Red Willow County

McCOOK, Neb. — A resignation letter from County Assessor Kristi Korell is among items on the agenda for the regular meeting of the Red Willow County Board of Commissioners Monday. The board will convene at 9 a.m. in the commissioners room on the third floor of the courthouse...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Red Willow County Commissioners voted unanimously to increase their annual financial support for the McCook Economic Development Corp. by 10%, raising the contribution from $2,500 to $2,750 for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. This decision reflects an acknowledgment of rising costs and a commitment to support MEDC’s ongoing and future housing projects to address local housing needs...

McCOOK,Neb. — The McCook Economic Development Corp. will make its annual request for support to the Red Willow County Commissioners at Monday’s meeting of the board. The meeting opens at 9 a.m. on the third floor of the courthouse, with the MEDC on the agenda after the county treasurer presents distress warrants at 9:30 a.m...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners will data cabling for the extension office, a semi trailer for the county fair and prisoner boarding at Monday’s meeting, which opens at 9 a.m Teresa Thomas of the extension office is on the agenda at 9:30 a.m., Fair Manager Jiles Bowman at 9:45 and Sheriff Kevin Darling at 10 a.m....

McCOOK, Neb. — The Red Willow County Jail, built in 2014 and funded with a $5.1 million bond, sits empty while prisoners are still being sent to North Platte. Repairs made to the 24-bed facility have been completed, yet the jail remains empty. In August 2024, Red Willow County began sending inmates to North Platte due to deteriorating conditions in the Red Willow County Jail, which was built in 2014...

McCOOK, Neb. — Tax levies and other financial topics are high on the agenda as the Red Willow County Board of Commissioners and the Board of Equalization convene on Monday, Oct. 7, at 9 a.m. on the third floor of the Red Willow County Courthouse. At 9:15 a.m., the Board of Equalization will hold a public hearing on the 2024 final levies and levy the necessary taxes for the upcoming year. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Red Willow County Visitors Committee approved a $25,000 contribution Tuesday toward the YMCA of McCook’s Capital Improvement Project during a meeting focused on boosting tourism and funding local initiatives. This marks a continuation of the committee’s support for the project, adding to a previous $25,000 pledge. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Multiple calls to McCook dispatch on Wednesday afternoon reported a car and semi-truck accident on Highway 83, just north of McCook and near the Work Ethic Camp. The Red Willow County Sheriff’s office responded to the scene, along with assistance from the McCook Police Department for traffic control...

McCOOK, Neb.— At the Monday meeting of the Red Willow County Board of Commissioners, the board unanimously approved a resolution clarifying that Red Willow County “is not, nor has it ever been a sanctuary county.” The resolution asserted that “the County of Red Willow in Nebraska does not have laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies or other practices that obstruct immigration enforcement and shield criminals from ICE.”...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County won’t have to have a “pink postcard” hearing after all, but officials were awaiting word on whether the cards had already been mailed out. Regardless, County Clerk Penny Cooper will be In charge of a hearing in the City of McCook upstairs training room next week in what would have been a joint hearing with the city...

McCOOK, Neb. — A county budget hearing originally set for Monday has been delayed until Monday, Sept. 23. Red Willow County and the City of McCook plan a joint “pink postcard” hearing Sept. 17 as required by law for budgets growing more than 2%.

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners have avoided the dreaded “pink postcard” hearing so far, but plan to mail them out this year rather than drain a major reserve fund more than necessary to balance the annual budget. After a lengthy discussion, commissioners directed CPA Dan Miller to prepare a budget for about $250,000 more in taxes than last year, budgeting about $473,000 from the inheritance tax fund and about $136,000 more in taxes toward the $5 million budget...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners will meet with their accountant Monday as the time to finalize the annual county budget draws near. CPA Dan Miller is on the agenda for 9:30 a.m. Monday in the commissioners’ room on the third floor of the Red Willow County Courthouse...

McCOOK, Neb. — After handling several items of routine business, County Commissioners focused on efforts to hold down growth of individual office budgets. Like most budgets, most of the money goes toward salaries, and while commissioners had planned to allow for a 3% raise for employees, Chairman Ted Gans expressed concerns that budgets seemed more likely to grow by 10%...

