Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Sorted by date Results 176 - 200 of 4069
Pine Bluffs Gravel and Excavating is doing a resurfacing project for the Minuteman Missile access roads. Heavy truck traffic is expected to continue south of Kimball, although the work will only take place during daylight hours. More than 40 gravel trucks are hauling gravel from the gravel pits just west of Kimball to the missile base roads in Laramie County, Wyoming, at the present time. Sites in Weld County have been completed, and they will start on the missile roads in Kimball County by the...
The Kimball County Commissioners went into two executive sessions Tuesday, Sept. 19, regarding deployment of security personnel and devices and the purpose of discussing confidential employee and personnel matters. On Tuesday evening, the commissioners held a joint public hearing regarding the increase in the tax request, and on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 9:15 a.m. the commissioners will hold the 2023-24 county budget hearing. For more information about the county’s proposed budget and its notice of budget hearing and budget summary, see the public...
A full Farmers Day is in store for the Kimball area on the weekend of Sept. 29 to Oct. 1. Highlighting the events will be the parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, followed by the first-ever “Pie A City Guy” event at 2 p.m. at the downtown stage in Kimball. Tickets for “Pie A City Guy” can be purchased at the Kimball Public Library. Various city officials have volunteered to be the pie target, including Mayor John Morrison, City Administrator Annette Brower, library Director Amber Sweetland and many more. The Friends of the Kimball Library are sponsor...
Banner County's Andie West participated in the Area 1 Range Judging Contest on Tuesday, when more than 150 FFA students from 14 different Panhandle schools visited Kimball County to participate in the event. Site 1, shown above, was at Oliver Reservoir. The students had to identify 24 range plants, provide information about them and determine if they were grasses, forbs or shrubs. Students scored three ecological sites, looking at what kind of conditions they were in and what soils they were...
The Kimball boys cross country team placed third at the Run at the Rocks-Bridgeport Invite after the Kimball Invite. The team was just 2 points out of first place. Following that nice showing, Kimball XC has a meet today (Thursday) at Ogallala, then next week at Gothenburg, and Oct. 12 at the D-6 district meet. In Bridgeport, Braxton Miller ran to seventh place, followed by Braylon Miller in 17th and freshman Trey Cook in 19th place. Eddie Duran captured 23rd and Conrad Kaminski was 26th. Other...
From Alaska to Nebraska, Pastor Ellery Steffensen of St. John's Lutheran Church is settling into life in Kimball. He was ordained and installed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor two months ago. Pastor Steffensen said, "It has been a joyous two months." Excited to finally do what he has been trained to do and what he always knew he wanted to do, Pastor Steffensen said, "So you spend all this time at seminary cramming lots of knowledge into your head. Are you going to be able to share that with...
Kimball's Titan II missile in Gotte Park is being removed. According to Annette Brower, city administrator, "The missile has deteriorated to the point that it is no longer considered being safe in a public environment." On Monday, military and city officials met to look at the missile in Gotte Park, and Brower explained, "The decision has been made to remove the missile from the public park. All parts of the missile will be returned to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, where they will...
Kimball City Council approved a $ 1,000 Keno request on Tuesday evening, Sept. 5, to help fund the Farmers Day celebration. Josh Enevoldsen, Farmers Day treasurer, said it usually requires about $10,000 to put on Farmers Day. The request stated that Farmers Day brings people into town, and the community is showcased by the activities. “We have a food fair, parade, hamburger feed, and other events throughout the day that other local organizations put on,” the request said. The council meeting continued with a lengthy discussion on past cha...
Thirty Panhandle veterans – one from World War II, four from the Korean War, and the rest from the Vietnam War – stopped in Kimball on their way to fly into Baltimore and then tour the monuments in Washington, D.C. This was the Lone Eagle Honor Flight. John Oliver, 90, was one of the Honor Flight veterans. John was accompanied by his daughter, Rene Keller. Not mincing words, John said about being picked for the trip to Washington, D.C., "Surprised the hell out of me." After serving in Korea in t...
Kimball Public Schools Superintendent Trevor Anderson presented the 2023-24 budget information on Monday at the budget hearing. According to the presentation, the valuations in Kimball County are up 9.3% from last year but the Kimball Public Schools property tax rate will decrease by 13%. The property tax rate last year was 0.951276, in 2022 the tax rate was 1.04, and for 2023-24 the proposed tax rate is .0900000. This is due in part to the increase in Kimball Public Schools state aid. State aid for Kimball will be $615,620 up from 2022 figure...
The Kimball Invitational Cross County meet had teams from across the region, including the Panhandle and Wyoming. The meet was held on a beautiful day, Friday, Sept. 8, at the Four Winds Golf Course. Shannen Acheson was the lone Kimball participant in the girls 5 K. She placed 21st with a time of 27:16.24 and scored 16 points. On the boys side, the team placed 5th with 39 points. Braxton Miller placed 9th, running the 5K course in 20:17.49 minutes. In hot pursuit was his brother Braylon Miller,...
September is here! For Kimball, this means Farmers Day is right around the corner. Farmers Day weekend is always filled with fun activities for the whole family. The library will have several fundraising events going on. The Friends of the Kimball Library are once again hosting the annual Book Sale, and in addition, a Craft Fair this year. The craft fair will feature handmade items from local crafters and artists. A portion of the proceeds go to the Friends of the Kimball Library to help...
