News

McCOOK, Neb. — A community-wide emergency exercise Wednesday helped personnel from a number of local agencies hone skills required for the real thing. “First, I want to give a shout-out to Lopez Service and Repair for allowing the community agencies to stage participants and victims prior to the exercise,” said Dari Olson, Emergency Manager for Community Hospital, coordinator of the event...

McCOOK, Neb. — What started out as a routine mowing job behind Central Elementary turned into a sinkhole excavation. The grass behind Central Elementary was being mowed by a member of the custodial staff when the back wheels started to sink, according to a project update given Monday night at the McCook School Board meeting by McCook Schools business manager, Jeff Gross...

McCOOK, Neb. — An industry-wide shortage in food and truck drivers is affecting school lunches nationwide, including at the McCook Public School District. McCook Schools Business manager Jeff Gross commended Opaa! Food Management Inc., the school food management company the district uses for school breakfasts and lunches, at a recent school board meeting for going above and beyond to make sure students have food each day...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council will consider amending a lease it has with McCook K9 Korner concerning a proposed dog park at Barnett Park, at its regular meeting Monday, 5:30 p.m. at city council chambers at the City Municipal Building. The council will also be asked to approve higher trash collection fees and a request from David Winder for the creation of minor subdivision and accompanying change of zoning...

McCOOK, Neb. — The deadline to enter “The Cats and Dogs of McCook 2022 Calendar Contest” is Sunday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. Each year, the McCook Cat Pack, a volunteer organization of local youth, design and create a 12-month calendar featuring adopted or rescued cats and dogs. All photos submitted within the contest rules will be a part of next year’s calendar...

McCOOK, Neb. — Fogging classrooms and reinstalling plastic glass shields were implemented for a short time in September at McCook Public Schools, due to an uptick in active COVID-19 cases in the district. Those measures and other protocols were shared at a brief executive committee meeting held earlier this month, Superintendent Grant Norgaard told the McCook School Board meeting Monday night...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Public School District is moving forward with plans for a large capital expenditure slated for the junior high in a few years, with a special meeting tonight from 6 to 10 p.m. The board will meet at the junior high conference room to hear presentations from three architect firms chosen by school administrators for proposals to renovate the junior high and/or construct a new junior high...

McCOOK, Neb. — Increasing COVID-19 cases have forced the Southwest Nebraska Community Theatre Association to cancel another performance, but the group has been given permission to screen a video of its last major production, cut short by the pandemic last year, at the Fox Theater...

McCOOK, Neb. – Transforming the High Plains Museum into a “have-to” place for visitors and locals is one of the goals of the High Plains Historical Society according to Carol Schlegel, President. “We are a fairly new board. The makeup of our board is a little different than it has been in the past, and we’re excited about moving forward with the museum and making it a have-to place. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — With 89 new cases in the last week and an average of 84 cases per week over the last month, the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department is emphasizing the possible long-term effects of the COVID-19 virus. Of the new cases, a breakdown by age includes: 0 to 19 – 25; 20 to 29 – 17; 30 to 39 – 15; 40 to 49 – 6; 50 to 59 – 7; 60 to 69 – 13; 70 to 79 – 5; 80 and over – 1. The total number of cases is 4,414. Vaccination rates across the health district have reached 48%...

McCOOK, Neb. — Higher property tax valuations could affect the amount of state aid McCook Public Schools receives next year, said a school administrator. The McCook Board of Education received the budget for the 2021-22 school year at the regular meeting Monday night and after a special hearing, unanimously approved the budgets for all funds next year as well as the property tax request of $8.9 million, up from $8.6 million last year. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County has no interest in maintaining the Jaycees Ball Complex, so commissioners voted unanimously to renew a $1-a-year lease to the City of McCook until 2042. Commissioner Randy Dean voted in favor of the lease, although he said he had been approached by residents with concerns over the contract...

McCOOK, Neb. - Human trafficking for sex and slave labor is now the fastest-growing criminal enterprise in the world. Global Connection International is on the road exposing thousands of young people and their families to the dangers posed by highly organized human traffickers using a powerful, mobile educational exhibit...