McCOOK, Neb. — Before a long morning of budget hearings, Red Willow County Commissioners committed the bulk of remaining COVID relief funds to two new motor graders. After one grader developed expensive mechanical problems, commissioners agreed to purchase a John Deere 770 motor grader from Murphy Tractor & Equipment Co. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — County officials turned down the majority of property tax protests Monday before continuing the challenging task of deciding how to allocate those property tax dollars. During a board of equalization meeting, commissioners approved several tax roll corrections. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners took steps toward needed jail repairs and agreed to support a company that hopes to provide better Internet service to parts of McCook. With a deadline approaching, the board spent the final portion of Monday’s meeting outlining the county’s next budget, including how to spend the last of its pandemic recovery funding...

McCOOK, Neb. — The closing of a road and possible solutions to rusting problems in Red Willow County’s jail cells are items on the agenda for Monday’s meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners. The board will meet at 9 a.m. in the commissioners' room on the third floor of the courthouse and, at 9:30 a.m., consider a recommendation from the Planning & Zoning Board and a resolution to conduct a public hearing on August 12 regarding the closing of Road 724...

McCOOK, Neb. – Red Willow County Commissioners will hear several requests for support from various organizations at Monday’s meeting. They will also sit as a Board of Equalization to hear omitted, undervalued and overvalued properties, as well as tax roll corrections. The meeting starts at 9:00 a.m. on the third floor of the Red Willow County courthouse...

McCOOK, Neb. — Val Jansante of U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith's office provided Red Willow County Commissioners a brief report highlighting Smith's recent activities and priorities, noting that Smith is chairman of the Subcommittee on Trade, which is in turn part of the Ways and Means Committee...

McCOOK, Neb.— During a discussion with Scott Clifford from Miller & Associates, the County Commissioners reviewed the potential abandonment of Road 724. Clifford reported on the road’s current state, noting that the eastern four-tenths mile was in relatively good condition, while the western six-tenths mile was significantly deteriorated with major washouts...

McCOOK, Neb. – At Monday's meeting, Red Willow County Fair Manager Jiles Bowman presented a plan to the Red Willow County Commissioners regarding the integration of the Rodeo Committee into the Kiplinger Fund, aiming to enhance financial transparency and optimize operational efficiency...

McCOOK, Neb. – At Monday’s Red Willow County Commissioners meeting, Sheriff Kevin Darling presented several updates and concerns regarding ongoing jail maintenance and staffing issues. Sheriff Darling reported progress in staffing, noting that another deputy candidate is in the pipeline, potentially increasing the team’s capacity. However, no specific details on the timeline or certainty of this addition were provided...

McCOOK, Neb. — Mistakes were made in the past regarding a housing development north of McCook, but it will be up to current residents to deal with recurring issues, Red Willow County commissioners told one of the residents at Monday’s regular meeting...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners discusses potential armor coating projects during their regular meeting Monday morning. Recognizing the pressing need for road maintenance across the county, the board focused on prioritizing specific routes for attention. These included a road from Bartley north to County Road 726, another from Bartley to the Lebanon city limits, and Drive 403 south of Lebanon...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners will review informal bids for a water heater in the jail on Monday. The item is slated to be reviewed at 9:30 a.m., with the meeting starting at 9 a.m. Renewal of the county’s agreement with Lucent is among items on the consent agenda...

McCOOK, Neb. — District Judge Patrick Heng appear at 9:30 a.m. Monday regarding budgets and salaries as part of the regular Red Willow County Commissioner meeting. Following this, at 9:45 AM, Gretchen Wiebe, Clerk Magistrate, and Lori O’Dea, District Court Clerk, will present an agreement with the state regarding courtroom equipment...

McCOOK, Neb. — In a move focused on safety, the county has decided to replace road signs cautioning drivers about people on horseback with 35 mph speed limit signs. Originally, Commissioner Randy Dean purchased and installed equestrian signs in Commissioner Charlies Fritsche’s district on Road 381. However, these signs were taken down after objections were raised by other residents...

