Red Willow County

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County’s road superintendent Tyson Bardsley will return to the commissioners’ weekly meeting next week to finalize some road and bridge work that he and commissioners discussed at their meeting this morning. Commissioners took no action on three items today, but will at their June 25 meeting:...

McCOOK, Neb. — A staff member of Nebraska Third District Rep. Adrian Smith assured owners of trailers houses on three Southwest Nebraska lakes that, by staying in touch with Smith's office, they've done what they need to do in their effort to keep their trailers at the lakes...

McCOOK, Neb. — In the 60-some Nebraska counties that Barb Otto has visited in the last three years, not a single courthouse had the National Motto, "In God We Trust," displayed anywhere. After Barb's visit, most of them have either installed signs or have approved a project to hang signs. Red Willow County commissioners will vote on the issue at an upcoming meeting...

McCOOK, Neb, — Red Willow County will continue its support of the McCook Humane Society animal shelter after commissioners agreed at their weekly meeting this morning to contribute $3,000 for 2018/19. Commissioner Jacque Riener said that commissioners don’t know the county’s money situation for next year yet, as budget work for 2018-19 is just beginning. She said, however, that with some farmland valuations going down, a contribution to the animal shelter “probably can’t go up.”...

McCOOK, Neb. — A Nebraska fire marshal and a Red Willow County sheriff’s deputy are investigating fires inside and near a wind-damaged shop on Old Highway 6 west of McCook Sunday evening. Red Willow Western rural firefighters responded to the fire call about 10 p.m., Sunday, to find an SUV burning outside and a small fire inside the building owned by Neal Coyle...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioner Jacque Riener wants safety meetings for the county’s three road crews before commissioners get busy with 2018-19 budget work this summer. Riener wants more detailed safety policies for the road crews spelled out, for the protection of employees, the county and the public. Safety policies and a safety committee for the courthouse, fairgrounds and Hillcrest Nursing Home are separate from the safety policies for the county’s road crews...

McCOOK, Neb. — Out of frustration, a member of a Red Willow County road crew who is also a county commissioner slid a garden rake in front of a moving school bus on May 10. He and his supervisor, another commissioner, spoke to the school superintendent on May 11. He has apologized publicly, and county road crews have been instructed to sign their work zones better...

McCOOK, Neb. — At their weekly meeting Monday morning, Red Willow County commissioners will discuss traffic safety and the county’s personnel manual and employment records at 9:30 a.m. The discussion is likely in response to an incident in which county road crew member and commissioner Earl McNutt slid a rake in front of a school bus on Thursday, May. 10...

McCOOK, Neb. — At their weekly meeting Monday morning, Red Willow County commissioners accepted a bid to air condition the 4-H Building on the county fairgrounds in McCook. The restrooms and a meeting room within the building are already air-conditioned. 5 Starr LLC of McCook will now install air conditioning in the large exhibit hall at a cost of $13,754...

McCOOK, Neb. — A large portion of the county’s road budget will most likely be spent this summer to armor coat about 6 1/2 miles of County Road 402 north out of Bartley. County commissioner Steve Downer told fellow commissioners during their weekly meeting Monday morning that the Bartley road is cracked, crumbling and alligatoring. It was last armor coated in 2014...

McCOOK, Neb. — Starting the first of July, Red Willow County’s juvenile pretrial diversion program will be coordinated by the county attorney’s office. County commissioners Monday morning voted unanimously not to continue a contract with Lutheran Family Services to coordinate the county’s juvenile diversion program...

McCOOK, Neb. — A Danbury man was transferred to a hospital in Kearney following a fiery one-vehicle roll-over accident south of McCook early Saturday morning. Red Willow County Sheriff Alan Kotschwar reported this morning that Casey Hardy, 23 years old, was injured when his car rolled near Mile Marker 7, near the big curve on Highway 83 south of McCook...

CONNIE JO DISCOE Regional Editor McCOOK, Neb. — The ink was barely dry on their certificates of completed training when two of the newest CASA volunteers were immediately assigned to cases in Furnas County. Cathy McDowell of McCook, CASA director, said the program is always seeking new volunteers, and particularly in the six Southwest Nebraska counties around Red Willow. She was thrilled Tuesday morning that two of the newest volunteers will serve children in Furnas County...

McCOOK, Neb. — At their weekly meeting Monday morning, Red Willow County commissioners approved a conditional use permit for an irrigator to use waste water from a dairy northeast of McCook. Brad Randel of rural Indianola, representing Randel Family Ltd. and Randel Family Trust, sought the county’s permission to pump waste water from Kingdom Dairy to irrigation pivots (an existing system and a system to be installed) in Section 34, Township 4, Range 29...

Connie jo Discoe Regional Editor McCOOK, Neb. — The Red Willow County sheriff and his deputies investigated “accordion style” accidents involving seven vehicles Friday afternoon and evening, blaming slick roads and white-out conditions on a winter-like spring storm that roared in on 60-70-mile-an-hour north winds...

OXFORD, Neb. — The Red Willow Household Hazardous Waste Program plans collection events in Furnas County Saturday, April 7. The schedule will be: Oxford fire hall, 8-9 a.m. Beaver City county shop, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Arapahoe county shop, 11 a.m.-noon...

McCOOK, Neb. — Myra Stoney, the director of the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department headquartered in McCook, told Red Willow County commissioners during their meeting Monday that SWNPHD provided $135,426 in services to county residents between July 2016-June 2017, at no cost to the county...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners were surprised, and pleased, that they received five bids for tuck-pointing the county’s 92-year-old three-story limestone and brick courthouse. This will be the first time the courthouse, which measures 70x100 feet, is tuck-pointed since its dedication on May 25, 1927. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners and roads superintendent Tyson Bardsley discussed possible armor coating projects for the summer of 2018 during the commissioners’ weekly meeting Monday morning. Each year, the county tries to do about 10 miles of armor coating; the average cost is usually $15,000-16,000...