News

McCOOK, Neb. - For the first Coffee Talk of 2026, the Gazette met with Ruby Collins and Samantha Daniel of the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension offices, or more precisely, “Nebraska Extension.” Both Collins and Daniel hold the title of Water and Cropping Systems Educator, though each is an entomologist by training...

McCOOK, Neb. - The Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival planning committee invites those who have had enough of winter to hear stories of balmy and tropical locales. Trevor Taylor has just returned from a family trip to Costa Rica and will be the featured speaker at their First Tuesday event on Feb. 3 from 7 – 8 pm at The Scoop (305 West 10th Street)...

McCOOK, Neb. - Educators have been sounding the alarm for years, and national test scores confirm the concern that lawmakers are attempting to address through proposed legislation: reading proficiency is startlingly low. Only about 30% of America’s fourth graders are meeting reading standards. ...

The McCook Powerlifting Club turned in a standout performance on Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Peru State Powerlifting Meet, earning second place overall against teams from across Nebraska. Despite not being officially recognized by McCook High School athletics, the McCook club defeated a school-sponsored team from Lexington High School...

McCOOK, Neb. - Last week, the Gazette received a visit from Sarah Schneider, Director of the McCook Chamber of Commerce and Acting Tourism Director. Recapping the most recent chamber meeting, Schneider began by saying, “We have two new members already this year.” AngelsCare Home Health and Good Life Golf Carts...

McCOOK, Neb. — Community Hospital employees demonstrated the power of collective generosity through the 2025 Heart of Giving Employee Appeal, raising nearly $60,000 in support of patient care, staff education, and emergency assistance through the Community Hospital Health Foundation...

McCOOK, Neb. - The County Commissioners have filled two vacant positions. Elizabeth Aguirre has been named the new part-time tourism director, and Ron Soden has been named as Weed Superintendent. The Red Willow County Board of Commissioners met in regular session at 8:30 a.m. ...

McCOOK, Neb. - To kick off the new year, Jo Beebe has been selected as the January 2026 McCook Volunteer of the Month. While many people might know Jo for her years at the Sports Shoppe, she can be found giving hours of her time to the community, especially at St. Patrick’s Church...

McCOOK, Neb. - If residents notice people walking through McCook with backpacks and a sheen of sweat on a Saturday morning, there is no need to offer a ride. They will decline. Those hardcore fitness junkies may be lugging weighted packs, and that sweat is a reward for their pound-laden miles with the McCook Rucking and Walking Club...

CURTIS, Neb. - The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture welcomed alumna Dr. McKenzie (Beals) Hendricks back to campus to speak with students in Success in Veterinary Technology and Success in Animal Science classes. Earlier this fall, she also met with online veterinary technology students to discuss professionalism and career readiness...

McCOOK, Neb. - Campaign season is beginning to take shape, and the first wave of filings with the Secretary of State’s Office offers an early snapshot of who is stepping forward for offices of importance to Southwest and South-central Nebraska. Entries and announcements tend to build gradually as final dates approach, often with a surge just before deadline. ...

McCOOK, Neb. - The McCook City Council met in regular session on Monday at 5:30 p.m. Four members were present, with Councilman Rambali excused. After opening procedures, the meeting moved to announcements and recognitions. Library Director Jodi Crocker announced that the Library had recently received renewed accreditation (see Jan. ...

McCOOK, Neb. - Community leader, businessman and friend to all, Cal Siegfried passed away on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Community Hospital in McCook. He was 70 years of age. Born and raised in McCook, Siegfried grew up on a farm and carried those agricultural roots with him throughout a career spanning more than four decades in the cattle and meat-processing industries. ...

McCOOK, Neb. - With almost 36 years under his belt at the McCook Fire Department, Fire Chief Marc Harpham has seen a lot of changes. While many of those changes have been positive, such as a drastically lowered Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating, he’s also seen a decline in volunteer firefighters and ambulance service personnel...

McCOOK, Neb. - The McCook City Council will meet on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the city council chambers. After announcements and recognitions, the council will hear from AMGL CPAs and Advisors on the city’s financial statements for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025. The council is scheduled to formally accept the audit...

LINCOLN, Neb. - In early September 2025, as McCook was still absorbing the effects of the imposed WEC/ICE transition, the U.S. Department of Justice formally requested that Nebraska turn over its unredacted voter registration database. In a letter dated Sept. 8, the department requested that Secretary of State Robert Evnen provide the state’s complete voter file, including names, addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers...

OBERLIN, Kan. — A towering jungle of color, imagination, and literacy now fills the stairwell of the Oberlin City Library. The Jungle Books, a hand-drawn and hand-painted mural by local artist and educator Ladd Wendelin, spans more than 300 square feet and rises 14.6 feet at its highest point, transforming the space into an immersive visual story about the joy of reading and a love of the natural world...

McCOOK, Neb. - The Red Willow County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that Blaine Allen Frerichs, 22, of Bartley, Nebraska, died while in custody at the Red Willow County Detention Center. Court documents show that Frerichs was arrested on Monday, Jan. 12 and charged with DUI over .15, first offense. According to the arresting officer’s report, Frerichs’ blood alcohol content was measured at .325. The officer also noted blood on...

McCOOK, Neb. - Salvation Army donations in 2025 exceeded 2024’s total by 3.7 percent, according to Salvation Army Bell Ringer Coordinator Traci Taylor, who reported this year’s collections at $18,218.29 from the annual bell-ringing campaign. The campaign, sponsored locally by the Southwest Nebraska Ministerial Association, remains a cornerstone of the community’s charitable giving. ...

McCOOK, Neb. - “Norris was a fighter who hated bullies. He was a pugilist,” said Dr. Nathan Tye, an associate professor at the University of Nebraska Kearney Department of History, who delivered an in-depth analysis of famed Nebraska Senator George Norris...

At Saturday’s Norris Day presentation at the High Plains Museum, the speaker struck a note that carries special weight in the present. George Norris, he reminded the audience, warned that a legislator who merely follows public sentiment becomes little more than an “automatic machine.” Listening to voters matters, Norris believed, but elected officials also have a duty to apply judgment and act on principle, even when that runs against popular opinion...

McCOOK, Neb. - Elected officials in Red Willow County will receive a 3.5% annual wage increase, beginning in 2027. That figure was negotiated up from 2.5% as agreed during the budgeting process. The change resulted from a much higher increase recommended by the Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO)...

McCOOK, Neb. - The McCook Public Schools Board of Education convened for its regular meeting Monday evening at 6 p.m., opening the first session of the new calendar year with the annual election of officers. The meeting was called to order by Superintendent Grant Norgaard, who began with a motion to elect Brad Hays as the 2026 Board President. ...

IT HAS BEEN SAID that it takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a community to let those children play. Thanks to some local women, with help from a large number of sponsors and city officials, McCook now has a new recreational area ready to be explored by the entire community...

McCOOK, Neb. - It is at this time of year, when governmental bodies are on hiatus and the news tends to be slow, that media organizations often look to the future and make a few chance predictions. The purpose is not an attempt at clairvoyance or predicting the unpredictable so much as stress-testing present trends. In other words, if current forces continue, what is 2026 likely to feel like? How will it end?...