Red Willow County

McCOOK, Neb. — After hearing concerns from neighboring landowners Monday morning, Red Willow County Commissioners will consider closing a minimum-maintenance road altogether. Kevin Potthoff, Jeff Ruggles and Brad Randel spoke during the public comments portion of the commissioners’ regular meeting, Potthoff expressed concerns about unwanted visitors approaching his rural home northeast of McCook, using a minimum maintenance road...

McCOOK, Neb.— Deciding the window of time was past to perform effective crack sealing on county blacktopped roads, Red Willow County commissioners rejected two bids with the idea of putting the savings into more expensive and effecting chip-sealing efforts later this year...

Bruce Crosby Editor McCOOK, Neb.. — Red Willow County Commissioners have their work cut out for them when it comes to roads. After opening two bids for various road repair projects around the county, and finding it difficult to “compare apples to apples,” a decision was tabled until the next regular meeting, March 25...

McCCOOK, Neb. — With a bill to phase out inheritance tax still on general file in the Legislature, Red Willow County Commissioners are poised to use $100,000 of that money for health insurance for county employees. That transfer is on the consent agenda for Monday’s meeting of the county board...

McCOOK,Neb. — Road plans and seeking bids for road maintenance are among the items on Monday's meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners. Opening at 9 a.m., commissioners will convene at 9:15 a.m. as a Board of Equalization, when County Assessor Kristi Korell will present recommendations regarding tax exemptions on real and personal property...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Red Willow County Household Hazardous Waste is now accepting numerous household items not previously accepted. With the popularity of E cigarettes or Vape Pens comes waste which includes batteries. These items have a battery to warm the vapor container which needs to be disposed of properly when discarded...

McCOOK, Neb. — In a recent session, Red Willow County Commissioners delved into the county's initiatives to combat noxious weeds, while also expressing unanimous support for a major fiber-optic-to-the-home project south of McCook. Sonya Prentice, the newly appointed weed control director for the county, presented the annual report during Monday morning's regular meeting. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners will consider a letter of support for the Great Plains Communications Broadband Deployment Project at a regular meeting Monday. That item is on the agenda for 10 a.m. in the commissioners’ room at the courthouse...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday because the county courthouse closed Monday because of an approaching blizzard. Items on the agenda include the annual reorganization of the board, electing a chairman, vice chairman; chairman and vice-chairman of the boards of commissioners and equalization and chairman and vice-chairman of the noxious weed control authority...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County has until the end of 2026 to finish spending some $2 million in America Rescue Plan Act funding according to information discussed at the county commissioners' meeting Monday morning. The county received a federal child support enforcement grant, which, combined with some $740,000 in ARPA funding, put federal expenditures over $750,000, last year, which triggered the need for a Compliance Engagement Examination, which will be completed by CPA Don Wilson for $4,200, approved by commissioners Monday morning.. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — New zoning regulations approved by commissioners this morning have made a solar farm unworkable anywhere in Red Willow County, one of the developers told the board via telephone during a hearing on those regulations. The spokesman said Birch Creek Development would abandon plans for a local solar farm, at least where it falls under the jurisdiction of county zoning...

McCook, Neb. — Red Willow County Board of Commissioners and Board of Equalization will convene for their regular meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 12, deviating from their usual Monday schedule. The meeting will take place at 9 a.m. at the County Clerk’s office, and citizens are encouraged to attend...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners set Tuesday morning, Dec. 12, for one hearing on an expanded feedlot operation and another on proposed zoning regulations for solar farms. There’s no guarantee of the latter, however, as the proposed regulations first have to be approved by the county zoning board the night before, Monday, Dec. 11...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners will consider several routine items at their meeting Monday. They include tax roll corrections, declaring District Court items as surplus and a roadway occupancy agreement for Telcom/Century Link. Correspondence includes a property value adjustment from NIRMA and approval of Ruggles Farms from the Nebraska Department of Energy and Environment...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners agreed to use COVID relief money to buy COVID-19 and other vaccinations at Monday’s regular meeting. Red Willow County Health Department Director Brandy Bird said more residents than expected were taking advantage of vaccinations for things like COVID, shingles, RSV and others, so her agency had already spent about $96,000 of its $125,000 budget on vaccines with more than half of the budget year remaining...

