, 2012 GOTHENBURG, Nebraska -- Twila L. Bortner, 85, of Maywood, Nebraska, died April 17, 2012, at Hilltop Estates in Gothenburg, Nebraska. She was born April 6, 1927, to Frank Louis and Alda P. (Smith) Ruppert and lived most of her life in the Curtis and Maywood vicinity...

Arlene R. Jones June 21, 1918 - April 17, 2012 KEARNEY, Nebraska -- Arlene R. Jones, of Kearney, age 93, died Tuesday, April 17, 2012, at Mt. Carmel Home in Kearney. Funeral services will be Saturday, April 21, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. at the First Christian Church with Rev. ...

As entertaining as the back-and-forth chess matches I have had with Declan can be, pertaining to what he is and isn't going to eat, the addition of my younger brother Casey to our nightly dinner table certainly takes it up a notch. Casey is quite a bit younger than me and has been single for the majority of his adult life. That translates into him lacking some of what I would refer to as fatherly "wisdom," which he, in turn, would refer to as "weakness."...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook United Methodist Women hosted the 2012 Great West District Spring Retreat. There were more than 90 women in attendance from more than 10 towns. The leader of the day was Ann Regier, Great West Spiritual Growth Coordinator. She also presented the devotions...

It is one of the most coveted awards in college sports, the BCS Coach's Trophy. The trophy is awarded every year to the team that is voted the number one team in all of college football. This past season the Alabama Crimson Tide were the winners and they took home the trophy. ...

Hans Christian Andersen first told the now familiar story of an Emperor who spent all of his kingdom's disposable wealth on being well dressed. He had a change of clothes for every hour of the day, and he spent more time in his dressing room than managing the affairs of his empire...

Dear Friend, INTRO When we were on our cruise in February, we visited several islands...The Lesser Antilles....of the Caribbean. Located in the sub-tropics, where the temperatures are mild the year around, they have flowers, bushes and trees that bloom prolifically the year around. ...

WALLACE, Nebraska -- It is time for a "Spring Fling" and the Wallace Christian Women's Club will be sponsoring a very special event on Saturday, April 21. Everyone is invited to the Wallace Community Building beginning at 10 a.m. CT The celebration of spring includes continental breakfast and all entertainment for just $5 ticket at the door...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Warmer weather has been an obvious welcome opportunity for those who enjoy riding motorcycles. New Life Christian Bookstore would like to encourage motorcycle riders to start their busy riding season safely and blessed. A special Saturday blessing is being offered. Any and all riders and bikes are welcome to join us for a blessing of the bikes on Saturday, April 28, at 8:30 a.m. New Life Christian Bookstore is located on the bricks in McCook at 212 Norris Avenue...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Reports received last week indicated that contractors who began work on the East Ward Village project had been called off of the job site and were speculating the Senior Housing project had been cancelled. The McCook Housing Agency, manager for the...

April 21 is set apart for parents to talk to teens about alcohol.

Final in a series

I met Levon Helm when I was attending the University of Arkansas and the band he was in, Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, were touring the southern states. It was a strange collection of folks to say the least, four Canadians and two good ole' boys from Arkansas. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook Area Chamber of Commerce would like ideas from the community about how they can help support existing local businesses and enhance the value of chamber membership. The Chamber Board of Directors has approved a survey, which is available at www.surveymonkey.com/s/mccook chamber, (a link is also available on the chamber's web site www.aboutmccook.com, and Facebook page) and they are asking the public to help them determine the direction that the chamber should go...

Third grader Tyson Stevens tries to persuade Lincoln Michaelis to try sushi, a favorite food in Japan, the land that Tyson studied for his "Children of the World" presentation Tuesday evening at McCook, Nebraska, Elementary School. Lincoln was not convinced about the fish, but he did enjoy a fortune cookie...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Students4Souls, which has provided more than 16 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries, will collect shoes from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in the VK Electronics Parking Lot. The project started as a challenge to students of O'Neill (Nebraska) High School to collect 20,000 pairs of shoes and $2,000 this second semester of school. More information is available at www.students4souls.org...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Mid Plains Community College board of governors will review bids for furniture for the new McCook Community College Events Center, at a regular meeting Wednesday in McCook. Members will convene at 6:30 p.m. in room 213 in McMillen Hall on the MCC campus...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- An open house Thursday will celebrate one year in a new location for the McCook office of the Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska. A plaque presentation for the new office by the McCook Chamber of Commerce is set for 11 a.m., with the open house following at 2 p.m...

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- James Schneider, deputy director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, offered this additional explanation of what triggers a "compact call year" in Nebraska's efforts to stay in compliance with the 1943 Republican River Compact, which divvies up the river's water sources among Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A boating safety course will be held at the McCook Community College Hormel Center on Tuesday and Thursday, April 24 and 26. According to Scott Eveland, Boating Safety Officer for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the Nebraska Boating Safety course is required of all power boat operators born after Dec. 31, 1985, which includes operators of personal watercraft and all other motorboats. The minimum age to operate a motorboat in Nebraska is 14...

We live in a country that was founded on the principle that everyone is created equal. No one gets special treatment. We are all treated the same, especially in Nebraska where we pride ourselves on being polite and thoughtful. To put it in the most basic of terms, no one cuts in line. Everyone waits for his or her turn. However, this is not always the case at airports, where some air travelers are able to cut to the front of the security screening line...

Dear Fellow Nebraskans: The recipient of the 2012 Nebraska Leopold Conservation Award is the Buell family of Bassett. The award is given annually to private landowners who practice responsible land stewardship and management. Each year as we prepare to celebrate Earth Day, we acknowledge the conservation efforts of Nebraska landowners, including this year's award recipients, the Buell family. ...

Agriculture is a bright spot in our nation's economy, sustainably meeting growing demands to provide food, feed, fuel and fiber for the world. Nebraska's producers are masters of efficiency and make high-quality products. As the landscape continues to evolve, public policy will have to change with it. Getting these policies right is the key to the continued success of our farmers and ranchers and the reason why I serve as co-chair of the Modern Agriculture Caucus...

Connie Marie Horn July 23, 1943 - April 18, 2012 ALMENA, Kansas -- Connie Marie Horn, 58, died Wednesday (April 18, 2012), at her home in Almena, Kansas. She was born July 23, 1953, in Atwood, Kansas, to William Robert and Mary Agnes (Schmoker) Steele. ...