Stories from Friday, October 20, 2017

LEXINGTON, Neb. — With more than 500 total yards to Lexington's 45, it really didn't matter how the wind blowed for district champion McCook Friday night. The Bison scored 21 first-quarter points, then went into strong winds to a 21-0 second period. They added another 28 after the break in a 70-7 regular-season finale victory...

BARTLEY, Neb. -- With its season on the line, Southwest showed up in a big way...

Lewis F. Hayes Jan. 21, 1930 - Oct. 18, 2017 GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — Lewis F. Hayes, 87, of Grand Island, formerly of McCook, Neb., died Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017, at Good Samaritan Society – Grand Island Village. Mr. Hayes wishes were to be cremated. Inurnment will be at a later date at Fort McPherson National Cemetery in Maxwell, Neb. Curran Funeral Chapel in Grand Island is assisting the family...

Jerome M. "Jerry" Jones Jan. 16, 1925 - Oct. 16, 2017 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Jerome M. "Jerry" Jones, 92, died Oct. 16, 2017, at Springs Village Care Center in Colorado Springs. He was born Jan. 16, 1925, in Stratton, Neb., the oldest son of Ralph E. and Flora G. (Walker) Jones...

100th birthday The family of Evelyn Marie (Morrison) Donaldson is requesting a card shower in honor of her 100th birthday on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. She was born 1917 in West Virginia. She and her husband, Dr. J. Harold Donaldson Jr., lived in and served the community of McCook for more than 40 years. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 1510 St. Andrews Dr., No. 106, Lawrence, KS 66047...

A few house-cleaning things first before I cover some of the things I learned at our Exposition last week. The Heritage Cemetery Tour which was to take place over Heritage Days has been rescheduled for the Sunday of Buffalo Commons next year. We are excited to be able to still present this and to join with the Buffalo Commons group’s great weekend...

Whether it's pumpkin spice everything, sweater weather or the anticipation of the holidays, there are many reasons to be excited about this time of year. Autumn is the perfect time to extend the warm-weather fun and celebrate with some fall-focused outdoor entertaining...

EUSTIS, Neb. — Senior Morgan Deisley’s 25 assists helped set up 10 Alyana Whipple kills in a 25-14, 25-18, 25-10 Arapahoe sweep of Eustis-Farnam Thursday. Senior Melonie Meyers added eight kills while leading the Warriors to their sixth win this season (6-15). Eustis-Farnam suffered its 20th defeat this season (3-20)...

AMHERST, Neb. — The Cambridge Trojans captured a 46-13 win over Amherst to cap their 5-3 regular season Thursday evening. Cambridge was one of five Gazette-area teams to post impressive wins and earn playoff spots. No other details were available before today’s press deadline...

EUSTIS, Neb. — Araphoe unleashed a 60-0 first half and never looked back during its 66-20 triumph over the Eustis-Farnam Knights Thursday night. The Warriors capped a terrific 7-1 regular season by leading 26-0 through one quarter and adding 34 second-quarter points...

CURTIS, Neb. — The Medicine Valley Raiders will roar into playoffs at 8-0 following a 56-8 blasting of Bertrand Thursday evening. Senior Landon Lenz ignited another Raider assault when he threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Quade Potter. Lenz then resumed what he does best: running to the other team’s end zone...

The McCook Bison finished in Class B’s final Top 10 softball rankings after a huge state tournament win last week. Omaha World-Herald voters put the Bison (22-15 record) at No. 10 as they upset No. 1-seed Elkhorn South, 9-5, during first-round play state on Oct. 11...

TRENTON, Neb. — Senior Faith Simpson clobbered 35 of 39 Wauneta-Palisade kills during a five-set comeback win over rival Hitchcock County Thursday evening. The Broncos (17-5 record) shook off a 25-13 opening loss, only to face defeat again when Hitchcock took that third set 25-20...

TRENTON, Neb. — Living in the ’60s never felt better for Wauneta-Palisade as the Broncos topped that number again with a 61-0 win over Hitchcock County Thursday evening. Wa-Pa has scored 61, 62 and 63 points during its last three games following a “measly” 55 vs. rival Wallace to start the four-game win streak...

McCOOK, Neb. —Winter’s coming, despite the fact that mid-October temperatures have been in the 70s — almost up to 80. Do you have 7-10 days of supplies on hand, in case of a winter event that shuts down services and strands Southwest Nebraska residents in their homes? Winter is coming, ya know...

CURTIS, Neb. — The “Berggren Plan” of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission resolves to enhance pheasant hunting in Nebraska, focusing on improving habitat and increasing hunter access as its “cornerstone activities.” The plan includes several “priority areas,” one of which is within Southwest Nebraska. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — “Share the Heat” plans a fund-raiser Sunday, Oct. 22, from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., in the Community Room on the Red Willow County fairgrounds in the 1500 block of West Fifth in McCook. The event includes a soup and salad dinner and a silent auction for “Share the Heat,” which helps to pay winter heating bills for those in need...

McCook, Neb. — Community Hospital is excited to announce the imaging department has acquired a 3D mammography system and is now offering 3D mammography exams. Utilizing advanced breast tomosynthesis technology, 3D exams are clinically proven to significantly increase the detection of breast cancers, while simultaneously decreasing the number of women asked to return for additional testing...

McCOOK, Neb. — Community Hospital accomplished something never done before by vaccinating a record number of 211 staff members with the flu vaccine in one day, during a Point of Dispensing — POD — exercise on Monday. POD exercises are designed to practice distributing medications or vaccines to a large number of people in the event of a public health emergency. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Organizers for Big Give McCook on Nov. 9 have made the one-day, fund-raiser bigger and better this year with additional local non-profit organizations as well as more in-person giving stations around McCook. For 2017, all of McCook’s Community Chest’s agencies will take part in Big Give McCook, along with several other local non-profits, to bring the total to 21 groups and organizations which people can choose to support financially...

Harvey Weinstein got his fifteen minutes of fame this week in a way I’m sure he never wanted it. Several women have gone public with accusations of sexual harassment by him, culminating in his wife divorcing him. Weinstein was a Hollywood mogul who exercised great power in determining who got certain roles in movies and the casting couch was certainly no stranger to him. In fact, his explanation for doing the things that he did to women was “That’s just the way things were done back then.”...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Concert Association is gearing up to kickoff its 2017-18 season with a Las Vegas quality magic show at the Fox Theatre Saturday evening. The "Grand Magic Show" is touted as a full scale, high quality illusion show featuring internationally known illusionist Duane Laflin and is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21...