McCOOK Neb. – The Red Willow County Planning Commission reviewed a revised draft of zoning regulations covering solar farms at a special meeting Thursday at the Red Willow County Courthouse. Keith Marvin of Marvin Planning Consultants of David City, Neb. presented the revised draft of the zoning regulations that would be required by the county to obtain a conditional use permit for alternative energy developments...

LINCOLN, Neb. — Five area counties will receive more than $24,000 in dividends, or more than a half-million dollars since they joined the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association II governmental workers compensation coverage and risk management and self insurance program...

McCOOK, Neb. — A new person to fill a position required by state law was appointed as part of the consent agenda at Monday’s meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners. Sonya Prentice has agreed to accept the county’s Noxious Weed Superintendent position. A member of the Red Willow Western Rural Fire Department, she is familiar with hazardous materials and should be able to quickly obtain the required certification, Commissioner Randy Dean said...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County is replacing security cameras in the courthouse because the old ones were manufactured in China at a cost of about $6,000. Commissioners also approved new digital-capable radios for the sheriff’s departments and took steps to implement required drug testing for the eight county employees that have commercial driver's licenses...

McCOOK, Neb. – On a motion by Red Willow County Commissioner Randy Dean, an Information Technology contract for the Law Enforcement Center was awarded Monday to 20/20 Technology, at an annual cost of $29,988. As it is a one-year contract, it will be paid for using American Rescue Plan Act pandemic funding...

McCOOK, Neb. - The Red Willow County Board of Commissioners and Board of Equalization have scheduled a meeting for Monday, Oct. 2, beginning a 9 a.m. in the commissioners' room on the third floor of the courthouse. Items on the agenda include reviewing informal bids for IT services for the Law Enforcement Center, at 9:30 a.m., plus an agreement with the McCook Humane Society and a skid steer lease agreement for the fairgrounds...

McCOOK, Neb. — Unpaid property taxes, Indianola law enforcement and better radio coverage were among the items discussed at Monday’s meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners. Some 40 parcels of properties with outstanding tax balances were transferred to county sales certificates, affording their owners a three-year window to settle property taxes along with a 14% interest rate to avert foreclosure. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Months of work culminated Monday with the official adoption of a Red Willow County budget with a lower tax levy and grow below the 2% that would require a special public hearing. The budget adopted by county commissioners Monday calls for $4.363 million in taxes, up $82,213 last year, but using property taxes collected at a rate slightly more than 29 cents per $100 valuation, a decrease of nearly 2 cents from last year. ...

McCOOK, Neb. – Red Willow County Commissioners have a plan for the future of Household Hazardous Waste collection, although discrepancies in inventory are a cause for concern. Commissioners approved the appointment of Billie Cole as the HHW manager, and she will be added to the county’s payroll on a part-time basis. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hoping for the best and planning for the worst, Red Willow County Commissioners continued adjusting next year’s budget in hopes of having enough set aside while staying within statutory limits. Toward that end, $400,000 will be designated for general operations to keep the ending cash balance below 50% of general operations expenses as required by state law...

McCOOK, Neb. — Clarification of a property tax protest result and a tractor rental for the county fair are among items on the agenda for Monday’s meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners. Deputy Assessor Lori Stevens will speak to the board at 9:15 a.m. regarding the Van Diest protest result, and Fair Manager Jiles Bowman will speak with the commissioners regarding the tractor rental at 9:30 a.m...

McCOOK, Neb. — The future of the county’s Household Hazardous Waste collection site is up in the air, but commissioners hope to keep it open at least a few days a month, and probably without traveling to collect materials from other sites around the state...

McCOOK, Neb.— Red Willow County’s 2023-24 budget is nearly pared down to the point that commissioners won’t have to justify an increase at a special budget hearing, but the process hasn’t been without its pain. Nursing salary increases at the county health department designed to be competitive drew criticism from other county departments, and a manager of another department turned in his keys over uncertainty in its future...

