Stories from Tuesday, January 29, 2008

NORTH PLATTE -- Chase County, Cambridge, Southwest and Dundy County-Stratton wrestlers competed in the Irish Invitational in North Platte Saturday. Chase County finished second in the event behind Anselmo-Merna and Cambridge was third. Southwest took sixth and Dundy County-Stratton was 11th...

CAMBRIDGE -- The Cambridge Trojans fell to Bertrand 55-54 in Saturday's Republican Plains Activities Conference Tournament consolation game. Cambridge missed a last second lay-up that could have won the game against Bertrand. "We played hard all game long, it was back and forth, it was a great battle," said Trojans' coach Chris Barr. "The boys played well on both sides."...

Several area boys and girls basketball teams are ranked in various polls released this morning in Nebraska and Kansas. In boys play, Hayes Center (15-0) is ranked third in Nebraska Class D-1 by the Omaha World-Herald and second by the Lincoln Journal-Star...

Wrestling Feb. 1 Wauneta-Palisade @ LVC Duals Oberlin @ Colby Rawlins County @ Oakley/Quinter Ogallala @ McCook Feb. 2 Hitchcock County, Southern Valley, Cambridge, Oberlin, Medicine Valley, Chase County, Dundy County-Stratton @ Southwest Arapahoe @ Loup City...

OGALLALA -- The McCook High School sophomore boys basketball team lost to Ogallala 56-52 in double overtime Monday at Ogallala. Both teams scored 4 points in the first overtime and Ogallala outscored McCook 6-2 in the second ovettime. McCook forced a 46-46 tie at the end of regulation with an 11-6 fourth quarter...

LEXINGTON -- The McCook Junior High School seventh grade boys basketball A, B and C teams swept three games at Lexington Monday. McCook won the A team game 45-26, the B team game 23-10 and the C team game 38-2. Sean Backer led the Bison A team with 10 points. Matt Collicott scored 9 and Cody Jankovits 6. Joe Walker paced Lexington with 12...

Nov. 1. 1921 - Jan. 24, 2008 KINGSTON, Wash. -- Virgil P. Haag, 86, died Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008, at Kingston, Wash. as a result of a hit and run accident He was born Nov. 1, 1921, to John J. and Nellie May (Thomas) Haag in Danbury. He was a proud member of the 1939 All American Six-Man Football team of the Danbury Pirates. ...

This past week in the Nebraska Legislature consisted of mornings on the floor followed by afternoons of Committee Hearings. I had two bills heard by committees this past Friday and would like to share them and how the hearing went. The Judiciary Committee heard Legislative Bill 826, which would make non-resident military personnel eligible for a concealed handgun permit. ...

Red Willow County commissioners decided Monday morning not to buy whatever real estate it was they were considering buying. Back in open session following a 25-minute closed session at the end of their regular weekly meeting, commissioners unanimously approved a motion to decline to enter into a contract "to purchase any real estate at this time."...

To preserve the county's eligibility for grants to operate its household hazardous waste collection program, Red Willow County commissioners instructed the program's director to create a detailed record-keeping system and report to them monthly and quarterly...

Red Willow County Commissioners approved the county's participation in a Nebraska Department of Roads program that will provide a laptop computer and software to be used in the inspection of the county's bridges. The county will pay 20 percent, or about $270, and the state the remainder of the cost of the computer and software. County roads supervisor Gary Dicenta will train in March in Ogallala in the use of the equipment...

Canada geese fly into open water at Harry Strunk Lake northwest of Cambridge late-afternoon Monday. Rolling thunder and a few sprinkles of rain surprised lake residents. A cool breeze quickly blew dark clouds to the east, and warm sunshine returned to work on melting thick lasagna-layers of ice and snow. Brief heavy snow greeted Southwest Nebraskans this morning, but the skies cleared with sunup, with more snow possible Wednesday...

Take heart good folks--we are half way through winter, or so the calendar says. Officially the halfway point is Feb. 4. However, the almanac will say Feb. 2 is the day. Of course, you know it as Groundhog's Day, or Candlemas as it is sometimes called...