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McCOOK Neb. —  When you meet Jason and Chandele Hilker, you can tell right away they’ve been through a lot together — and not just the usual life stuff. Both served 20 years in the Marine Corps, raised kids through deployments, and somehow managed to retire still married, still laughing, and now finally settled here in McCook. It’s not common to meet a couple who both wore the uniform, especially for that long. Jason said it best: “You’ll see dual veterans, but you’ll rarely

McCOOK Neb. — A new local effort is coming together this week to help make sure no family in McCook goes without a good meal. McCook Meal Kits, a collaboration between local churches, businesses, and volunteers, will host its first free Meal Kit Giveaway on Wednesday, November 12, from 2–6 p.m. at the McCook Community Building on the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. Each kit will include shelf-stable ingredients and seasonings to prepare full family meals such as Chili Mac, Co

November 10, 2025 McCook, Neb. — The Red Willow County Board of Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse, covering a range of regular business items including a 2.5% annual salary increase for county officials for the 2027–2030 term, appointments to county boards, and the approval of more than $679,000 in claims. Chairman Ted Gans called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. with Commissioner Randy Dean present. Commissioner Charles Fritsche was absent. Gans opened by

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. — St. Patrick Catholic School will honor local veterans with its annual Veterans Day Program on Monday, November 11, featuring Brigadier General (Ret.) Chris Spillman as the guest speaker. A retired U.S. Army officer with nearly 38 years of active-duty service, General Spillman brings a lifetime of leadership, strategic insight, and dedication to national defense. His distinguished career spans from field commands overseas to high-level positions at the Pentagon,

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

11/04/2025 McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council moved forward on a major financing step Monday night, approving a $5 million bond ordinance to fund infrastructure improvements tied to the city’s new sports complex project — a development City Manager Nate Schneider called a reflection of McCook’s remarkable growth. “I’ve never seen this kind of growth in McCook,” Schneider said, noting the scale of recent development projects underway across the community. “This project is

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. — When you hear that 42 million Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help put food on the table, it’s hard not to wonder what that costs—and who could afford to pay for it. So, could a single billionaire feed America for one month? According to the math, yes. According to reality, it’s more complicated. The Cost of Feeding America Federal SNAP spending for fiscal year 2024 totaled about $100 billion, according to the U.S. Depa

October 30, 2025 McCOOK, Neb. — A statement on the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) website is raising questions for its unusually partisan language, blaming Democrats in the U.S. Senate for the ongoing federal government shutdown. The message appears on the agency’s official Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) webpage, which provides information for low-income families receiving food assistance. The message, displayed at the top of dhhs.n

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook chapter of TeamMates Mentoring is hosting motivational speaker and actor Corey Martin Craig on Thursday, October 30, at the McCook Memorial Auditorium. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the event begins at 7:00 p.m. Craig, a Lincoln native and former TeamMates mentee, discovered his passion for the arts in his eighth-grade theatre class. After graduating from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, he began his career with Warner Bros. Studios,

Operations Still Expected “Imminently,” According to Pillen McCOOK, Neb. (October 28, 2025) — Governor Jim Pillen confirmed Tuesday that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in McCook will not open this week as previously announced. The site, located at the former Work Ethic Camp (WEC) in northeast McCook, had been slated to begin operations on Saturday, November 1, following federal inspections and security upgrades. However, during a call

Oct. 28, 2025 Companies request approval from Nebraska Public Service Commission   KEARNEY, Neb. — “Better Together.” That’s the message shared by Black Hills Corp., doing business as Black Hills Energy, and NorthWestern Energy, in a joint application submitted yesterday to the Nebraska Public Service Commission seeking regulatory approval for a merger between the two companies.   The merger will combine the strengths of both companies, resulting in an organization with great

McCOOK, Neb. — There’s a new reason to stop by East 4th Street this weekend — The Shed is opening its newly finished space, expanding the cozy McCook shop that’s become known for its mix of practical furniture, home décor, and unexpected finds. Owned by Susan and Bob Ihrig, The Shed has quietly grown since opening last year, and the couple is now ready to open the doors to the large red building behind their home — adding more space and variety for shoppers to explore. Locate

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. — The potential disruption of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits — commonly known as food stamps — has become one of the most pressing issues in the ongoing government shutdown. With funding for millions of Americans at risk of running out, political leaders are locked in a high-stakes dispute over who is responsible and how to resolve the crisis. What’s Happening If the shutdown is not resolved, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA

The suit asserts the Governor has exceeded his authority under state law LINCOLN, NE – Red Willow County District Judge Patrick Heng has issued a ruling in the lawsuit filed by Nebraska Appleseed on behalf of former State Senator DiAnna Schimek and thirteen residents of McCook, Nebraska , to prevent Governor Jim Pillen’s unauthorized attempt to repurpose Nebraska’s Work Ethic Camp into a large-scale ICE detainment camp.  The plaintiffs in the case asked for a temporary inj