While the governor has resisted the call for statewide mandates, more and more local governments have acted on their own. Ricketts says imposing a mask mandate may make things worse by creating resentment and resistance, and with this year’s political climate, he may be right...

The holiday season can be a joyous time as we reunite with family and friends, as well as a time of despair for those who may not be able connect with loved ones or who are alone. Domestic disputes and, sadly, suicides become more common during a normal holiday season, but this year’s pandemic is likely to magnify the problem by orders of magnitude...

Incumbent members of Congress have a definite advantage when election time rolls around. We’re quick to condemn representatives or senators from other districts or states, baffled at how their voters can send the same buffoon back to Washington year after year...

We’re all glad to see election day today, and only time will tell which way Hunter Biden’s laptop or President Trump’s tweets will sway the results. Another thing we’re glad to see the end of is daylight saving time -- switching the clocks, that is, not the extra hour of daylight in the afternoon...

Baby boomers have always had more than their share of influence on society, and still do as they move into retirement age, but in a good way. Although people over 50 made up just 34% of Nebraska’s population in 2018, they contributed 39% to the state’s gross domestic product, according to research released by the AARP...

A company that some see as the worst of “Big Pharma” is paying an $8 billion settlement on guilty pleas of conspiracy to defraud the United States, violating federal anti-kickback laws, but some think that OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma is getting off easy...

Officials hoped lifting most virus restrictions last month wouldn’t allow allow the number of new COVID-19 cases to increase the way they have, but it turns out that was wishful thinking. Like fashion fads and other trends, the coronavirus took its time to arrive in the heartland, but arrive it has...

The McCook City Council has some important items on its agenda for Monday, but one item should be a slam-dunk. There should be no debate about supporting the McCook Chamber of Commerce’s proclamation urging citizens to follow public health recommendations to help keep our schools and businesses open...

Hayes County now has at least one confirmed case of COVID-19, the last county in the state to give up its pandemic-free status. President Trump’s case, along with the many White House staffers who have tested positive, should help make the point that this shouldn’t be a political issue...

Whether we want to call it that or not, we do have universal health care in America. Get sick, and you will be taken care of one way or another. That may be through your own insurance, or it may be paid for by taxpayers through Medicare or Medicaid, or it may take a combination of insurance customers, private-pay customers, taxpayers and charity sources to pitch in to cover your costs at the emergency room...

Most students, teachers and parents are overjoyed to see kids back in class, and all the people who made sure education continued during the pandemic deserve our gratitude and utmost respect. The fact that Nebraskans were forced to home school for a time, however, is remarkable to those of us who have observed educational controversies over the years...

With the ongoing pandemic isolation and resulting disruptions of routine life, September’s observance of National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month is more important than ever. If you, or someone you know is thinking of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255...

Think of the words “economic development,” and visions of a another Parker Hannifin or Valmont come to mind to most of us. Large factories with hundreds of employees don’t come along all that often, and efforts to develop smaller business with a dozen or fewer employers is more likely to sustain growth...

We can all agree that the class of 2020 got a raw deal. Graduation, prom, spring sports were all drastically altered if not eliminated. Only time will tell whether the classes of 2021 and beyond will experience anything like the traditional transition from youth to adulthood...

Kids haven’t been in school since March, and when they returned this week, they were more concerned about masks and social distancing than the process of education. It’s up to us adults to do our best to normalize school as much as possible this fall, and that includes seeing them to and from school safely...

When it comes to helping low-income families these days, most of the attention is going to Washington’s impasse over a second coronavirus relief bill currently in limbo because of political wrangling and a congressional recess. There are other ways to help, of course. Contributing food or money to the McCook Pantry, Salvation Army or other food bank or organization is one way, of course...

“Thank you for your service.” It can be a cliché, but if we’ve worn a uniform, loved or lost someone who has, the words carry real meaning. Nebraska lawmakers put their money -- our money -- where our mouths are, to a point, with the passage of a tax cut for military retirees...

The pandemic is affecting things in ways none of us could have imagined. In May, the Nebraska State Patrol put out a news release stating that 200 speeders had been ticketed for exceeding 100 mph over the previous two months. Perhaps the drivers were releasing pent-up energy from quarantine, or perhaps it was a fatalistic attitude that manifested itself in dangerous driving behavior...

Most of us are willing to go with the flow if things are going well, sitting up and paying attention only when confronted with adversity. President Trump and other political candidates have drawn votes by promising to root out corruption, but it takes motivation and determination to actually do that job...

The men and women who used slide rules and building-sized tube computers to send Apollo 11 to the moon 51 years ago this month would be in awe to see the digital power that everyone from preschoolers to senior citizens carries in their pocket or purse...

A year ago some wag suggested, only partly in jest, that an extra sales tax be imposed on fireworks sales with the proceeds going to the McCook Humane Society to help care for the dogs that wind up there after being scared by all the explosions. Perhaps part of the proceeds should go to pet owners to help pay for cleaning carpets soiled because Fido refuses to go outside to do his business...

We hope you’ve learned to temper your social media surfing with a healthy dose of skepticism, fact-checking before you share, or at least resisting the urge to share everything that comes across your screen. Even the most responsible social media user is going to face unprecedented deception in the coming years...

No one was really surprised Monday when city officials asked water users to avoid outside watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., because water usage was extremely high. Some of us, in fact, are surprised that anyone would try to water when temperatures were in the 90s and winds in the 30s, when water is more likely to evaporate on its way to the neighbor’s yard than to help our lawns survive...

There are bright spots associated with the coronavirus pandemic for those inclined to look for them, namely the chance to step back from our normal, hectic lives and be with our families or spend time reading, meditating, gardening, crafting, decluttering — all those things we’ve never had time for before...

We’re grateful coronavirus cases are relatively rare in Southwest Nebraska, and we know of no deaths as of yet. There are more important reasons to be sad and disappointed, but one that hurt was the SWNCTA production of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, performances cut short over fears of spreading the COVID-19 virus...

You’ll find little news in this paper, on broadcast, cable or internet that isn’t affected by the current COVID-19 pandemic. This year is a chance to go beyond simple lip-service to honor healthcare workers on the front line of the pandemic fight. National Hospital Week 2020 honors thousands of area health care workers who are risking their own health to care for their patients...

Somebody said it’s the one you don’t see coming that gets you. No matter who said it, it’s good advice. While we’re all social distancing and wearing our masks, wondering when things can return to normal, we need to remember COVID-19 isn’t the only threat out there...

City officials as well as everyone else have had plenty on their plate dealing the COVID-19 pandemic, but they, like the rest of us, know that someday, hopefully sooner than later, things will return to something closer to normal. One of those normal activities is the city’s Tree Rebate program, which has earned McCook Tree City USA honors for several decades and made our community a better place to live for generations to come...

