The Gering and Scottsbluff girls tennis teams were in McCook on Saturday as a total of five teams competed for an invite title The homestanding Bison captured the top spot with 52 points Gering came in third place while Scottsbluff was fourth 1 singles as Aria Schneider went 3-1 on the day The Bulldogs finished with 18 points while Scottsbluff totaled 17 points © 2025 Nebraska Rural Radio Association. All rights reserved. Republishing, rebroadcasting, rewriting, redistributing prohibited. Copyright Information Website ©2025 Nebraska Rural Radio Association | All rights reserved. | Website developed by Hollman Media you will be automatically redirected here whenever you go to https://ruralradio.com you can click the "Clear home" link in the footer of the site — Press release courtesy of McCook Community College Athletics: The McCook Community College softball team is going to the school's first-ever appearance in the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series after beating Western Nebraska Sunday 9-1 The Lady Indians swept their way to a Region IX Tournament title with three straight wins as the top seed and playing at the Jaycees Sports Complex MCC will be one of 20 teams traveling to Yuma what a tournament," said MCC Coach Mike Mendenhall "I can't be more proud of the girls and the accomplishments they have had this year." After trailing 1-0 eight pitches into the game MCC tied the game in the bottom of the first and broke the game open with six runs in the fifth inning to end the game on the eight-run rule British Columbia) and sophomore Anna Elliott (Calgary Alberta) both helped the MCC offensive cause with home runs and freshman Kaliyah St British Columbia) picked up the win in the pitcher's circle "It was a pitcher's duel early on but our girls just kept scrapping at the plate," said Mendenhall lined an 0-2 pitch into right field for a triple the Cougars took a 1-0 lead on an RBI-groundout Texas) singled with one out in the first inning stole second base and scored on an RBI-double by freshman Payton Kinsley (Didsbury the Lady Indians got leadoff single by Elliott and a bunt single by freshman Peytann Weiland (Aurora Warren lined an RBI-single to left field to give MCC a 2-1 lead Warren drove solo home run to right field to put the Lady Indians ahead 3-1 Western Nebraska threatened in the fifth with a one-out MCC infield error a stolen base and an infield groundout advancing the runner to third base but second baseman Ayana Goodwin (sophomore Colo.) ranged far to the middle of the diamond and snared a hard line drive to end the inning Elliott started the six-run frame with a one-out solo home run to center field Weiland walked and a Western error loaded the bases and I knew that their pitcher was going to be worn out," said Mendenhall of Western Nebraska pitcher Kayli Cooper who left the game after the walk to Weiland "We had some huge hits late in the game to put it away." Warren walked and another Cougar error scored another run to make it a 6-1 Lady Indian lead Kinsley doubled in two runs and Gutierrez scored the walk-off run on a fielder's choice with Sadie Kahl batting Amand allowed just one single over five innings MCC improves to 48-9 on the year and on Tuesday will find out who they play when the bracket for the College World Series is announced The Lady Indians went unblemished in the tournament winning the opening game Friday over Trinidad State 10-3 On Saturday MCC outlasted Western Nebraska 2-1 in eight innings before ending the tournament with the 9-1 win Sunday Trinidad State 2 (Trinidad State eliminated) Game 4 – McCook (46-9) vs Western Nebraska (25-24) Otero College 3 (Otero College eliminated) — The top-seeded McCook Community College Lady Indians opened up Region IX tournament play with a 10-3 win over Trinidad State on Friday The Lady Indians set a school record for wins with 46 Starting pitcher Sadie Kahl went 3.1 innings allowing two earned runs and one strikeout Alberta native also hit a two-run homerun in the third inning Freshman Payton Kinsley put the game away with a grand slam in the sixth inning MCC will play Western Nebraska at 2:30 p.m - The April 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month can be found all over the McCook YMCA literally everywhere because he�s involved in nearly every aspect of its current renovation and expansion project � McCook High School students stepped out of the classroom and into the community on Thursday as part of an annual community service project � A total of $17.4 million for renovations and upgrades at the YMCA of McCook was raised purely from donations and a grant � Hard work and imagination were on full display Wednesday evening as students at McCook Public Schools presented projects at the annual HAL (High Ability Learner) and Crackerjack Showcase at the Junior High School cafeteria Wednesday night The Way I Saw It Many of you asked about the helicopters flying low (legal altitudes) over McCook and circling around over the Lake and countryside it was the Nebraska Army Guard giving rides to deserving area residents who make accommodations to care