News

McCOOK, Neb. – McCook chamber honored Heritage Acres at a ribbon cutting held at McCook Christian Church on Thursday afternoon. Owner Paula Sandberg announced to the gathering that the farmer’s market portion of Heritage Acres will become Heritage Local Co and will be expanding to serve other communities in 2022...

ORLANDO, Fla. — Calvin Corbett first had the thrill of seeing his “Emoji Strong” truck come to life as a Monster Jam toy truck. But then Thursday arrived and the 13-year-old McCook resident saw a full-size version roll out on Fox and Friends. The limited-edition St. Jude Emoji toy truck can be purchased at monsterjamsuperstore.com and $10 from each sale is donated back to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital...

Delayed by high winds and wildfires, a Wardcraft home finally arrived Wednesday morning for installation on a foundation on West 9th Street, and will be for sale in the coming weeks once it is completed. The McCook Economic Development Corp. is partnering with agencies in Benkelman and Cambridge in the Innovative Housing Project to improve workforce housing, according to Charlie McPherson, MEDC executive director...

McCOOK, Neb. — City officials have a choice when it comes to Barnett Park: operate it as a park as it was designed, or let it become a goose sanctuary. The City Council voted to give the USDA the go-ahead for a “goose roundup” in the park during the molting season in June...

Great Plains Communications crews demonstrate a “cherry picker” to Central Elementary fourth-graders Monday. Others taking part in Careers on Wheels included McCook Fire & Rescue, McCook Police and Nebraska Public Power District.

The Culbertson Alumni Banquet will be held at the Culbertson Fairgrounds May 28 2022.  Doors open at 5, dinner at 6.  Bring a covered dish and your table service to participate in a fun evening of fellowship and walks down memory lane.  Honor class is 1972, come and see if they fulfilled their prophecy...

CULBERTSON, Neb. — Memorial Day Services at Culbertson Cemetery. Flags will go up at 7:30 a.m. and down at 5 p.m. (weather permitting) Ceremonial service at 10:30 a.m.  Lunch at Methodist Church served by the American Legion and Auxiliary.  A free will offering will be accepted...

McCOOK, Neb. — The May meeting of the Red Willow County GOP will be Tuesday, May 24, at Bedore Barn-Marlene’s Kitchen 3 miles north of McCook. Coffee and fellowship begins at 6:30 pm followed by the business meeting at 7:00 pm. “We are excited to host 2 of our successful local candidates who will be moving on to the November election,” said Pam Frecks of the Red Willow County GOP, “Kathy Wilmot, the successful candidate for the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, and Elizabeth Tegtmeier, the successful candidate for the State Board of Education.”. ...

Assistant Principal Jake Curl presents the special Bison Award to Tucker Gillespie and Madison Tarencz-Rasmusen, who were also senior speakers at Friday’’s McCook High School graduation ceremonies at the Graff Events Center on the McCook Community College campus. Decorated mortar boards indicate the graduating class is taking to heart Gillespie’s admonition — don’t dream, set a goal and work toward it, as well as Rasmussen’s advice “don’t be afraid of change.”...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Educational Foundation has announced scholarship recipients for 2022. Scholarships awarded were: 1. McCook Educational Foundation Scholarships, $1,000: Addison Randel and Tucker Gillespie 2. Albert Cuellar Scholarship, $1,000: Joslyn Hammond...

McCOOK, Neb. – Red Willow County Commissioners approved an agreement with the City of McCook for dispatching services at Monday’s regular county commissioner meeting. The agreement calls for a 3 percent increase over last year, which will bring the cost for the services to $71,401 annually or $5,950.14 per month...

BROKEN BOW, Neb. — The Nebraska State Patrol, with assistance from the Custer County Sheriff’s Office and Broken Bow Police Department, is investigating a suspected murder-suicide that occurred overnight. At approximately 1:45 a.m. Friday, NSP was requested by local law enforcement to investigate a homicide in Broken Bow. The victim, Angie Miller, 45, was located deceased inside her home in the 800 block of N. 13th Street in Broken Bow...

