Stories from Friday, December 20, 2019

McCOOK, Neb. — In their second home swim meet of the winter season Thursday, the McCook High School swim and dive team pulled out several first and second places finishes against regular foes North Platte and Scottsbluff. The Bison swimmers really shined in the individual swimming events at the McCook YMCA pool...

McCook Community College Assistant Baseball Coach Pat Robles, has accepted a position with the Philadelphia Phillies and is headed to spring training with the Major League Baseball Club. Robles, who came to MCC for the fall 2018 semester, will work for the Phillies as a pitching coach in their Minor League System...

80th birthday The family of Donna Behlke of Benkelman is requesting a card shower to honor her 80th birthday on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. Cards of congratulations will reach her at PO Box 321, Benkelman, NE, 69021.

60th anniversary The family of Clarence (Larry) and Donna Swanson of McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple’s 60th wedding anniversary on Friday, Dec. 27, 2019. They were married in 1959 in Orafino, Neb.Their family includes children, Debra Swanson, Christi Evans and husband, Steve, Melanie Goodenberger, and Jon Swanson, all of McCook; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 413 Seminole Drive, McCook, NE 69001...

When I was growing up in Indianola, we attended the Methodist Church. Mom taught Sunday School and when I was older, I sang in the choir and taught the younger grades in Sunday School, but it is the Christmas celebrations at church that I remember so vividly...

CURTIS, Neb. — Hitchcock County unleashed eight three-pointers and broke away from a tough Medicine Valley girls team, 65-26, Thursday evening. The RPAC foes brought identical 3-2 records into this contest, and those host Raiders only trailed 11-10 through one quarter...

WILCOX, Neb. — Arapahoe’s Reilley Einspahr ripped a huge overtime “triple” through the net and helped those Warriors edge Wilcox-Hildreth, 54-51, Thursday evening. Triston Abraham also delivered three OT points to give Arapahoe (2-3 record) its second win in three games...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook’s seven wrestlers teamed for three titles and four top four places during the McCook JV Open Tournament on Thursday. Nate Renner won his 138-pound division with three consecutive pins, two needing less than a minute to finish. Kaden Jernigan scored two more pins to finish 145 as did heavyweight champ Adrian Manzanares...

OMAHA, Neb. — McCook senior safety Cam Berry led a quartet of area football players who made the Omaha World-Herald All-State Football first team. Cambridge senior receiver/defensive back Deryk Huxoll, Cambridge senior “athlete” Paxton Ross and Maywood-Hayes Center senior linebacker/running back Parker Johnston are the others named first team in Sunday’s statewide edition...

McCOOK, Neb. — During a quick town hall meeting in McCook Thursday morning, Maj. General Daryl L. Bohac, commander of the Nebraska Army National Guard, told veterans and McCook residents that he and fellow Guard members are trying to learn the language of Rwanda...

McCOOK, Neb. — From kitchen appliances to socks to children's books, Christmas shoppers' gift-giving lists this year are covering all things from sensible to sentimental, from small and sparkly, to big and bodacious. Marilyn Roth, at D&S Hardware in McCook, said her shoppers are selecting big kitchen appliances and topping them with Christmas bows. ...

This week, the U.S. House and Senate passed a bipartisan bill and sent it to the President for signature. I could stop right there and we would have the proverbial “man bites dog” story, but I’ll continue. The “2020 National Defense Authorization Act” covers appropriations you might expect, like ships and aircraft, construction costs, operating expenses, military personnel, and healthcare. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Nebraska’s representatives in Washington too often forget about Western Nebraska, Matt Innis, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate said Thursday. On his third campaign swing through the region, Sen. Ben Sasse’s primary opponent said the senator was silent when it came to the decision by parent company Bass Pro Shops to decimate the Sidney, Neb., economy by cutting most of the jobs there...