News

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has selected 31 priority areas to receive $13 million in Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding as part of the WaterSMART Initiative (WSI). These investments will help producers on private working lands better conserve water resources in coordination with investments made by water suppliers...

GRANT, Neb. -- Southwest Nebraska Community Betterment Corp., a non-profit organization located in Grant, Nebraska, is leading a cooperative effort to provide down payment/closing cost assistance with rehabilitation to homebuyers using funding through the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund, provided by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development...

McCOOK, Neb. - The McCook Chamber of Commerce board of directors chose McCook Clinic as Honor Business for the first quarter of 2021. According to Chamber President Dawson Brunswick, “They have been such an asset to our community and we just wanted to recognize the excellence in what they have been doing and the partners they are. We’re just so excited that they were able to step up in these crazy times.”...

Bruce Crosby Editor McCOOK, Neb. — Pandemic restrictions have slowed the process, but Red Willow County’s new official in charge of dealing with household hazardous waste is making progress. Josh Mullen, who took over Aug. 1, 2020, for Bill Elliott, who retired because of health concerns, said 287 barrels of household hazardous waste have been shipped out of the county facility since then...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A Hays, Kan., man was arrested early Thursday on drug and weapons charges, according to the McCook Police Department. According to a Facebook post, "on January 21, 2021, at around 0036 hours officers with the McCook Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for expired in-transit tags. During the course of the traffic stop, officers developed reasonable suspicion of drug activity involving the driver and the vehicle...

McCOOK, Neb. – One community organization is celebrating a financially successful 2020. McCook Chamber President Dawson Brunswick told the Gazette that the chamber ended 2020 with the first net profit it had experienced in six years. He said that despite the pandemic, the chamber was able to build a lot of strong relationships with the business community throughout the year...

McCOOK, Neb— The Nebraska State Patrol officer who helped rescue a puppy found last year with multiple stab wounds recently had the chance to see him again. Almost a year ago, the NSP responded to a call of a severely injured dog in rural Furnas County. NSP officer Amanda Sackett arrived on the scene, the three- to four-month-old puppy covered in blood and wrapped in a blanket by the family who found him. She put him on the front seat of the car and drove to McCook...

McCOOK, Neb. - With Wednesday being the final day of bill introduction in the Nebraska Unicameral, District 44 State Senator Dan Hughes believes that this group of legislators are “an ambitious bunch”. That is because the body has introduced 684 bills and 29 resolutions to be debated, withdrawn, passed or killed during the session. Hughes spoke to a group of constituents through a Zoom meeting sponsored by McCook Chamber of Commerce Thursday morning...

LINCOLN, Neb. —  Work on the first Super 2 highway in Nebraska is progressing on schedule, with the majority of the work completed on the 10-mile segment of US-83 between mile markers 35 and 45 by Frazier Creek in Frontier County, according to District 7 Construction Engineer Drew Wilson. Work began in the spring of 2020 on the first of six projects that will be part of the US-83 Super 2...

McCOOK, Neb. - Lynne Kinne, left, presents Bill Ramsey with a gift card compliments of the McCook Education Association and local merchants. The local education association recognized each of its members on “I Love Public Schools” Day with a gift card purchased or donated by many businesses...

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested five people following a traffic stop on Highway 6 near McCook Tuesday evening. At approximately 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, a trooper performed a traffic stop on a Dodge Journey that was driving without its lights on. The vehicle also had no license plates. During the traffic stop, the trooper detected that the driver was impaired...

McCOOK, Neb. - Milva McGhee’s is the new face that will greet you on the third floor of the Keystone Business Center. She is employed by the McCook Economic Development Corporation, and she also helps the McCook Chamber of Commerce with administrative support. Her official title is Early Childhood Community Coordinator, and she started at MEDC on December 1st...

McCOOK, Neb. - The City of McCook Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire Tuesday evening at #26 South Street. First arriving fire department crews reported heavy smoke and fire coming from the trailer house. After arriving on scene, firefighters located a male party outside of the residence who was seriously injured. Fire crews began extinguishment of the fire while providing medical aid to the victim until additional personnel arrived to take over medical care...

McCOOK, Neb. -- McCook Community College’s Social Justice Club and Student Services invited students, faculty and staff in a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Monday at the MCC Student Union. Members of the club led informal and education discussions about Dr. King and his influences...

McCOOK, Neb. — Last year, City of McCook water customers had to swallow a 6% increase in rates. This year, a lower rate increase of 2.5% has been recommended. That’s because the 6% increase and a dry year had water sales at an all-time high, according to a financial analysis of the water enterprise fund presented to the McCook City Council Monday night via Zoom...

McCOOK, Neb. — A date and time will be brought back to the council concerning when council members will take an up-close and personal look at city facilities. In the past, council members used to take an annual tour of city facilities, such as the water and wastewater treatment plants and fire department, to get an idea of what the city does, said City Manager Nate Schneider at the regular council meeting Monday night. ...

Community Hospital’s New Year’s baby was a little miss named Makeeda Marie Louise Reed born at 6:46 a.m. Jan. 7. Her parents, Avion Reed and Destin Jensen and two siblings, welcomed Makeeda. She weighed 8 pounds, 7 ounces and was 19.75 inches long. Delivering the baby was McCook Clinic family physician, Jason Blomstedt, D.O. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Firefighters were hampered by strong winds and endangered by exposed power lines in a fire that destroyed a garage and extensively damaged an adjacent house in McCook Sunday morning. Heavy smoke and fire were reported coming from a garage at 209 E. Second at 5:30 a.m., and the Red Willow Western Rural Fire Department was called in at 5:51 a.m. to assist the McCook Fire Department...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Taking on new leadership responsibilities in the Nebraska Legislature has been challenging for Sen. Dan Hughes, but he told a group of constituents on a Zoom meeting Thursday morning that he is up to the challenge. The McCook Chamber of Commerce facilitated the meeting, which takes place at 8 a.m. every Thursday morning during the session...

McCOOK, Neb. — Robust water sales in 2020 netted the city 20.8% more in revenue than in 2019. That’s from a report that will be presented to the McCook City Council Monday night on the city’s water and sewer utility funds. PFM Financial Advisors, LLC, annually presents a cashflow report to the city on the water and sewer utility funds...

High winds and tinder-dry conditions combined to create massive grassfires that kept firefighters from Haigler to Cambridge and beyond scrambling all night Thursday and today. Red Willow Western joined Bartley, Beaver Valley, Cambridge and Indianola firefighters at a large grassfire south of Bartley, Roads 710 and 402 after 9:41 p.m. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook E-Free Church is offering a location and volunteers to assist anyone who is unable to sign up online for the COVID-19 vaccine. Volunteers will be available from 9 a.m. t0 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, through Thursday, Jan. 21. An appointment is not required, so stop by at your convenience...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department is following the rollout plan for COVID vaccinations as directed by Nebraska’s governor and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rollout plan is divided into phases, and the first phase has 3 sections called 1A, 1B, and 1C. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook School Board approved three resignation/retirements and a sizable donation to a program at the high school. Retirements came from Rosa Boehm, 15 years, resource teacher at Central Elementary, Bill Ramsay, 19 years, business/technology teacher at McCook High School and John Brazell, three years as McCook Schools district business manager. ...