Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
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The Kimball Women's Golf Association started league play in June with eight teams. The women played the front nine, it was a beautiful evening and the course was in excellent shape. Pattie Klinginsmith's solid performance earned her low gross scores of 45, while Phyllis Greenwood captured low net with a 34. Jean Barrett's putter was hot as she only needed it 15 times. President of the association Charlotta Young holed-out on number five. The women played the back nine on week two and Pattie...
What a great golf weekend at the Four Winds Golf Course this past Saturday-Sunday. Amazing the number of people that turn out for this annual golfing attraction, not only in the number of 3-man teams, which ended up at 35 when one team did not show, but also in the number of people who come out to follow their favorite teams, both days! This year the weather was near-perfect both days, and the course was groomed to Perfection. I heard so many positive comments on the Kimball course. It is so gratifying to see the number of all-family teams ente...
COVID continues to be a hot topic as the Kimball County Manor is planning a parade to help lift the spirits of their residents during this tough time at the manor. The parade is planned for June 26 at 6:30 pm. They are encouraging people to decorate cars, make signs and to drive by the manor. Now, just as summer hits, Scotts Bluff County has had between 8-10 daily cases of the coronavirus. Most of those cases are considered close contact but a few are community spread. Face masks are very... Full story
The Economic Development Board met on Tuesday, June 9, with a quorum of members. Chairman Roger Wynne called the Zoom meeting to order at 7:30 am. The board had previously tabled the consideration of using local banks to process and handle all LB 840 loans, but it was decided that the use of local banks just wasn't a feasible option for all parties. LB 840 money is sales tax money from the city. The city averages about $15,000 monthly in sales tax. According to City Treasurer Annette Brower,...
It is nice to see all the activity again at the Kimball baseball/softball diamonds! The state associations have given the OK for Nebraska youth to have practices, and game competition will follow soon. Ashley Thurin is one of the key figures in organizing and setting up schedules, and it looks like she will have several teams from the various age groups for both girls and boys. Ashley informed Monday evening that games will begin June 22, and you fans can catch youth games at the Kimball... Full story
Adam Bohac, who was a standout athlete for Kimball High during his prep days and went on to play basketball for the University of Nebraska, has been named to the "50 Impactful Coaches" list in a release that came out this past week. This list includes the NCAA Division II and NAIA, according to the release. In his 12 seasons with Southern Nazarene University as the head coach of the men's basketball program, Bohac has taken his team to one Final Four and two Elite Eights in the NAIA spectrum. He...
The first big tournament of the season will happen this weekend at the Four Winds Golf Course as the Annual Father’s Day Classic event is set for its two-day format on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s play will tee off with a shotgun start at 12 noon with two 3-person teams on each of the 18 holes, and Sunday play will have a 9 a.m. start time, also with a shotgun start. As usual, the format is a 3-person scramble and requires no handicap and is an opportunity for golfers to play with family and friends. As reported last week by chairman Ran...
Days after a blaze in Kimball, the smell of smoke still permeated the neighborhood of 4th and Nadine as a result of a barn fire on Wednesday evening. Charles Maughan's barn/shed, along the alley between Nadine and Washington, caught fire. The fire not only destroyed everything in the barn. including two vehicles, but also burned up the electric pole and left neighbors without electricity for a short amount of time. "The investigator said it might have been wiring," Maughan said. Maughan, a... Full story
As of Tuesday morning, Banner County was experiencing its first COVID-19 case. The person was described as a female in her 30s, and it was spread by close contact, according to Panhandle Public Health District. Scotts Bluff County continues to have a number of positive cases each and every day and the cases vary between close contact and community spread. The City of Kimball continues to be very cautious as any and all of its municipal meetings continue to be conducted by Zoom and individuals...
On July 7, Alexander Romero, 24, will be sentenced in district court on charges stemming from the death of his 7-month-old daughter, Aaliyah, in April 2019. The original charges of intentional child abuse resulted in a hung jury in March of this year in Kimball District Court. On May 5, Romero changed his plea to no contest on two counts of Child Abuse, Class IIA felonies, each with a maximum sentence of 20 years confinement. Matthew McDonald, one of Romero's attorneys from the Nebraska Crime...
According to the Nebraska State Patrol, the wind on Saturday caused some major traffic accidents in the area. In a single vehicle accident on Interstate 80, the driver was trying to avoid some debris on the road, but ended up striking the debris. At mile mark 8, the driver lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle rolled. The Nebraska State Patrol said a fatality occurred in this rollover as the passenger was ejected from the vehicle. Another accident Saturday happened at mile marker 27 on Interstate 80. A pickup towing a camper was...
Some local decisions have been made for the Kimball-Banner County Fair to proceed with the COVID-19 situation, and the local fair board is following the recommendations of the governor's task force. The horse show will probably be the least affected event at the fair. Participants will be staying 6 feet apart from one another and practicing social distancing. There will be no in-person Parade of Champions, but plans are to have it done virtually. The Round Robin Championship will not happen...
