Stories from Friday, March 26, 2021

McCOOK, Neb . -- The Red Willow County Health Department is now vaccinating all ages 18 and older with no requirement of underlying medical conditions, with the Moderna vaccine. Call 308-345-1790 to get on the list to be scheduled for an appointment...

McCOOK, Neb. — Don’t let the clean sweeps fool you into thinking McCook High’s tennis girls didn’t play with some true grit Thursday afternoon. Take seniors Emily Kjendal and Lexi Hauxwell in their first match as a varsity No. 2 doubles team. “They got tested by two scrappy teams (Hershey, North Platte) and I liked the way they finished their matches,” coach Matt Wiemers observed...

Elaine Elizabeth Towne Oct. 2, 1929 - March 12, 2021 RAPID CITY, S.D. — Elaine Elizabeth Towne passed away at Monument Health in Rapid City on Friday, March 12, 2021. She was born on Oct. 2, 1929, to Arthur and Amelia Karnatz in Esbon, Kan. She married Richard A. Towne on May 16, 1947. They had four children, Linda E. (Butch) Lindsey, Marsha L. (Bradly) Colling, Richard M. (Dana McDaniels) Towne, and Robert Allen Towne (who died at only five hours old). ...

Loker, Dellevoet Emily Loker and Reese Dellevoet of McCook, Neb., announced their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the bride-to-be are Bryan and Traci Loker of McCook. Grandparents are Carol Berryman of McCook and the late Rodney Berryman, and JB and Brenda Loker of McDonald, Kan...

Last year when Buffalo Commons was so rudely interrupted by Covid 19, our planned cemetery tour was also canceled. 2020 was supposed to be the “Year of the Woman” according to the National Museum of American History celebrating the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage. ...

65th anniversary The family of Charlie and Mary Duffield of McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple’s 65th wedding anniversary on Thursday, April 1, 2021. They were married in Chappell, Neb., in 1956. Their children are Milton Duffield of Springfield, Mo., Gregg Duffield of Kearney, Neb., Janella Clark of Akron, Iowa; four granddaughters and six great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 911 West 10th St, McCook, NE 69001...

McCOOK, Neb. -- McCook photographer Jack Stevens picked up his first camera, an Argus C3, when he was 11 years old. The nearly-90-year-old shoots today with 35-millimeter Nikon and medium-format Bronica film cameras, and captures his images on slide film. In addition to color prints, Jack develops most of his black-and-white photographs. With a smile, he explains he is “a self-proclaimed non-selfie photographer.”...

I spend way too much time on social media. It’s not good. It doesn’t bring out the best in us. It certainly doesn’t bring out the best in me, but it is an interesting gauge of public opinion. In the past several months, friends of mine have been passing along memes about the student loan debt crisis and discussions of a possible government bailout. ...

Dear Editor, At the most inopportune times, my Peruvian wife will mispronounce an American phrase – as for instance: the custom of lowering Old Glory to half staff. In Spanish, the phrase is “media asta;” But, until I corrected her pronunciation, she would say “we are lowering the flag to half-assed” – which would invariably leave me LMAO. Considering how the tradition is presently practiced, I may seriously advise my wife to again use her erroneous expression...

The RPAC all-conference basketball teams were announced for both divisions this week. Here are all Gazette-area teams who earned top recognition: GIRLS West Division First team: Maywood Hayes Center senior Jaycee Widener; Dundy County-Stratton seniors Maggie Lutz and McKinzie Baney; Wauneta-Palisade senior Haylee Sandman. They join Wallace junior Mariah Gardner...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook Community College sophomore Emily Barr has signed her letter of intent to continue playing volleyball at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Barr, a Hershey High School graduate, has appeared in all 24 matches this season as an outside hitter. She has 106 kills, 65 digs, 37 total blocks and leads the team with 28 serving aces...

Latest from the Men’s bowling league action where Deveny Motors roared to top scores in all team divisions last week: Men’s Major Fullmomentum 249.5-170.5 Maris Gen. Con. 229.5-190.5 Burton Well Drilling 223-197 Glass Express 217.5-199.5 Deveny Motors 214.5-204.5...

TRENTON, Neb. — Team scores and all Gazette-area top four placers at Wednesday’s Hitchcock County Track-Field Invitational. Girls’ results appeared in Thursday’s Gazette. BOYS Teams: 1. Hi-Line 121, 2. Wallace 115, 3. Hitchcock County 102, 4. Southwest 89, 5. Wauneta-Palisade 56, 6. Medicine Valley 37, 7. Hi-Line JV 4...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook’s JV tennis girls swept through 36 matches with North Platte following a 10-0 dual conquest of Hershey on Thursday. “It was great to get everybody on the courts for match play experience against somebody other than ourselves,” coach Matt Wiemers remarked. “But they dominated play sweeping all their matches, a pretty awesome feat to see early in the season!”...

LA JUNTA, Colo. – For the first time in almost 18 months, the McCook Community College golf team got in a round of golf competitive that counted in the Region IX point standings and are setting in second place after Thursday’s play at the Otero Junior College tournament...

McCOOK, Neb. — North Platte golfer Jim Backenstose hit the first hole-in-one of 2021 at Heritage Hills recently. Backenstose used his nine-iron to make a 119-yard drive on Hole No. 7. Jeff Staggs, Kent Kugler and Martin Endenele witnessed this magical moment for every golfer...

“What are the sirens blowing for?” a friend texted on Wednesday. The text was an unintentional jab at a news source that should have done a better job of making readers aware that yes, this was Severe Weather Awareness Week, and testing sirens was part of the exercise...