McCOOK, Neb. — With the county budget nearing finalization, Red Willow County Commissioners will hear a request Monday from the fair board for a loan to cover the 2021 fair. Fair Manager Jiles Bowman is on the agenda at 9:45 a.m. with a request for a $92,000 for this summer’s fair...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Planning Commission will consider the request from David Winder for a minor subdivision request and a change of zoning, at its meeting Monday, 5:15 p.m. at city council chambers at the City Municipal Building. Public hearings will be conducted for both, in addition to another public hearing on dissolving a Planned United Development to the south of the proposed subdivision, so the zoning can be changed...

McCOOK, Neb. – Improving the overall health of an entire community or region is not a simple task and cannot be accomplished without collaboration from many sources. That is why Community Hospital has taken the leadership role in pulling together several organizations, businesses, and individuals to team up and discuss the opportunities available to McCook residents and visitors for physical activity...

BEAVER CITY, Neb. — Charges have been brought against five additional men, bringing to 18 the number of men charged in a Furnas County underage sex trafficking investigation. The latest are Kasey Miller, 22, Oxford, Rowdy Baxter, 64, no address given, Brent Keslar, 39, Oxford, Jacob Putnam, 32, Oxford, and Richard Walls, 41, Omaha...

McCOOK, Neb. — The property tax levy for the McCook Public School District for next year will drop by a little over half a cent. Due to higher property valuations, the school district will still garner more funds than the prior year. A public hearing for comments/suggestions on the 2021-22 MPS budget will open the regular McCook Board of Education meeting Monday, 6:30 p.m. at the junior high conference room...

McCOOK, Neb. — Starting Monday, Sept. 13, 2021 contractors will begin work on the installation of a new water main on West 5th Street starting at the intersection of West 5th and West “G” and ending at West 5th and West “M” Traffic on West 5th Street will be reduced to the southbound lane only. Intersections at West 5th and “G”, West 5th and “H”, and West 5th and “I” will be closed. West J Street will remain open during the construction. The work is expected to take 14 days to complete...

McCOOK, Neb. — A good chunk of federal stimulus money the City of McCook will receive is directed toward a new radio console for dispatching at the city police department. The total cost of the console is estimated at $750,000. City Manager Nate Schneider told the council at the regular meeting Monday night that replacing the current console has been a ongoing concern for several years, with the prior police chief, Ike Brown, also voicing concerns before he retired. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Taking out the trash will cost a little more, with the McCook City Council unanimously approving an increase to solid waste collection fees. The increase means an additional .75 cents per month for residential users, from $23.75 to $24.50, and an additional $2 for household/commercial waste, from $65 per ton to $67 per ton. The last fee increase for both was in 2019...

ARAPAHOE, Neb. -- Tyler Cappel, 35, was getting tired of the combative nature of politics over the past few years, The self-described “keyboard warrior” found himself on social media frustrated with the fact that his political views and values were not being represented. “Of course, nothing changes when you’re just complaining on Facebook or other social media, so I figured I might as well just get out and try to do something myself.”...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council unanimously approved the revised City of McCook 2021-22 budget on its final reading Monday night, that included a one-cent increase to the city’s property tax levy and salaries for new positions. The one-cent increase in the city tax levy, from 0.349044 to 0.359044, will garner the city $1.64 million in property taxes for the general fund, up from the $1.59 million. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Red Willow County Sheriff's office is still investigating the cause of a motorcycle accident that claimed the life of a McCook man, Daniel A. Kinkade, 42. According to the report, Kinkade's motorcycle was southbound on Highway 83 south of mile marker 25, approaching mile marker 24 when it failed to make the curve, crashing into the west ditch. He was killed in the accident...

TRENTON, Neb. — The Hitchcock County Sheriff's office has released information regarding a fatal accident Friday: "On September 3, 2021 at 7:13 p.m. the Hitchcock County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a two-vehicle accident approximately 4 miles east of Stratton on U.S. Highway 34. 86-year-old Betty J. Robinson of Trenton was traveling east on U.S. Highway 34 and 43-year-old Michelle Unger-Grier of Stratton was traveling west on U.S. Highway 34 when their vehicles collided...