McCOOK, Neb. — After hearing concerns from neighboring landowners Monday morning, Red Willow County Commissioners will consider closing a minimum-maintenance road altogether. Kevin Potthoff, Jeff Ruggles and Brad Randel spoke during the public comments portion of the commissioners’ regular meeting, Potthoff expressed concerns about unwanted visitors approaching his rural home northeast of McCook, using a minimum maintenance road...

McCOOK, Neb.— Deciding the window of time was past to perform effective crack sealing on county blacktopped roads, Red Willow County commissioners rejected two bids with the idea of putting the savings into more expensive and effecting chip-sealing efforts later this year...

Bruce Crosby Editor McCOOK, Neb.. — Red Willow County Commissioners have their work cut out for them when it comes to roads. After opening two bids for various road repair projects around the county, and finding it difficult to “compare apples to apples,” a decision was tabled until the next regular meeting, March 25...

McCCOOK, Neb. — With a bill to phase out inheritance tax still on general file in the Legislature, Red Willow County Commissioners are poised to use $100,000 of that money for health insurance for county employees. That transfer is on the consent agenda for Monday’s meeting of the county board...

McCOOK,Neb. — Road plans and seeking bids for road maintenance are among the items on Monday's meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners. Opening at 9 a.m., commissioners will convene at 9:15 a.m. as a Board of Equalization, when County Assessor Kristi Korell will present recommendations regarding tax exemptions on real and personal property...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Red Willow County Household Hazardous Waste is now accepting numerous household items not previously accepted. With the popularity of E cigarettes or Vape Pens comes waste which includes batteries. These items have a battery to warm the vapor container which needs to be disposed of properly when discarded...

McCOOK, Neb. — In a recent session, Red Willow County Commissioners delved into the county's initiatives to combat noxious weeds, while also expressing unanimous support for a major fiber-optic-to-the-home project south of McCook. Sonya Prentice, the newly appointed weed control director for the county, presented the annual report during Monday morning's regular meeting. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners will consider a letter of support for the Great Plains Communications Broadband Deployment Project at a regular meeting Monday. That item is on the agenda for 10 a.m. in the commissioners’ room at the courthouse...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday because the county courthouse closed Monday because of an approaching blizzard. Items on the agenda include the annual reorganization of the board, electing a chairman, vice chairman; chairman and vice-chairman of the boards of commissioners and equalization and chairman and vice-chairman of the noxious weed control authority...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County has until the end of 2026 to finish spending some $2 million in America Rescue Plan Act funding according to information discussed at the county commissioners' meeting Monday morning. The county received a federal child support enforcement grant, which, combined with some $740,000 in ARPA funding, put federal expenditures over $750,000, last year, which triggered the need for a Compliance Engagement Examination, which will be completed by CPA Don Wilson for $4,200, approved by commissioners Monday morning.. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — New zoning regulations approved by commissioners this morning have made a solar farm unworkable anywhere in Red Willow County, one of the developers told the board via telephone during a hearing on those regulations. The spokesman said Birch Creek Development would abandon plans for a local solar farm, at least where it falls under the jurisdiction of county zoning...

McCook, Neb. — Red Willow County Board of Commissioners and Board of Equalization will convene for their regular meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 12, deviating from their usual Monday schedule. The meeting will take place at 9 a.m. at the County Clerk’s office, and citizens are encouraged to attend...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners set Tuesday morning, Dec. 12, for one hearing on an expanded feedlot operation and another on proposed zoning regulations for solar farms. There’s no guarantee of the latter, however, as the proposed regulations first have to be approved by the county zoning board the night before, Monday, Dec. 11...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners will consider several routine items at their meeting Monday. They include tax roll corrections, declaring District Court items as surplus and a roadway occupancy agreement for Telcom/Century Link. Correspondence includes a property value adjustment from NIRMA and approval of Ruggles Farms from the Nebraska Department of Energy and Environment...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners agreed to use COVID relief money to buy COVID-19 and other vaccinations at Monday’s regular meeting. Red Willow County Health Department Director Brandy Bird said more residents than expected were taking advantage of vaccinations for things like COVID, shingles, RSV and others, so her agency had already spent about $96,000 of its $125,000 budget on vaccines with more than half of the budget year remaining...

