Stories from Monday, January 13, 2020

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook High’s boys unleashed a super 30-point response on Saturday to their tough defeat at Gothenburg Friday evening. The Bison built a 30-9 lead over visiting Sidney as sophomore Josh Hegwood drilled four three-pointers in those first eight minutes...

Kathy Sue (Karre) Mabile Feb. 17, 1954 - Jan. 11, 2020 McCOOK, Neb. — Kathy Sue (Karre) Mabile passed away Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, at her home in McCook surrounded by her family. She was 65 years old. Kathy was born on Feb. 17, 1954, at McCook to parents, William Isaac and Anna “LaVerne” (Nitsch) Karre. ...

Evelyn Marie Hisey Reiman Nov. 2, 1932 - Jan. 8, 2020 BENKELMAN, Neb. — Evelyn Marie Hisey Reiman, 87, of Benkelman, died Wednesday (Jan. 8, 2020), at the Sarah Ann Hester Memorial Home in Benkelman. She was born Nov. 2, 1932, in Lenora, Kan., to Earl and Edna Hisey and attended high school in Hill City, Kan...

Kathleen Mabel Steinke Dec. 2, 1943 – Jan. 11, 2020 McCOOK, Neb.—Kathleen Mabel Steinke of Culbertson, passed away on Thursday morning, Jan. 11, 2020, at 76 years old. Kathy was born Dec. 2, 1943, in Stratton, Neb., to parents, Ray Edward and Bess Mae (Murphy) Bunnell. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Economic Development Corp. has announced the New Childcare Provider Jump Start program. The program will provide a scholarship to take an online eight week course on how to run a childcare business. Upon successful completion of the course, individuals can apply for a $3,000 grant to start a childcare business in the McCook area...

McCOOK, Neb. — Kim and Steve Butler have made an in”vest”ment in the “paw” enforcement career of the McCook Police Department’s K9 officer by purchasing her a bulletproof vest. The “Bulletproof It” armored vest fits snugly over the back and around the chest of “Kailah,” the 1 1/2-year-old Dutch shepherd assigned to MPD Officer Bill Watts since September 2019...

McCOOK, Neb. — Traci Taylor of McCook, coordinator of the Salvation Army’s “Red Kettle” bell-ringing campaign, announced Tuesday morning the total collected during the Christmas season of 2019. The total was down significantly from last year, Traci said, but last year’s collection of $21,383 appears to have been an anomaly that definitely pleased, but absolutely floored coordinators. ...

Benjamin Franklin said an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. But does that hold true if the “disease” keeps reoccurring? A Nebraska state senator wants to find out. Our state is enjoying low unemployment and high demand for qualified workers, but convicted felons don’t benefit. Nebraska’s current seasonably adjusted unemployment rate was 3.1% in November, compared to 3.5% nationally, but about 27% of ex-cons don’t have jobs, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, a national research and advocacy group. With the state struggling to maintain staffing for Nebraska’s overcrowded prisons, it’s not a problem that can be ignored. The vast majority of those prisoners will return to society, and finding and keeping a job is one of the most important factors in keeping them from returning to prison. Sen. Justin Wayne’s bill would allow companies to deduct 65% of the wages paid to workers with a felony condition for their first year of employment, capped at $20,000 per employee. Iowa, Louisiana and Texas have similar laws. It is estimated the direct cost to the state would be about $2.4 million a year in lost revenue starting in fiscal year 2021, and Wayne doesn’t know how that would be made up. His similar bill wasn’t designated a priority and didn’t make it out of committee. There’s already a federal tax credit available for up to $2,400 for hiring ex-offenders, and the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services and Nebraska Department of Labor have a “workforce Academy” to help prepare inmates for job interviews. Is Nebraska investing enough in prevention to prevent the need for a cure? That’s for the Legislature to decide. But Benjamin Franklin’s advice is as true today as it was in his day.

OSHKOSH, Neb. — A quartet of area wrestlers earned high places during the Garden County Invitational last weekend. Hitchcock County placed sixth among 21 teams competing with 82 points. Sedgwick County, Colo. won the team title (123 points) in a close race over Mitchell (117), Sutherland (101), Perkins County (98) and Hemingford (93)...

NORTON, Kan. — Gavon Uehlin reached the 170-pound title match for Decatur Community (Kan.) Red Devils placing 10th at Saturday’s J.R. Durham Invite. Uehlin (14-4 record) scored two pins and scored points. Teammates Josh Juenemann (15-7 at 106) and Alex Eskew (14-5 at 132) both finished fourth during this 17-team tourney...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Community College men’s basketball team takes a 7-7 record into the post-holiday break half of the schedule. The beginning of the Region IX south slate starts Tuesday in Scottsbluff against Western Nebraska (10-5). While none of the teams have played within the south division, Otero Junior College leads the division with a 15-1 record. ...

GOTHENBURG, Neb. — The Gothenburg Swedes suddenly started banking in threes and causing all sorts of McCook Bison chaos during their 66-61 comeback victory Friday evening. McCook (5-6) dominated deep into the third quarter behind a season-best 19 points from senior Jordan Chauncy...

KEARNEY - Having battled sickness over most of the holiday break, the McCook High School swim and dive team returned to the pool Saturday at Kearney High School with mixed results. Competing against larger schools such as Kearney, Grand Island and Lincoln’s Pius X for the first time this year, McCook managed a few spots near the top with a couple swimmers edging near qualifying times for the state championship meet in Lincoln at the end of February...

NORTON, Kan. — Saturday was both good and grueling with the McCook High wrestlers outscoring eight but finishing behind eight J.R. Durham Invitational teams. “It was a grueling day for the wrestling team on Saturday,” coach Nick Umscheid remarked. “This will be a good learning experience for some of our wrestlers for a variety of reasons. It was good to have this experience and competition at this point of the season.”...

GOTHENBURG, Neb. — While holiday breaks make some of us softer, the reverse effect became clear when one fast-charging Swede sent junior Tiara Matson tumbling to Gothenburg’s court Friday night. ­Some McCook eyes maybe got bigger — but Matson was back on her feet within a blink while smiling teammates congratulated her...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County sheriff’s deputies’ investigation of a multi-vehicle accident west of McCook Thursday evening unscrambles the movements of a semi truck, three pickups and one SUV, and identifies the driver of each. The accident happened at 6:05 p.m., at the intersection of Highway 6&34 and County Road 380 (at the “Perry” Frenchman Valley Coop grain elevator three miles west of McCook), as a westbound pickup (pulling a trailer) stopped on the highway to turn south onto County Road 380 and waited for oncoming, eastbound traffic. ...