for their employees who serve in the Guard McCook Gazette intern Maryann Kassner accepts a scholarship from the Nebraska Press Association Foundation during the annual NPA conference April 26 presented �in recognition of academic achievement and dedication to journalistic excellence,� honors Kassner�s accomplishments as a senior at McCook High School She plans to attend the University of Nebraska at Kearney where she will major in mass communication the new administrator at Highland Park Retirement Community joins staff and board members at the McCook Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony Monday at Highland Park major upgrades have taken place at the retirement facility A full-time maintenance staff has been hired as well as new activity director and med aides--and a van is now available to take residents to various places around town David Wilson and Greg Wolford) and 10 board members Red Willow County commissioners accepted the �voluntary resignation� of former commissioner and 47-year county employee Earl McNutt at Monday morning�s regular board meeting the board reached the agenda item titled �discuss and act on potential termination of District three Foreman� and immediately went into executive session the board cleared the chambers of spectators and staff to receive legal advice regarding the potential termination This Wednesday, April 9th the Prep Baseball Illinois team is hosting the McCook Rising Stars ID at The MAX in McCook This is an open event for high school graduating classes of 2029-30 and gives our staff an ample look at the area's top players For a closer look at the showcase details and the technologies we'll have on-site to assist our in-person evaluation for all in attendance, click HERE. For a complete look at those registered to attend this event, view the most up-to-date version of the roster by clicking HERE Because of the high number of prospects set to attend Wednesday's event it is imperative that you read our adjusted showcase itinerary below which will allow our staff to swiftly and efficiently educate and evaluate the players set to attend in an effort to continue and develop contactless check-in strategies players will scan a QR Code with their smart phone camera that will lead them to a Google Form players will enter their name (matching the spelling on their PB profile) and hit submit players will be prompted to click a link that will direct them to their jersey color and number Click HERE to learn more about our tech partners that have enhanced our players showcase experience and Blast Motion have helped both our in-event evaluation process as well the compilation of our post-event scouting reports – and they're also a tool for our players to learn more about their measured and collected data that can be applied to improve upon their game Be sure to follow us on all of our social media platforms so you don't miss any of our content           the City of McCook planted a bare root American Linden tree at Russell Park Friday morning The American Linden is a fast growing tree that can live up to 200 years demonstrated the correct way to plant a bareroot tree and said it was important to trim the roots and not plant too deeply Planting bare root trees is what our grandparents did years ago and is why those trees lived so long the city�s public transit bus is more than just a ride � it�s a vital link to her daily life - The plat for the Walters addition and the associated sports complex consumed much of the spotlight at Monday night�s meeting of the McCook City Council but the prospect of increased fees and additional taxes was also a topic of discussion Fish and Parks is looking to remove sediment and debris from McCook Lake following a major flood A flood event last June collapsed many homes and destroyed roads and other infrastructure around the lake GF&P is hoping to clean up the area to restore recreational use This includes removing approximately 20,000 cubic yards of sediment and getting rid of remaining storm debris The project would begin in May and would last until August � McCook Chamber of Commerce Director Sarah Schneider shared updates from the chamber�s recent April board meeting upcoming community events and efforts to boost local engagement and tourism - The McCook School Board is preparing to launch another bond campaign — The City of McCook is turning a piece of farmland into a recreational multi-use sports complex The city believes the roughly $17 million project will draw more people to the area “This is one of the things that I think will make young families and other individuals get excited about coming to McCook,” Nate Schneider “This is probably one of the most exciting things that’s ever happened to McCook,” Linda Taylor Taylor went on to mention that while this project will have an immediate impact on the McCook community it will strengthen the entire region of southwestern Nebraska “We realize how it is really going to impact the state of Nebraska especially in southwest Nebraska because we’re going to be bringing in tourism We’re going to be having a lot of people travel