Stories from Friday, January 19, 2018

BENKELMAN, Neb. -- An entertaining, back-and-forth battle ended in a 73-70 overtime victory for the Dundy County-Stratton boys over Cambridge Thursday in Benkelman...

BENKELMAN, Neb. -- ‘Big C’ usually stands for Cambridge, but on Thursday it stood for something else. Combo breakers...

McCOOK, Neb. — Parents are happy feeding their kids to Tigers? Why wouldn’t they be after watching Class B No. 1 Hastings win a dual, 46-24, against McCook’s fired-up Bison Thursday night. “Our guys were excited. We haven’t dualed a No. 1 team since I’ve been here,” Bison coach Nick Umscheid said. “I told the guys to take the fight to them, and for the most part we did. Once we keep making the same mistakes, we can be a team like that.”...

It may not be Friday but with this cold weather the Friday night soup bag came out of the freezer today and I’ve got a nice pot of vegetable beef soup going for dinner! It has been cold here, but only on rare occasions is it colder (or hotter) in Lincoln than good ole McCook...

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. -- Top-seed North Platte St. Patrick’s had 17 steals in a 51-30 win over No. 5 Chase County in a South Platte Valley Association semifinal game in North Platte on Thursday...

His eyes are more glazed than the finest donut after watching Stefon Diggs’ miracle touchdown catch somewhere near 300 times this week. “I’m crazy. I’m flat out nuts like the late great Chris Farley tearing apart a dinner roll on ‘Tommy Boy’,” Gazette scribbler/and 40-yard Minnesota Yike!-ings fan R.B. Headley said. “I can’t believe I did not die Sunday night. I was breathless, absolutely breathless from eating all that barbecue beef pizza.”...

MAYWOOD, Neb. — Vikings found no miracle wins on Thursday as Maywood-Hayes Center’s girls beat the Bertrand Vikings, 52-33. The amazing Wolves will take a 13-2 record into RPAC tournament play starting Saturday. Sophomore Jaycee Lapp’s 14 points and 13 from junior Jayden Widener powered this latest MH-C victory...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook firefighters called late Thursday afternoon to what was suspected to be a garage fire in the 800 block of Norris found a pellet stove operating as it should. Fire Chief Marc Harpham said the stove was venting smoke as it should, however the smoke seemed to be filling the neighborhood and not drifting away. The garage was warm inside and not on fire, Harpham said...

LINCOLN, Neb. — A grand jury has returned an indictment against a Missouri man in connection with an incident aboard on Amtrak train near Oxford Oct. 23. If convicted, Taylor Michael Wilson, 25, of St. Charles, Mo., could face up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to five years of supervised release for either of two charges...

McCOOK, Neb. — Todd Watson, born and raised in Lincoln, explained a platform based on the U.S. Constitution as he seeks to represent Nebraska and conservative Republicans in the U.S. Senate. Watson said Thursday in McCook that those who support his opponent, Sen. ...

McCOOK, Neb., As a tribute to the rough and rowdy ways of the Old West, the name of the drinking establishment at 1006 West B Street has been changed to the Outlaws 1882 Saloon. Shar Laverack, who owns the saloon with her husband, Luke, came up with the name because of her fascination with the early days of the Old West, when outlaws like Jesse James and Billy the Kid gained legendary status with their daring — but deadly — actions...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council received a written offer earlier this week from a resident looking to sell the city a chunk of vacant property on the Heritage Hills Golf Course. The property owners thought the city might consider the site as a location for a new swimming pool or events center, however, city leaders indicated the city probably wasn’t in a position to consider the $540,000 purchase...

First of all, let me apologize for not publishing a column for the past two weeks. Week before last I encountered a computer glitz that couldn’t be fixed by me and last week I was in Arkansas without a computer. The Arkansas trip was for the purpose of taking our middle son, Michael, to the University of Oklahoma for enrollment in the broadcast meteorology program there. ...

BENKELMAN, Neb. — On January 18, 2018, Charles Thibedeau, age 37, was convicted by a jury in the Dundy County District Court with Kidnapping, a Class 2 Felony, Third Degree Sexual Assault, a Class 1 Misdemeanor, and Oppression under Color of Office, a Class 2 Misdemeanor...