Stories from Thursday, June 12, 2003

ATWOOD -- Atwood High School senior-to-be Jeff Horinek has been invited to participate in the prestigious Golden West Invitational Track and Field Meet in Sacramento, Calif. The 44th Golden West Invitational starts Sunday -- the day after the NCAA meet concludes its run in Sacramento...

WILSONVILLE -- Esther A. (Ruf) Meader, 79, died Wednesday (June 11, 2003) at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge. She was born April 9, 1924, in rural Red Willow County, to Henry and Anna Marie (Amen) Ruf. She attended and graduated from Lebanon High School on May 22, 1941. She then attended McCook Junior College and completed the one-year teacher training course. She taught in area rural schools until her marriage...

Keith M. Sheldon of McCook passed away Wednesday (June 11, 2003) at Community Hospital of McCook at the age of 88. He was born Sept. 6, 1914, in Keith County. He was preceded in death by his parents, Burton and Minta Mae Sheldon; three brothers, Wallace, Stanley and Robert; two sisters, Beulah and Roseley; and his first wife, Lucille Sheldon on June 15, 1997...

Dear Editor, First summer in three that we get rain and too many are telling me of getting hailed out. Sad it is that so many just roll the garden dice and hope for no hail. Not believing in luck, I stack the deck for our garden. I cannot afford to lose it to hail, so I bought over the years a dozen or so big used roles of chicken wire and cut them into box-looking covers...

As a newspaper, we faced a tough choice concerning the TV Week publication. Because of an explosion in listings -- due to the growing number of cable and satellite providers in the area -- and the increasing costs for prime time television grids, it became questionable whether the Gazette could justify the production of the TV section each week...

The family of Bradley and Sherri Wiese is hosting a card shower in honor of the couple's 30th anniversary June 16. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 822 C Street, Benkelman, NE 69021.

Bill Coe/McCook Daily Gazette Welcome sign A new Welcome to Trenton signs, complete with arrows, greets visitors as they arrive to town. The sign was created for the Trenton Community Development Commission by Hot Brush of Bird City, and the arrows made by Ron Wertz of Trenton...

COLBY -- An Oberlin man who wrecked his pickup in Colby June 6 now faces charges of manufacturing methamphetamine. The Oberlin Herald reports that Jeremy Edward Stoney, 26, apparently had an epileptic seizure, causing him to lose control of his pickup. The pickup ran through four fences, over a decorative wagon wheel and between two trees before stopping...

After three years of drought, Golden Plains residents are still thrilled at the sight of thunderclouds like this one, towering over a restaurant in McCook. Even more thrilling is the rainfall that has been accompanying the cloud formations.

Washington - U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel today announced that he will introduce legislation to increase competition in the rural agriculture loan market. Hagel's bill will put rural community banks on an equal footing with the Farm Credit System, while improving loan options for Nebraska farmers...

Local swimmers may look longingly at the ponds between the lanes on B Street, since the McCook Municipal Pool is closed for remodeling. Construction crews are becoming adept at draining the ponds quickly, however, so work can continue. Wednesday night's downpour dropped 1.81 inches of rain in McCook, 1.53 at the McCook Municipal Airport, 1.62 at Hugh Butler Lake, .54 in Culbertson, .14 at Enders Reservoir and .02 at Swanson Reservoir. ...

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel announced Wednesday that the Curtis Volunteer Fire Department will receive $60,425 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The funds will be used for training, wellness and fitness, firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment, and modifications to fire stations and facilities...

On paper, the East All-Star Team at the 12th annual Sertoma All-Star Volleyball Classic Saturday night looks loaded. The East team features Cambridge's Christina Houghtelling, the Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star's Nebraska Athlete of the Year, and three members of the five-time defending state champion Republican Valley squad...

Tyler Bieck: When did you begin to play baseball? Wade Felker: When I was 6. I played T-ball and just everything evolved from there. TB: What is the best thing about playing for the MNB Seniors? WF: Listening to Quinton (Pohl) try to rap on the road trips. And knowing that if I played for any other team in the state I would be their ace (pitcher)...

CULBERTSON -- Geraldine "Jeri" Lee Bemis-Ecker, 65, died today (June 12, 2003) after a lengthy battle with cancer. She had worked at the Chief Motel and Community Hospital in McCook. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gale Wayne Ecker. Survivors include two sons, Matt Ecker and wife, Cheri and Craig Ecker and wife, Cecilia; a daughter, Connie Ecker; brothers, Kenneth, Garrey, Nathan and Glenn Bemis; and seven grandchildren...