through this community,” Taylor said The city purchased a 127-acre plot of land with the intention of using 40 of them for the sports complex to develop baseball softball and soccer fields among other athletic venues The remaining land will be used for commercial and residential developments and I think most communities in Nebraska have had issues as far as trying to bridge the gap in housing demand and supply and I think this is going to help out quite a bit,” Schneider said We’re looking at putting a lot of development around there,” Taylor said Schneider also explained that because of geographical issues the city has never really had the chance to grow its commercial sector until now you’ve got some issues as far as flood plains and the east and west parts of McCook have some topographic issues but this gives us the opportunity to hit all three uses and then also the residential,” Schneider said The project will be completed in phases with the first priority being to build a championship field for both baseball and softball and then build enough fields to hold regional softball tournaments among other amenities We will continue to monitor this story and update you with the latest This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page is welcomed as a McCook Chamber of Commerce member at a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday at the Keystone Business Center Those attending Monday�s ribbon cutting included Chamber of Commerce board members LaBay is currently undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer  It was a special day at Volunteer Field on Sunday when Western Nebraska Community College and McCook Community College met for a doubleheader with a packed Volunteer Field It was two exciting games between two of the top teams in Region IX with each team earning a win The first game the Cougars captured a 7-6 win with a walk-off single in the seventh inning by JoLee Huffaker Her single score Mykah Klumpp with the winning run The second game saw McCook score five fifth-inning runs and then hold off a Cougar seventh inning rally to collect the 7-4 win The Cougars pushed holding their opponents to under 10 runs a game to 19 straight contests WNCC goes to 25-23 on the season and 16-8 in the conference McCook went to 45-9 on the season and will host the Region IX tournament next weekend The tournament continues Saturday with the championship games slated for Sunday at 11 a.m The winner of the tournament automatically qualifies for the NJCAA national tournament May 19-24 in Yuma While the game was both teams final regular season contest it was a special day for the eight Cougar sophomores as they were recognized before the contest It was also a special occasion for the 10-under softball teams from the Alliance Aftershock and the 308 United team as they got to partake in the introductions of the starting lineup on the field with the Cougar players Klumpp said it was a special day for not only the sophomores but the team as they got to mingle with the youngsters “I absolutely loved having the crowd there The community support here is amazing,” Klumpp “Having the young girls there made me so incredibly happy People don’t remember specific plays years from now but that is a memory those young girls will never forget I hope to watch them play in a Cougar uniform.” As for playing her last game at Volunteer Field Klumpp said it was emotional to say the least “Playing the last game at home was just full of a lot of memories and super fun,” Klumpp said it’s the place that my teammates and I have gotten the closest it was a good reminder of the improvements that everyone has made There were definitely emotions of just remembering these things and playing one last time with my best friends The eight of us were super appreciative of the recognition we received We enjoyed everything about it and just feeling accomplished of everything that we have gone through together.” another sophomore who had the game-winning hit in game one said today was definitely a special time “It was good and fun to get recognized for al the different players we’ve become in college to see how much we have grown,” the sophomore from Wellington “It’s really special to connect with the younger girls because it really reminds you of how far you’ve come from being that little girl once looking up to college girls to being the college girls being looked up to It’s a nice reminder that sports are supposed to be fun to play and watch.” both teams played tough like championship teams Huffaker said these are good games to prepare for regionals “All of the girls fought hard today; it may have not been our best in the second game but McCook was a good competitor to play against to get us more knowledge for regionals,” Huffaker said “We take our struggles from the games and work them until it’s not a problem for us anymore which will help us going into regionals.” Klumpp said they played well for the most part against a good McCook team in which they split the 4-game series with the Indians each winning once on the other team’s turf “Our team played well together