Stories from Friday, February 6, 2026

DODGE CITY, Kan. – The McCook Community College softball team opened the season Thursday splitting a pair of games against Dodge City Community College. MCC won the opener 7-5 at Legends Park and lost the second game 3-1. MCC got a complete-game win from Kaliyah St. Amand (Duncan, British Columbia) in Game 1 and an RBI-double and solo homer from sophomore Payton Kinsley (Didsbury, Alberta)...

McCOOK, Neb. — The TeamMates Mentoring annual “Chuck a Duck” event will take place on Tuesday at McCook High’s varsity home basketball games against Hastings. TeamMates decribe this popular competition as simple: 1. Buy a duck. 2. Cbuck a duck. 3. Win $100...

The McCook Gazette is pleased to welcome a new print customer this week, The Sheridan Sentinel of Hoxie, Kansas. Last month, Publisher Viktorija Briggs, office manager Rachel Farber and Lori Cressler, who handles advertising, visited McCook and toured the Gazette’s production plant. During the visit, they saw the press in action and met with several of the Gazette’s 24 employees...

Mr. Allen R. Gidcumb, age 53, of McCook, NE passed away on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at the Community Hospital in McCook. Allen was born in Oxford, NE on August 2, 1972, to parents Don Lemman and Marcia Morris. In Allen’s professional life, he was a truck driver for Fritz Trucking and also worked for Whitakers and Walmart. In his free time, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, and trucking. He loved spending time with his grandkids and playing farming games on his phone...

Rusty Wayne Park peacefully passed away at his McCook home on February 5, 2026 surrounded by his loving family. Those waiting for him in Heaven, were his grandparents, parents, sister Judith Lea, twin brothers and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends...

LOS ANGELES — As part of the run up to the Super Bowl, Electronic Arts generates a simulation of the big game using its latest Madden NFL video game. This year, the pixels that be picked the Seattle Seahawks to defeat the New England Patriots 23-20, with quarterback Sam Darnold earning the MVP honors...

WAUNETA, Neb. — The Wauneta-Palisade girls and Medicine Valley boys both reached 11 wins this season with victories Thursday evening. Coach Matt Cox’s Bronco girls are now 11-8 thanks to a 54-34 in the first varsity contest over Med Valley. However, those visiting Raider boys are now 11-7 thanks to their 70-40 conquest in the nightcap...

Intense freshman basketball was played on Thursday with McCook vs. visiting Chase County. Bison Karley Schilz (15) drives against Chase’s Lila O’Neill (33) above. Below, McCook’s Cole Davidson finds an opening through two Chase defenders. ).

McCOOK, Neb. — The YMCA of McCook is partnering with the McCook Midget Baseball Association to host the Midwest Liberty FCU Girls Youth Softball in the Spring/Summer of 2026. Registration is now open for the following leagues to be held in 2026: Girls TSoftball (Pre-K/Kindergarten), Girls Sluggers Coach-pitch Softball (1st-2nd Grade), and Girls Machine Pitch Softball (3rd-4th Grade)...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook’s seventh-grade boys won two of three in Holdrege then played three more tough basketball contests at Lexington recently. Coach Tom Lentz provides more details: “On Monday, the seventh-graders traveled to Lexington. Illness cost us three players, but the rest stepped up and did their best...

McCOOK, Neb. - On Monday, the McCook City Council formally received the city’s annual audit for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025, a document dense with detail and accounting terminology that few residents are likely to read cover to cover. What most taxpayers want to know, however, is far simpler: whether the city is being managed responsibly, whether it remains in sound financial condition and whether it can meet the debt obligations tied to the new sports complex and other development efforts without placing undue strain on taxpayers.. ...

On February 3, 2026, Betty Marie Leibrandt went to be with our Lord and Savior. She left behind a legacy of love. Betty was a lifelong resident of McCook. She moved to McCook as a little girl and graduated from McCook High in 1964. She raised her family on a farm southwest of McCook for over thirty years. She later lived in town...

Lillian L. Kehler passed away in her home surrounded by loved ones in Culbertson, NE, on February 5, 2026, at the age of 87. Memorial services will be held on Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at the Culbertson Methodist Church in Culbertson, NE with Pastor Alisa Parde, officiating. Burial will follow in the Culbertson Cemetery...