Tom Osborne was famous for his slow and steady demeanor, doing his best to help his players level the emotional highs and lows that hurt their performance on the field. We remember our first trip into the cornbelt of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, amazed at the crops that could be produced on rainfall alone...

Internet “experts” will argue with the analysis to no end, but COVID-19 is now claiming more lives per day, about 2,000, than heart disease or cancer, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. And, despite theories that we need to mingle to develop “herd immunity,” the coronavirus is proving deadly because it spreads so easily, transmitted by those who have not yet had, nor may never have, symptoms, endangering the lives of the elderly and those with fragile health...

Willie Sutton denied saying it, but he usually gets credit for coining a popular phrase. Sutton, who stole $2 million from banks and spent half his adult life in prison, despite escaping twice, was supposedly asked why he robbed banks. “Because that’s where the money is,” was the reply...

When things go wrong on your old PC, you can hit the “control-alt-delete” buttons and reboot the machine. Sure, you will lose whatever you are working on at the time, whether it’s the great American novel or an email to grandma, but at least you’ll get the computer running again, cleared of whatever bug was causing it to not function...

President Trump was accused of being slow to take action, but even he is now warning Americans to brace for a “hell of a bad two weeks” ahead, with 100,000 to 240,000 coronavirus deaths even if we faithfully maintain our social distancing guidelines...

Uncertainty is one of most frightening things about a threat such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and even though a couple of items Monday weren’t necessarily good news, they helped alleviate some of the uncertainty. Gov. Pete Ricketts confirmed expectations during his daily briefing Monday, saying April will be another “tough month,” calling for continued the 10-person limit on social gatherings, and tougher restrictions in more hard-hit counties, including 12 more in the Panhandle with May 11 expiration... ...

There are no reported cases of the coronavirus in the counties served by the Southwest Nebraska Health Department, but they’re sure to report one when there is. Notice we said “when” when we would have preferred to say “if.” Do the math, and you’ll see why it’s a virtual certainty COVID-19 will be diagnosed in our area. ...

“You can’t spell divorce without COVID” some Twitter wags are pointing out. Or, will a spike in coronavirus cases lead to a spike in births nine months later? We’ve seen stories supporting either prediction. The Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported a spike in applications for divorce in the Chinese city of Xi’an, where are thousands of couples are quarantined, and lawyers predict a similar phenomenon elsewhere in the world...

Like columnist Walt Sehnert, whose column on the 1918 H1N1 “Spanish Flu” is reprinted on this page, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is looking to the past to provide guidance in dealing with the current COVID-19 pandemic. It’s all about slowing the spread of the illness enough to give health care professionals time and resources to help save the patients who need it the most...

We’re part of the problem; we admit it. We’d rather pass along good news, and we do, when it’s available. But we owe it to our readers to relay the truth, and a lot of the truth is bad news in recent days. But the choice of reading a paper or watching television or scanning online news sites is ultimately up to consumers who decide how much time to devote to the activity...

If you aren’t tired of news about the COVID-19 pandemic, you probably haven’t been paying attention. If you’d like to learn more about the issues surrounding a virus outbreak, however, you might want to take in the Netflix series “Pandemic How to prevent an outbreak.”...

“Crises like COVID-19 tend to bring out the best and worst in humanity,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday. He said the current coronavirus outbreak “is the defining global health crisis of our time” and “the days, weeks and months ahead will be a test of our resolve, a test of our trust in science and a test of solidarity.”...

As the effects of the coronavirus make themselves felt in Southwest Nebraska, it’s more unusual to hear of an event taking place as scheduled than to hear of one canceled. Most schools are closed to some extent, many of them simply expanding spring breaks that were already on the calendar...

Nebraska reported its fifth confirmed case of COVID-19 on Tuesday, and many more are sure to follow. The virus is certainly something to be taken seriously. As one virologist noted, the virus is sufficiently different, contagious and its full effects so unknown, that people should do whatever they can to avoid it...

The coronavirus crisis, like most similar events, is as much about perception as reality. After health officials told us the most important things we can do are wash our hands and stay at home when we are sick, many of us responded by stocking up on toilet paper and bottled water...

Mark Zuckerberg had no idea what he was doing when he converted Harvard “Face Books” -- physical books with photos of fellow students living in the dorms -- into a web site that quickly grew into the social media phenomenon that plays such an important part, for good or ill, in our daily lives...

Mark Zuckerberg had no idea what he was doing when he converted Harvard “Face Books” -- physical books with photos of fellow students living in the dorms -- into a web site that quickly grew into the social media phenomenon that plays such an important part, for good or ill, in our daily lives...

Nebraskans are pretty happy, but they shouldn’t be, according to conflicting reports. We’re inundated on a daily basis by emails from number-crunchers who use various measurements to tell us about ourselves and create clicks on their websites. While they’re interesting, they should be consumed with enough salt to throw your blood sodium level into the danger zone...

Perhaps you visited the local big-box store during the cold snap last week, and noticed a few of the parking spaces missing on the north side of the lot. Taking their place were racks for landscaping bricks and bags of mulch, garden soil and peat moss...

Nebraska is back in the spotlight as the world tries to react and contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, well on its way to becoming a pandemic in the United States. That’s because 14 people evacuated from a cruise ship in Japan are in isolation in a special unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and 12 of them have tested positive for the corona virus...

There can be plenty of problems getting a kid off to school. Did he get up in time, more importantly, did he go to sleep in time to be rested up enough to stay awake in class? Is her homework done? Where is it? How about breakfast — here’s a frozen sausage biscuit, or maybe the school breakfast is a better option today...

We don’t know how many McCook City Council members have heard about the Great Cat Leash Controversy of 1967, but they wisely avoided a similar flap by voting to drop a cat-at-large ordinance from the books. They also voted to more closely clarify what constitutes a dangerous or potentially dangerous dog. Dog owners should take a close look at the proposed ordinance before getting their hackles up; the wording seems to be reasonable about allowing dogs to be dogs while advancing public safety...

Nebraska State Patrol news releases about drug busts on Interstate 80 have become so common we’re tempted to start running them as a type of scoreboard. On second thought, we’d only have the “points” scored by law enforcement, since we have no idea how many loads of marijuana, methamphetamine, THC vapes and other assorted illegal substances make it through the state unmolested...

Gov. Pete Ricketts hit a nerve when he picked up President Trump’s use of the word “government” to describe public schools. In his general endorsement of a school aid reform bill in the Legislature, Ricketts adopted the description Trump used in his State of the Union speech, decrying “failing government schools.”...

Nebraskans are known for helping their neighbors, so it’s no surprise when we read stories about farmers coming together to harvest a sick neighbor’s crops or going above and beyond when they hear about someone who’s lost everything in a tornado or flood...

There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle that creates a successful community. Jobs, education, health and safety and infrastructure are high on the list, churches and civic organizations all work together to create the positive environment we need to function as a society...