McCOOK, Neb. — The following is the McCook Community College commencement address given by student speaker Kimberlee Sweeney at today’s graduation: 1. No great things are ever accomplished unless you try. Hello! Welcome graduates, families, faculty, and staff to this year’s graduation. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Sheri Hink-Wagner has been named McCook Community College’s winner of the Gene Budig Outstanding Faculty Award. The announcement came Friday during MCC’s Commencement Ceremony at the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center. Hink-Wagner was selected by the college’s Gene Budig Award selection committee and submitted to the Mid-Plains Community College Cabinet. Budig who was an MCC graduate, provides a $1,000 award each year to recognize and honor outstanding educators...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook Community Foundation Fund awarded six scholarships this spring for the 2022-23 academic year, including the Bernard and Nelda Haag Scholarship and the Barbara Fassler-Neumann Nursing Scholarship. The Haag Scholarship, worth $1,000, was given to Naomi Farnsworth, who graduated from Wallace High School in May 2021 and attends Casper College in Casper, Wyoming. ...

DALLLAS-FORT WORTH, Texas — An award-winning investigative reporter from McCook has been named to a CBS News lab dedicated to explore next-generation storytelling. Nicole Vap, a 1987 McCook High School graduate and daughter of Mary and the late Doug Vap of McCook, was one of four investigative journalists recently named to the local news innovation lab in Dallas-Fort Worth...

McCOOK, Neb. — City staff says goose poop is wreaking havoc at Barnett Park and the McCook City Council will be asked to authorize the USDA to conduct a goose round-up to reduce the goose population, at the regular meeting Monday, 5:30 p.m. at City Council Chambers at the Municipal Building...

McCOOK, Neb. — A project costing nearly $1 million will take place over the summer at the McCook Junior High, but it won’t cost the school district a cent. The HVAC project will replace chillers and air handlers at the junior high gym and front office, at around $980,000. The cost is being funded by Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER) the school district received, according to Jeff Gross, McCook Schools Business Manager...

CULBERTSON, Neb. — The McCook Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that the 2022 McCook Area Educator of the Year Award, made possible by the Strunk Family, is Deb McCarter of Hitchcock County.   Deb has been an educator since 1978, earning a bachelor’s degree at Wayne State College and master’s degrees at Kearney State College and Chadron State College along the way. In 2007 Trenton and Culbertson Public Schools consolidated to form Hitchcock County Schools. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — For someone who admittedly always hated school, Kimberlee Sweeney is proof that with the right motivation, a person can conquer all sorts of life’s obstacles. On her first day of kindergarten in Indianola, Sweeney came home from school and unenthusiastically told her mom the first day was, “Fine.”...

McCOOK, Neb. — A long-time McCook police officer and the son-in-law of a late sheriff will face a former Marine and son of a Dundy County sheriff’s deputy in the general election in November. MPD Senior Sgt. Kevin Darling defeated Red Willow County Sheriff’s Deputy Dalton Downing in the Republican race to replace retiring Sheriff Alan Kotschwar in the fall election. ...

Jasmine Dimas and Tammy Gonzales of the Red Willow County Clerk's Office tally early votes in Tuesday's election. County commissioner incumbents Earl McNutt and Cayla Richards lost to challengers Ted Gans and Charles Fritsche respectively, and Kevin Darling defeated Dalton Downing in the Republican race for county sheriff, to go on to face Libertarian candidate Jaeden Carter in the fall election. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Three candidates with local ties had good showings but finished in second place, according to preliminary results from the Nebraska Secretary of State's office. Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City won 20,128 votes for University of Nebraska Regent District 7, with 41.58% of the vote...

The Dread Pirate Roger (Bryce Osterman) gives Giles (Lane Vette) a word of advice, while Don Harpst narrates Friday night’s McCook Community College production of “Swashbuckling Scallywags & Sweethearts” in Norris Alley. Written and directed by MCC theater instructor Mark Hardiman, the production, presented Friday and Saturday, also included music by Kerrick McCorkle and Wayne Lee on keyboards and Kapella Brass, Lonnie Weyeneth on coronet, Joanne Wendeline on coronet, Donnie McCorkle on alto horn and Paul Wood on euphonium. ...

CURTIS, Neb. -- The Republican Plains Activity Conference has announced 2021-22 academic medalists based on ACT Scores. The 2021 — 2022 Top Individual ACT Score was achieved by Damin Luedke, Paxton Award level is based on ACT composite score with the following levels: Bronze medal—awarded to a student achieving a score of 24, 25 or 26, Silver medal—awarded to a student achieving a score of 27 or 28; Gold medal—awarded to a student achieving a score of 29 or higher...