Stories from Wednesday, February 23, 2011

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Red Willow County, Nebraska, county commissioners Monday morning authorized an Omaha, Nebraska, architectural and planning firm to prepare a written agreement of costs associated with the study of building a jail in McCook. The "meat" of the study by Prochaska & Associates, according to commissioner Steve Downer of rural Bartley and Donald Prochaska, should be the study of five options, and the price tag associated with each:...

BEAVER CITY, Nebraska -- Kaufman Trailers of Nebraska in Beaver City, Nebraska, had a record week two weeks ago -- manufacturing and selling more trailers in one week than any other week since the manufacturing plant opened in late 2005. Heck, Kaufman Trailers had a record year last year -- building and selling more trailers than any other year in the company's five-year manufacturing history...

You may have noticed a little extra weight in this week's editions of the Gazette -- we're sure your paper carrier has! The reason is a daily section of Progress 2011 news, our biggest project every year, and this year encompassing 100 pages. Spearheaded by special projects editor Jeremy Blomstedt, with input from everyone on staff as well as many community contributors, the edition is a positive snapshot of economic conditions in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas...

Our neighbor and adopted grandma Bea loved to fish. Her age and physical limitations, however, prevented her from indulging in that favorite pastime, until Danny put his mind to the problem, loaded the family and Bea into our 1973 Ford Pinto station wagon and drove us up to a gently-sloped mountain lake. ...

The McCook Community College women shot themselves in the foot Tuesday night, Feb. 22, when it came to a shootout with perhaps the top team in Region IX. The Indians shot poorly, helping Western Nebraska Community College claim a 62-48 win in action at True Hall gym on the MCC campus...

The McCook Community College men's basketball team looked like they changed players at halftime of the Feb. 22 contest with Western Nebraska C.C. of Scottsbluff. McCook came out of the locker room on fire. MCC ran to a 77-63 victory over the Cougars in action at True Hall gym...

IMPERIAL, Nebraska -- In the last two years, great finishes have not been a trademark of the McCook High School girls basketball team. But the Bison girls turned in a strong effort in the final minute Tuesday to extend their season and eliminate Alliance in Class B District Tournament action. McCook topped the Bulldogs, 43-36, in the district tournament "bunny bracket" game between the two lowest seeded teams Tuesday, Feb. 22, at the Chase County High school gym in Imperial...