You're the last person I will love You're the last face I will recall And best of all, I'm not gonna miss you Not gonna miss you They’re the words to the last song and recorded by iconic country star Glen Campbell, written after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and part of the soundtrack to the film, “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me,” documenting his disease and final tour...

As the cost of healthcare rises, more of the cost is being shifted to consumers in the form of higher deductibles. The consumers naturally avoid all the expenses they can, but that often includes routine checkups and visits to primary care providers at the point when health problems are most effectively, and economically, addressed...

In this age of video streaming, podcasts, e-readers and a smart phone in every pocket, is there anything more quaint than the idea of sitting down and reading an old-fashioned printed book? Don’t feel sorry for libraries just yet. When it comes to popularity, they’re leading live music, movies, theater, national or historic parks, museums, casinos and zoos, according to the Gallup organization...

A virus has sent 7 million people to the doctor, and 140,000 to the hospital. Since Oct. 1, as many as 20,000 people have been killed by the microbe, 54 of them children. From the headline, you’ve probably guessed that we’re talking about the “regular” seasonal influenza virus, this year mostly influenza B, which seems to be especially deadly for young people. That may be because older people may have some immunity built up in previous years...

Nebraskans are in a good position to see past the spin applied to the Trump administration’s move to change Obama-era changes to the Clean Water Act. The president has been promising the changes since he came into office, lifting restrictions that could hinder agriculture and economic development throughout the “flat-water state.”...

It’s tempting to push the speed limit while traversing Nebraska on Interstate 80, which is on the state’s flattest, most boring terrain because is it was the easiest and cheapest place to build it. No matter the road, however, shaving a few minutes off your trip isn’t worth endangering the lives of you and your passengers, other drivers or first responders who have been called out to care for travelers who have encountered misfortune...

A popular meme notes that 18- to 30-year-olds are the largest voting bloc for this year’s election, and should exercise that right. Statistics on the health and outlook for millennials point to issues that should be of concern them and Generation Z and all upcoming generations...

If you’ve ever had the flu -- the real flu, influenza -- you know what we’re talking about. “It feels like you got hit by a truck -- a Mac truck,” is how one victim described it. Whatever the brand, the viral semi-tractors are rolling through the state this year, killing 14 Nebraskans so far, including at least one child...

For quite some time now, a standard item on the McCook school board agenda is “positive comments.” It’s not just a P.R. ploy, although it does virtually guarantee a bit of good news out of each school board meeting. It does, however, force board of education members who might be weary of dealing with problems and complaints, to look for something good to share with themselves and the public...

McCook High School’s newest extracurricular club probably won’t score any points with physical fitness enthusiasts, but hold that thought for now. Principal Jeff Gross told school board members that students came to him asking to form an e-sports club for online videogame enthusiasts...

Benjamin Franklin said an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. But does that hold true if the “disease” keeps reoccurring? A Nebraska state senator wants to find out. Our state is enjoying low unemployment and high demand for qualified workers, but convicted felons don’t benefit. Nebraska’s current seasonably adjusted unemployment rate was 3.1% in November, compared to 3.5% nationally, but about 27% of ex-cons don’t have jobs, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, a national research and advocacy group. With the state struggling to maintain staffing for Nebraska’s overcrowded prisons, it’s not a problem that can be ignored. The vast majority of those prisoners will return to society, and finding and keeping a job is one of the most important factors in keeping them from returning to prison. Sen. Justin Wayne’s bill would allow companies to deduct 65% of the wages paid to workers with a felony condition for their first year of employment, capped at $20,000 per employee. Iowa, Louisiana and Texas have similar laws. It is estimated the direct cost to the state would be about $2.4 million a year in lost revenue starting in fiscal year 2021, and Wayne doesn’t know how that would be made up. His similar bill wasn’t designated a priority and didn’t make it out of committee. There’s already a federal tax credit available for up to $2,400 for hiring ex-offenders, and the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services and Nebraska Department of Labor have a “workforce Academy” to help prepare inmates for job interviews. Is Nebraska investing enough in prevention to prevent the need for a cure? That’s for the Legislature to decide. But Benjamin Franklin’s advice is as true today as it was in his day.

A new report confirms what we’ve always thought; you’re seriously missing out if you don’t take advantage of our local community college. What are you missing? Well, if you’re a single mother, you’ll make more than a million dollars over your lifetime if you obtain a bachelor’s degree. That’s more than half a million dollars more than a woman who has only a high school education...

Always trend-setters, the Italians had an unusual taste in fashion a number of years ago. Shirts with a black stripe across the front, extending from the left shoulder to the right hip, were a hot seller. That’s because the polizia were enforcing one of the world’s first mandatory seat belt laws. Scofflaws could risk their lives and escape detection by purchasing one of the above-mentioned shirts...

While most of us were worrying about mystery drones or watching the Golden Globes, a Nebraska observance slipped by with barely a mention in McCook, where it should have been in the spotlight. Jan. 5 is designated “George W. Norris Day and shall be set apart for holding suitable exercises in the schools of the state in recognition of the many great benefits bestowed upon the people of the State of Nebraska and the United States as a whole, due in large part to the influence of George W. Norris.”...

The idea of “gun-free zones” is fast losing credibility as more mass-shootings are stopped short because responsible people with guns are on hand. You may have seen the video from the incident in the church service in White Settlement, Texas. It’s a short one...

Today is usually one of the busiest retail days of the year, with unwanted gifts being returned, gift certificates cashed in or clothing switched for a different size or color. While you’re at it, don’t neglect the chance to save some serious money on one of the biggest-ticket items most of us buy, a car...

The late Gazette editor Jack Rogers, stationed in Alaska during the Cold War, told of at least one incident that would have resulted in court martial, had higher-ups been aware or not looked the other way. It seems American military personnel and their sworn enemies from the USSR were not opposed to occasional fraternization, meeting on the frozen Bering Sea to exchange pleasantries and not a small amount of authentic Russian vodka for some type of U.S. brew...

If you’re of a certain age and have a slightly-askew sense of humor, you’ve probably heard of Festivus. Originating with one Seinfeld writer in the 1990s, the anti-Christmas includes the display of a plain aluminum pole, a clock in a bag nailed to the wall. ...

Although they want us to buy as much of their product as possible, beer companies regularly urge us to “drink responsibly,” knowing it puts their companies in a better light. With the internet proving to be just as addictive as alcohol, a wireless company is using the winter solstice to urge its customers to “sober up” from cellphone use, if even for the shortest day of the year...

We understand the reasoning behind prohibiting religious displays on public property. The Judeo-Christian majority would certainly be offended should a satanic cult appropriate public property, and atheists have a right to object to their tax dollars being used to “promote” religion, as tiny an amount as may be involved...

