Stories from Friday, December 30, 2016

30th anniversary Gary and Ruth Lucas of McCook are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016. They were married in 1986 in McCook. Their family includes children, Thomas and Gillian Lucas of Denver, Colo., Tracy and Amy Lucas of Des Moines, Iowa, Abbey and John Bruner of Sioux Falls, S.D.; eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild...

CAMBRIDGE, Neb. -- Tough defense teamed with timely shots pushed Cambridge's girls past Hershey, 40-36, Thursday evening. It certainly wasn't the highest-scoring effort this season, but the Trojans are now 6-1. Senior Alea Shaner sent 17 points through the nets and freshman Korynn Clason stepped to score another 14...

ELWOOD, Neb. -- Tied 14-14, the Southwest Riders shut down Elwood during their middle two quarters of a 59-40 boys basketball win Thursday evening. Southwest (4-3 record) built a 30-22 halftime lead then really took charge in its 15-3 third period. The Roughriders captured their first win since Cattle Trail Tournament opening-round play on Dec. 13...

BRADY, Neb. -- The Hitchcock County Falcons will play familiar foe Eustis-Farnam today for a Brady Holiday Tournament championship. Hitchcock (3-5) blasted the tournament hosts, 65-44, in boys' semifinal on Thursday. The Falcons soared ahead 20-6 through one quarter and never seriously got threatened affter that...

ARAPAHOE, Neb. -- Wauneta-Palisade was ready to resume strong basketball seasons as the Broncos took both varsity games from determined Arapahoe Thursday evening. The Bronco boys jumped into a 16-7 lead and really never looked back during their 65-52 road win...

LOOMIS, Neb. -- Wolves will tangle with Wolves after Maywood-Hayes Center took apart Hyannis, 52-35, Thursday afternoon. Not only did they score their first win this season, the MH-C boys will not get a tournament shot against those Loomis Wolves in tonight's Loomis Holiday Tournament title game...

NORFOLK, Neb. -- Something about North Platte puts McCook shooters to sleep early on the basketball floor. The Bison boys awoke Thursday afternoon and made a marvelous second-half comeback. Yet their 26-point fourth quarter was still not quite as North Platte survived a 58-54 GNAC consolation semfinal...

NORFOLK, Neb. -- A video game proclaiming "E.A. Sports" perfectly described how Thursday became Emily Arp's world and the Scottsbluff Bearcats were just playing in it.

McCOOK, Neb. -- A pharmacist that went above and beyond, a local restaurant owner staying open during a blizzard were the top two stories on the McCook Gazette's website during 2016. The Oct. 14 story, "Heart patients says pharmacist may have saved his life," garnered the most page views at 26,839. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A truck driver was transferred to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney after his truck and a second truck collided on U.S. Highways 6-34 a mile east of McCook at 8:54 a.m., Thursday. A condition report on the driver, Chester E. Bond, was not available from the Kearney hospital by today's press time...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival planning committee will kick off the New Year by celebrating the 90th anniversary of the historic Fox Theatre in downtown McCook. Their First Tuesday event will be held Jan. 3 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Bieroc Café...

McCOOK, Neb. -- City leaders will consider entering executive session Tuesday evening to discuss a legal dispute with a former McCook police dispatcher and officer. "An executive session may be held for the protection of the public interest for a strategy session with respect to litigation with Howard W. ...

CONNIE JO DISCOE Regional Editor McCOOK, Neb. -- The cost and consequences of a DUI should be enough to discourage driving while intoxicated. "But hurting yourself, or someone else, would really ruin our whole party," says Michelle Wood, manager of Old Sarge's Bar in McCook...

In the November election, along with voting for candidates, the people of Nebraska voted with a substantial majority- to support the return of the death penalty to our legal system. Since that time, the Governor's office, Attorney General, and the Department of Corrections have started in motion some steps to streamline the process. ...

The supply of ammunition seems to have improved and not everyone was clamoring to buy guns following the November election, thanks to the perception that Trump was less likely than Hillary Clinton to push for gun control. That's not the case in California, where sporting goods stores have been struggling to supply semi-automatic rifles ahead of a new law which bans certain features...