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...

A native of Canada and naturalized U.S. citizen, Alex Trebek once hosted three game shows at once, but he will forever be associated with “Jeopardy,” which he has hosted since 1984. With class and composure that surprised no one, Trebek, 78, announced in a YouTube video Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer...

Ronald Reagon once joked that the “nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” The folks around Beauregard, Alabama, will certainly welcome offers of help from whatever source, although we’re sure it will initially come from neighbors and friends, the American Red Cross and other private organizations long before the federal government steps in. FEMA money, provided it hasn’t been diverted to The Wall, will arrive slowly if at all...

Cruise the alleys of the older parts of McCook and other small towns and you’ll notice structures that jog the memories of the older among us while baffling younger folks. For many of us, one of our first chores was taking the household trash out to the incinerator — that fireplace-like brick structure that has fallen into disrepair, been overgrown with vines or converted into a planter...

It’s hard to believe when we’re experiencing the coldest temperatures of the winter, but this is the last week of “standard” time. At 2 a.m. Sunday, we’ll all be forced to set our clocks ahead an hour, losing an hour of sleep and supposedly taking advantage of the longer days the earth’s tilt toward the sun provides this half of the year...

With nursing homes struggling to survive, are motels missing an opportunity? Check out one Texas man’s plans, which are getting plenty of exposure on social media. Granted, the Texan, Terry Robison, doesn’t need medical supervision, but his calculations make sense...

Anyone who has a dog for a pet probably won’t be surprised by a study from Michigan State University that dogs and their owners have more in common than they think. Are you a couch potato? Do you generally distrust strangers? Are you perky and energetic? Most likely, your dog follows suit...

The McCook Chamber of Commerce’s goal to make our town a great place to “live, work and play,” and that’s definitely a worthwhile goal. Without a way to measure progress, however, that goal is only a matter of opinion, and too often, the squeaky wheel gets the grease while other equally important parts of the wagon are neglected...

You’ve probably seen the evening news/entertainment stories about overworked, underpaid public defenders, and how little time they have to spend on each case. As a result, some defendants who are actually innocent plead guilty to crimes they didn’t commit for simple expediency...

It may be hard to believe when one reads court reports, crime stories or law enforcement news releases, but Nebraska is populated by people with higher traditional moral standards than average. That should be inviting to any business looking for hard-working, reliable employees, to anyone looking for a safe place to raise a family or a place to retire...

Over the years, it’s been interesting to watch trends that start in California as they spread to the rest of the country — or not. From skateboards to fashion to legal weed, things seem to start on the coast, only to arrive in the Midwest in time to be replaced by something else on the west coast...

We’ve long been a fan of Malcolm Gladwell’s 2000 book, “The Tipping Point,” which contends that minor changes can have big results. Perhaps some Nebraska lawmakers have read the book as well. Or, maybe the proposal, LB103, isn’t such a minor change after all...

Many of us, especially those who live paycheck to paycheck, can’t see beyond the weekly bills. We borrow money for cars, looking only at the monthly payments instead of the final cost of the car, thousands more, because it was purchased with the bank’s money instead of our own...

Creative people deserve to be rewarded for their talent and the hard work it takes to win an audience for their creations. That’s the purpose of copyright law, and it serves society well — top authors, actors, directors and musicians are among the highest paid people around...

With little effort, Southwest Nebraskans can enjoy choice, locally-sourced beef through a local locker plant, directly from a rancher or by placing an order at a steak house. But how many of us actually care where that T-bone was born? Fill up our shopping carts at the grocery or big-box store, and most of that food traveled hundreds or thousands of miles to reach our pantries or refrigerators...

The orderly rows of corn and soybeans, alfalfa fields and sweeping meadows of the Platte Valley, so peaceful on a calm spring day, was the scene of violent conflict in years past, as European settlers tried to make their way to the West Coast or build a home on the prairie by displacing Native Americans...

Giant brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev said today it “fully supports” corn growers and will continue to invest in the industry. “Bud Light’s Super Bowl commercials are only meant to point out a key difference in Bud Light from some other light beers,” it said in a statement...