McCOOK, Neb. - Monday’s Red Willow County Board of Commissioners meeting saw several financial issues discussed throughout the morning. Shortly after a call to order, concerns were expressed during the time allotted for “citizens’ comments” regarding an annual budget request made by the sheriff’s department. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — County officials are struggling with the effort to bring a couple of departments up to speed while avoiding the need to mail out the dreaded “pink postcards” required for hearings for a budget increase of more than 2 percent. All employers are feeling the inflationary pinch when it comes to hiring staff, but none more so than those in the medical field...

McCOOK, Neb. — A week after hearing numerous tax property protests, Red Willow County Commissions plan a closed session to plan a legal strategy regarding pending TERC litigation. The executive session, with Deputy County Attorney Phil Lyons and County Assessor Kristi Korell, regards property assessment which appealed to the state Tax Equalization and Review Commission. It is on the commissioners’ Monday agenda at 9:15 a.m. following the call to order at 9 a.m...

Friday’s Red Willow County 4-H Dog Show saw dozens of area kids and their furry friends compete for various awards. ABOVE: Cadde Beeby and his dog “Clip” await judge instruction during Advanced Graduate Novice Obedience. RIGHT: Grady Riemenschneider praises “Fenway” after a successful completion of Novice B Obedience...

McCOOK, Neb. — District 1 County Commissioner Ted Gans and District 3 Commissioner Charles Fritsche will get their first shot at the annual budget beginning Monday morning with the help of veteran District 2 Commissioner Randy Dean. A budget workshop is the last item on the agenda for the meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. in the commissioners’ room at the courthouse...

McCOOK, Neb. — A former county commissioner expressed concerns about the possible scaling back of Red Willow County’s Household Hazardous Waste program during the public comment portion of Monday’s meeting. “If we don’t do it, who will?” asked Dick Trail, former county commissioner and McCook city councilman...

STOCKVILLE, Neb.— Frontier County commissioners have joined Hitchcock County in offering to consider taking over the concessions and trailer cabins at area lakes that the Bureau of Reclamation planned to evict. After a similar offer by the Hitchcock County commissioners regarding Swanson Reservoir, the Frontier County board voted to make the offer regarding Hugh Butler Lake this week...

McCOOK, Neb. — Governmental entities like Red Willow County can’t donate to nonprofits without specific statutory authority, and it is up to those nonprofits to cite the law, a state auditor has informed the county. The restriction could have far-reaching effects on local organizations that depend on such donations, most of which are submitting routine requests for funding in advance of the county’s budgeting process...

McCOOK, Neb. — The future of the Household Hazardous Waste program and whether the county can make contributions to a nonprofit organization are two of the items on the agenda for the Red Willow County Commissioners on Monday. At previous meetings, questions were raised over whether the household hazardous waste program was an appropriate role for the county; and questions have been raised in other counties regarding donations to nonprofits that do not have formal contracts to provide services to those counties.. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Calling all cowgirls, the 2023 Red Willow Rodeo Royalty Pageant is quickly approaching! Do you have what it takes to be Rodeo Royalty? Applications are due by July 1st with the pageant being held July 22, 2023, in conjunction with the Red Willow County Fair and Rodeo...

McCOOK, Neb. - Serving as the highlight of summer for much of southwest Nebraska, the Red Willow County Fair is returning for another year with a week jam-packed with events. Preparations have already begun for the event, which is one month away. Carnival-goers can prepare for the festivities as well by purchasing a wristband for $30, as sales of discount wristbands open on June 19th, and will be sold with a $5 discount from the initial $35 price until July 18th at the Fair Board Office, KICX/KBRL, Sehnert’s, Citta’ Deli, and MNB Bank. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Needed road repairs resulting from the Memorial Day weekend downpour will add to Red Willow County commissioners’ worries for months to come, not to mention how to pay for them. Five structures costing about $230,000 to repair could qualify for an 80-20 federal match since they lie on “major collector roads,” provided Gov. Jim Pollen declares the flooding to be a natural disaster, which commissioners had not heard of yet at Monday’s meeting...

