Arts, Culture & Community

November 8, 2025 McCOOK, Neb. — A new Little Free Library was unveiled Saturday morning in front of the Senator George Norris House at 706 Norris Avenue — a collaboration between McCook’s Rotary Morning Companion Club and the Nebraska State Historical Society. The project was made possible through a Rotary District Grant and represents the first major initiative of the Morning Companion Club, which meets at 6:30 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the CASA office (2nd

McCook Neb. — The Museum of the High Plains is proud to once again host the Sheldon Statewide Exhibit, continuing a vital, long-standing partnership that has brought fine art from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Sheldon Museum of Art to McCook every year since 1987. This year’s captivating traveling exhibition, titled Nebraska’s Legacy, celebrates more than a century of artistic growth, education, and innovation at the University of Nebraska. The exhibit highlights the p

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Allen D. Strunk, longtime publisher of the McCook Daily Gazette and a driving force behind decades of community progress, has died at age 95 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Strunk led the Gazette for more than 30 years, following in the footsteps of his father, Gazette founder Harry Strunk. Under his leadership, the paper transitioned from letterpress to offset printing and into a new facility in 1966—ushering in a modern era of small-town journalism. Beyond the newsr

McCook Neb. — The City of McCook is proud to announce that it has been awarded a Trees for Nebraska Towns grant from PlantNebraska , formerly known as the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum (NSA) . This grant will provide 20 trees to be planted in Kelley Park, at the west city entrance and at the Barnett Park K-9 Corners Dog Park.  These trees will enhance green spaces, improve community tree canopy, and promote environmental sustainability within McCook. The Trees for Nebraska To

McCOOK, Neb. — What began as an idea three years ago is now taking shape in bright colors and curved ramps at Kelley Park, where an inclusive playground is nearing completion. “I had this goal of what I wanted to see happen,” said Mariah Pierson, an occupational therapist and one of the project’s lead organizers. “But I just learned along the way — we all did. The city has been amazing. Without them, we would still have no idea how to make it happen.” Pierson first started e

INDIANOLA, Neb. (October 28, 2025) — The Indianola Historical Society marked a major milestone Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of its restored one-room schoolhouse on D Street. Cutting the ribbon was Vickie Malleck, joined by members Don Behnke, Paul Schaffert, Ken Kircher, Jim Winchell, Randy Dean, Veronica Waddell, Marcy Rodriguez, and Donna Behnke. The event drew chamber representatives, community members, and local history enthusiasts from a

McCOOK, Neb. — A recent set of rankings from Niche.com , a national site that compiles data and user reviews on schools, neighborhoods, and towns, offers a mixed but generally positive snapshot of McCook — a community that scores high for affordability, stability, and family life, but draws some familiar critiques around diversity and entertainment options. What is Niche.com Niche is an online platform that gathers both government data and user-generated reviews to rank schoo

McCOOK, Neb. — In the southwest corner of her kitchen, where sunlight pours through a wall of windows, oil painter Skyla Hegwood spends countless hours bringing portraits and stories to life. Her easel — a cherished gift from her college art instructor — fits perfectly in that bright corner, transforming the space into a home studio that’s part of her daily rhythm. “It’s where everything happens,” she said with a small laugh. “I love that I can paint right here, close to my

McCook Neb. —  Hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska, Philip Daniel has built a career on emotion — weaving stories not with words, but with sound. A classically trained pianist and acclaimed film composer, Daniel’s music has been streamed more than 30 million times around the world, connecting deeply with audiences who crave music that feels as much as it sounds. Daniel’s journey began at the piano bench, earning a graduate degree in Piano Performance from the UMKC Conservatory and

McCook Neb.— One of America’s longest running traveling art exhibitions is in McCook for a six-week stop at McCook Community College’s Wrightstone Gallery. The 158th International Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society continues through Oct. 27 at McCook Community College. This is one of America’s longest running traveling art exhibits, is free admission and housed in the Wrightstone Fine Art Gallery, 1203 E. Third. The gallery is open to the public seven days a week.

