Stories from Wednesday, December 31, 2025

The YMCA of McCook is happy to announce that registration is now open for the 2026 Youth Soccer League sponsored by Valmont. Divisions will be formed for children 5 years of age through 12th grade and are: Pre-K/Kindergarten, 1st/2nd Grade, 3rd/4th Grade, 5th/6th Grade, 7th/8th Grade, and High School. The deadline to register for Youth Soccer is Friday, February 20th. Registration fees are $45 for YMCA members, and $65 for non-members...

ARAPAHOE, Neb. — Arapahoe’s girls finished a super Braithwait championship performance with their 58-32 victory over Southern Valley Tuesday night. The Warriors are 6-2 overall after outscoring those visiting Eagles in every quarter. Southern Valley brought five wins into the title game including a tough Braithwait semifinal over Franklin on Monday...

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.” While many Americans might be excited to start a new chapter, not everyone is keen on the tradition of keeping New Year’s resolutions. ...

McCOOK, Neb. - As Nebraskans turn the calendar to a new year and the sense of fresh beginnings that comes with it, several changes in state law will quietly take effect on January 1. This year, the transition to 2026 brings five new or updated laws affecting wages, taxes, consumer products and public health. Together, they reflect a mix of voter-driven policy, legislative fine-tuning and efforts to shape behavior through both incentives and regulation...

McCOOK, Neb. - The college football playoffs are scheduled and Super Bowl LX is looming. In keeping with that theme the Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival planning committee will host an evening of Fantasy Football stories at their First Tuesday event January 6 from 7 – 8 pm at The Scoop...

Over the weekend, while digging through some research, I stumbled onto a tool I hadn’t seen before on the Nebraska Department of Economic Development website. Branded as “BottomliNE,” it’s an online dashboard meant to give other states, industries and site selectors a quick look at who we are economically. In doing so, it also gives Nebraskans a revealing mirror...

Arlene Newcomb, 93, of Bartley passed away Monday, December 29, 2025, at Highland Park Retirement Community in McCook. Arlene Marie Gramm was born on the family homestead north of Bethune, Colorado on September 20, 1932. She was the older of two daughters born to William and Martha (Stahlecker) Gramm...

OGALLALA, Neb. — McCook’s Stormi Knight brought trouble to Sidney while teammate Eden McPherson scored another clutch pin in the 30-18 dual win Tuesday. The Bison dropped another dual with Ogalllala, though all three teams featured many open weights in these final matches of 2025...