McCOOK, Neb. — After a long discussion with other county officials, Red Willow County Commissioners set a flat payment of $500 a month to county employees who do not use county health insurance. Previously, the county gave an additional $500 to employees who removed family members from county health insurance, an arrangement put in place in 2017 as an incentive for employees whose spouses were becoming eligible for Medicare...

McCOOK, Neb. ‚ A member of the Staff of Nebraska’s 3rd District Congressman Adrian Smith will be available to meet with constituents from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 12, at the Red Willow County Courthouse, 502 Norris Ave.

McCOOK, Neb. — Items on Monday’s agenda for Red Willow County Commissioners include the opening of armor coating bids, a request for assistance for the museum roof, and discussion of cash-in-lieu of medical insurance coverage and discussion of possible expenditures of ARPA funds...

McCOOK, Neb. — After a second executive session with County Attorney Paul Wood, Red Willow County Commissioners reinstated a contract with an information technology provider until the contract terminates in October 2023. On May 13, the board approved an IT service contract with 20/20 Technologies for the Red Willow County sheriff’s office and jail. Monday’s motion reinstated a contract with Honor Bound IT, which expires this October...

McCOOK, Neb. — Members of the Red Willow County Planning Commission and commissioners got their first look at possible zoning rules for solar farms. County zoning rules for alternative energy were updated a couple of years ago, but plans for two solar farms, one northwest of McCook and one adjacent to the Pearson Addition north of McCook brought the issue to the forefront...

McCOOK, Neb. — Assured that the original winning bidder would not object, Red Willow County Commissioners awarded a bid to Heartland New Holland for a Schulte XH1000 mower for $36,500, expected to be delivered in July. Originally, AKRS Equipment of McCook won the bid for the mower for $23,200, but it could not be delivered until December...

McCOOK, Neb. — A zoning workshop will be 6 p.m. Monday in the District Court room at the Red Willow County Courthouse. Red Willow County has imposed six-month a moratorium on solar development until zoning laws can be updated, and a representative of the county’s consultant will be present. The meeting is open to the public...

McCOOK, Neb. — A county official is asking the director of the Household Hazardous Waste program for more details about its operations. Commission Chairman Ted Gans quizzed Josh Mullen about details such as labeling required on trucks hauling the waste and expenses and income associated with collections held in area communities...

McCOOK, Neb. — A change of philosophy was considered Monday as Red Willow County Commissioners set bid dates for one of their major tasks: maintaining county roads. In the end, they set June 5 as the date to open bids for armor-coating and crack-sealing on county blacktop roads...

McCOOK, Neb. — Details of coverage may not change immediately, but Red Willow County Commissioners voted unanimously to change brokers providing health insurance to county employees. While the county may not actually switch from a partially self-insured system to a fully insured system, commissioners expressed a desire to make that transition easier as one of the reasons for awarding the contract to Svoboda Benefit Solutions of Aurora and Omaha...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners took little time to choose a new source of property and casualty insurance Monday morning, but then discussed a possible switch from self-insurance of health coverage for two hours without reaching a decision...

BRUCE CROSBY Editor McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners know that winter has been tough on roads, but they want proof the product they’re buying is up to snuff. And because gravel is in short supply, the county finds itself in competition with itself — i.e., county roads vs. the fairgrounds...

McCOOK, Neb. — In preparation for an April 10 bid opening, Red Willow County Commissioners heard from an organization offering insurance to most of Nebraska’s counties. Larry Pelan of the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association told the board his organization provides insurance for 83 of Nebraska’s 93 counties...

McCOOK, Neb. — Two executive sessions are on the agenda for Monday’a meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners. One involves potential litigation and another involves discussion of applications for a full-time truck driver position. The regular meeting begins at 9 a.m., with Larry Pelan of NIRMA discussing P&C Insurance via telephone at 9:15 a.m. and Brett Warren of 20/20 technologies will discuss GPS technology for road crews and the weed superintendent at 9:30 a.m...

McCOOK, Neb. — A bill that could do away with an important source of revenue for Red Willow County is unlikely to make it out of committee this year, a representative of the Nebraska Association of County Officials told commissioners Monday. The county often helps balance its annual budget using funds transferred from the inheritance tax fund, this year a half-million dollars if needed...