McCOOK Neb. – The Red Willow County Planning Commission reviewed a revised draft of zoning regulations covering solar farms at a special meeting Thursday at the Red Willow County Courthouse. Keith Marvin of Marvin Planning Consultants of David City, Neb. presented the revised draft of the zoning regulations that would be required by the county to obtain a conditional use permit for alternative energy developments...

LINCOLN, Neb. — Five area counties will receive more than $24,000 in dividends, or more than a half-million dollars since they joined the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association II governmental workers compensation coverage and risk management and self insurance program...

McCOOK, Neb. — A new person to fill a position required by state law was appointed as part of the consent agenda at Monday’s meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners. Sonya Prentice has agreed to accept the county’s Noxious Weed Superintendent position. A member of the Red Willow Western Rural Fire Department, she is familiar with hazardous materials and should be able to quickly obtain the required certification, Commissioner Randy Dean said...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County is replacing security cameras in the courthouse because the old ones were manufactured in China at a cost of about $6,000. Commissioners also approved new digital-capable radios for the sheriff’s departments and took steps to implement required drug testing for the eight county employees that have commercial driver's licenses...

McCOOK, Neb. – On a motion by Red Willow County Commissioner Randy Dean, an Information Technology contract for the Law Enforcement Center was awarded Monday to 20/20 Technology, at an annual cost of $29,988. As it is a one-year contract, it will be paid for using American Rescue Plan Act pandemic funding...

McCOOK, Neb. - The Red Willow County Board of Commissioners and Board of Equalization have scheduled a meeting for Monday, Oct. 2, beginning a 9 a.m. in the commissioners' room on the third floor of the courthouse. Items on the agenda include reviewing informal bids for IT services for the Law Enforcement Center, at 9:30 a.m., plus an agreement with the McCook Humane Society and a skid steer lease agreement for the fairgrounds...

McCOOK, Neb. — Unpaid property taxes, Indianola law enforcement and better radio coverage were among the items discussed at Monday’s meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners. Some 40 parcels of properties with outstanding tax balances were transferred to county sales certificates, affording their owners a three-year window to settle property taxes along with a 14% interest rate to avert foreclosure. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Months of work culminated Monday with the official adoption of a Red Willow County budget with a lower tax levy and grow below the 2% that would require a special public hearing. The budget adopted by county commissioners Monday calls for $4.363 million in taxes, up $82,213 last year, but using property taxes collected at a rate slightly more than 29 cents per $100 valuation, a decrease of nearly 2 cents from last year. ...

McCOOK, Neb. – Red Willow County Commissioners have a plan for the future of Household Hazardous Waste collection, although discrepancies in inventory are a cause for concern. Commissioners approved the appointment of Billie Cole as the HHW manager, and she will be added to the county’s payroll on a part-time basis. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Hoping for the best and planning for the worst, Red Willow County Commissioners continued adjusting next year’s budget in hopes of having enough set aside while staying within statutory limits. Toward that end, $400,000 will be designated for general operations to keep the ending cash balance below 50% of general operations expenses as required by state law...

McCOOK, Neb. — Clarification of a property tax protest result and a tractor rental for the county fair are among items on the agenda for Monday’s meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners. Deputy Assessor Lori Stevens will speak to the board at 9:15 a.m. regarding the Van Diest protest result, and Fair Manager Jiles Bowman will speak with the commissioners regarding the tractor rental at 9:30 a.m...

McCOOK, Neb. — The future of the county’s Household Hazardous Waste collection site is up in the air, but commissioners hope to keep it open at least a few days a month, and probably without traveling to collect materials from other sites around the state...

McCOOK, Neb.— Red Willow County’s 2023-24 budget is nearly pared down to the point that commissioners won’t have to justify an increase at a special budget hearing, but the process hasn’t been without its pain. Nursing salary increases at the county health department designed to be competitive drew criticism from other county departments, and a manager of another department turned in his keys over uncertainty in its future...

McCOOK, Neb. - Monday’s Red Willow County Board of Commissioners meeting saw several financial issues discussed throughout the morning. Shortly after a call to order, concerns were expressed during the time allotted for “citizens’ comments” regarding an annual budget request made by the sheriff’s department. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — County officials are struggling with the effort to bring a couple of departments up to speed while avoiding the need to mail out the dreaded “pink postcards” required for hearings for a budget increase of more than 2 percent. All employers are feeling the inflationary pinch when it comes to hiring staff, but none more so than those in the medical field...

