Red Willow County

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Attorney Paul Wood asked commissioners Monday morning to consider hiring a second part-time deputy attorney and to allow him to hire his daughter for the position. Wood broached the subject when he submitted his proposed 2018-19 budget with a $19,020 increase on the line for a deputy attorney’s salary. Wood said that his daughter, Emily, has taken the bar exam, and if she passes, she would be able to start Oct. 1...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners saw a $39,000 increase in the budget proposed for 2018-19 by the fair board, so Monday morning they went looking for places to cut by a figure close to that. By the end of their budget hearing, commissioners had slashed $26,900 from throughout the proposed budget and told the fair board secretary to find ways to shift more costs to the self-supporting Kiplinger arena complex budget and to keep all Kiplinger costs within the Kiplinger budget. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Rural Futures Institute interns Emily Frenzen and Sage Williams spent their summer at the Museum of the High Plains and in the office of McCook Economic Development, and will end their involvement in McCook with two events that they explained to Red Willow County Commissioners at their meeting Monday morning...

McCOOK, Neb. — At their weekly meeting Monday morning, Red Willow County commissioners agreed to contribute $10,096 for the 2018-19 budget of Domestic Abuse/Sexual Assault Services based in McCook. That’s the same amount DASAS requested from the county last year, DASAS director Donna Goad told commissioners, despite the McCook office seeing a 21.5 percent increase in the number of crisis line phone calls its advocates answered...

A thunderstorm right before the 2018 Red Willow County Fair Demolition Derby made for a delightfully muddy mess. Results included: Limited weld: 1. Larry Steinbeck, McCook; 2. Wil Steinbeck, McCook; 3. Brenton Ellis, Indianola; 4. Tyler Neel, McCook. Most aggressive: Brenton Ellis. Trucks: 1. Travis Landreth, Wilsonville; 2. Tim Jauken, Wilsonville. Most aggressive: Travis Landreth. ’90s and newer (one of two finals) : 1. Matt Rippen, Culbertson; 2. AJ McDonald, Culbertson; 3. Cooper Breinig, Arapahoe; 4. Devin Bolio, Benkelman; 5. Tyson Karr, McCook; 6. Jason Wilson, McCook. Most aggressive: Devin Bolio. ’90s and newer (the second of two finals) : 1. Ozzie Romero, Cozad; 2. Isaac Watson, Edison; 3. David Vigneur, McCook; 4, Kristal Smith, McCook; 5. Litton Stute, Benkelman; 6. Austin Johnson, Benkelman. Most aggressive: Isaac Watson.

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners Monday morning accepted a bid from a Kearney manufacturer for the corrugated tubes that will replace two bridges in Red Willow and Frontier counties between now and the end of 2019. During their weekly meeting, commissioners Steve Downer and Earl McNutt (Jacque Riener was not in attendance) authorized the purchase of two 8 1/2x40-foot corrugated metal pipes with welded headwalls for a Red Willow County project on the Beaver Creek northwest of Danbury, and of one 7-foot corrugated metal pipe for a Frontier County project over Mitchell Creek northeast of Stockville.. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Talk of politics, religion and schools isn’t allowed at Moore family get-togethers. So, Eldon Moore, the family patriarch, came to the Red Willow County commissioners’ meeting Monday morning to talk politics. Within about 20 minutes, Moore shared his views on taxes and land values, the county sheriff’s department, its jail and dispatching, the sheriff’s department and the McCook police department, and … oh, county budgets...

Kenna McConville 9 enters a one layer cake with frosting and other edible items this morning. She told the judge Julie Vrbas that she wanted to do a horse but she couldn't figure out how to do a horse in frosting, so she did the beach. She said her stepmother had to put a sign on the cake that said, “Do not eat,” because this is for the county fair. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — After meeting as a board of equalization for tax roll corrections and a hearing on a motor vehicle tax exemption application, the Red Willow County board of commissioners will reconvene to open bids for Red Willow and Frontier County bridge replacement projects...

McCOOK, Neb. — When McCook cowboy and roper Tom Kiplinger died on July 29, 2017, he left behind a lifetime of adventures and lots of laughter and a legacy of charitable giving. A close friend said, “There’s been no one before in this area who has ever been as charitable as Tom Kiplinger.”...

McCOOK — Red Willow County’s newest extension educator is an example of the life-changing influence that 4-H can have on the career choices of members. Born and raised an hour north of New York City — in Westchester County — Katherine “Kat” Caswell became involved in 4-H at a young age, inspiring her to major in agriculture in college and to pursue employment in the ag field following graduation...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners who listened Monday afternoon to property owners protest their homes’ property valuation assured them that none of them are writing the rules. “No one in this room made the rules,” commissioner and board of equalization chairman Steve Downer told several homeowners who are upset — “I’m mad … mad,” one said — about the property valuation that will determine their tax bills after levies are set in October...

Connie Jo Discoe Regional Editor McCOOK, Neb. — Two days before Independence Day 2018, Red Willow County commissioners agreed to prominently post “In God We Trust,” the “National Motto” since 1956, in at least one place in the courthouse in McCook. At their weekly meeting Monday morning, commissioners decided to ask Indianola artist Roxann Owens to create at least one “In God WeTrust” display for the courthouse...

McCOOK, Neb. — The new Miss Southwest Nebraska Rodeo Queen and her court will be crowned following competition on the Red Willow County Fairgrounds in McCook Saturday. Watching the competition among eight girls and lending them support and encouragement will be last year’s royalty, queen Chyanne Friehe of Culbertson and junior queen Lacey Langer of Superior, and the new “Miss Teen Rodeo,” Rebel Sjeklocha of Hayes Center...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners will continue on with their plan to incorporate juvenile pretrial diversion services into the county attorney’s office, following the additional action at their weekly meeting Monday morning. Commissioner Jacque Riener said this is the county’s “one-time chance” to change its diversion program since a contract was terminated two months ago with Lutheran Family Services, which coordinated the county’s juvenile diversion program for 12 years...

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...