Stories from Wednesday, June 12, 2002

Janelle Johnson of Trenton has artwork featured in Lincoln Federal Savings Bank, 211 Norris in McCook. Johnson's inspiration comes from teaching at Lakeside Central High School in Trenton and from her family. She received her bachelors of arts at Hastings College and her masters at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. ...

What does the word, "freakin' " mean in the title of John Mesh's article? Is that a way of saying something else we don't want to say in public?

The person who wrote the (anti-racing) letter needs to move to Russia where he would be right at home as everything shuts down at 10 p.m. Donny Sailors has done a lot of good for McCook. The races have brought in business for hotel, gas and food. By the way, there are only 17 races, two of which were rained out...

My personal view on the races is that people just need something to complain about. If it was not the races it would be something else. I do not go to the races nor do I ever plan to attend one, but they do not bother me. But, I think it is good for this town. It brings in some good entertainment for the people who enjoy that kind of thing and it brings in money for our town...

Dear Editor, All right, now, here we are hearing about all the complaints about the noise level at the race track. But how come no one was complaining back in 1996 or later when the racing started? Well, people, you also talk about the cost of the race track...

Gov. Mike Johanns has taken an important step in the campaign to help drought-stricken farmers and ranchers in Western Nebraska. In an appeal issued Monday, the governor called upon farmers in the eastern part of the state to share hay with their counterparts in the west...

Red Willow County is one of 25 Nebraska counties who will be put on hold to receive reimbursement for housing state prisoners. The state owes the county $5,215 for the service. Statewide, counties are owed a total of $764,585. The department denied the counties' claims for the last fiscal year after exceeding its $4.4 million budget for the State Prisoner Reimbursement Program, said Inga Hookstra, Correctional Services finance manager...

Red Willow County Commissioners are considering a step toward developing a jail facility in McCook. At their regular meeting Tuesday, commissioners agreed to study a proposed contract with ACI Boland of Leawood, Kan., to perform a feasibility study on a jail facility for the area...

"Hot Summer Nights" kicks off 7 p.m. Thursday in Norris Park as Jim Salestrom of Vale, Colo., performs his country-folk sounds for Southwest Nebraska. Salestrom, formerly of Kearney, Neb., is a guitarist and songwriter who has worked with many stars, including Dolly Parton, John Denver, Kenny Rogers, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. ...

Lee Gallatin, Benkelman, cruises by in his 1954 MG TF. Lee is a collector of sorts with two other British cars: a 1966 Jaguar E type and a 1961 Austin-Healey. "Oil leaks on the driveway have been a part of many years," Gallatin said. He has pared his collection down from five cars to three over the past few years...

The discovery of rabies in a bat in Chase County should not cause panic in Southwest Nebraska, a McCook veterinarian said. Common sense and vaccinating pets is the best defense against rabies, Dr. Cort Mohr of the Four Winds Animal Clinic told the Gazette today...

After two hours of sometimes heated comments against imposing a well-drilling moratorium, the Middle Republican Natural Resources Board of Directors did just that. The new rules for temporary suspension, which went into effect at 12:01 a.m. today, were modified to provide for a variance, however, which will allow NRD Manager Dan Smith to allow contractors trying to find a new water source for the city of McCook to drill test holes and conduct pumping tests...

OGALLALA -- After a tough weekend tournament in which they lost three of four games, the McCook National Bank American Legion Seniors baseball team picked on Ogallala. The Seniors trounced the host Ogallala squad 13-7 Tuesday night. The McCook American Legion Juniors team handed the Ogallala Juniors squad a 6-4 loss...

Sunday is Fathers Day, a noble attempt to acknowledge the sacrifices fathers make for their children and the enormous impact fathers have on their sons and daughters in terms of encouragement, inspiration, discipline and provision. Although traditional roles dictated for generations that the mother be the nurturer, fathers, too, have the ability and oftentimes the primary responsibility to be nurturers as well. ...

RED LODGE, Mont. -- Lidya "Lela" Klein, 98, died Wednesday (Jan. 16, 2002) at the Cedar Wood Villa in Red Lodge, Mont. She was born Jan 22, 1903, to Conrad and Marie Amen Bauer in McCook. When she was young, the family moved to Colorado where they farmed...