McCOOK, Neb. — After confirming details, Red Willow County Commissioners approved the purchase of a used semi-tractor to pull a new trailer they ordered earlier to haul gravel county roads. There were questions about the VIN and dealer address that were cleared up by a phone call, and the board agreed to purchase a 2018 Western Star semi tractor for $82,750 from RVA Trucks of Virginia, with another company to deliver it for $3,200. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners may have an answer to the difficult question of where to find a good used truck. They will be asked to approve the purchase of a semi-tractor from RVA Sales and Delivery at 9:45 a.m. Monday during their regular meeting...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County is in danger of becoming a “sanctuary county” for criminals unless it makes sheriff’s deputy salaries more competitive, one commissioner remarked during discussions with Sheriff Kevin Darling, serving his first term as sheriff and currently the only officer in his department...

McCOOK, Neb. — Buying a vehicle with 300,000 miles on it might seem outrageous to the average driver, but for truck drivers who expect to get a million miles or more out of their vehicles, it’s just like new. Red Willow County Commissioners Monday gave conditional approval to purchase a 2016 Peterbilt semi-tractor with 280,000 miles for $76,500 from a dealer in British Columbia...

Red Willow County Commissioners worked through the details needed to purchase a semi-trailer and tractor for the roads department while following proper accounting procedures. With auditor Donald D. Wilson, CPA on hand, commissioners unanimously approved the annual audit, which included three questioned claims previously discussed, which will have been corrected or not repeated...

McCOOK, Neb. -- After confusion over county fair bidding and finances, officials followed the advice of the county attorney Monday and accepted a gift of new heaters for the Kiplinger arena. The cost of the heaters and installation will be $103,500, but that will be borne by the private Kiplinger Foundation, which is not bound by state laws covering bidding, which require the county to take informal bids on purchases over $10,000 and formal bids on items over $50,000...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Carol Schlegel said she used to collect good tips in her parents' restaurant on pheasant season opener weekend back in the day, but the days of a large influx of hunters are long gone. Experts blame the drought and declining habitat for fewer pheasants, but another bird has taken up the slack somewhat, according to Schlegel, who has been Red Willow County Visitors Bureau for the past 11 years after serving as a volunteer for many years before that. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — To comply with state law, new heaters for the Kiplinger Arena will have to be re-bid or purchased directly from a vendor by the private Kiplinger Foundation and donated to the county. Following an executive session to discuss vendor qualifications, Red Willow County Commission Chairman Ted Gans laid out those two options based on advice from County Attorney Paul Wood...

McCOOK, Neb. — County officials will be getting a refresher course on bidding requirements following three problems discovered during the annual audit. In a letter to commissioners, Don Wilson, CPA, noted that a pickup purchase should have been put out for formal bidding, because the trade-in value put the purchase over the $50,000 threshold set by state law...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners enacted a moratorium on alternative energy projects and approved a letter to the county planning and zoning commission asking it to consider size and capacity parameters of such projects in creating any new zoning regulations...

McCOOK, Neb. — No sooner will Red Willow County’s new commissioners take office than they will be dealing with a major, controversial issue. Ted Gans and Charles Fritsche will join incumbent Randy Dean for their first commissioners’ meeting at 9 a.m. Monday on the third floor of the courthouse...

McCOOK, Neb. — County Clerk Tami Teel and Commissioners Cayla Richards and Earl McNutt completed their tenures at county commissioners with a short meeting Monday, followed by a reception hosted by fellow county employees. Charles Frische, who attended Monday’s meeting, will be sworn in as District 3 county commissioner on Jan. 5, as will Ted Gans for District 1, Penny Cooper as new county clerk and Kevin Darling as county sheriff, as well as other county officials...

McCOOK, Neb. — Neighbors opposed to a proposed solar farm northwest of McCook plan a meeting to air their concerns, but another company’s solar project has been quietly making progress. During the public comment portion of Monday’s Red Willow County Commissioners meeting, Ron Soden of McCook questioned why Premier Energy’s project should be named after Sen. George Norris, since he favored public ownership of power facilities and the solar farm is being built by a private company...

