Stories from Monday, December 24, 2018

VALENTINE, Neb. — Going inside was still McCook’s best move on the first day of winter in Valentine Friday afternoon. With senior Mackenzie Smith baking all sorts of holiday treats inside the paint, her 23 points topped seven Valentine three-pointers in a 56-44 Bison road win...

PLEASANTON, Neb. — The Anselmo-Merna Coyotes escaped with a 51-50 win over Arapahoe in Friday’s Pleasanton Pre-Holiday Tournament consolation final. Junior Yordi Gutierrez delivered another terrific 23 points despite this Warrior narrow defeat. Senior Carson Schroeder added 11 points and drilled all four of his fourth-quarter free throws to keep Arapahoe close...

COLUMBUS, Neb. — McCook’s varsity girls could be a dangerous No. 5 seed entering the six-team Greater Nebraska Activities Conference tournament on Thursday. The Bison (3-5 record) will meet No. 2-seed Scottsbluff (4-4) at 7:15 p.m. in Columbus High’s main gymnasium...

COLUMBUS, Neb. — The McCook High boys are a No. 3 seed entering Thursday’s Greater Nebraska Activites Conference at Columbus High. Coach Jeremy Yilk’s team (4-3 record) is set to take on host/No. 4 Columbus (2-5) at 3:45 p.m. in the main gymnasium. Other first-round contests feature No. 2 Scottsbluff vs. No. 5 Gering at 5:30 p.m. as they renew an always intense neighbor city rivalry...

VALENTINE, Neb. — The “foul” atmosphere filling Friday’s first half was too much to overcome for McCook’s boys in a 48-40 loss at Valentine Friday afternoon. A rare feat was achieved as four Bison starters were all charged with three fouls before halftime...

McCOOK, Neb. — If you are a practical shopper on a budget and you need t-posts and Christmas gifts, you're likely to tie a bright red ribbon around those t-posts. "As crazy as that may seem," said Dee Scott of Orscheln's Farm & Home in McCook, fencing t-posts were the best seller at Orscheln's Farm & Home in McCook on Black Friday, the official opening of the 2018 Christmas shopping season...

It’s doubtful a solution to the government shutdown will be found by the time this newspaper is delivered to readers, but if so, it will be a welcome gift from Washington. As it is, there won’t be much difference between a federal government shutdown and the normal holiday disruptions...

McCOOK, Neb. — No one was home when fire broke out in a McCook home on the afternoon of Christmas Eve … there was no one home to let two dogs out of the smoke and heat. However, a neighbor saw smoke and flames coming from windows and eaves of the mobile home at the corner of East 11th and A, and called 911 at 2:12 p.m. When firefighters arrived, the neighbor, Nicole Sailors, told them she didn't think the family was home because their car was gone, but, please hurry, there are two dogs inside...

During this holiday season, I have an assignment for you. When you have children or grandkids coming to McCook, or if you know people coming back, ask them a question, “What would it take for you to move back to this area?” After you ask them, let us know...