The flu has Nebraska in the crosshairs, and we have a feeling we ain’t seen nothing yet. That’s because the Christmas season is here, a ripe time for the flu virus to spread far and wide, thanks to holiday gatherings and travel. The flu vaccine is far from foolproof, but it’s still you best bet to avoiding an infection that can put you in the hospital or even prove fatal...

Have you tried a plant-based burger at a fast-food chain? Frankly, our tastebuds were too busy dealing with with the onion, lettuce, tomato, condiments and bun to pay much attention to the taste “meat” in a Burger King Impossible whopper. It was there, all right, and your kid probably wouldn’t know the difference if he didn’t hear you make the order at the drive through...

Cell phones can cost $1,000 or more and even a cheap one is an important possession for most of us. Still, it’s not unusual to see one skittering across the floor after slipping from a pocket or purse, or to find yourself googling ideas for drying one out after it has been dropped in the commode...

Christmas is a favorite time of year for most of us, but for others, the holidays can be a real struggle. If you’ve lost a loved one, face financial or health issues in yourself or loved ones, cheery music and television specials can make you feel especially alone and hopeless...

“Routine” emails arrive at the news desk several times a week with basic information about a house fire in Nebraska, the number of family members displaced by the fire, and how the American Red Cross has responded. The events are anything but routine for those affected by the fire, of course, and the help provided by the organization is anything but basic...

We’re always skeptical of sweeping conclusions based on Nebraska statistics, with our sparse population and low number of examples of any one data point, but some reports are interesting nonetheless. The Safewise home security site issued a report that indicates McCook is the sixth safest city in the state...

Want to be happier and healthier? Try a little gratitude. That’s easier said than done if you’ve recently suffered a loss, can’t see your way out of a difficult circumstance or face seemingly unsurmountable problems. In that case, please reach out for help — and if you know someone that needs that help, please do what you can...

If you’re planning to travel for Thanksgiving, we have some advice: Don’t. True, the brunt of today’s storm is expected to be over by Wednesday, but turkey day itself is predicted to bring freezing rain, followed by rain Friday -- which in November means ice -- and more chances of snow on the weekend, when you’ll be trying to get home. 400 flights were already canceled today at Denver’s airport...

We haven’t heard much about the Great American Smokeout this year, but it is today, part of Tobacco Cessation Awareness Week in Nebraska. There has been more publicity about a related subject, vaping, a practice which the American Medical Association said should be banned...

It may be more blessed to give than to receive, but if you’re addicted to buying those gifts, you may be headed for trouble. German researchers have published a study finding that a small percentage of people are actually addicted to shopping. They say 1 in 20 adults has “buying-shopping disorder” (BSD), which “is characterized by extreme preoccupations with and craving for buying/shopping and by irresistible and identity-seeking urges to possess consumer goods.”...

A discussion around the coffee machine this morning drew some laughs. South Dakota’s new anti-drug slogan is “Meth. We’re on it.” Its unveiling Monday naturally drew some instant criticism as “a colossal blunder.” Gov. Kristi L. Noem (R) held her ground, saying the campaign, which a Minneapolis ad agency created for nearly $449,000, underscores the importance of combating drug use in a state where twice as many 12- to 17-year-olds reported using meth compared with the national average...

You know the tune, you’ve probably heard a thousand times without thinking about it much: “Once I was seven years old my momma told me “Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely “Once I was seven years old...” The lyrics of the 2015 song by Lukas Graham progress through life’s milestones -- friends, a wife and children -- ending with hopes at age 60 that his children will visit a couple of times a month...

Southwest Nebraska is hard to beat when it comes to outdoor opportunities. With four great lakes for fishing and water sports, top-flight public golf courses and some of the best pheasant and upland game bird hunting in the state, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better place to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine...

Auto workers have seen their jobs taken over by robots. Some fast-food restaurants have done away with order-takers at the counter, replacing them with touch screens. Truck drivers will soon be replaced by self-driving semis, as scary as that sounds...

Despite the “extra” hour of sleep on Sunday, some of us are finding it hard to get adjusted to a new work/sleep schedule. Perhaps that’s what public health experts had in mind when they designated Nov. 6 as Stress Awareness Day. The last time you took a commercial flight, maybe you heard the instructions for people traveling with children...

Now that you’re going to work an hour later, thanks to the end of daylight saving time, how about taking it a step farther? As part of its “Work-Life Choice Challenge,” Microsoft’s Japan office closed its offices every Friday in August and found that labor productivity increased by 39.9% compared to August 2018...

Unhappy with the way things are going in our local, state or federal government? If you’ve never bothered to vote, or perhaps even run for office, you may have only yourself to blame. Nebraska Secretary of state Robert B. Evnen has published the 2020 election calendar, and if you want to get involved -- run for office, or, definitely, vote -- you should mark down some dates...

Maybe the hundreds of kids who took part in the Gazette’s Halloween Parade Saturday have so many goodies they won’t bother going out for more Thursday night. If you believe that, let me tell you about some swamp land I have for sale in Florida .....

Baby boomers may remember the excesses of the late 1950s, when Sen. Joseph McCarthy saw a communism behind every rock, and a single, unfounded accusation could ruin a promising career. Now, a couple of generations later, and we’re in danger of going from that extreme to the other...

Dedicated workers are a prized commodity, but healthy workers are just as important. The majority of us don’t let a little sneezing or coughing keep us home, but more of us should. According to an Accountemps survey, nine in 10 workers admit to going to work with cold or flu-like symptoms...

Nebraska’s overcrowded prison system has helped make McCook’s Work Ethic Camp more like just one more prison than the innovative rehabilitation center which it was originally envisioned as. The prison system as a whole bears watching, however, as the WEC is one of McCook’s most important employers...

Local fans of Broadway music were treated to memorable performances Monday night, but the folks who made it possible were impressed as well. Students packed the Fox Theatre that afternoon, and their parents and grandparents did the same for the evening performance...

You can’t believe anything you see on the internet, or can you? Just like any media, it depends on the source. There’s plenty of opportunities for hypochondriacs to find a rare, imagined illness, the “zebra” budding doctors are advised to avoid by their more experienced mentors...

Did you ever get assigned to be a hall monitor? Some of us reveled in the authority to check passes and tell fellow students where they could and could not go. Now that role is likely filled by a ceiling-mounted CCD, feeding a video signal to a bank of monitors in the school office...

At last report, organizers of the petition drive to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska was doing well, destined to reach the goal of going on the fall 2020 ballot. According to a Gallup survey, 64 percent of us support legalization of marijuana...

Hank Bounds had a tough four-year tenure as president of the University of Nebraska, with tight budgets, free-speech controversies and other issues, resigning the $510,400 position this summer. Now a $110,000-a-year professor at South Alabama, he never-the-less will apparently play a key role in raising money for the Cornhuskers’ new, $155 million football and operations complex adjoining Memorial Stadium...