McCOOK, Neb. — Drive north on U.S. 83 out of McCook on a hot summer day and you may notice Nebraska Public Power District’s turbine “peaking unit” working hard to supply electricity to farmers’ center-pivot irrigation systems and town-dwellers’ air conditioners...

McCOOK, Neb. — Employee bonuses and grader blades were two large ticket items on Monday’s Red Willow County Commissioners agenda. The board approved accounts payable of $436,071.50, which included $101,903 in employee bonuses funded by American Rescue Plan Act. ...

McCOOK, Neb. - A light agenda greeted Red Willow County Commissioners Monday at their regularly scheduled meeting. Most of the agenda dealt with items that were tabled in the previous regular meeting. Commissioners voted to formally drop the application for a historic preservation grant for improving the windows of the courthouse. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners encountered sticker shock when it comes to replacing windows in the courthouse. Meeting Monday, the board voted unanimously to direct architects to suspend work on an application for a historic preservation grant they were counting on to help pay for the project to make the courthouse more weather-tight...

County deals with election lawsuit, future spending McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners agreed to work with other counties and government officials to address a widespread lawsuit alleging improprieties in the 2020 election. Deputy County Attorney Phil Lyons spoke with commissioners regarding the lawsuit during an executive session Monday...

McCOOK, Neb. — Extra funding is on the table because Congress made it available in response to the pandemic, and three votes taken by Red Willow County Commissioners Monday were designed to take advantage of the one-time opportunity. The only non-unanimous vote was one awarding $2,000 to each of the county’s 47 full-time employees and $1,000 to about nine part-time employees using American Rescue Plan Act funding. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners got a heads-up on two tech-based projects that could have a great impact on the county in coming years. The more advanced of the two was a solar power installation northwest of McCook for which some property has already been purchased...

McCOOK, Neb. — Elected officials aren’t eligible for a $2,000 retention bonus advanced by Red Willow County Commissioners last week, and Chairman Earl McNutt said that while he is also an employee, he’s going to refuse to accept it “because of all the backlash that’s going on.”...

McCOOK, Neb. — “We kind of survived,” Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department Director Myra Stoney told Red Willow County Commissioners Monday, delivering the 2021 annual report a year late, thanks to the pandemic. The 2022 annual report, which she hopes will be available by the end of the year, will show a nine-county regional health department that grew from seven employees to 30 during the pandemic and has now dropped to 15 employees. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — On a split vote, Red Willow County commissioners approved a $2,000 retention bonus for full-time employees who have worked for the county at least three months. Randy Dean voted against the motion, saying he was sympathetic with county employees, “but everybody’s facing the same thing,” said Dean, who is also on the board of Hillcrest Nursing Home. He said ARPA funding that will provide the bonuses was intended to hold down tax...

McCOOK, Neb. — An executive session to discuss applicants for the courthouse maintenance position will be part of the Red Willow County Commissioners' meeting Monday. The regular meeting opens at 9 a.m. in the commissioners' room on the third floor of the courthouse. The closed session is the last item on the agenda, at 10:30 a.m...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners asked for $30,000 less in property taxes and lowered the tax levy by nearly 3 cents per $100 of valuation in final budget figures passed at Monday’s regular meeting. The county is asking for $4.228 million from the taxpayers this year, compared to $4.258 last year, a decrease of $29,840...

McCOOK, Neb. — Marinas at Hugh Butler Lake and Swanson Reservoir want to buy the land they occupy, but it will literally take an act of Congress. After hearing from one of the owners, Red Willow County commissioners unanimously approved a resolution supporting such a sale...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners were able to find more than $161,000 in cuts from the general fund and other separate budgets to keep county expenditures below the 2% increase that would require it to take part in a joint budget hearing with other local taxing entities...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners will conduct hearings with several departments as the annual budget is being finalized. Meeting at 9 a.m. Monday, the board will first act as a board of equalization for a protest hearing and tax roll correction with County Treasurer Crystal Dack...