Few media workers are more aware of the changes in recent years than someone who works at a newspaper, but a Sports Illustrated and PCMag survey about the Super Bowl shows television is feeling the pressure as well. The biggest broadcast of the year is increasingly being delivered via the internet instead of the traditional over-the-air or cable signals...

Congratulations to Sehnert’s Bakery and Bieroc Cafe for being one of only five eateries across the United States, and the only one in Nebraska, to earn an “America’s Classics” award from the James Beard Foundation, an organization honoring one of the first celebrity chefs...

We try to get the point across as often as possible, but it’s even more important that people hear the message now: You have something somebody needs, and only you, or someone just like you, can provide it. We’re getting a taste of winter weather, but only a taste, compared to our friends to the north and east, where temperatures could hit minus 30 degrees and wind chills of 60 below...

It happens at least once a day, usually twice or more. Your cell phone rings and the caller ID indicates a number with a prefix something like yours. It might even be a number that belongs to one of the friends on your contact list. But it’s not her; it’s someone talking about your credit care account, your car warranty or a student loan. Funny, your car has been out of warranty for 10 years and you never went to college...

A caller this morning pointed out that a caption on a photo on page 3 of Wednesday’s edition is apparently incorrect. Omaha tribe elder Nate Phillips, involved in a video recording of a confrontation with a Catholic boys school student at a demonstration in Washington, has described himself as a Vietnam vet. ...

If you’re of a certain age, one of your first money-making schemes may have been collecting pop bottles to return for the deposit, so they could be washed, refilled and sold back to you for a dime. A little younger, and you may remember a Seinfeld episode where Newman schemes to profit by collecting 10-cent Michigan refund on 5-cent New York bottles and cans, despite Kramer’s contention he “couldn’t crunch the numbers.”...

During the debate — including a government shutdown — that led up to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, we remember hearing a millennial’s plaintive cry about the unfairness of the “individual mandate.” “Why should I pay for something I don’t need?” That palm-to-the-forehead realization of a basic misunderstanding of the term “insurance” is bound to be repeated this election cycle, as the “Medicare-for-all” plank is inevitably nailed into the platform of the Democratic Party...

“I never let schooling interfere with my education.” Samuel Langhorne Clemens probably never uttered the above quote attributed to him, more than likely it was contemporary novelist Grant Allen. There is some wisdom in the sentiment, however, especially when it comes to the kind of education that leads to success in life...

It’s tempting to roll one’s eyes when we hear the complaint “there’s nothing to do!” in small towns. Usually, the complainer is a teen — OK, that’s an entirely different issue — or someone who’s unfamiliar with small-town life. With the slightest amount of effort, or with the unwillingness to say “no,” one can easily find every night filled with events involving a church, service club or business activity. But that’s only true if you are adept at making connections...

Few discussions can be divorced from current political events, and that includes a piece of advice from a life coach. “What is the Polarity of Your Goals?” Joe Tye, CEO of Values Coach Inc., asked in a recent newsletter. Do you want to make something happen, or prevent something from happening?, he asks...

It’s hard to believe that a favorite coffee stop, Ivanhoe’s Donut Shop, has been closed since 1996, 23 years ago. We remember owner Ivan Schmid visiting the newsroom every year, asking us to publicize one of his favorite causes, the Farmers Market that gave gardeners and other home business people a chance to share their bounty with neighbors...

We see the stories as the federal shutdown drags on. Canadian air traffic controllers buying pizzas for their colleagues south of the border, federal employees forced to work for nothing, leaving part-time jobs they took to try to pay their bills, food drives and suggestions for making ends meet...

Accused of being “the enemy of the people” and threatened with overturning long-established law assuring freedom to openly criticize American leadership, journalists might be forgiven for forgetting that the same First Amendment protects religious beliefs that may go against current political correctness...

Now that we’re 10 days into the New Year, how are you doing on your resolutions? Losing weight? Exercising more? How about decluttering your life? If the last one is on your list, you’re not alone. Marie Kondo wrote two best-selling books on just that subject and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People...

