Stories from Tuesday, April 13, 2021

LINCOLN, Neb. — Observers across the state are taking notice of what southwest Nebraska teams are achieving this spring season. The Nebraska Track-Field Coaches Association proved this point with both McCook Bison squads, Chase County’s girls and Dundy County-Stratton’s boys all ranking top five among their respective classes this week...

An interesting article in the Gazette last week reviewed a discussion of the spending of the recent largess of a Cares Funding grant to our local District 17 School District. I wasn’t present and can only comment on the reportage of the Gazette’s Associate Editor...

McCOOK, Neb. — Four teachers were hired by the McCook School Board Monday night. The McCook School district determines salaries on a “step” schedule, based on years of teaching combined with continuing education. Base salary starts at $37,450. The board unanimously approved contracts/salaries for: Tyler Jedlicki for industrial arts, BA (bachelor of arts), three years, $40,821; Rachelle Kotschwar for the Developmental Learning Center, BA, one year, 36 hours, $44,191; Trevor Hoins for sixth-grade math, master of arts plus nine, six years, $54,303; and Marisa Hoins, fifth-grade special education, master of arts plus nine, three years, $49,247.. ...

David Gibbens Feb. 27, 1943 - April 10, 2021 PALISADE, Neb. — David Edwin Gibbens went to be with the Lord and Savior on April 10, 2021, after a brief battle with cancer. David (Dave) was born to Ted and Mary (Hafer) Gibbens on Feb. 27, 1943, in Pueblo, Colo. ...

Alvin (Al) Raymond Rothmeyer July 8, 1935 - April 6, 2021 McCOOK, Neb. — Alvin (Al) Raymond Rothmeyer, age 85, resident of McCook, passed away at Community Hospital of McCook on April 6, 2021. Al was born in Cedar Bluffs, Kan., on July 8, 1935, to Alvin (Bud) and Mary (Sughroue) Rothmeyer. ...

Mary Leona “Lea” Crawford Oct. 22, 1940 - April 9, 2021 KEARNEY, Neb — Mary “Lea” Crawford, 80, of Kearney, passed away Friday, April 9, 2021, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook, Neb. Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 14, 2021, at O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home with Pastor Dean Pofahl officiating. Inurnment will follow at Kearney Cemetery. Visitation will be 4-6 p.m., Tuesday, at the funeral home...

60th anniversary The family of Dennis and Doris Riener of Palisade is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple’s 60th wedding anniversary on Thursday, April 15, 2021. They were married in Herndon, Kan. Their family includes children, Cliff (Shirley) Riener of Palisade, Sylvia (Bob) Dunker of Atwood, Kan.; grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 36277 Road 728, Palisade, NE 69040...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Some 9,300 Southwest Nebraskans have received the COVID-19 vaccine, and 74 deaths have been reported in the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department district. The department received 1000 doses of the Moderna vaccine and 200 doses of Johnson & Johnson last week, but today authorities have paused administration of the latter over concerns about a rare and severe type of blood clot diagnosed in a Nebraska resident...

60th birthday The family of Angela Ruppert of McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of her 60th birthday on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Her husband Jeff and Angie’s family include Jeremy (Lisa) Carpenter of Lincoln, Neb., Mike (Amber) Carpenter of McCook, Ashley (Dan) DeWitt of Winchester, Tenn., Audrey (Jon) Sevenker of Lincoln, Deanna (Randall) Kelley of Lincoln; 13 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 71080 Road 390, McCook, NE 69001...

BEAVER CITY, Neb. — An Oxford man will be sentenced for one county of child abuse, a Class 3A felony, after accepting a plea deal in the sex trafficking case in Furnas County. Jacob Cramer, 22, will be sentenced at 1:15 p.m. July 8 in Furnas County District Court. Under the plea deal, a charge of first-degree sexual assault was amended to the lesser charge...

McCOOK, Neb. –– The controversial National Heritage Area proposal and cleaning up property lines scrambled by the 1935 flood were among topics for Monday’s meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners. Dale Cotton of McCook Army Air Base Historical Society spoke in support of the National Heritage Area proposal, an idea opposed by Gov. Pete Ricketts and others concerned about government overreach...

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook School Board president is not in favor of new health standards proposed by the Nebraska Department of Education. McCook School Board president Tom Bredvick told the McCook Gazette Monday night at the regular school board meeting that said changes in curriculum are usually done on the administrative/superintendent level and board members usually don’t vote on those issues. ...

KEARNEY, Neb. — Coach Joe Vetrovsky provided these details about his McCook High golfers placing sixth among 15 teams including several Class A foes on Friday. “ The weather was cold, windy, and rained late in the round. The weather conditions definitely played a factor in the scoring for the teams and players...

OGALLALA, Neb. — They splashed through the Ogallala Invitational, 20-0, as McCook High’s JV girls won four more championships with only one match closer than 6-3 on Friday. There was nothing drizzy or light about how the Bison played on this damp afternoon...

BROKEN BOW, Neb. — The wind shook McCook’s bus and left coach Tom Sughroue wondering what to expect at this Broken Bow Invitational on Friday. How would the Bison 3200-meter relay navigate eight laps through this weather? “Honestly, I wondered if we’d see a team like 9:30 or something,” Sughroue admitted while chatting with McCook radio voice Rich Barnett...

BROKEN BOW, Neb. — They’re so “bad” not even the ultimate Mother whose last name is Nature could slow McCook girls on Friday. The Bison girls splashed, dashed, hurdled and threw through 10 teams to a dominant Broken Bow Invitational championship. They nearly doubled top contender Gothenburg, 114-62, while Holdrege and Scottsbluff’s combined team total would have lost to McCook during this latest nasty oh-so-good team victory...