McCOOK, Neb. — Commissioners continued sharpening their pencils to find enough reductions to keep the Red Willow County budget below the 2% increase that would require a public hearing. Meeting Monday with CPA Dan Miller and learning that preliminary budget requests were nearly $700,000 over the restricted funds limit, the board ended the morning with a total of $141,332.08 in cuts from the county fair, sheriff’s office, jail, building and grounds and county health department requests...

Budget hearings set for county offices Monday McCOOK, Neb. — Commissioners and department heads will get down to business on the annual budget Monday. Opening the meeting at 9 a.m. in the commissioners' room at the courthouse, the board will meet with CPA Dan Miller at 9:15 a.m. to review the latest figures and suggested changes in the proposed budget...

McCOOK, Neb. — As it stands now, Red Willow County’s tax request is $800,000 more than last year, but that number is likely to come down. For one, commissioners plan hearings with individual office holders to see where trims can be made. Another factor affecting the final budget will be property valuations, which the county assessor has a few more days to provide...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners need to know how much property tax money will be available, and where various departments may be able to cut their requests before next year’s budget can be finalized. Property values, which are expected to increase, don’t have to be certified until Aug. 20, and the board still has to hear preliminary numbers from CPA Dan Miller, so it’s likely the budget won’t be finalized until late this month...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners will continue working on the annual budget at Monday’s regular meeting. In regular business, meeting as a board of equalization, the board will review the real estate exemption for Community Hospital. Commissioners will also consider a change order and certificate of substantial completion for the county’s armor coating project by Figgins Construction, and hear from Cheryl Sayer about a washout on Road 406...

McCOOK, Neb. — A critic who helped get Red Willow County’s gravel purchasing practices changed has offered to help the county get into the gravel business if it so desires. After Chairman Earl McNutt mentioned the possibility of the county starting its own gravel pit at last week’s meeting, Steve Barenburg of EIA Sand and Gravel told commissioners Monday that he could help the county with such a project...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners are expected to make final decisions on property valuation protests including fire damage at Monday’s regular meeting, acting as a board of equalization. As a board of commissioners, the board will meet with Steve Barenburg regarding gravel and with Joyce Deaver of Tri-Valley Public Transportation on a request for continued support...

McCOOK, Neb. — Eleven contestants are vying for Red Willow County Rodeo royalty titles this year, competing in speech, modeling, interview, test and horsemanship. The inside portion of the pageant will be in the Heritage Senior Center at 9 a.m. Saturday, followed by horsemanship at the college warm up arena. The pageant is open to the public to attend...

McCOOK, Neb. — Like years previously, a number of property owners tried to make the case for lower taxes at Monday’s meeting of the Red Willow County commissioners. This year, a group of them owe their property tax protest argument to this spring’s fires that destroyed many acres of crop and grassland, not to mention several houses and many outbuildings...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow Commissioners have an idea what four suppliers are willing to sell their gravel for, but when it comes time to apply it to county roads, the county will buy the lowest-price gravel available from whatever source. After a complaint from one supplier, state auditors said a routine practice of buying available gravel from a rejected bidder was illegal, so commissioners settled today on a course of rejecting all bids...

McCOOK, Neb. — There’s no third choice when it comes to gravel bids, the Red Willow County Commissioners learned Monday. While the county has traditionally “reserved the right to use non-awarded suppliers,” there’s “zero authority” to do that if a bid has been accepted, County Attorney Paul Wood told the board while reviewing a final letter from the Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts...

McCOOK, Neb. — A critic of some of the county’s gravel purchases is among those slated to appear at Monday’s meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners. Steve Barenberg of EIA Gravel is on the agenda at 9:45 a.m. to discuss gravel prices. The board is expected to set 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 11, as the date and time to open gravel bids for the coming year...

McCOOK, Neb. — The director of McCook’s Family Resource Center, says she’s amazed by the “unbelievable” generosity of the McCook area, but inflation and other economic conditions are likely to increase demand for the services it provides to local families...

McCOOK, Neb. — American Rescue Plan Act money will be used to install a new roof on the Red Willow County courthouse. The current roof is about 25 years old, and officials hope the new one will last at least that long. The winning bid was submitted by Eco Guard of McCook, $49,329.70 for the roof and $1,850 for an access hatch for a total of $51,179.70...