Protests were to be expected after a white cop received a fraction of the possible sentence for shooting and killing a black man in his own apartment. The judge in the Amber Guyger case was criticized for giving the killer a hug after the sentencing, and the propriety of that action is certainly open to criticism...

Cab companies were justifiably offended when ride-sharing businesses Lyft and Uber came on the scene, and the upstarts didn’t face the same regulations they did. We hope you’ll indulge us for a moment as a traditional media if we feel less than sympathetic to social media for a recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruling that found it allowed discrimination through targeted advertising...

For those of us more concerned about memory loss and mental sharpness, the idea of deliberately sabotaging our mental faculties is a mystery. For some, that may be because we had no shortage of mind-altering chemicals in our younger years, but we digress.....

If you think about it, a drive through the countryside can be a revelation, this time of year, especially. What were first tiny seeds have grown to tall plants and multiplied a thousand fold as the corn crop nears maturity. Despite difficult growing conditions, and some flooded fields, Nebraska is poised to harvest a record corn crop this year...

The annual Heritage Days parade usually includes a few political candidates during an election year, and that’s a good thing. There’s nothing like shaking hands with a political hopeful, looking them in the eye and chatting about an issue that’s important to you...

More American kids want to be YouTube stars than become astronauts, according to a survey conducted last summer. A young Iowa man may wish he had risked an explosion on the launch pad instead of the instant internet fame that made him a hero one day and a villain the next...

It’s fun to recreate old memories and greet old friends, but it’s also fun to share new experiences with new friends. There are plenty of opportunities for both at this week’s German Heritage Days. Yes, you heard that right, the “German” part ties in with the theme, “Back to Our Roots,” as columnist Dick Trail explains in the weekly contribution that shares this page...

In a way, the use of e-cigarettes is like the bump stock. After it was somehow made legal, it was only a matter of time before some lunatic used the bump stock, which converts a conventional, semi-automatic rifle into something resembling a fully automatic assault rifle, to commit mass murder, which is what happened Oct. 1, 2017, on the Las Vegas Strip...

Say the word “hero” and images of a fireman, paramedic, police officer or soldier usually come to mind. There’s good reason for that, but when an ordinary citizen leaps into action when they could have looked the other way, that truly is something special...

Like the sun rising in the morning, you can count on one thing, any story that is less than flattering to the current president will quickly be labeled “Fake news!” Some stories certainly deserves criticism, Donald Trump is anything but beholden to established traditional media and even the most dedicated professional news people can let emotions cloud their objectivity...

It’s popular to honor our military and law enforcement personnel, and with good reason. Both groups voluntarily risk their lives in order to protect the safety and freedom of their fellow citizens. Members of another group, however, are more likely to give their lives in order to keep their fellow citizens fed...

Back in the days when our media options were limited, it was easier to get a message across. When we got all our news from a newspaper a two, a handful of television channels or a favorite radio station, it was impossible to avoid stories we didn’t like, but needed to hear...

If you spend any time online, you probably saw the post over the weekend. An orange T-shirt with a scrawled “U.T.” accompanied a heartwarming story of a young boy who was bullied just because he wanted to support his college football team. Teacher Laura Snyder at Altamonte Elementary School in Florida said her unnamed student want to support his University of Tennessee Volunteers at a “College Colors Day,” but didn’t own an official T-shirt...

There’s something about the smell and feel of opening a new book, and the tactile experience involved in reading a well-worn volume can be even more engaging. There will always be a place for the printed word, ink pressed on paper, treasured on a book shelf and accessible for decades without using a milliwatt of electricity...

Most of us don’t think much about the reason for Monday’s Labor Day holiday, but we should. Especially when we’re thinking about the type of labor tomorrow’s workforce will be expected to perform. Especially when it takes a serious commitment of time and often borrowed money to obtain those skills...

You won’t live longer with a negative attitude, it’ll just seem longer to you and the people around you. New research confirms some Old Testament wisdom, a cheerful heart really is like a medicine. People who have a more positive outlook have an 11 to 15% longer lifespan, and 50 to 70% better odds of reaching 85 years old, compared to those who are less optimistic, according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences...

“Grow your own” is a good idea, and we’re not talking about any illegal substance. The medical community has long found the strategy to be successful, providing rural students with scholarships and other incentives to return to their home towns or similar regions that are experiencing a shortage of trained professionals...

Lorie Prestes has seen a lot of sad things in her years at the McCook Humane Society, but one of the saddest is when visitors pass the cage of an older dog. “‘Oh, that poor boy!’ the visitors say, but then, they’re ‘Oh, look at this puppy!’,” Lorie says. “Puppies go quick.”...

A survey that showed Omaha drivers as the worst in the country — and McCook drivers as among the fifth best in the state, drew some interesting local comments on a Facebook post: -- As soon as mccookites figure out how to use a 4-way stop ... -- In McCook the right lane is for passing .....

For a few lucky people who made the effort, it was three concerts in three days last week. First, there was MNB’s final Hot Summer Nights concert of the year Thursday with the Big Time Grain Company, an up-and-coming country group from western Kansas, performing for a large, relaxed, appreciative audience enjoying the shade of Norris Park...

“Always eat avocados ‘cause lions just hate onions.” That was a memory trick one could use to retrieve the arcane “aeacljho” code that it took to log into the Gazette’s computer system late last century. That was before computers went through a transformation, about 30 years ago, when “GUI” or the graphical user interface system became the point-and-click system so familiar to Mac and Windows users today...

In debt because you’re careless with your spending? It’s not your fault, you’re just sick. “Mind Over Money” author Brad Klontz founded the Financial Psychology Institute and says “money disorders” cause recurring and self-defeating issues that people have with money...

The young people in your home may groan when the subject comes up, but if they’re not already in school, their days of summer vacation are down to a handful. Despite their protests, deep down they’re probably excited about getting back into the swing of things, reconnecting with old friends, meeting new ones and learning new things...

Nebraska Coach Scott Frost famously issued a solemn warning to potential football recruits last year: “And I’ll tell you this right now, if there’s anything negative about women, if there’s anything racial or about sexuality, if there’s anything about guns or anything like that, we’re just not going to recruit you, period," Frost said. ...

The lull before the “storm” that accompanies the fall start of school is no break for local governmental entities that are busy working on budgets for the upcoming year. City and county governments, in particular, are increasingly dealing with expenses associated with aging infrastructure, up to a century or more after much of it was installed as our communities were settled and built into modern towns and cities...

Because they are so new and ubiquitous, we hear a lot about the down side of smart phones. People are addicted to them. They have their nose in the screen when they should be watching where they are walking or, worse, driving. There are possible health risks, and despite the proliferation of “social media,” are driving more people to isolation and loneliness...

Someone who didn’t pay attention to Nebraska history in grade school, or someone who moved here from out of state, might be surprised to learn we have a unique form of government. Anyone observing current partisan controversies in Lincoln without the appropriate background knowledge would certainly be surprised...

