Stories from Friday, March 29, 2019

McCOOK, Neb. — Registration deadline is Monday for all Felling Field baseball and softball leagues this season. Forms can be obtained and submitted at the Sports Shoppe in McCook. MMBA president Jim Roberts mentioned two on-line options to register:...

I’m currently reading a new release by Joan Biskupic called The Chief The Life and Turbulent Times of Chief Justice John Roberts. It has always been my practice to know the opposite side as well as they know themselves because you can’t argue effectively against them unless you know who they are and what they stand for. ...

Gilbert Elmer Gigax Aug. 11, 1925 - March 14, 2019 HAYES CENTER, Neb. — Gilbert Elmer Gigax, 93, passed away peacefully Thursday, March 14, 2019, with his family at his side. He was born on Aug. 11, 1925, to Elmer and Alice (Cary) Gigax at their farm in Hayes County, Neb. He attended grades one through eight at a one-room school (Swan Lake School) near his home. He graduated from Hayes County High School in 1943. He served in the U.S. Army Combat Engineers from April 1946 to October 1947...

Mary Ann Steinkruger June 7, 1933 - March 27, 2019 HASTINGS, Neb. — Hastings resident Mary Ann Steinkruger, 85, passed away Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at Hillcrest Nursing Home, McCook, Neb. Services are 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 1, 2019, at Zion Lutheran Church in Hastings with Pastor Paul Warneke officiating. Burial will be at Parkview Cemetery in Hastings. Memorials may be given to Orphan Grain Train...

Zolona Chinn, a driving force behind creating the genealogy society, had many items covering the history of Southwest Nebraska in her collection and our little genealogy library was the grateful recipient of many of those books. One such book was a compilation of the Pioneer Stories printed in the Beaver City Times-Tribune reprinted in book form in 1914. ...

BARTLEY, Neb. — The Southwest High School FFA Chapter and area farmers are putting together a "hay drive" to collect and deliver big round bales of grass, alfalfa or cane to flooded-out livestock producers in northeastern Nebraska. Anyone with hay bales to donate can drop them off through Monday morning in the south parking lot of the junior-senior high school on the northwest edge of Bartley. ...

McCOOK, Neb. —State Sen. Dan Hughes said although he supports increasing the amount the state allocates to Medicaid reimbursements to long-term care facilities, it is just one of many entities needing state funding. “The challenge is…there are other areas equally as desperate. Where do we put the emphasis?” he said Thursday morning at the McCook Chamber of Commerce legislative conference call...

ABOVE: Duane Acton of McCook counts out his donation this morning to MNB Bank's bake sale for disaster relief and recovery to help fellow Nebraskans recover from historic, cyclone-force rain, flooding and snow that struck northeastern Nebraska and the Sandhills and Panhandle on March 13 and 14. ...

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Paulsen Inc. of Cozad submitted the winning bid of $899,000 to renovate the interior of McCook Community College’s von Riesen Learning Commons. In Wednesday’s meeting in North Platte, Paulsen also submitted the low bid of $94,698 for pavement replacement and concrete services for the NPCC North Campus...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council will discuss a family-friendly retail event proposed by the McCook Chamber of Commerce, at its regular meeting Monday, 6:30 p.m., at city council chambers in the Municipal Building. Jamie Mockry, McCook Chamber of Commerce Executive Directory, told the Gazette on Thursday that the “Third Thursday” events would take place once a month from May through September in downtown McCook. ...

McCook, Neb. —Molly Herzberg, RN BSN CNOR, Director of Surgical Services at Community Hospital has been named the next Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Officer at the facility. “I am excited about this opportunity to become involved in promoting what Community Hospital has to offer,” Molly said. ...

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) is reminding anyone who may find a suspected explosive device to immediately report it to authorities. On Wednesday, troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol Bomb Squad were called-in to examine a suspected explosive found inside an antique coffee jar. The jar was found by a citizen in a box purchased at an auction...

A former McCook Community College volleyball player -- who has taken a year off from playing – is heading back to the court in New Mexico. Dylann Bylund, a 2018 MCC graduate and native of Colorado Springs, has signed on to play volleyball at University of the Southwest in Hobbs, N.M., after spending a year pursuing her degree in physical therapy...

Though he still has seven of his remaining Elite Eight teams alive, Gazette couch potato R.B. Headley was kicking himself for picking Tennessee as his national champion than the beloved North Carolina Tar Heels. “Actually, I’m not coordinated enough to kick myself,” Round Belly admitted. “But I do say go Purdue! The Boilers are a fun team representing the Big Ten.”...

Top five area placers along with highest-scoring teams at Thursday’s Sutherland Booster Club Track-Field Meet: GIRLS Teams: 1. North Platte St. Pat’s 134, 2. Hershey 86, 3. Dundy County-Stratton 57, 4. South Platte 53, 5. Maywood-Hayes Center 47. Other area teams competing were Wauneta-Palisade in sixth place with 37 points and Hitchcock County ninth, scoring 25 points...

Senior Dennis Cavanugh dominated both the discus and shot put while Wauneta-Palisade powered to its second invite title of the week on Thursday. The Broncos scored 90 points to outdistance host Sutherland (75) along with 10 other teams for this victory...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Community College baseball team got another strong conference pitching performance from freshman left-hander Isaac Vargas (Greeley, Colo.) as the Indians downed Western Nebraska Thursday 2-1 in a nine-inning game. The Indians scored runs in the first and third inning to back the five-hit, 13 strikeout performance from Vargas...

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. — The Western Nebraska Intelligence and Narcotics Group (WING) has conducted a drug enforcement operation this week, resulting in the arrest of 32 individuals throughout the Nebraska Panhandle. Arrest warrants and search warrants were served throughout the Panhandle. Additional arrests are expected and some of the cases are on-going...