Neither President Trump nor Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi or Chuck Schumer likely changed any minds about the proposed border wall Tuesday night, and their appearances were likely more about political theater than actual construction, more about the 2020 election than illegal immigration...

Great ideas and good intentions combined with somebody else’s money too often spell disaster when they meet harsh economic realities. It’s usually worse when that “somebody else” is the American taxpayer. Mix in Keynesian “prime the pump” efforts like those that followed the 2008 recession, and you’ve got a disaster waiting to happen...

Spend any amount of time channel surfing, and you’ll get plenty of advice for healthy living, usually requiring four easy payments for the latest mechanical exercise doo-dad. Wait a couple of years, and you’ll probably be able to pick up the same piece of equipment, barely used, for pennies on the dollar at a garage sale...

It’s been an exciting couple of days for space geeks. China successfully landed it’s Chang’e 4 craft on the far side of the moon, sending back photos of its rover on the lunar surface. The craft is named after a Chinese goddess who, according to legend, has lived on the moon for millennia. No word on whether Chang’e has greeted her new visitor...

A pair of Nebraska state senators hope to get medical marijuana on a state ballot next year — yes, that’s 2020 — and thousands of words and hours of video have been devoted to the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana. Completely separate is the issue of legalized hemp production, and proponents are doing their best to keep the two products as separate as possible in an effort to boost a legitimate industry...

It’s always sad when Christmas is over, but it’s a special downer when you have to go right back to work, as many of us did today. There may be another reason you’re feeling a little blue this year after the relatives have gone home and the gifts are missing from under the tree...

A staff member recently recounted a conversation with a friend, who expressed frustration about his ignorance of several important area stories. The reporter was puzzled, since she had personally written stories about some of those stories, and the others had appeared in prominent positions in this newspaper...

You’ll probably see a lot of national news stories about a federal criminal justice bill designed to counteract the excesses of the nation’s failed war on drugs. The Senate passed the bill Tuesday, the House is expected to do the same this week, and President Donald Trump says he’s anxious to sign reform into law...

Budgets can be tight this time of year, so it’s easy to imagine an essential bill — like natural gas or electricity — might fall through the cracks. If you receive a call about one of the above, however, don’t assume you’re at fault. The McCook Police Department reports that it’s received several reports of callers claiming to be a utility provider, advising the victim that their bill is past due, and directing them to send payment immediately via Money Pak, a wire transfer service...

Time is running out to get things done in 2018. You’ll receive plenty of advice on last-minute tasks such as using the money in your medical spending accounts, making charitable contributions, selling stocks or making other financial moves for tax advantage next year...

We’ve already celebrated Thanksgiving, but Thursday’s events provide more reasons to be thankful. Gratitude that kids were safe despite being evacuated from our elementary school, as well as thankful we have the right people in place to respond to emergencies like the collision that tied up a major intersection all afternoon...

Hard-core James Bond fans might be shaken to be told their hero has a problem, and perhaps stirred to make some changes in their own drinking habits. Analyzing six decades of 007 films, a study (http://bit.ly/2PxJo0u), “License to Swill,” published in the Medical Journal of Australia, concluded that Bond, James Bond, indeed has a drinking problem...

Critics are decrying the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to change the definition of the “Waters of the United States” as leaving “vast amounts of wetlands and thousands of miles of U.S. waterways” without federal protection. What’s not often mentioned is that the definition has only been in effect for three years and if tightly enforced, could cripple states like Nebraska, where a majority of the population lives in areas where many activities could require permission from Washington.. ...

Deaths resulting from overdoses from opioids and other drugs are the leading cause of poisoning fatalities in the U.S., and deserve the attention they have been receiving. The death of a New Orleans couple in an AirBNB in Mexico put the spotlight on another deadly poison — carbon monoxide...

If a tree falls in the forest and no one’s around to hear it, does it make a noise? If a school serves healthier lunches, but kids don’t eat them, are the meals really healthier? No, according to Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue, who eased school lunch rules as part of the Trump Administration’s push to cut back regulations across the board...