McCOOK, Neb. — A week after hearing numerous tax property protests, Red Willow County Commissions plan a closed session to plan a legal strategy regarding pending TERC litigation. The executive session, with Deputy County Attorney Phil Lyons and County Assessor Kristi Korell, regards property assessment which appealed to the state Tax Equalization and Review Commission. It is on the commissioners’ Monday agenda at 9:15 a.m. following the call to order at 9 a.m...

Friday’s Red Willow County 4-H Dog Show saw dozens of area kids and their furry friends compete for various awards. ABOVE: Cadde Beeby and his dog “Clip” await judge instruction during Advanced Graduate Novice Obedience. RIGHT: Grady Riemenschneider praises “Fenway” after a successful completion of Novice B Obedience...

McCOOK, Neb. — District 1 County Commissioner Ted Gans and District 3 Commissioner Charles Fritsche will get their first shot at the annual budget beginning Monday morning with the help of veteran District 2 Commissioner Randy Dean. A budget workshop is the last item on the agenda for the meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. in the commissioners’ room at the courthouse...

McCOOK, Neb. — A former county commissioner expressed concerns about the possible scaling back of Red Willow County’s Household Hazardous Waste program during the public comment portion of Monday’s meeting. “If we don’t do it, who will?” asked Dick Trail, former county commissioner and McCook city councilman...

STOCKVILLE, Neb.— Frontier County commissioners have joined Hitchcock County in offering to consider taking over the concessions and trailer cabins at area lakes that the Bureau of Reclamation planned to evict. After a similar offer by the Hitchcock County commissioners regarding Swanson Reservoir, the Frontier County board voted to make the offer regarding Hugh Butler Lake this week...

McCOOK, Neb. — Governmental entities like Red Willow County can’t donate to nonprofits without specific statutory authority, and it is up to those nonprofits to cite the law, a state auditor has informed the county. The restriction could have far-reaching effects on local organizations that depend on such donations, most of which are submitting routine requests for funding in advance of the county’s budgeting process...

McCOOK, Neb. — The future of the Household Hazardous Waste program and whether the county can make contributions to a nonprofit organization are two of the items on the agenda for the Red Willow County Commissioners on Monday. At previous meetings, questions were raised over whether the household hazardous waste program was an appropriate role for the county; and questions have been raised in other counties regarding donations to nonprofits that do not have formal contracts to provide services to those counties.. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Calling all cowgirls, the 2023 Red Willow Rodeo Royalty Pageant is quickly approaching! Do you have what it takes to be Rodeo Royalty? Applications are due by July 1st with the pageant being held July 22, 2023, in conjunction with the Red Willow County Fair and Rodeo...

McCOOK, Neb. - Serving as the highlight of summer for much of southwest Nebraska, the Red Willow County Fair is returning for another year with a week jam-packed with events. Preparations have already begun for the event, which is one month away. Carnival-goers can prepare for the festivities as well by purchasing a wristband for $30, as sales of discount wristbands open on June 19th, and will be sold with a $5 discount from the initial $35 price until July 18th at the Fair Board Office, KICX/KBRL, Sehnert’s, Citta’ Deli, and MNB Bank. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Needed road repairs resulting from the Memorial Day weekend downpour will add to Red Willow County commissioners’ worries for months to come, not to mention how to pay for them. Five structures costing about $230,000 to repair could qualify for an 80-20 federal match since they lie on “major collector roads,” provided Gov. Jim Pollen declares the flooding to be a natural disaster, which commissioners had not heard of yet at Monday’s meeting...

McCOOK, Neb. — After a long discussion with other county officials, Red Willow County Commissioners set a flat payment of $500 a month to county employees who do not use county health insurance. Previously, the county gave an additional $500 to employees who removed family members from county health insurance, an arrangement put in place in 2017 as an incentive for employees whose spouses were becoming eligible for Medicare...

McCOOK, Neb. ‚ A member of the Staff of Nebraska’s 3rd District Congressman Adrian Smith will be available to meet with constituents from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 12, at the Red Willow County Courthouse, 502 Norris Ave.

