Stories from Tuesday, April 14, 2026

The starting time for McCook Community College’s baseball game Tuesday at home against Colby has been moved up 30 minutes with a start time of 3:30 p.m. MCC is 32-9 and is tied for first place in the Region IX standings at 13-3. The Indians beat the Trojans 9-7 on March 30 at Colby. The Trojans are 14-27...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Tourism Board met last week for its monthly meeting, and with summer events already in planning mode, the board has devised some clever ways to increase tourism to the area. In collaboration with area hotels, county tourism will craft hotel keycard sleeves featuring a QR code linking to the new Red Willow County Tourism app that features area attractions, events, places to shop, places to stay, restaurants, and it allows for the ordering of food for delivery...

McCOOK, Neb. - New hires took center stage at Monday’s McCook School Board meeting, as administrators reported strong progress filling open teaching positions ahead of the coming school year. District leaders expressed optimism that quality educators have been secured at nearly every level...

McCOOk, Neb. - The Red Willow County Board of Commissioners has accepted the resignation of Sheriff Kevin Darling, effective April 13. The timing ensures the board can meet its statutory obligation to appoint a replacement within 45 days, while placing that deadline after the May 12 primary election...

It was with delight that I read Sue Doak’s column in Friday’s Gazette. She wrote of the “first frame structure in Red Willow County”. Ah yes, I knew it well. The Fitches were about our closest neighbors when my family, parents and four siblings moved from Hitchcock County to down in the valley a few miles south of McCook. ...

Back when I was going to school, we all thought it would be cool to major in philosophy, but we were told it was a professional dead end. At best, the degree was a respectable pre-law play, but beyond that, only good for stand-up comedy or teaching philosophy to other vocation-averse souls. Times change, however, and in the age of job obsolescence and robots, the misunderstood philosophy major may be having the last laugh...

AURORA, Colo. — Sheldon “Doc” W. Spickelmier, 82 of Curtis, Nebraska passed away on April 7, 2026,...

KEARNEY, Neb. — Leah Sue Rakes was born on November 2, 1948, in Nebraska City, Nebraska, to Lila Zimmerman and Leonard Smalley...

BENKELMAN, Neb. — Rita Ann Jones, born on May 11, 1957, at Moorehouse Hospital in Benkelman, NE,...

McCOOK, Neb. — Norma Beth Acton, age 94, of McCook, NE passed away on Friday, April 10, 2026...

McCOOK, Neb. — Gary Huffman, a longtime resident of McCook, passed away...