McCOOK, Neb. — Longtime children’s librarian Diane Lyon joined the McCook Rotary Club this week to share the remarkable story of how McCook’s public library came to be — and how it continues to evolve as a vital community resource. From Temperance to Carnegie: The Birth of a Library McCook’s first public reading space appeared in 1885, when the Women’s Temperance Union offered newspapers and magazines in their reading room. At the time, most libraries were private or charged

McCook Neb. — The McCook Rotary Club welcomed guest speaker Mariah Pierson at their September 16 meeting. Pierson is the founder of Rise Therapy, a mobile outpatient occupational therapy practice serving McCook and Omaha. Pierson, who grew up in Indianola, shared her journey from working as an occupational therapy assistant at Community Hospital to pursuing her master’s degree and ultimately starting her own pediatric-focused practice. After nearly a decade in the hospital s

McCOOK, Neb. — The Fox Theatre came alive this morning as area students filled the seats for a special matinee by Omaha Street Percussion (OSP), a high-energy percussion ensemble that turns everyday objects into instruments. The group is in McCook as part of the Lied Center’s Arts Across Nebraska program, and tonight, the community will get their chance to experience the rhythm. What makes OSP stand out isn’t just their unconventional instruments — buckets, paint cans, garbag

September 18, 2025 McCOOK, Neb. — Heritage Days officially opened Tuesday evening with the MNB Bank Mixer, a community tradition that blends celebration with recognition of local service and leadership. Resilience After the Storm Welcoming guests, MNB Bank CEO Brian Esch noted the resilience of McCook residents, many of whom were still recovering from Monday’s hailstorm. “This says something about all of you to show up tonight after what happened,” Esch said. “You should be

McCOOK, Neb. — Prairie Plains CASA invites the community downtown tonight, Thursday, September 18, for Come to the Table, a special event on Norris Avenue as part of the Third Thursday series. The initiative was first started by Judge Anne Paine before the COVID-19 pandemic, when she visited schools to talk with students about the importance of sitting down with their families for dinner. Since then, a coalition of community partners — including CASA, Nicole Peterson from HHS

September 17, 2025 McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook High School Class of 1965 has come together to honor two of their classmates in a lasting way. As part of their reunion during Heritage Days, members of the class dedicated two new picnic tables in Norris Park in memory of Ernest “Ernie” Weyeneth and Garrett Wagner. Classmates first set out to recognize Ernie, who passed away in 2022 after a long career in business and community service. When the idea of a picnic table came up, the

September 17, 2025 McCOOK, Neb. — The countdown is over. Heritage Days 2025 kicks off this week, bringing four days of community celebration, food, music, and tradition to McCook. Organizers say the festival will once again fill Norris Park, downtown streets, and Norris Alley with activities for all ages. The official schedule runs Wednesday, Sept. 17 through Saturday, Sept. 20, highlighted by the annual parade, family-friendly contests, live music, and the always-popular Okt

September 4, 2025 McCOOK, Neb. — Omaha-based artist and industrial designer Christopher Prinz visited McCook in late August with hundreds of pounds of meticulously formed metal, headlining an exhibit at ArtBank titled “Prototypes.” The presentation offered a close look at his process—how flat steel sheets become rigid, terrain-like sculptures and furniture through a unique wrinkling technique executed on a large press brake—and how small, hand-creased models in aluminum foil

September 2, 2025 McCOOK, Neb. – Members of the McCook Rotary Club welcomed guest speaker Dr. Richard Lawton, orthopedic surgeon at Community Hospital, during their Tuesday meeting at the McCook Community College East Campus. Lawton was invited by Rotarian Lori Savery-Hinze to share updates on orthopedic care available locally. From Denver Broncos to McCook Lawton completed his medical degree at Emory University, followed by an orthopedic residency at the Mayo Clinic and a fe

August 26, 2025 McCook, Neb. – Pharmacist, Katie Stagemeyer, was selected as Community Hospital’s 2025 Caring Kind Award recipient. Chosen by her peers for her outstanding compassion, dedication, and commitment to patient care, Katie exemplifies the values that define excellence in healthcare. Nominated by co-workers and chosen by Community Hospital employees and the PACT Committee (Pride, Activities, Communication, Team), her nomination reads: “Katie consistently goes above