Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
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Thanks to the COVID-19 scare ,there was no end of the school year awards night this year at the Kimball High so the Kimball High athletes missed out on this annual tribute as well. We published an entire list of accomplishments the graduating class achieved a couple of weeks back, but I want to give special recognition to Beau Hanks and Carli Wurdeman for being named Outstanding boy and girl Senior Athletes. They both also received the WTC scholarships and WTC Scholar Athlete awards and both were 4 year 12 sport athletes! Weight Room Opening... Full story
Braylon Miller and Braxton Miller, sons of Mr and Mrs. Chad Miller, were both recent state qualifiers in the Knights of Columbus free throw shooting contest. The Kimball brothers shot in their local competition at Sidney. Braxton, a 6th grader, hit 12 out of 15 for 80% and won by 1 over the second place shooter in the 12 year old division. Braylon, an 8th greater this past school year, competed in the 13 year old division and had his best outing in the Districts in the Scottsbluff, where he...
Kimball High School virtual graduation was complete with Pomp and Circumstance, the Star Spangled Banner and speeches by the valedictorian and salutatorian. Students achieving academic recognition were acknowledged and then 13 seniors were spotlighted for special recognition as they all entered kindergarten together and finally graduated together. Speakers included salutatorian Alexander Flores with a thank you that would make every teacher proud. He said thank you for "providing me with an... Full story
Although Memorial Day is traditionally considered to be the beginning of the summer season with people off to the lake and enjoying barbecues, it's real meaning can be found at the national and local cemeteries. Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, commemorates all men and women who have died in military service for the United States. Although unofficial, Kimball's COVID-19 Memorial Day 2020 will be a very quick and simple ceremony. The local VFW will have an honor guard, folding of t...
Most results of the May 12 primary election are final – but some results are not completely final yet, according to Cathy Sibal, Kimball County Clerk. The hotly contested school board race requires a recount. The recount will be conducted on May 28 at 1:00 pm at the Kimball County Courthouse. The nine school board candidates were to be narrowed to six candidates. Receiving top votes for school board were Chauncey Pederson, followed by Lanny Little and Albert Hargreaves, all with more than 500 votes each. The top fourth place vote getter was T...
Good news for children and parents alike as the Kimball city parks will be reopened on Tuesday,.Social distancing will still be required and signs will remind park visitors of the guidelines. Group sports are still not allowed under the current Directed Health Measure, so the basketball courts will remain closed for the time being. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church resumes with two Masses each weekend for a period of time to comply with social distancing. A Saturday evening Mass at 7:00 pm as well as an 8:00 Mass on Sunday beginning on May 23 and 2...
Tom Southard wrote an introduction in last week's Observer for the story below that he wrote in 1993 about Kimball's new golf state champions. Also presented below, after that story, is a follow-up that Tom wrote as Kimball was enjoying the good life with its champs. Kimball's high school golf team won the state Class C boys championship at Hastings Tuesday, the first state win ever by local golfers. The team captured the Class C District championship at North Platte May 12 and then won the stat...
"I'm focusing on seeing the bright side of tough situations. These past few months have been tough for everybody, but we won't get through it by looking at just the negatives." – Ginny Herboldsheimer Graduation for Potter-Dix Valedictorian Ginny Herboldsheimer was scheduled for May 9, but those plans have changed and graduation is still up in the air for the Coyotes. "I'm pretty excited for graduation, and that it might be something that isn't as traditional," she said. Ginny has started a s...
The Kiwanis of Kimball and Banner counties took the "bull by the horns" in celebrating the 2020 Kimball Jr/Sr High School seniors. Jay Fennell, president of the Kiwanis, said that "it was amazing to see the community pull together." According to Fennell, they received enough donations from the community to have gifts for all the seniors and a special prizes for the best decorated vehicles. Fennell stated that this is "not a replacement for graduation but something and someway to be able to... Full story
Graduation ceremony plans for Kimball High School seniors will begin with a virtual program to be streamed on the Kimball Public Schools Facebook page at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 16, Principal Mo Hanks said. On the afternoon of May 16, members of senior class will be scheduled by Hanks to check in their Chromebooks and other materials. And then the students, along with their immediate families, will be able to pick up their diploma, scholarship packets, honors/awards and senior T-shirts in a...
The coronavirus continues to headline the news as a smattering of positive cases have appeared in Scotts Bluff County and other Panhandle counties. No positive cases have been found in Kimball County since the beginning of April. Total positive cases for the Panhandle as of Tuesday morning was 75, with the most recent case from Scotts Bluff County. Most of the area cases are contracted through close contact of someone with the virus, and the major age brackets that are affected are 10-19 years of age and 40-49 years. The National Guard...
