OPINION: An update about the Gazette

Readers will notice some familiar names help-ing strengthen the McCook Gazette in the weeks ahead.

Lorri Sughroue, a longtime Gazette reporter, is returning as a general assignment and feature writer. She also will be helping with obituaries, an important part of the newspaper’s service to local families.

Another new contributor will be Janet Hepp, who is new to the Gazette but familiar to most in the community. Hepp taught junior high school English before retiring, later served on the McCook City Council, worked with the McCook Economic Development Corporation and has been involved in a variety of civic activities, including community theater. She will work part time, covering the Mc-Cook City Council and Red Willow County Board of Commissioners.

Bruce Crosby, a longtime former editor of the Gazette, also has offered to contribute periodically and assist where needed. Bruce values his retirement, especially time with his grandchildren and travel, but he believes in the mission of the Gazette and wants to help. Shary Skiles, a former publisher, has also stepped forward to assist with pagination and other production work, as has reporter Stacie Sandall and production manager Russ Kennedy.

If there is a common thread in these changes, it is that many people in and around McCook want the Gazette to succeed.

Amy Frederick, publisher of the Hitchcock County News, Benkelman Post and News Chronicle, offered to share pertinent content while Gazette operations are stabilized. Anna LaBay, who runs the digital news site McCook News Now, shared insight and suggestions about the community and emphasized the importance of timely digital news. Mayor Linda Taylor stopped by to offer encouragement, as did AI-specialist Jason Hilker, who spoke about technology and the future of local news. Both stressed the importance of the newspaper and their love for this community.

Others have contacted the Gazette with suggestions, concerns and ideas about civic spending, economic development and McCook’s future. Not everyone agrees on the best path forward. In fact, some hold sharply different views. But what came through clearly is that people care deeply about McCook and want it to thrive.

That is exactly the kind of conversation a local newspaper should help foster.

The Gazette invites readers to be part of that discussion — beyond Facebook comments and casual conversations. For a time, readers may not see a regular editorial in this space every issue.

Instead, we hope to open more room for guest columns from people with clear opinions, useful information and a constructive spirit.

We want the Opinion page to be a positive forum for the community: a place where people can make thoughtful arguments, bring facts to the table, challenge assumptions, suggest solutions and celebrate what is special about McCook. It is easy, especially in times of change, to focus only on problems. But it is also important to recognize the strengths of this place and the people who make it work.

Our reporters will work to cover meetings, events, issues and people fairly and consistently. We ask readers to help by sharing story ideas, submitting letters and columns, and letting us know where the Gazette can do better. You can best reach us at: news@mccookgazette.com.

Brenda Gillen is now general manager of the newspaper, and she is balancing many new responsibilities. We are grateful for her leadership, for those who have stepped up to help, and for readers who continue to support local journalism.

We also ask for your patience. We are still shaping the best plan to serve McCook and the surrounding area in the months ahead. There will be some bumps along the way. But our goal is sim-ple: to make the Gazette stronger, more useful and more connected to the community it serves.

In the meantime, there may not always be an editorial in this space. Ideally, however, there will be more voices from outside the newspaper — voices that inform, persuade, challenge and encourage.

That would be good for the Gazette.

More importantly, it would be good for McCook.