Stories from Thursday, May 15, 2025

Pairings and game times for the McCook Community College softball team’s first ever trip to the NJCAA D1 College Series have been announced. The Lady Indians received the No. 16 seed and will face off against No. 17 Crowder College (Neosho, Mo.) Monday at 1 p.m. in the first game of the 20-team, double-elimination tournament...

BERTRAND, Neb.­ — Team scores and top six area placers with a “Q” appearing for each Nebraska state qualifier from this D-6 district. GIRLS Teams: 1. Dundy County-Stratton 96, 2. Maywood-Hayes Center 71, 3. Loomis 62, 4. Cambridge 58, 5. Southwest 56, 6. Bertrand 46, 7. Wauneta-Palisade 40, 8. Arapahoe 38, 9. Wallace 26, 10. Hitchcock County 17, 10. Medicine Valley 17...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook Community College will be hosting a College World Series Game 1 watch party, Monday at 12:45 p.m. at the Student Union for their Region IX champion softball team.. All fans are welcome. Free snacks, drinks and hot dogs will be provided, or MCC fans can bring their own lunches...

Rita Ann Unger Oct. 30, 1947 - April 15, 2025 LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Rita Ann Unger, 77, of Los Angeles, passed away on April 15, 2025. She was born on Oct. 30, 1947, in Portland, Ore., to John and Florence Unger and was the second of nine children. Rita was raised loving farm life in rural McCook, Neb. ...

Reynaldo “Chapo” Rodriguez Sigala March 2, 1942 — May 13, 2025 McCOOK, Neb. — Reynaldo “Chapo” Rodriguez Sigala, age 83, of McCook, passed away May 13, 2025, surrounded by his family at his home in McCook. Chapo was born March 2, 1942 in Satevo, Chihuahua, Mexico to parents, Zoilo Rodriguez Huerta and Rosaura Sigala Meledrez. He was one of four siblings who grew up in La Esperanza, Satevo, Mexico...

Etienne “Gene” Thooft May 14, 1930 - May 3, 2025 BALATON, Minn. — Etienne Rene “E.R.” “Gene” Thooft was­ born May 14, 1930 to Ernest Joseph and Marie Virginia (Dobbelaere) Thooft in Limestone Township, Lincoln County, near Arco, Minn. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Eloi Catholic Church in Ghent, Minn. He grew up on the farm and attended eight years of country school District #61 in Island Lake Township, Lyon County, near Lynd, Minn...

LINCOLN, Neb. – The McCook Police Department has been awarded a highway safety grant from the Nebraska Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office (NDOT-HSO) to assist in obtaining one mobile radar unit, according to William Kovarik, Administrator for the NDOT Highway Safety Office...

McCook Junior High seventh graders Tyler Bethell, from left, Reagan Boyd, James Blomstedt and Kaleb Clause find out how heavy a “Jaws of “Life extrication tool really is, at the McCook City Fire Department. Seventh graders spent Monday visiting different sites throughout the city, as part of the annual vocational tour. ...

Lorri Sughroue McCook Gazette McCOOK, Neb. — A fourth grade teacher at St. Patrick School in McCook was visibly shocked Tuesday when she learned she was the recipient of the McCook Area Educator of the Year award. At a special convocation at the school with the entire school watching, Tama Kain was bestowed the honor by Sarah Schneider, McCook Chamber of Commerce director and Joan Bass, a member of the chamber’s education committee...

Over the years, I have had the privilege of doing many fun activities with our local young people. Sometimes, it is sponsoring prom in the spring, giving me a chance to show off my mediocre dance moves. Occasionally, I get to go with students on field trips such as the Hastings Museum or Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, although not even my son, who is a UNL cheerleader, can get us on the new turf...

A new Pew Research Center study, “Americans’ Trust in One Another,” released this week, confirmed what many have long suspected: trust in others is in short supply. The question at the heart of the survey was deceptively simple: Do you agree or disagree with the statement, “Most people can be trusted”? There was no guidance on what kind of people or what kind of circumstances—just a stark choice between trust and skepticism...

McCOOK, Neb. - During the public comment portion of Monday night’s school board meeting, community member Kyle Kunkee addressed the board with concerns about the proposed reintroduction of a school bond issue—specifically questioning the viability of reusing any part of the existing Junior High building...

Violet Kautz, Emma Malleck, Mariah Jordan and Adriana Vasquez eagerly round the corner to join the rest of team Community Hospital at Felling Field.

BERTRAND, Neb. — All area top six placers and state qualifiers with “Q”s from Wednesday’s D-6 district meet where Dundy County-Stratton scored a 65-point boys win over top challenger Arapahoe. More details will appear on Friday. BOYS Teams: 1. Dundy County-Stratton 141, 2. Arapahoe 76, 3. Loomis 66, 4. Bertrand 58, 5. Medicine Valley 47, 6. Cambridge 31, 7. Wauneta-Palisade 28, 7. Hitchcock County 28, 9. Wallace 25, 10. Maywood-Hayes Center 14, 11. Southwest 10...