Kimball County Highway Superintendent Randy Bymer met with the Kimball County Commissioners on Sept. 5 at their regular meeting to provide an update on the road department. Bymer said the department is out graveling and that the roads had received a sizable rain north of Bushnell. A discussion ensued about a complaint that the clerk’s office had received stemming from the gravel trucks on Road 37. Bymer explained that there is “not a whole lot we can do.” The complaint mentioned the volume of trucks, noise, speed and dusty roads. Pine Bluff...
Potter Days packed in a crowd on Saturday, and the day was full of events from dawn till dark. After the crowning of Miss Potter and Amanda Waggoner on Thursday, the Saturday events began with the Color Run. The parade theme was "Getting' The Band Back Together" and crowds filled the sidewalks for the event. Other notable events included a craft show, free inflatables for the kids, a co-ed sand volleyball tournament, and open bowling at the Duckpin Bowling Alley. Entertaining the crowd were...
Kimball Park and Rec Executive Board members are exploring taking land from the Kimball Recreation Area and replacing it with other recreational land in town. This would make the golf course area land available for development for residential purposes. The land under consideration has been identified as 42 acres north of Gilliland Drive and would include the baseball fields. The plan is to move the baseball diamonds back into town if all gets approved. According to the board's Dave Wilson, "We...
At a press conference on Aug. 12, 1986, U.S. President Ronald Reagan said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Even though these words ring true in many situations, the federal and state governments, through the Federal Transit Administration 5311 grants, have helped the Kimball County Transit Service achieve a successful rural transportation program. The Federal Transit Administration grant program began in 1975 and helps fund travel industries like Greyhound Bus Lines...
Ty Proffitt is known as a "high pointer," and his wife Sheila accompanies him on some of his high point trips. The couple left Tennessee at 3 a.m. on this particular trip and flew into Denver, then drove straight to their first high point adventure, Panorama Point, in southwestern Kimball County. Ty and Sheila will cross Nebraska's high point off their list, as well as those in South Dakota, North Dakota and Colorado. Before Tuesday, Ty had visited the high points in 34 states. They will return...
Kimball Mayor John Morrison updated the Observer on Tuesday about the City Council approving a four-way stop at 2nd and Chestnut streets. Morrison said he "thinks everyone understands that we have a problem with traffic on Main Street (Chestnut Street)." Morrison explained that it was on the agenda simply for discussion, but a motion was made, and then it was seconded. There was little discussion on the subject. It passed by a 4-0 vote. Before a change is made at the intersection, Mayor...
The Longhorn girls golf team is well into the season with the Kimball Invite their third meet of the season. On Wednesday this week, the girls played at Creek Valley and on Sept. 7 they head to Mitchell. In just three meets the scores are dropping rapidly. On their home course, Kimball's Hayden Sours shot a 57 on the front nine and a 56 on the back nine to placed seventh with a 113, and Aubrey Culek shot a 63 and a 57 and her 120 took 10th place. Overall, the team placed third with a 494....
The Kimball City Council last Tuesday unanimously approved a four-way stop at 2nd and Chestnut streets downtown following a discussion on traffic, speed and the dangers of the intersection at 2nd and Chestnut streets. Warning signs will be installed to begin preparing cars and trucks for the change, which will add stop signs on Chestnut. The four-way stop will be one block from Kimball’s only stoplight at the corner of Chestnut and 3rd streets. In other business, a public hearing on Ordinance 824 – interfering with a peace officer – was held....
The first day of school for Kimball students and staff was unique and fun. School spirit was everywhere. At the Kimball Jr./Sr. High School, Superintendent Trevor Anderson had agreed to have his head shaved if grades 7-12 achieved their testing goals for the spring of 2023, and they did! Julia Winstrom, Aspyn Kiefer and Grace Anderson did the shaving. Anderson said he had not received a haircut all summer and won't have to get another haircut for a few months. The first day was filled with...
Even though it is hard work and long hours in the hot sun, Tracy Gifford, with the help of his daughter, Megan, loves his days in the fields, planting, tending to, harvesting and selling his produce. Gifford said he went broke farming in 2005 but "hung on for a couple more years," and then, due to medical reasons, he was unable to continue teaching math, so they began with a little garden by the house – but now they have expanded to acres of vegetables. He built a machine to plant the produce a...
The preliminary hearing Monday on the perjury charges against Lylia J. Childs started a minute early in Kimball County Court, with Judge Kris Mickey appearing by video. Due to a conflict of interest, Judge Mickey from Scotts Bluff County and the Cheyenne County clerk conducted the preliminary hearing. David Wilson, Kimball County attorney, represented the state, and Childs sat at the opposing table with no counsel. Childs was arraigned on August 9, and the court had received no affidavit for appointment of counsel. The state’s first witness w...
The Kimball County Commissioners on Aug. 15 met with a representative of the Nebraska Association of County Officials to discuss and consider a cost savings option concerning health insurance coverage. More than 50 counties in the state offer this incentive to not have people double covered, and it could save the county around $100,000 in insurance premiums. Individuals must be on a group insurance plan, but if they are covered by another plan they could opt out of the county plan and receive a stipend. In other business, Deputy Treasurer...
The Antelope Stampede Bicycle Race continues to grow with 49 participants from Colorado and Nebraska this year. This is the third year for the local event organized by Jon and Anna-Lisa Heidemann. The race included a 100-mile, a 50-mile and a 25-mile division race throughout the roads of the Kimball County countryside. The after race party at Gotte Park included a music, pie eating contest, a drawing for a mountain bike and other bike accessories, bounce houses, games, face painting and a...