I have received what I feel is uplifting news from the good people who head up the local golf leagues, and it looks like there will be league play, and possibly even tournaments this summer at the Four Winds Golf Course. Randy Bohac informs me that the Thursday Night Men's Golf League will take place. The league is set with 28 teams playing a 9-week schedule with a season ending tournament. Schedules and rules are to be mailed out this week. Also, the annual Father's Day Classic Golf Tournament... Full story
COVID-19 restrictions have been partially lifted for Kimball County and the Panhandle Public Health District. This soft opening of local restaurants, beauty shops and churches require limiting the capacity and other requirements. Restaurants are limited to 50% occupancy, beauty and nail salons, barber shops, massage therapy services can open but must follow the 10-person rule and individuals must wear masks. Churches and other places of worship have been given the OK for services, funerals and... Full story
Mother's Day will be different for many this year due to the coronavirus. Even as restrictions are lifted, things are not back to normal. In the past, Rechelle Brown would celebrate and have dinner with LaVeta Beyke for Mother's Day. Although Rechelle and Laveta are not related by blood or marriage, still, Rechelle refers to LaVeta "she is just my Mom." Rechelle Brown knows that she can't visit her "Mom" this Mother's Day because as the Kimball County Courthouse, where Rechelle works, reopens...
Action Communications from Scottsbluff received the bid for the new Kimball County communication tower to replace the one destroyed last November in an ice storm. The tower, just north of Kimball, was built in Sioux Falls, S.D., and has signal booster technology for the State Patrol, emergency communications and the highway department. The tower also provides paging for ambulances and storm spotters. The 300-foot tower is expected to be operational this week....
Second of Two Parts Avoiding the Spanish Flu compares with today’s situation as an article/advertisement in 1918 appeared to inform people that it was spread by human contact, “chiefly through coughing, sneezing, or spitting. So avoid persons having colds – common drinking cups, roller towels, etc.” The article continued, “Use Vick’s Vapor Rub at the very first sign of a cold.” The local newspaper did not report any flu incidents in November, though a second quarantine must have been issued but not reported. Finally, according to the Dec. 5, 19...
May Day has made a comeback in Kimball as two Mary Lynch elementary teachers took to the streets and gave May Day baskets to their first grade students. The baskets, well really the buckets were filled with candy, pencils, games and a variety of other gifts and activities for the young students. Teachers, Cathy Flores and Kelli Patterson concocted their May Day surprise and then started gathering materials for the buckets, contacting parents and then planned the day long outing. Friday, May 1, M...
Dillon Wise, the young man who excelled for four years as a Kimball High golfer, is still improving his game and on May 1 established a new Four Winds Golf Course record with his round of 31-32=63! While playing his record setting round with Grant Hickman, Dillon scored six birdies, eagled both the number 8 and number 13 holes, and had but one bogey on hole number 2, when he hit his drive into the trees and had to work his way out. Of note, with his new course record he erased the old record of... Full story
Beau Hanks has accepted a scholarship offer from Iowa Central Community College, located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, to continue playing basketball while working towards a college degree in business administration. The 6'5" Kimball High senior will follow in the footsteps of his father Eugene "Mo" Hanks, who played football at Iowa Central some 40 years ago, and Beau said this was part of the reason he chose to start his career in the same location his dad did. "I really liked the coach and the way he...
Ryan Muneio was a top runner for the Kimball High track and cross country teams a few years back and went on to run, after receiving college scholarship offers, at Midland University in Fremont and then Doane College. Ryan was a 2015 Kimball High grad who loved to run, excelling in distance events, but he also had the speed to run the short races too. He was a state qualifier in cross country all four years and really came on strong in track his senior season. At the district meet, Ryan ran seco...
Nebraska Gov. Pete Rickets announced some easing of the restrictions in relation to COVID-19. On May 4, some establishments will be back in business. Religious services, funerals and weddings will be allowed on May 4 and do not have to follow the 10-person rule. In churches, members of households will be able to sit together but must maintain 6 feet distance from other churchgoers from other households. No passing of items between church goers will be allowed. Additional guidelines will be released prior to the May 4 opening. Elective surgeries... Full story
Kimball City Council conducted its monthly meeting by way of Zoom on Tuesday, April 21. In addition to council members using this method, residents may also use Zoom or dial in by telephone and listen to the meeting. All the information for the Zoom meeting is available on the City of Kimball website and in the Observer in the legal notices. The 17-minute meeting included a public hearing, a resolution and their regular business. A public hearing for a liquor license began at 6:04 and closed at...
Although the polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 12, they may not be busy at all due to the response to the coronavirus outbreak. According to the Kimball County Clerk's Office, they have sent out 1,018 early voting ballots while they usually have between 200 to 300. Comparing this years' primary to the 2018 primary, the total number of people who voted in 2018 was 928 and only 167 were early voters. More early voter ballots were sent out this year than total people that voted in the 2018...
More than 100 years ago, the world, the United States and Kimball County dealt with a raging flu pandemic. With no vaccine or antiviral drugs to treat it, the Spanish flu was deadly and spread quickly. Much like today, residents were ordered to wear masks, quarantine when necessary, stay away from groups of people and stay healthy. Imagine an absence of TV, radio, cell phones and internet. The only method of information was the local weekly newspaper. To set the scene on life at the time,...
STEVE LINN and his hole-in-one at the Four Winds this past week is my lead story this week. Steve got his first ace on April 22 on hole number 3 using a 7 iron from the blue tees while playing in a three-some with Pat O’Brien and Dennis Hoffman. An added bit of excitement for myself was I got to witness the hole-in-one as I was waiting for my turn to tee off on number 4. I watched the ball go by the pin about 2 feet and then back up and roll back down into the hole. Congrats to you, Steve! After this accomplishment, of course, the conversation... Full story