A story in the Cincinnati Enquirer demonstrates just how difficult it is for authorities to use current gun laws to prevent mass shootings. The paper reported that the weapon used in Dayton, an AR-15 style .223 firearm, while it looked like a rifle, was actually classified a pistol, meaning restrictions on short-barreled rifles don’t apply...

Add the Ohio and El Paso shootings, as well as last week’s Garlic Festival mass murder in California, to the list of unfathomable occurrences where a sick individual chose to use the destructive power of a firearm to settle some sort of score. More often than not, the score to be settled exists only in the shooters twisted mind...

You may have seen “Think F1rst” advertisements in the Gazette over the past few months, and we’ll be placing more of them in the future. The ads, an attempt to educate Americans about the five freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment, were created last year by the nonprofit Media of Nebraska. The effort came after members noted that many Americans lacked even a basic knowledge of the First Amendment, particularly in articulating the five freedoms that it guarantees...

In 2017, some 147 million Americans had their personal financial information exposed by the Equifax data breach. It was deja vu Monday, when Capital One announced that nearly as many, about 100 million, credit card applications had been compromised, leaving about 77,000 bank account numbers and 140,000 Social Security numbers vulnerable to use by identity thieves...

After polling nearly 7,000 patrons, Columbine High School, Jeffco Public Schools Superintendent Jason Glass announced that there isn’t enough support to tear down and rebuild Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. The patrons are right. We remember how things got slowly back to normal after the September 11 attacks; perhaps too quickly. ...

There’s a recent, but well-worn joke about how we used to tell people never to get into a car with strangers, and never leave with someone you’ve met on the internet. Now Lyft and Uber have built giant businesses by getting people to get into cars with strangers they meet through the internet...

A Florida man was in critical condition after being struck by lightning Sunday, and seven other people who were nearby him on a Florida beach were sent to the hospital. A 36-year-old Denver man was killed last week and his wife injured while they were hiking near Boulder...

Gene O. Morris was a man of passion. He embraced everything that he did with zeal. When he believed in an idea, his enthusiasm was contagious; and sometimes even irrepressible. His first passion, of course, was his family. He disclosed on several occasions how fortunate he was to have found Barbara to share his life with, and how grateful he was that she “put up with” him for so many years. ...

Gazette Editor Bruce Crosby posed the question on Facebook: “Where were you when you saw Neil Armstrong walk on the moon?” We’ll share some of the responses here: Bruce Hoffman -- Watching in a hospital room, while working as a janitor at Lincoln General Hospital...

Television personality Mike Rowe has made a career out of spotlighting the honor in other people’s careers, specifically those that are dangerous and dirty, and especially those that don’t require an expensive advanced academic degree. Financial advisor Dave Ramsey’s success stems from learning from his own mistakes, and he advises callers to take a dispassionate look at what income is likely to result from that expensive education they are about to embark on, rather than just the emotional boost that will result from obtaining a degree.. ...

We’ve made, and heard, all the arguments for legalization of marijuana, medical or otherwise. It’s useful for relief of pain and anxiety. It’s no worse than, and probably less harmful than alcohol. It’s a relatively harmless drug that doesn’t justify the dollars we spend to prosecute or imprison offenders, nor the stigma that comes with a felony conviction...

Congratulations to the Wagner Auto crew and sponsors for probably the best car show that’s ever been presented in McCook, on Saturday following a fun Friday night cruise night on our main drag. The lovingly restored muscle cars from years past, and even the rusty “rat rods” show a dedication to the transportation America loves and pulls like-minded enthusiasts and fans together for an enjoyable event...

Congratulations to Nebraska lawmakers and McCook school administrators for seeing to it that high school graduates are exposed to at least the basics of how our political system works. The basics, like the three branches of government, balance of powers and rule of law somehow got pushed aside in decades past as other social issues drew attention away from the fundamentals...

Will Rogers is famously misquoted as saying you should put your money in real estate, because they aren’t making any more of it, and there is wisdom in that thought. There is something they are still making -- all of us are, in fact -- that is even more precious and in higher demand...

It’s true that money can’t buy happiness, but it’s certainly a factor when it comes to staving off misery. This can be a critical time of year for recent high school graduates making final decisions that could affect them for the rest of their lives...

Congratulations to organizers at McCook Christian Church, dozens of volunteers and sponsors who helped kick off the Fourth of July holiday with the Southwest Nebraska Freedom Festival. The church block was packed with kids enjoying inflatables and the petting zoo, with older kids and young adults braving the bungee drop and bungee trampolines...

Congratulations to Andy Long and the McCook Economic Development Corp., as well as his counterparts at Cambridge and Benkelman for landing a $400,000 grant to deal with our workforce housing shortage. It’s a small start, a revolving loan fund to create only a couple of single-family dwellings initially, but it does open a desperately needed channel for future progress...

Can an agency designed to deal with energy issues deal effectively with environmental concerns? Nebraska is about to find out. As a result of the passage of LB 302, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and the Nebraska Energy Office will become the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy on July 1...

Despite the bloody American Civil War and centuries of efforts to end slavery, the practice is alive and well in 2019. Authorities don’t know that’s what’s involved with the disappearance of an 18-year-old Trenton, Neb., woman, but human trafficking is among the possibilities...

Way too many people are driving high on marijuana, according to a new AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety survey. Worse, way too many of them think they won’t get caught. Fair warning: Authorities are working hard to prove them wrong. An estimated 14.8 million drivers report getting behind the wheel within an hour after using marijuana in the past 30 days, despite the fact the effects of marijuana take one to four hours to take effect...

Plunk down $6 at a fast-food restaurant, and you you may get a small burger, fries and drink, but you’re also paying for something else. Two dollars of your bill went to pay for that burger that spent too long in the warmer or those fries that went stale and wound up in the trash...

Electric vehicles have a long ways to go to overcome their fossil-fuel cousins, but they’re becoming more popular. Two million EVs were sold worldwide last year, with more than a third of a million sold in he United States, but that amounts to only about 2% of total vehicle sales...

Millions of travelers have passed through Nebraska on their way somewhere else, from early Spanish explorers looking for the fountain of youth to French fur traders, 49ers, Mormons on their way to Utah and wagon trains en route to Oregon and California. Many of those who chose to live on the Plains have tried to find ways to profit from the traffic, building trading posts, road ranches, Pony Express stations, Stuckey’s franchises and Kearney’s Archway Monument...

The problem is far from solved, but Nebraska nursing homes will get a little more funding for their residents on Medicaid. A story elsewhere in this issue explains that the Department of Health and Human Services completed “rebasing” that will increase the average per diem base rate for 202 to $190.51, up less than $11 from the previous rate...

Nebraskans have always had a bit of an inferiority complex about the flatwater state. We’re four-lane desolation to be endured on the way to the spectacular Rockies or lush croplands of Iowa and Illinois. Sure, we’re not as flat and boring as eastern Wyoming, but that state rewards hardy travelers with Yellowstone Park...