and was able to connect hit at key times in the game We never gave up in the second game which is good,” Klumpp said “McCook is a good team and being able to play them at the end of our season continued to build our confidence to move forward We know there is a good possibility we will face them again.” Game one was a battle with neither team leading by more than two runs WNCC went up 2-1 after the first inning as Klumpp had a 2-run singe to put the Cougars up Neither team score in the second and in the third WNCC answered in the bottom of the frame with two runs as Huffaker doubled home two runs with two outs for the 4-2 lead Each team scored one in the fourth as WNCC led 5-3 McCoo plated one in the fifth to make it 5-4 McCook scored twice in the seventh to tie the game WNCC won the game in the bottom of the seventh when Klumpp had a lead-off double and then Huffaker had a hard ground ball to score Klumpp with the winning run Kayli Cooper picked up the complete-game win scattering 10 hits and allowing six runs while striking out two WNCC scored first in the second game as they scored one run in the second as Tina Horton singled in Lydia Tibbals McCook came back with two in the third and five in the fourth for a 7-1 lead The Cougars also had trouble scoring again until the seventh when they had something going Huffaker led off by reaching on an error and came in to score on a Horton double Horton scored on a Mitchell single and then Mitchell scored on a Sierra Hilgner double Game 1McCook             101 110 2 – 6 10 4 WNCC                202 101 1 – 7 11 2WP – Kayli Cooper McCook             002 500 0 – 7 10 2WNCC                010 000 3 – 4 6 1LP – Jenika Fuentes © 2025 Nebraska Rural Radio Association. All rights reserved. Republishing, rebroadcasting, rewriting, redistributing prohibited. Copyright Information — The Ed Thomas YMCA just broke ground on a multimillion-dollar renovations project The roughly $17.5 million Capital Improvement Project includes an expanded gym with an elevated walking track a modernized fitness and wellness center with upgraded equipment and a revitalized youth development center and outdoor playground It’s a project that the McCook community is passionate about “This is probably one of the greatest things that can happen to McCook,” McCook Mayor Linda Taylor said “It’s a transformative project for our community,” Ed Thomas YMCA CEO Mitch Gross said The Ed Thomas YMCA is currently home to several McCook athletic teams’ practices “This is where we have our swim team’s practice We even have here a daycare,” Taylor added “The school has had a relationship with the YMCA for awhile,” McCook Public Schools Superintendent Grant Norgaard said That relationship fostered growth for the YMCA and the community when the nonprofit realized it needed more space for this project to work “You see this property over here to the west of us here and they knew to get their project off the ground they were going to have to build a big parking lot,” Norgaard said It’s all about social connection,” Gross said “As I got out and talked to potential donors and some that still have that actually grew up here but don’t have any active ties to the community they would tell me story after story about how important the YMCA was in their development," MNB Financial Group Chairman Mark Graff said "They call Yankee Stadium ‘The House that Babe Ruth Built.’ Well I think our YMCA is ‘The House that Love Built.’” The project is expected to take 20 months to complete and the entire McCook community says they are so excited about what this development will bring for their town In a case filed in Red Willow County Court by County Attorney Paul Wood on Oct Wolf was charged with negligently committing child abuse without injury � April 5 marked a milestone for McCook High School as its Esports team claimed the school�s first state championship in program history June in McCook will be abuzz with fun events hosted by McCook Community Foundation Fund Our young people in Youth Change Reaction will host the first Nebraska Community Foundation gathering for youth which will bring youth from across Nebraska to McCook our students identified that McCook is great because of connections Our young people easily recognize how critical this factor is to people-attraction Lexington hosted its annual boys golf invite on Tuesday afternoon at Lakeside Country Club © 2025 Nebraska Rural Radio Association. All rights reserved. Republishing, rebroadcasting, rewriting, redistributing prohibited. Copyright Information � A diner that kicks it up a notch is now open in McCook - The McCook Chamber of Commerce has announced the launch of the new �Explore McCook App,� designed to serve as a comprehensive guide to the community The app promises to provide users with resources for job searches details associated with the planned sports complex in Northwest McCook were discussed in a meeting with City Manager Nate Schneider is embarking on its most significant development project since the construction of the golf course in the 1970s and 80s and is tackling a project of daunting complexity