Stories from Friday, April 3, 2020

McCOOK, Neb. — Brett Fraker’s diamond of an opportunity probably started around his favorite infield position before he was even born. Mom Lindsey Dane was diving for grounders, ripping clutch hits and handling shortstop duties. She played for McCook High and McCook Community College along with the national champon McCook Rebels 18-and-under fastpitch team in 2003...

Ardis Gilliland March 20, 1924 - April 1, 2020 CURTIS, Neb. — Ardis Gilliland, 96, of Curtis, went to her heavenly home on April 1, 2020, at Senior Living Choices in Curtis. Ardis was born at Curtis on March 3, 1924, the daughter of Carl and Mable Nutt and the eldest of their seven children. ...

Patricia “Patty” Elizabeth (Boyle) Browne Sept. 18, 1940 - March 28, 2020 LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Patricia Elizabeth Browne (Patty Boyle) passed away at the age of 79 years, surrounded by family and love as she battled Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Her courage and determination were a living example of her roots and faith. ...

There’s nothing more important than getting your mail, even today. Years ago, there were post offices in places such as private homes or general stores and they were located so that all the rural areas didn’t have to travel by wagon to town just to get their mail. ...

85th birthday The family of James Reiners of Indianola, Neb., is requesting a card shower in honor of his 85th birthday on Thursday, April 9, 2020. He still lives on the farmstead outside of Indianola, where he and his father were born and still enjoys checking cattle. Cards of congratulations will reach him at 71904 Road 394, Indianola, NE 69034...

We are inspired and encouraged by the ingenuity and determination that Gazetteland businesses have demonstrated when faced with challenges that this pandemic presents. Restaurants adapted menus to curbside pickup and takeout. Teachers rolled up their sleeves to provide lessons for students stuck at home...

Great races filled track and field at the 2019 Dundy County-Stratton Invitational reported in the April 3 Gazette: A look back at when high school sports still took place... BENKELMAN, Neb. — Cambridge High’s boys had just enough firepower to outscore Wauneta-Palisade, 142-136, and win Tuesday’s Dundy County-Stratton Invitational...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook High tennis coach Matt Wiemers and boys’ golf coach Joe Vetrosky were two who commented about Thursday’s NSAA decision to cancel spring sports in 2020: “Well I’m not sure what to say. It was hard to let the TEAM know of the news and received some sad replies,” Wiemers remarked. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A combination of ongoing challenges and the new COVID-19 threat has caused the McCook Gazette to announce a new publishing schedule and new emphasis on our online product. “We are inspired and encouraged by the ingenuity and determination that Gazetteland businesses have demonstrated when faced with challenges that this pandemic presents,” Publisher Shary Skiles writes in today’s editorial...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council will be asked to adopt a resolution that designates the city manager to declare a local emergency exists and temporarily gives him authority to manage disaster/recovery efforts during the current COVID-19 pandemic, at the regular council meeting Monday, 5:30 p.m. at city council chambers at the city municipal building...

CURTIS, Neb. – The May commencement ceremony for spring 2020 graduates of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture will be held online. NCTA officials made the decision to move to an online ceremony amid continued concerns of spread of the COVID-19 virus, said Kelly Bruns, interim NCTA dean...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Schools will be closed for the rest of the year, and a schedule has been released for high school students to pick up their belongings, but education will continue, according to school officials. McCook Public Schools Superintendent Grant Norgaard said that while the school would comply with Gov. ...

Lincoln, Nebraska — Nebraska Innovation Studio is closed to the public, but its leaders and members are working around the clock to produce face shields for hospitals across the state. Personal protective equipment shortages have been well-documented throughout the United States as COVID-19 has spread rapidly. That trend is also hitting Nebraska, where hospitals are starting to run short...

So, how are we holding up? Are you dug in? Working out of the house? Trying to be productive while watching the kids? Do you provide an essential service and have to brave the threat of illness head-on? Or are you in a high-risk group and even more wary of exposure than the rest of us?...

Tor Olson flags a tree as part of a possible route for mountain bicycles at the Red Willow State Recreation Area. Olson and other bicycle enthusiasts are working with Lake Superintendent Aric Riggins to plan the project, which would have trails on either end of the dam that creates Hugh Butler Lake north of McCook...

(CARES) Act has been a jolt of good news in an otherwise deeply unsettling time. For Edward Jones financial advisors, the biggest concern is for the well-being of everyone in the community. They stress practicing social distancing and doing everything they can to keep themselves, their loved ones and their neighbors safe and healthy. ...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- As we continue to face the impacts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Nebraska banks are keeping the health and well-being of their employees, customers and the communities they serve at the forefront. Banks of all sizes and vast geographies are taking precautionary actions in response to the needs of individual and business customers, while still executing their own business continuity plans under challenging conditions...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Worried you or your family member might have COVID-19? The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) has launched a groundbreaking mobile app to screen large groups of individuals who are concerned that they may have COVID-19 and to help first responders and other health care providers determine a person’s likelihood of carrying the disease...

McCOOK, Neb. — Weather permitting, a crack sealing project will begin April 8 on US-6/US-34, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation. Crack sealing is a process of cleaning and filling open joints and cracks in the surface with sealant to prevent entry of moisture and...

McCOOK, Neb. —New building in the City of McCook is inching toward the million-dollar mark, with $529,538 recorded for the month of March. Year-to-date, $710,888.50 in estimated construction costs of new building has been recorded, according the City of McCook’s monthly building permit report. A total of $920.89 in permit fees were collected by the city in March, with $1,467 collected year-to-date...

The McCook City Library is offering curbside service, but kids in some neighborhoods don't even have to go that far. Kids little libraries like this one shared by Starla Werkmeister and Peggy Dueland on West 12 is one of several around town that have sprouted up, so kid-friendly books can be exchanged to help ward off cabin fever...

McCOOK, Neb. — Social distancing can be tough on everyone, but especially for small businesses and groups that rely on it exclusively. State and federal guidelines are recommending that people limit social contact to contain the spread of COVID-19. More than half of Nebraska’s 93 counties, or 56, have directed health measures mandated by Gov. ...

Several days ago, Sharleen Riemenschneider’s devotional reading struck a chord. It asked, “Are you weaving into yourself the fibers that make you a better Christian?” As she witnessed the devastation that the coronavirus and social distancing was causing for the restaurant industry in McCook, she felt called to take action...

Seth Alberts, a Great Basin smokejumper with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management based in Boise, Idaho, was named the BLM "Al Dunton Smokejumper Leadership Award" recipient for 2019. The award is presented annually to one BLM and one U.S. Forest Service smokejumper who goes beyond the requirements of the job and demonstrates excellence in leadership. ...