The rising tide of history seems to be carrying a raft of legal marijuana to America’s shores. Illinois is the 11th state to legalize recreational cannabis for adults over 21, awaiting only the governor’s signature to become law. While prohibition of alcohol ended in every state more than 85 years ago, using weed to get high will now be allowed in the Land of Lincoln as well as Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia as well as the U.S. ...

Remember the good old days? When that 20-pound, black, rotary-dial hard-wired telephone in the den rang, the family rushed to answer it. Today, when you feel your smartphone vibrate, you’ll check out the caller ID before answering, if then. More and more of us are ignoring calls altogether, checking voicemail later at our leisure...

“She can’t take much more of this, captain!” It turns out the traditional Scots engineer transported to the 23rd century for the original Star Trek series could take quite a lot, himself. Seventy-five years ago today, future “Scottie” James Doohan stormed Juno beach with the Royal Canadian Artillery, taking out two snipers before being wounded with six bullets from a German machine gun. He lost part of a finger, but a silver cigarette case in his pocket stopped a bullet from piercing his heart...

Now that commercial hemp production has been blessed by the federal and state governments, it’s time find out how much of a market there really is. Most of the attention goes to CBD or hemp oil as a health aid for humans or animals, but the crop has a wide range of other uses, from textiles, food and beverages, paper, automotive, construction materials, furniture and many others...

Any one of the four headliners at this weekend’s Buffalo Commons Festival would have been enough to carry off a successful event, but as it was, attendees were treated to a feast of history, music and storytelling, often all in one package. Sure, if we’re honest, Nebraska may not be for everyone, but we can’t imagine anyone who would not find something intriguing in the many sites and stories relayed by Alan Bartels, assistant editor of Nebraska Life Magazine, assembled from his years at The Grand Island Independent and subsequent career roaming the state for his current gig. ...

People with college degrees make more than those with a high school diploma or less. The conventional wisdom is true for the most part; a college degree will help you earn twice much as someone without one, which you’ll need if you rack up significant college loan debt...

Perhaps it was fitting that we started this week with Memorial Day, when we remember those who gave their lives so that we could enjoy our way of life — and remind us of our duty to make our country a place worthy of their sacrifice. There was a good crowd in attendance at services at the veterans’ memorial in McCook’s Memorial Park Cemetery, a good crowd, yes, but smaller than it should be...

Nebraska lawmakers balked at raising the smoking or vaping age to 21, then considered raising it to 19. The feds, meanwhile may make the whole question moot by setting the national minimum to 21. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the bill, which would apply to e-cigarettes and vapor products as well as tobacco, would be one of his highest priorities...

Once restricted to soldiers and sailors, tattoos have gone mainstream. Now the rule more than the exception, they range from crude, jailhouse creations to works of art worthy of a gallery. Most of them commemorate a child, a lover, a special hobby, a landmark occasion or whimsy...

It’s not exactly like the future Ray Bradbury or Robert Heinlein might have imagined in the middle of the 20th century, but robots are taking on more and more tasks as the 21st century travels on. It’s taken a while for U.S. regulators to catch up with the technology, but the FAA is slowly granting companies permission to use drones for delivery and more complex tasks...

We’ve run numerous stories about local residents doing everything they can to help fellow Nebraskans who lost their homes and livelihoods in the March storms, but they didn’t have far to go when help was needed Friday. Their son had to move debris to free Don and Aggie Roberts, relatively unscathed from their bedroom northwest of McCook, where they were preparing to go to church after mistakenly believing the storm had passed...

Kudos to the folks at the McCook Congregational Church, who gave the McCook Public Schools a check for $470.20 to pay off negative lunch accounts for 26 students. It’s not unusual for faith groups to feed the hungry — Memorial United Methodist Church’s weekly community meals and the McCook Pantry, housed at St. Alban’s Episcopal’s Canturbury House are two notable local examples and they deserve kudos as well...

It seems American flags fly at half-staff far to often, but if you notice them in that position today, there’s a good reason. Today is Peace Officers Memorial Day, part of Police Week, observed in the United States in tribute to local, state and federal peace officers who have died or been disabled in the line of duty...

Most of us like to help out people in need when we can. We’re quick to drop our spare change in the red bucket at Christmas time, and pitch in for a worth cause when we become aware of one. We may even support a child or two in a distant country, or set up automatic withdrawals for our church or favorite charity...

Remember when “plain label” products first became popular? Yes, the quality may have been a little less, but hey, the price was right. Consumers also got a break when generic drugs came on the scene, companies offering lower-priced options to name-brand, highly-promoted pills once the patents expired on those formulas...

One comedian joked about the side-effect disclaimers at the end of televised drug commercials: “It’s like they’re daring you to take it!” A new federal rule will make “ask your doctor about ” even more daring. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced Wednesday that new rules will require drug companies to disclose list prices of medications costing more than $35 for a month’s supply...

A friend of one of the accused Highlands Ranch shooters in Colorado said he was shocked to see how much his friend had changed since they were buddies four years earlier. Devon Erickson, 18, was dressed in black, from head to toe, and told his former middle-school friend he owned guns...

Like any large charity, the America Red Cross has received its share of criticism over the years, some of it deserved, most of it not. The sudden, unexpected snow and flooding of March created a massive need for relief, and fellow Nebraskans responded in admirable fashion, going above and beyond with food and supplies to help people and animals survive...

Weather officials were investigating whether a storm that hit Lincoln Sunday evening was actually a tornado, but if pictures on social media are to be believed, it probably was. C&L Dairy Sweet workers scrambled to safety in a storm cellar just in time to avoid being killed or injured when their Pioneer Park stand was blown away, except for a cheeseburger still on a grill, according to the Lincoln Journal Star...

Nebraska used to go out of its way to make it hard for families to supplement their income by selling food from their homes. Before Gov. Pete Ricketts signed LB 304 into law, “cottage food” producers could sell low-risk homemade foods like baked goods, jams, popcorn, candy and dried pasta only at farmers markets, Nebraska the only state that imposed such restrictions...

Trump critics laughed at the president’s proposal to create a Space Force for only a news cycle or two before moving on to the next issue. The idea did win an endorsement from popular astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, before he was distracted by sexual misconduct allegations...

Studies show video games are not linked to violence. Other studies show they are. Video game creators like to point to the former, while the military routinely uses simulators to train soldiers to carry out their duties. One of the most popular shows on the Netflix streaming service was “13 Reasons Why,” that depicted a girl ending her life...

Unfortunately for pure democracy, the majority isn’t always right. Richard Nixon was re-elected by one of the biggest landslides in history just a couple of years before he was forced to resign in the Watergate scandal Fortunately, the founding fathers set up our Republic to keep the tyranny of the majority from trampling individual rights...

