Stories from Thursday, June 29, 2017

Everyone celebrated following the Majors Division baseball finale at Felling Field Wednesday evening. The First Central Bank Tigers (above and right) played for a post-season tournament championship, and one final tradition features each player sliding across home plate to receive their medals. First Central Bank battled through a tough title game against the champion O’Brien Electric Royals, who won 4-1 to cap their 13-0 season...

FELLING FIELD – The O’Brien Electric Royals were crowned the champions of the Majors Division postseason tournament after a 4-1 victory over the First Central Bank Tigers on Wednesday night. The No. 3-seed Tigers took a 1-0 first inning lead when Adam Dugger hammered a ball that cleared the centerfield scoreboard for a solo home run...

Ronald L. Eliason Sept. 16, 1941 - June 26, 2017 WICHITA, Kan. — Ronald L. Eliason, 75, of Wichita, died Monday (June 26, 2017) He was born Sept. 16, 1941, to Junior and Mary Eliason. He grew up in central Kansas. He graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in feed technology. He returned to Arapahoe, Neb., and worked in the grain business with his father. He later worked for Evans Grain Co. of Salina, Kan., and in the agricultural division of Koch Enterprises...

BROKEN BOW, Neb. -- The Junior B baseball season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion for McCook’s final two teams...

The Heritage Hills Ladies Golf League played a Guess Your Score-2 Lady Scramble with an “80s Theme Night” on Tuesday. Guessing their score of 40 were Karlie Dueland and Peg Dueland. Flag prize winners Hole No. 2, longest drive in fairway: Tracey Sis...

OGALLALA, Neb. — The Mid-Plains Community College board of governors approved a low bid of $71,900 from Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services Inc. for 2017-18 athletic accident and catastrophic insurance coverage. The insurance provides coverage for injuries not covered by the athletes’ own health insurance, for a price of about $500 per year per athlete...

McCOOK, Neb. — A housing development north of the Red Willow County Fairgrounds is more than two-thirds complete with its first phase, after wrapping up construction on four homes recently and beginning foundation work on two more. City leaders approved an amendment to the redevelopment contract between the City of McCook and North Pointe Properties LLC last month, signaling the project’s advancement...

MPERIAL, Neb. — Good test weights and decent protein reports are reported as the first loads of wheat start arriving at grain elevators in Southwest Nebraska. Kyle Sorensen, vice president of grain for Frenchman Valley Farmers Co-op, said Wednesday that harvest activity is under way in Dundy, Chase, Hitchcock and Red Willow counties, and — weather permitting — the cutting pace will pick up in the days to come...

McCOOK, Neb. — A McCook sex offender received jail time and post release supervision earlier this month in Red Willow County District Court for failing to update his registration information, while he also received a concurrent jail sentence in an unrelated criminal case for attempting to possess methamphetamine...

It’s kinda funny but sorta sad at the same time that all the house rules seem to totally disappear during the summer. I work hard for 9 months out of the year to set up routines and structure and then as soon as June hits, poof! All gone! Obviously, my routine is the same, get up, go to work, come home, take care of the family, and whatever that all entails. Hubby is pretty much the same as me. However, the kids are “officially” on a vacation. A vacation from rules apparently...

Until we all have reliable self-driving cars, we’re going to have to exercise caution when taking to the road for holidays like Tuesday’s Independence Day celebration. The good news gasoline will be the cheapest it’s been since 2005, with fuel available lower than $2 a gallon, although not in Southwest Nebraska...

McCOOK, Neb. — Southwest Nebraska lost a local hero recently with the passing of Billy Loop last week at the age of 97. The World War II veteran, originally from Stratton, opened up to the Gazette in 2011 about his service time during the naval battle of Vella Lavella. Loop had previously kept most accounts of the ordeal to himself, a 67-year silence that might be attributed to survivors’ remorse...

FELLING FIELD – The Roberts Farms Grasshoppers could never quite get over the hump against the McCook National Bank Rivercats, so eventually the Rivercats prevailed with 7-2 win in elimination play of the Minors Division tournament on Tuesday to assure themselves of spot in the championship game...