After two years at the helm of Kimball Public School system, superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Owens attended her last school board meeting via Zoom from her home in South Dakota, where she will retire. Each board member thanked her for her leadership and she expressed her appreciation to the students and staff of Kimball. Mark you calendars because on Monday, July 27 at 6:00 p.m. a candidate webinar will be held for the six candidates that will be on the ballot in November for school board. All members were present for the regular June meeting of...
Kimball High athletes were back in the school's spacious weight room this past week after the NSAA gave permission for Nebraska schools to open up their weight rooms at the same time, while still watching and using the 6-foot social distancing rule as much as possible and wiping down all equipment used. I made a trip to the Kimball High weight room this past week and with permission from Coach Ben Aarestad, who was overseeing the 7:30 to 9 a.m. lifting session. I observed for a short time and... Full story
Another friendly reminder that the upcoming Father’s Day Golf Classic 3-Man Scramble tournament will be held Father’s Day weekend, June 20-21, at the Four Winds Golf Course in Kimball. Chairman Randy Bohac provided some additional information this week as he looks for more entries to get everything set up. “This tournament began, and was started by the former Kimball Men’s Country Club league, and has continued with the support and help of the Thursday Night Men’s League,” he said. “This tournament requires no handicap and is a great time to...
Six candidates from the school board election were slated in the May 12 primary to move on to the general election, but sixth place encountered a tie vote between Maggie Laughlin and Jennifer Griebel, so hence a recount. Even after the recount, the two remained deadlocked in votes – which required that a tiebreaker be conducted. In this case, the candidate or her representative who drew the high card from a deck of cards would win. It turned out to be Griebel with a 10 of diamonds. The r... Full story
In local COVID-19 news, the Kimball Community Concert Association is looking forward to the 2020-21 season but like everything else, it may look different. The local association has asked members to keep an eye out for a survey which will ask a few questions to get the opinion of members on how to best approach the upcoming season in a safe and reasonable method. Surveys should be received in the mail and returned promptly. Mary Lynch K-6 grade has announced that they will have summer school from June 8 to July 24. Due to the coronavirus,...
Graduation exercises were held for the Potter-Dix seniors on Saturday, May 30, on Combs Field. The 30 minute COVID-19 compliant ceremony included the presentation of scholarships and shared addresses from salutatorian Noah Rabin and valedictorian Virginia Herboldsheimer. The principal presented the class and each student picked up their own diploma. Of the nine seniors at Potter-Dix, seven participated in the event. Parents and family members watched from the parking area....
"We used to run 24 hours a day with two divisions and up to 12 rigs." said Liz Ferguson, owner of Eatmon Well Service, as she reflected on the golden days in the oilfield. The oil industry has always had its ups and downs. Liz said, "It is either up or down. If it was only an even road. When it's good, it's good, when it bad it's really bad!" According to Liz, in 1982, they were really busy, the oil industry was booming. "We bought two brand new rigs and in six month things crashed," she recalle...
Cathy Flores, who is retiring after 43 years as a first-grade teacher in Kimball Public Schools, was treated to a birthday parade as well as a retirement parade this past week. A host of students, parents and colleagues joined her in the activities. A tribute story honored the legendary educator in the Observer's May 28 edition.... Full story
Nathan Belden lost control of a pickup that he was driving on Highway 30 east of Kimball at 10:02 p.m. Saturday, May 23. The pickup was towing another vehicle and fishtailed, thus causing the incident. Kimball County Sheriff Deputy Dave Hottell investigated the no-injury event. This photo was taken at the accident scene the next morning.... Full story
Nebraska got the word that adult and youth baseball/softball could begin practicing as of this past Monday, June 1. Ashley Thurin informed me that league play in Kimball for the youth programs will start up on June 18. At this time, the teams are still being put together, and team coaches will be getting their practice dates and times scheduled to let their team members know. We will let you readers know more as more info is developed. Here are the Covid-19 rules for the practice sessions: 1. Players, coaches, and staff showing signs/symptoms... Full story
Some things in our lives are getting back to normal as the Panhandle continues to deal with the coronavirus. Topping the hit list for Kimball County is the reopening of the Kimball's Pizza Hut. After a lengthy closing, Pizza Hut is scheduled to reopen on Thursday. And over the Memorial Day weekend, a reported 194 campers were parked at Oliver Lake. In addition, the city parks and playgrounds are open and the city is hiring lifeguards/seasonal help. The position will transition into a lifeguard... Full story
"It was always about the kids," said long time teacher Cathy Flores, reflecting on her 43-year teaching career. Not many teachers will be able to beat Mrs. Flores' record and her exemplary dedication – 43 years in the same grade, first grade, and same school district, Kimball Public Schools. After graduating from the University of Nebraska in 1977, she began teaching in Kimball in the fall of that year. She taught at West Elementary School for 35 years and completed the last eight years of t...
On a cool and windy Memorial Day, a small crowd at Kimball Cemetery gathered near their cars to honor those "who gave it all." The 20-minute ceremony featured the "Star Spangled Banner" sung by Jenna Greenwood and Taps, played by Ethan Bemis. Pastor Ken Mars opened up the morning ceremony with a prayer and Mayor Keith Prunty spoke, while an honor guard stood nearby. Prunty, reading from remarks he found online and appreciated, said, "Those who are in today's military face a world that is...