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December 3, 2025 McCOOK Neb. — December may have arrived, but the beards of No-Shave November are still getting their moment in the spotlight at Community Hospital. Throughout the month of November, staff members put down their razors to raise awareness for cancer and support local patients receiving treatment at the Community Hospital Cancer Center. Now that the shaving ban has officially ended, the hospital is inviting the public to help choose this year’s winning beard. Wh

December 2, 2025 McCOOK Neb. — Today is Giving Tuesday, a global day of generosity that takes place every year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It encourages people to support nonprofits, charities, and community groups through donations, volunteering, or simple acts of kindness. How It Started Giving Tuesday began in 2012 at the 92nd Street Y in New York, created as a response to the holiday shopping rush of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The idea was simple: dedicate one

McCOOK Neb.— The Nebraska State Patrol has released an official statement regarding the incident that occurred Monday afternoon in McCook. According to NSP, McCook Police received a 911 call from a resident who stated he was considering self-harm. While officers were speaking with him on the phone, they heard a gunshot inside the home. Officers entered, attempted life-saving measures, and called EMS, but the man was pronounced deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot

December 1, 2025 McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council met Monday evening for a relatively short meeting covering infrastructure updates, upcoming planning items, funding policy presentations, and reminders of several community events scheduled in the coming days. Injection Well Repairs Completed After 14-Day Operation Water Department staff presented a detailed update on the city’s deep injection well, which is used to safely dispose of waste from the water treatment plant

December 1, 2025 McCook, Neb.  – The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) has announced the results of the highly anticipated 2025 Digital Health Most Wired Survey, an internationally recognized benchmarking program that honors excellence in digitally enabled healthcare. Community Hospital is proud to announce its Level 9 achievement in the Acute category and its special recognition for Critical Access Digital Health Excellence—an honor awarded to o

McCook Neb. — The holiday season is officially underway in downtown McCook, and the Chamber of Commerce has rolled out a full calendar of family-friendly activities, local shopping incentives, and festive community traditions through mid-December. From carriage rides to caroling, downtown tours to gingerbread creations, the coming weeks are set to bring light, music, and holiday cheer to Norris Avenue. Chamber/City/MEDC Mixer at the Keystone As holiday preparations continue,

Alicia’s Story — Love, Loss, and Building Families Through Openness McCook Neb. — November is National Adoption Month a time meant to honor families, raise awareness, and shed light on one truth many don’t often hear clearly enough: adoption begins with brokenness, but it does not have to end there. For Alicia, that truth lives inside her home every single day. She and her husband were already raising five biological children when adoption entered their lives, not through a

McCook, Neb. – Community Hospital is proud to announce the addition of Erin Pascoe, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), to our Behavioral Health team. Pascoe brings a wealth of experience, a deep commitment to patient care, and a special connection to the McCook community. A native of Curtis and born at Community Hospital, her journey has come full circle as she returns to serve the region where her healthcare career began. With over a decade of experience

McCOOK, Neb. — In a quiet corner of Memorial Park Cemetery stands a large pine tree that, every December, becomes something extraordinary. What began more than two decades ago as one family’s gesture of love has grown into a community-wide tradition of remembrance, healing, and connection. A Tradition Rooted in Love Twenty-three years ago, Nancy and Jerry Renard hung a single ornament on the pine tree in honor of their son, Greg, who passed away on December 29, 2000. With the

McCOOK Neb.— Handyman Stamm, a locally owned and newly BBB-accredited business, is launching a special holiday giveaway this season—one free home installation, with all materials and labor included, for a local family in need. The installation could be anything from a new furnace or water heater to plumbing repairs, flooring, HVAC work, accessibility upgrades, or other essential fixes that help keep a home safe and functioning. Cosmetic-only projects won’t be included, but t

Nov. 18, 2025 McCOOK Neb. — The McCook City Council covered a full slate of community updates Monday night, highlighted by a major donation, housing progress, and several routine approvals. $500,000 Pledge Announced The McCook Community Foundation Fund pledged $500,000 to the Gerald L. Walters Youth Sports Complex. City Manager Nate Schneider said the pledge brings fundraising and grant support to around $3 million. Foundation members attending the meeting were recognized by

November 18, 2025 McCook, Neb. – Community Hospital is proud to announce the addition of Aquablation® therapy, a cutting-edge, minimally invasive surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), commonly known as an enlarged prostate. This advanced technology offers a new level of precision and safety for men suffering from lower urinary tract symptoms caused by BPH. Aquablation therapy is performed using the AquaBeam® Robotic System, which combines real-time ultra

November 14, 2025 McCook, Neb. – Community Hospital announces the sale of its Community HealthCare and Hospice service line to Angels CareHome Health and Angels Care Hospice, managed by AngMarManagement Services, a company nationally recognized for its expertise in home health and hospice care. This strategic transition ensures the continued availability of vital hospice and home health services to patients across southwest Nebraska. The decision was made with careful consid

November 10, 2025 McCOOK Neb. — The McCook Board of Education met Monday evening for its regular monthly meeting. Key highlights and actions included: Student & Staff Updates Science Trip Approved: McCook High School Science Teacher Mr. Cory Degnan received board approval for a nine-day summer field school through Wyoming and South Dakota. Students will study geology, ecosystems, and Indigenous history in a hands-on outdoor learning experience. CTE Class Additions: Tanner Ung

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