Stories from Thursday, December 31, 2020

McCOOK, Neb. — The year 2020 was dominated by the coronavirus pandemic and with it came new words we hope to never have to hear again: “unprecedented times,” “PPE,” “Zoom meetings” and “risk dials.” Like the rest of the world, Southwest Nebraska residents coped the best they could with lock-downs, to mask or not to mask and those ever-changing “directed health measures.”...

There are a lot of words to describe 2020: exhausted and frustrated, chaotic to challenging. While every year, there are many lists dedicated to describing the past 365 days, 2020’s list ranges from a long list of profanities to simply being tired. But the word I am selecting to describe 2020 and which I hope to hold up for 2021 is grateful...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council will be asked to allow the McCook Economic Development Corp. to use funds from “Vision McCook,” at the regular council meeting Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, 5:30 p.m., at the city council chambers. The request is on the consent agenda, which can be approved with other consent agenda items in one motion...

SIDNEY, Neb. — The snowy Tuesday welcomed a whirlwind of double-overtime fun for those inside watching McCook and Chase County battle in Sidney Holiday Tournament semifinals. Clay Meeske, Cedric Maxwell and Jake German all hit huge shots to keep the Longhorns’ title hopes from sliding into oblivion...

ARAPAHOE, Neb. — The Arapahoe Warriors and Wauneta-Palisade Broncos will play for two consolation titles today following a tough 0-4 performance in Wednesday’s Arapahoe Holiday Tournament games. Quick recaps from each contest: GIRLS Blue Hill 43, Arapahoe 24...

SIDNEY, Neb. — Happy New Year! McCook High’s girls sent out 2020 with 20 first-quarter points leading to a win by 21 over Chase County, 59-38, in Wednesday’s Sidney Holiday Tournament consolation final. The Bison’s best moves were sophomore Tori Honn doing a one and a two and a three from three-point range while junior Ainsley Taylor danced in her season-best 12 points...

BRADY, Neb. — The Maywood Hayes-Center boys’ awesome 8-3 start now features a Brady Holiday Tournament championship with their 52-47 knockout of Anselmo-Merna Wednesday night. Coach Kolby Hamilton’s boys turned an 11-10 deficit into a 39-31 advantage through three quarters. The Wolves then held off one final comeback attempt from those 2-6 Coyotes...

SIDNEY, Neb. — An odd six-team format matched the McCook and Mitchell boys again in Wednesday’s Sidney Cabela’s Holiday Tournament title game. Though McCook beat those Tigers just two days earlier, Mitchell’s 68-49 revenge win secured a championship as sharpshooter Austin Thyne topped 1,000 career points...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Red Willow County Attorney Paul Wood will meet with county commissioners Monday concerning whether a newly-elected commissioner, Randy Dean, can continue to serve on the board of the county-owned Hillcrest Nursing Home. Wood is on the agenda for 9:30 a.m. at the meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. in the commissioners' room on the third floor of the courthouse...

CAMBRIDGE, NE — Pinpoint (Pinpoint Communications, Inc.) announced today that thru the CARES ACT funding from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, they have expanded their footprint to serve more underserved locations in rural Nebraska and continues to deliver on its commitment to deliver fast, reliable fiber-optic broadband internet to underserved rural southwestern Nebraska communities in the year of 2020...