Stories from Friday, July 7, 2023

I recently read an obituary in the Gazette for Vaughn King that launched a flood of memories. Vaughn was McCook’s water guy in the early 2000s, and back in the days when I was publishing interviews, he gave me a nice tour of our wastewater treatment facility. What stands out in my memory from the visit was a concrete spillway studded with concrete cubes to aerate the treated water that Vaughn called “effluent.” That was my new word for that day...

McCOOK, Neb. — The public is invited to attend a brick-breaking ceremony for the new McCook Community College East Campus at 4 p.m. July 19. The campus, at 905 E. Seventh St. in McCook, was formerly the Elks Club. Owners Perry and Vicky Case donated the building and surrounding property to the college in 2015 in the hopes that it could be used for educational purposes...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook Board of Education will discuss the Junior High school design from WDesign and go over the next step with the bond issue at the regular meeting Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the junior high conference room. Business Manager Jeff Gross met with members of WDesign and is looking forward to meeting with them over the next several months in preparation for a potential election...

In a community-oriented city like McCook, many individuals are eager to find meaningful ways to give back. However, these citizens find themselves asking the question, “What can I do to help?” far too often. Many organizations in the community are in significant need of volunteers, and for those looking to make a positive impact, those volunteer opportunities will be highlighted in the below column...

The McCook Public Library parking lot was filled with specialized trucks Friday morning for a “Touch a Truck” event, where area children were able to learn about all sorts of machinery. Nathan Renner of the McCook Fire Department dropped parachutes to eager onlookers while Police Chief Joel Smith handed out gliders to the dozens of kids in attendance...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook Football League will be having equipment checkout on Monday at the McCook Junior High Schoo. Equipment checkout for pre-registered participants will start at 6 p.m. Walk-up registrations will be accepted at 6:45 p.m. Checkout will be on the north side of the school...

McCOOK, Neb. — Big winners from the McCook YMCA Adult Co-Ed Softball action Thursday night: K-C Motor Electric 21, Webb Auto Body 13 Samway Floor Covering and Furniture 15, Cookies and Cream 5

McCOOK, Neb. — District 1 County Commissioner Ted Gans and District 3 Commissioner Charles Fritsche will get their first shot at the annual budget beginning Monday morning with the help of veteran District 2 Commissioner Randy Dean. A budget workshop is the last item on the agenda for the meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. in the commissioners’ room at the courthouse...

McCOOK, Neb. — More than 30 participants attended the Fellowship of Christian Athletes tennis clinic held at the Bison Tennis Courts on Thursday. The clinic was conducted by Comron Yazgardi, former Hastings College Mens/Women’s tennis coach and current assistant coach at Lexington, along with Nate Lewis of Kearney who serves as a regional director for FCA...

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — From small town beginnings to a sold-out stadium at the NCAA Men’s College World Series, Frank Anderson’s career has surpassed his wildest dreams. “Did I ever imagine I’d make it this far? No, not at all,” he said. Anderson, considered one of the top pitching coaches in the nation, is the assistant baseball coach for the University of Tennessee. He’s also a Mid-Plains Community College alum...