Dr. John Cullen of Valdez, Alaska, felt like something was a little off with one of his patients. Cullen, who has 25 years of experience, was about to take a patient to the operating room to remove his appendix when he asked one last question: “We’re about to cut you open here. Are you sure you don’t want to tell me anything else?”...

Politics and political correctness have wormed their way into “the most wonderful time of the year.” It’s almost impossible to avoid taking sides when deciding whether to say “Merry Christmas!” or “Happy Holidays!” Someone attuned to the #MeToo movement noticed enough hint of sexual assault in the classic yuletide tune “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” (“Hey, what’s in this drink?”) that some radio stations now refuse to play it...

If you’re still Christmas shopping for kids, there’s one detail you might want to consider when buying a gift. What kind of box does it come in? That’s because the young one on your list might be better off playing with the box the toy comes in. While advertising pushes educational and brain-stimulating toys, often based on tablets, kids are better off playing with traditional toys like blocks, puzzles — and even cardboard boxes...

The fact that George H.W. Bush, who died at 94 on Friday, was the youngest pilot in the Navy in World War II illustrates just how rare veterans of that war are becoming. Their wisdom and experience has served us well and will be sorely missed. It’s no stretch to say Bush was “born with a silver spoon in his mouth,” but the way he used that opportunity should be an inspiration for us all...

Sorry, Payless, anyone who spends much time on their feet knows you can’t scrimp when it comes to footwear. A few extra dollars pays off in spades if it means the difference between comfort or misery at the end of a long day. However, the company did make a good point about perceptions in a recent publicity stunt that resulted in a lot of ... publicity...

County-owned Hillcrest Nursing Home is keeping its head above water for now, but a financial tidal wave is on its way. Nebraska voters’ decision to expand Medicaid, coupled with vows by the governor and like-minded lawmakers to avoid tax increases at all costs mean that the dwindling number of private-pay nursing home residents see their resources drained further...

Memories come flooding back as we unpack the Christmas decorations each year — a couple’s first holiday together, baby’s first Christmas, gaudy Kindergarten creations too precious to discard. It’s also tempting to pull Grandma’s antique colored lights out of storage and plug them in, for old time’s sake...

Stories about GM’s decision to lay off 14,000 employees and possibly close five factories sometimes included the statement that the action was taken so the company could concentrate on new electric and self-driving cars. That’s despite the news that the all-electric Volt was one of the models the company planned to stop producing...

Black Friday isn’t the zoo it once was, thanks in part to today’s Cyber Monday that finds too many of us shopping online when we’re supposed to be working. Still, no click of a mouse can beat the holiday feeling that a stroll down main street in brisk winter weather can create as we visit a mom-and-pop store in search of the perfect present for a loved one...

No good deed goes unpunished — or at least hijacked for evil purposes. The latest example is a handy email service offered by the United States Postal Service to let you know what mail will be delivered each day. That way, you’ll be on the lookout for important letters and packages the day they’ll be arriving...

If the conversation seems a little subdued and strained around the Thanksgiving table Thursday, it may be the leftovers. No, the food will be fresh, but those inclined to enjoy a few too many drinks the night before may not be in a mood to talk. Kids home from college, friends and family in from out of town and the knowledge that the following day is a day off have combined to make the Wednesday before Thanksgiving one of the biggest party nights of the year...

The migrant “caravan” or “invasion” is much less in the spotlight now that the mid-term elections are out of the way, but now that 3,000 of them have poured into Tijuana just south of San Diego, Calif., the reality is making itself apparent. While American citizens who would block the asylum-seekers were accused of being racist prior to the election, some Tijuana residents have no problem telling the migrants to head back south in no uncertain terms, and without fear of being accused of bigotry...

It would be interesting to see how Medicaid expansion would have fared in Nebraska had it been worded differently. As it was, the initiative passed on the promise that it would extend medical coverage to more Nebraskans, boost the economy and improve the viability of smaller hospitals...