Social media helped spread a long-debunked theory linking vaccinations to autism, to the point that the anti-vaxxer message has even reached those who spend no time on the internet. The U.S. is on track to break a 25-year-old record number of measles cases, with 695 reported so far this year, with eight months to go...

University of Nebraska volleyball has been one of the hottest tickets in Lincoln for some years now, so it was no surprise to see the Graff Events Center filled to capacity Saturday for what is arguably the biggest event it has ever hosted in its short history...

We agree with Omaha Sen. Lou Ann Linehan that the Revenue Committee’s tax plan is a step in the right direction, With the sluggish farm economy sunk further by flooding in much of the state, this may be the year farmers and ranchers get a break on their property taxes, sharing an average 20 percent reduction in school property taxes, which are the largest component of property tax bills...

“Is this our reality now?” one observer posted in social media, with a link to the story about Denver-area schools being shut down in the face of a “credible and general” threat. The action seems appropriate, with one of the schools affected being Columbine High School, which will mark the 20th anniversary Saturday of the attack that killed 12 students and a teacher...

One South Dakota student boasted to cooks at his elementary school that his sister is “the best cook ever” because she made ketchup soup for him the night before. Gay Anderson, president of the School Nutrition Association, told the Patch online news service that situations like the one she described above are common in every community across America...

We all hear the mantra about diet and exercise leading to longer life, but how about our zip code? That can make a difference, according to a University of Nebraska Medical Center team that is unveiling a new Life Expectancy Calculator and Mapping for Nebraskans website...

Have you ever been talking about a certain product or subject, and then had an advertisement for it pop up next time you go online? Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe you just forgot doing a search for it earlier. Then again ... Amazon was the pioneer in smart speakers, to the point that the first word many babies speak is “Alexa ...”...

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of a Norton, Kansas, high school sophomore, Thunder Linner, who was killed in a farm accident Monday. Officials haven’t released many details, other than saying he died using farming equipment while doing chores on the family farm...

You’ve probably seen the sign, on the internet if not in real life. It reads: Reminders From Your Child: --I’m a KID --It’s Just a GAME --My Coach is a VOLUNTEER --The Officials are HUMANS --NO College Scholarships will be Handed Out Today The weather has been more of a factor in disrupting the spring sports schedule, but obtaining officials for various sports is always an issue...

Smoking has been banished from the workplace, and the practice is heavily taxed by the government, which is probably cashing in on guilt as much as raising revenue or discouraging an unhealthy habit. But those of us who look down on our nicotine-addicted friends while scarfing down high-fat, high-carb, sodium-rich, sugary fast food shouldn’t be so fast to judge...

Actor Jussie Smollett is at the center of controversy after allegedly staging a hate-crime attack and then having 16 counts of disorderly conduct unexplainedly dropped. Everyone from outgoing Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to President Trump has criticized the prosecution and a judge is considering a media request to open files related to the case...

To be honest, most of us haven’t been motivated to get outside in recent months. Residents of “Nebraska’s Hot Spot” aren’t used to having winters as long and severe as this one seemed to be. Not that we should complain, considering the struggles residents of a large part of the state are having in recovering from the mid-March “bomb cyclone” that left many homeless and without income...

One of the stated goals on the Nebraska LEAD program is to “prepare the spokespersons, problem-solvers and decision-makers for Nebraska and its agricultural industry.” If ever there is a time when Nebraska agriculture needs leadership and problem-solving, it’s today, when Mother Nature gave an already struggling industry a gut-punch in the form of blizzards and floods...

Controversy is far from over on the Mueller Report, despite its conclusion that the Trump campaign didn’t coordinate with Russian interests. That doesn’t mean foreign interests didn’t do, or won’t continue to do, everything they can to disrupt the American system that helped break up the old Soviet Union and influence the rest of the world...

The chairman of the university board said his fellow regents were “despondent” over University of Nebraska President Hank Bounds’ decision to step down, and tried to persuade him to stay. But Bounds’ decision “to put family first” seems to be entirely in character with the man we met during his first visit to Southwest Nebraska as president, in early 2015...

Gov. Pete Ricketts’ pledge to not raise taxes has faced much opposition over his years in office, but the current flood disaster throws all previous fiscal considerations out the window. As it turns out, the effort to find savings and efficiencies was likely just a warm-up for the Herculean task that will be required to balance the state budget in years to come. “Balance” is a relative term, since federal deficit spending is a major part of the equation that keeps Nebraska’s books in the black...

A year and a half after Hurricane Harvey struck the Texas coast vacation destination of Port Aransas, residents are struggling to get things back to normal. Tourism is picking up, but not the throngs that flocked to fishing charters, nature sanctuaries and beaches in years past, before Hurricane Harvey hit...

By and large, Nebraskans are an independent lot, and don’t like asking for help. Sen. Ben Sasse, visiting flooded areas with Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday, noted that Nebraskans who had lost everything in the flood were standing in line at shelters, but it was to volunteer to help their neighbors, not help for themselves...

Columnist Walt Sehnert’s story on this page about Gazette founder Harry Strunk should offer some insight into the impact the current flooding elsewhere in Nebraska will have over the coming months and years. Strunk used his personal drive and influence to make sure nothing like the 1935 Republican River flood occurred again...

Considering all the thousands of airliners in the air at any one time, a couple of crashes shouldn’t be that big of a thing. That’s small consolation if you’re about to get on one of the planes in question or know someone who died in a crash. In a private conversation, a commercial pilot once decried the amount of automation in a modern cockpit, citing an instance where a crew had to pull a circuit breaker to regain control of an aircraft...

Gov. Pete Ricketts’ pledge to not raise taxes is unpopular for those of us who depend on tax dollars for our salaries or vital public services, which includes everyone in the state in one way or another. For example, the University of Nebraska is the largest employer in the state with nearly a $1 billion budget, we spend more than $2 billion a year on Medicaid (before a voter-mandated expansion) and the current budget of $500 million a year won’t properly keep up our 10,000 miles of roads, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation.. ...

If you’ve been on this earth four or five decades, you may remember the sound, that squealing, cracking noise emanating from the phone line as your Apple II or TRS-80 compter attempted to log on to a remote computer somewhere, you weren’t sure just where...

We’ve just adjusted the clocks to allow for the earth’s tilt toward spring in the northern hemisphere, but winter is not ready to release its grasp. McCook is on the edge of a winter storm warning for Thursday, but we’re in a flood watch starting Tuesday evening, with heavy rain predicted to create runoff problems, especially because the ground is still frozen and unable to soak up the water...

Of the two time changes a year, Sunday is arguably the worst. We always have good intentions of going to be an hour early to make up for the hour we’ll lose overnight, but hey, who wants to give up watching Saturday Night Live? You’d better have some freshly-ground coffee ready to go Sunday morning, or, especially, Monday morning...