News

Ten-year-old Brianna Strecker of McCook volunteers to distribute desserts at the “Mobile Pantry” in McCook Saturday morning. The Pantry served 247 households. The goal of the Mobile Pantry division of the Food Bank for the Heartland, based in Omaha, is to provide food where there is a high need but limited resources. ...

Holbrook celebrates summer and family with its annual “Holbrook Days” parade Saturday. Albert Hayes and 3-year-old great-grandson Luke Hamel drove a red 1953 IH Farmall tractor, and Bruce Helms on a green 1952 John Deere tractor, pulled a wagon filled with descendants of Lois and Clarence Helms, who started “Flying H Ranch” in 1948. Holbrook’s weekend also included a ham and roast beef supper, old-time movie night, pre-fair livestock show, street dance, and, of course, river rat volleyball...

Red Willow County’s 2017 county fair will host a demolition derby on Thursday, July 20, on the fairgrounds in McCook. The pits open at 4 p.m., followied by heats in limited weld and ‘90’s and newer divisions. New this year will be a “Power Wheels” division for kids 4-10 years old. ...

McCOOK, Neb - Retiring after 50 years in the banking business, Van Korell said what he learned growing up on the family farm helped him most during his career. Korell, along with his younger sister, grew up on a farm outside of Culbertson, Neb., later attending country school for his elementary education. He graduated from Culbertson High School in 1963 and then from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1967, with a degree in business administration and accounting...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hillcrest, the county-owned nursing home in McCook, is a 1-2 star facility. A surveyor hired to look into the operations and financial struggles of Hillcrest told Red Willow County commissioners this morning that nursing homes want to be 5-star facilities...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook transfer station has a small amount of good clean compost available for pickup and expects to have more available in the next couple months. Wood chips are also available and located on the north side of the brush pile, according to Utilities Director Kyle Potthoff...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Civil Service Commission will meet Saturday to conduct written examinations for a city police officer position in the morning and interview candidates in the afternoon. The meetings are open to the public and begin at 8:30 a.m. in the McCook Police Department Conference Room, with interviews for applicants that pass the written examination scheduled for 1 p.m...

The Nebraska Pride Chorus of Sweet Adelines. under the direction of Evie Caldwell, McCook and Connie Witt, Kearney, received fifth place out of 16 choruses, with 33 members on stage at the regional competition in Cheyenne, Wyo.. The group also earned second place in mid-size chorus, which is 31 to 60 members. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — On July 1, AmFirst Bank will change their name to Pinnacle Bank. Their locations in McCook, Benkelman and Hayes Center will join Pinnacle Bank’s current 61 branches in Nebraska. As part of Pinnacle Bank, all customers will have access to expanded resources, including their multi-state ATM network to make withdrawals for free. Their multi-state branch network will also be available for personal banking customers and will be available for business customers on September 18, 2017...

LINCOLN, Neb. — McCook is one of the stops on ACLU of Nebraska 2017 Transgender Voices Tour. It will be 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Weeth Theater on the McCook Community College campus. Ashley Swartz, a farmer and volunteer firefighter from Malmo, Neb., will join the ACLU of Nebraska on the Transgender Voices Tour. Through her own experiences as a Transgender Nebraskan, Swartz will provide her perspective on the experiences of Nebraska’s transgender community...

McCOOK, Neb. — The mannequin wears a long horsehide coat, furry mittens and a fuzzy hat with ear floppers. But his face is so fresh and young-looking, he’s just not believable as an old-time, gnarly prairie hunter from the late 1880s. So, with a beard, mustache and sideburns fashioned from real hair, two students from the McCook Beauty Academy have “aged” the hunter-trapper by at least 40, maybe 50 years...

WALLACE, Neb. — A water management cooperative is seeking wind and solar proposals for 20,000 acres of Lincoln County land being used to meet Kansas water demands under the Republican River Compact. Nebraska Cooperative Republican Platte Enhancement Project has more than 31 square miles of land that is being used for water management in Lincoln County, Nebraska. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Industrial Park is bustling with activity this week thanks to the early stages of a $9 million construction project bringing a new agricultural chemical handling and distribution facility to the area. The Next Generation Inc. facility is the third tenant in the 20-acre industrial park and a welcome sign for economic development officials after more than a decade with only one tenant...

McCOOK, Neb. — The June 2017 distribution will be the last month that Prairie Land Food will serve McCook and other points in Nebraska. PLF coordinator June Glasgow announced Thursday that, unfortunately, the cost of trucking and needed participation required to cover the cost are reasons for this decision...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Taxing farmers on a per acres basis without regard to profitability is no different than taxing a downtown business based on the number of customers that walk through their door, while disregarding whether or not a purchase is made, at least according to one state official...

The City of McCook Swimming Pool was a popular venue Wednesday as temperatures rose to a record high of 106 degrees, tying the mark originally set in 1974. The record low for the day was 46 degrees, set in 1973 and tied in 2001. Forecasters are predicting cooler temps in the days to come, with overcast and a high of 77 degrees forecasted through Sunday. Mostly sunny skies and highs in the low 80s are anticipated to return Monday...

McCook tied a record high of 106ºF Wednesday, but it was hotter than that inside Gazette delivery driver Jim Barger’s parked personal car, hot enough to melt a box of toothpicks, in fact. Gazette staff reminds everying to be sure not to leave pets or children in closed cars, even for a minute, during such hot spells...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Nebraska State Patrol has released the name of the young boy killed in a bicycle-pickup accident near McCook Tuesday afternoon. Ten-year-old Peyton Grant Fife, of Oberlin, died after his bicycle and a pickup collided on Federal Avenue about 1:20 p.m., Tuesday...

McCOOK, Neb. — A change in the food source for the McCook Pantry will eliminate the need for volunteers to drive to a food bank in Kearney for groceries. Fran Allacher, Pantry volunteer and secretary, said that the Food Bank for the Heartland, based in Omaha, will begin delivering food to community pantries across the state once each Pantry’s application is approved. ...

Imperial, Neb. — Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) announces the hiring of Crystal Bright, LPN who will be based at the Imperial Office. “Crystal brings excellent skills that will make her a valuable team member,” explains Myra Stoney, Director SWNPHD. “She will be the program director for the Health Hub and Minority Health Initiative programs. Crystal will conduct health screenings through finger pricks, give flu shots and provide education on numerous topics.”...

McCOOK, Neb. — Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever has been confirmed in the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department district which includes: Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Hayes, Hitchcock, Keith, Perkins and Red Willow counties. “Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected tick,” shares Melissa Propp, SWNPHD Public Health Nurse. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — A “Water Watch” initiated by the McCook Water Department earlier this week is still in effect and officials are asking commercial users to similarly coordinate outdoor irrigation. “Due to the continuation of extreme heat and high water usage, the City of McCook is requesting residential customers and small business customers refrain from using outside water between the hours of 12 p.m. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — After a successful first year, Big Give McCook will return this fall on Thursday, Nov. 9. But there are a few changes planned for the 2017 Big Give McCook. The biggest difference will be the number of organizations involved in the one-day fund-raiser...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Board of Zoning Adjustment will coordinate a public hearing Monday evening to discuss a request from a property owner to construct a carport with a five foot long driveway. City ordinance requires a ten foot driveway when a garage is perpendicular to the access alley...

LEXINGTON, Neb. — The Dawson County jail in Lexington is holding three inmates after their arrests following two separate high-speed chases and manhunts, one in Kansas during which a suspect fired shots at a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper’s vehicle. After the chase through Kansas and Nebraska, Richard Gathercole, 39, of San Jacinto, Calif., will be charged with possession of stolen property and possession of a stolen firearm...