McCOOK, Neb. — Items on Monday’s agenda for Red Willow County Commissioners include the opening of armor coating bids, a request for assistance for the museum roof, and discussion of cash-in-lieu of medical insurance coverage and discussion of possible expenditures of ARPA funds...

McCOOK, Neb. — After a second executive session with County Attorney Paul Wood, Red Willow County Commissioners reinstated a contract with an information technology provider until the contract terminates in October 2023. On May 13, the board approved an IT service contract with 20/20 Technologies for the Red Willow County sheriff’s office and jail. Monday’s motion reinstated a contract with Honor Bound IT, which expires this October...

McCOOK, Neb. — Members of the Red Willow County Planning Commission and commissioners got their first look at possible zoning rules for solar farms. County zoning rules for alternative energy were updated a couple of years ago, but plans for two solar farms, one northwest of McCook and one adjacent to the Pearson Addition north of McCook brought the issue to the forefront...

McCOOK, Neb. — Assured that the original winning bidder would not object, Red Willow County Commissioners awarded a bid to Heartland New Holland for a Schulte XH1000 mower for $36,500, expected to be delivered in July. Originally, AKRS Equipment of McCook won the bid for the mower for $23,200, but it could not be delivered until December...

McCOOK, Neb. — A zoning workshop will be 6 p.m. Monday in the District Court room at the Red Willow County Courthouse. Red Willow County has imposed six-month a moratorium on solar development until zoning laws can be updated, and a representative of the county’s consultant will be present. The meeting is open to the public...

McCOOK, Neb. — A county official is asking the director of the Household Hazardous Waste program for more details about its operations. Commission Chairman Ted Gans quizzed Josh Mullen about details such as labeling required on trucks hauling the waste and expenses and income associated with collections held in area communities...

McCOOK, Neb. — A change of philosophy was considered Monday as Red Willow County Commissioners set bid dates for one of their major tasks: maintaining county roads. In the end, they set June 5 as the date to open bids for armor-coating and crack-sealing on county blacktop roads...

McCOOK, Neb. — Details of coverage may not change immediately, but Red Willow County Commissioners voted unanimously to change brokers providing health insurance to county employees. While the county may not actually switch from a partially self-insured system to a fully insured system, commissioners expressed a desire to make that transition easier as one of the reasons for awarding the contract to Svoboda Benefit Solutions of Aurora and Omaha...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners took little time to choose a new source of property and casualty insurance Monday morning, but then discussed a possible switch from self-insurance of health coverage for two hours without reaching a decision...

BRUCE CROSBY Editor McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners know that winter has been tough on roads, but they want proof the product they’re buying is up to snuff. And because gravel is in short supply, the county finds itself in competition with itself — i.e., county roads vs. the fairgrounds...

McCOOK, Neb. — In preparation for an April 10 bid opening, Red Willow County Commissioners heard from an organization offering insurance to most of Nebraska’s counties. Larry Pelan of the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association told the board his organization provides insurance for 83 of Nebraska’s 93 counties...

McCOOK, Neb. — Two executive sessions are on the agenda for Monday’a meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners. One involves potential litigation and another involves discussion of applications for a full-time truck driver position. The regular meeting begins at 9 a.m., with Larry Pelan of NIRMA discussing P&C Insurance via telephone at 9:15 a.m. and Brett Warren of 20/20 technologies will discuss GPS technology for road crews and the weed superintendent at 9:30 a.m...

McCOOK, Neb. — A bill that could do away with an important source of revenue for Red Willow County is unlikely to make it out of committee this year, a representative of the Nebraska Association of County Officials told commissioners Monday. The county often helps balance its annual budget using funds transferred from the inheritance tax fund, this year a half-million dollars if needed...

McCOOK, Neb. — After confirming details, Red Willow County Commissioners approved the purchase of a used semi-tractor to pull a new trailer they ordered earlier to haul gravel county roads. There were questions about the VIN and dealer address that were cleared up by a phone call, and the board agreed to purchase a 2018 Western Star semi tractor for $82,750 from RVA Trucks of Virginia, with another company to deliver it for $3,200. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners may have an answer to the difficult question of where to find a good used truck. They will be asked to approve the purchase of a semi-tractor from RVA Sales and Delivery at 9:45 a.m. Monday during their regular meeting...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County is in danger of becoming a “sanctuary county” for criminals unless it makes sheriff’s deputy salaries more competitive, one commissioner remarked during discussions with Sheriff Kevin Darling, serving his first term as sheriff and currently the only officer in his department...

