News

LINCOLN, Neb. — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested a drunk driver following a pursuit on Interstate 80 that covered nearly 20 miles in eastern Nebraska Thursday afternoon. At approximately, 4:45 p.m. Thursday, December 13, NSP dispatchers received a report of a reckless driver traveling eastbound on I-80 in Seward County. Troopers located the vehicle at mile marker 381, near the Milford interchange. The vehicle was observed speeding at 93 miles per hour in a 75 miles per hour zone...

CONNIE JO DISCOE Regional Editor McCOOK, Neb. — Nine head of bred cows were killed or had to be euthanized when a semi-trailer overturned in an accident on North Highway 83 just south of West J Street about noon Thursday. The trailer was hauling 42 head of black, black-whiteface, red and Charolais cows, believed to be headed to a ranch in Kansas. The truck was southbound on the highway...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council will be asked to make it a crime to enter a person’s vehicle without consent and to discuss vacating or selling a piece of land on East 11th Street, at its regular meeting Monday night, 6:30, at city council chambers at the McCook Municipal Building...

McCOOK, Neb. — Parents of McCook Elementary students were lining up at the Kiplinger Arena on the Red Willow County Fairgrounds to pick up their children this afternoon, following a bomb threat. The following message was sent to parents at 12:59 p.m. today:...

LINCOLN, Neb. — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) and many other agencies have responded to several bomb threats in communities around Nebraska today. No devices have been found and the threats are believed to be associated with others reported through the nation today...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook's city manager said in a release at 4:38 p.m. today that bomb threats emailed to a local school and motel were unfounded. Parents of McCook Elementary students lined up at the Kiplinger Arena on the Red Willow County Fairgrounds to pick up their children this afternoon, following one of the threats, which police determined the be unfounded after the school was searched...

Tuesday afternoon, a construction crew cleans up what is left of a garage that slipped off a trailer during transport Monday from the corner of East 10th and B to East 12th and A, in McCook. The garage blocked the intersection at East 13th and A until crews could dismantle the then-damaged structure...

McCOOK, Neb. — U.S. 83 was blocked at West J Street in McCook following the collision of a truck and a van. A number of cattle in the truck were injured and expected to be euthanized.

Local community and business leaders gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony at Warner Real Estate Tuesday morning celebrating the regional real estate firm’s recent membership in the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce. Warner staff, from left, front row, Drew Carbaugh, Melissa Broomfield, Katie Graham donning the wooden scissors, with Chad Graham, second from right, and broker Kate Warner, far right. Agent Reuben Ahrens, a former long-time McCook resident, is in the back row, third from the right...

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A McCook native driven from her Paradise, Calif., home by the state’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire is featured in a Dec. 1 Los Angeles Times news story about the aftermath of the “Camp Fire” and generous Californians’ response to evacuees’ need for housing...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Mobile Pantry truck of the Food Bank for the Heartland, Omaha, plans a one-day distribution on the Hitchcock County Fairgrounds in Culbertson, Saturday from noon until 2 p.m. Shoppers MUST bring their own boxes and bags, and for their own convenience, a cart or wagon to move them. The elderly and handicapped are encouraged to bring along their own “muscle” because the boxes get heavy. There is no delivery service...

EDITOR’S NOTE: Patsy Lee Redfern, a resident of Brookdale McCook, made a presentation in remembrance of the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. With the sponsorship of Danbury American Legion Auxiliary No. 276 she has written a book called “Red Willow Co. Veterans of Pearl Harbor.” This is her program on the “date that will live in infamy.”...

LINCOLN, Neb. — A McCook man has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the August 2017 death of Todd E. Miller of Culbertson. Suzanne Gage, the director of communications for Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, Lincoln, said Wednesday that Darin Mason, 42 years old, faces charges of first-degree murder, a Class 1A felony, and conspiracy to commit robbery, a Class 2 felony...

McCOOK, Neb. — Juvenile mental health issues and addictions worry McCook Senior High principal Jeff Gross, as well as classroom doorknobs that would not provide the best barrier during a live shooter incident. But, Gross points out, he and school resource officer Michael Jordan, administrators, staff and teachers work hard to cultivate an atmosphere of comfort and safety for students on the MHS campus. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook Police Chief Ike Brown warns drivers that they must clean their windshields of snow and ice before driving, or they will get pulled over. He said drivers can’t drive safely peeking through a small circle they’ve cleared from their windshields. He said he knows it’s tempting to “just jump in and go,” but windshields and side windows must be cleaned off to allow full visibility...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook School Board officially accepted a generous donation of $15,000 from Dollar General Monday night at the regular board meeting. “It’s not very often you get dollars without any strings attached,” noted McCook Schools superintendent Grant Norgaard. The funds, in $5,000 increments, were given in surprise presentations in November to three McCook public schools: McCook Elementary, McCook Junior High and McCook Senior High...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County will participate in a 6-county interlocal agreement to address mental health, truancy and legal issues for juveniles in Southwest Nebraska. Red Willow County commissioner Earl McNutt said Tuesday morning that Red Willow County will still operate its own in-house juvenile diversion program through the county attorney’s office, but will now also have access to mental health counseling and truancy assistance through the new six-county cooperation...

McCOOK, Neb. — Negotiations between McCook Public Schools and the collective bargaining representative for teachers at MPS are still underway. Teresa Thomas, McCook Board of Education member and chairperson of the negotiations committee, updated the school board on the status of current negotiations with the McCook Education Association (MEA), for salary/benefits for certified staff at MPS. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hundreds of children in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas will have a merrier Christmas this year thanks to donations of toys, money and labor to the 2018 McCook area “Christmas Toy Box.” After volunteers created a real-life “toy store” at McCook Memorial Auditorium Monday through Saturday, parents shopped on Sunday afternoon for new and gently-loved toys, games, dolls, puzzles, books and trucks and tractors for their youngsters...

TRENTON, Neb. — Hitchcock County District Judge David Urbom will consider testimony and evidence offered in Trenton Monday morning in a criminal case in which a Stratton man is charged with criminal mischief, disturbing the peace and unauthorized use of a propelled vehicle...

HAIGLER, Neb. — With Christmas on its way, all of Dundy County is bustling with holiday activity. The Cornerstone Center in Haigler will be open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday for volunteers to help finish decorating for the Holiday Festival on Sunday, and for everyone to come ‘ See, Sip, and Shop’ at the new Christmas Shop...