McCOOK, Neb. — Buying a vehicle with 300,000 miles on it might seem outrageous to the average driver, but for truck drivers who expect to get a million miles or more out of their vehicles, it’s just like new. Red Willow County Commissioners Monday gave conditional approval to purchase a 2016 Peterbilt semi-tractor with 280,000 miles for $76,500 from a dealer in British Columbia...

Red Willow County Commissioners worked through the details needed to purchase a semi-trailer and tractor for the roads department while following proper accounting procedures. With auditor Donald D. Wilson, CPA on hand, commissioners unanimously approved the annual audit, which included three questioned claims previously discussed, which will have been corrected or not repeated...

McCOOK, Neb. -- After confusion over county fair bidding and finances, officials followed the advice of the county attorney Monday and accepted a gift of new heaters for the Kiplinger arena. The cost of the heaters and installation will be $103,500, but that will be borne by the private Kiplinger Foundation, which is not bound by state laws covering bidding, which require the county to take informal bids on purchases over $10,000 and formal bids on items over $50,000...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Carol Schlegel said she used to collect good tips in her parents' restaurant on pheasant season opener weekend back in the day, but the days of a large influx of hunters are long gone. Experts blame the drought and declining habitat for fewer pheasants, but another bird has taken up the slack somewhat, according to Schlegel, who has been Red Willow County Visitors Bureau for the past 11 years after serving as a volunteer for many years before that. ...

McCOOK, Neb. — To comply with state law, new heaters for the Kiplinger Arena will have to be re-bid or purchased directly from a vendor by the private Kiplinger Foundation and donated to the county. Following an executive session to discuss vendor qualifications, Red Willow County Commission Chairman Ted Gans laid out those two options based on advice from County Attorney Paul Wood...

McCOOK, Neb. — County officials will be getting a refresher course on bidding requirements following three problems discovered during the annual audit. In a letter to commissioners, Don Wilson, CPA, noted that a pickup purchase should have been put out for formal bidding, because the trade-in value put the purchase over the $50,000 threshold set by state law...

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County commissioners enacted a moratorium on alternative energy projects and approved a letter to the county planning and zoning commission asking it to consider size and capacity parameters of such projects in creating any new zoning regulations...

McCOOK, Neb. — No sooner will Red Willow County’s new commissioners take office than they will be dealing with a major, controversial issue. Ted Gans and Charles Fritsche will join incumbent Randy Dean for their first commissioners’ meeting at 9 a.m. Monday on the third floor of the courthouse...

McCOOK, Neb. — County Clerk Tami Teel and Commissioners Cayla Richards and Earl McNutt completed their tenures at county commissioners with a short meeting Monday, followed by a reception hosted by fellow county employees. Charles Frische, who attended Monday’s meeting, will be sworn in as District 3 county commissioner on Jan. 5, as will Ted Gans for District 1, Penny Cooper as new county clerk and Kevin Darling as county sheriff, as well as other county officials...

McCOOK, Neb. — Neighbors opposed to a proposed solar farm northwest of McCook plan a meeting to air their concerns, but another company’s solar project has been quietly making progress. During the public comment portion of Monday’s Red Willow County Commissioners meeting, Ron Soden of McCook questioned why Premier Energy’s project should be named after Sen. George Norris, since he favored public ownership of power facilities and the solar farm is being built by a private company...

McCOOK, Neb. — Drive north on U.S. 83 out of McCook on a hot summer day and you may notice Nebraska Public Power District’s turbine “peaking unit” working hard to supply electricity to farmers’ center-pivot irrigation systems and town-dwellers’ air conditioners...

McCOOK, Neb. — Employee bonuses and grader blades were two large ticket items on Monday’s Red Willow County Commissioners agenda. The board approved accounts payable of $436,071.50, which included $101,903 in employee bonuses funded by American Rescue Plan Act. ...