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 Bushnell and Oliver Lake areas were hit especially hard by the severe storm Monday night that pounded the Kimball area. A visitor to Oliver from New Mexico described her experience. Still shaken from the experience the previous night, the visitor, who identified herself as Kaitlynn, said, "It was scary." Road-tripping from New Mexico to Idaho, they stopped at Oliver just minutes before the hail began. She recalled saying, "That looks like a pretty bad thunderstorm. Hopefully, it goes the oth...
Over three days –Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of last week – the Kimball City Council annexed and rezoned 150 acres of land contiguous to the City of Kimball to the south. The council conducted all three readings of the ordinance within the week. On Tuesday evening, the council met for its regular meeting. The first item on the agenda was a public hearing on Ordinance No. 821, the annexation. With no comment from anyone, the council approved the first reading of the ordinance. The planning commission previously approved the annexation. Add...
The Kimball County Commissioners split the vote on the final agenda item on June 20's Kimball County Commissioners meeting, which was to discuss and consider any action to enter into a lease for additional garage parking space for KCTS transit vehicles. Commissioners Elyse Lukassen and Carl Stander approved the contract, while Commissioner Flores voted no and refused to pen his name on the lease agreement as chairman of the board. The commissioners, in the 2-1 vote, approved a five-year lease...
Kimball veteran Gary Barker's name was read at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., along with 565 other individuals who died as a result of their injuries during the Vietnam War. It was an emotional few days as Barb Barker and her family traveled to Washington. Nearly 50 years after Gary Barker's death, Barb submitted all the documentation to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and received word that he met the qualifications to be honored. Seventeen other Nebraska names were read...
Kimball Police Chief Jose Ruiz asks the public in the area of Marian Street to contact police if they have a ring camera, other surveillance equipment or information about a stolen vehicle. A 2019 Honda CRV was stolen from the 700 block of Marian Street on June 18 at about 11 p.m. Ruiz said police need public help to find the individual responsible for this crime. Other vehicles were broken into and burglarized on the same evening. In another matter, on June 19, the Kimball Police Department...
At its regular board meeting, the Kimball School Board selected former board member Chauncey Pederson’s replacement on June 12. The new member, Britni Toth, will complete the 17 months remaining of Pederson’s term. Toth was selected from four potential candidates who applied for the spot. The Toth family moved to Kimball a little over a year ago. They have three children, two at Mary Lynch and one in the Jr/Sr High School. Toth said the reason she applied for the position was because “I wanted to volunteer for the opportunity to assist in suppo...
Improvements and upgrades to the Kimball County Courthouse continue as the county commissioners’ previous approval for the purchase and installation of the chiller and boiler are currently happening. Last summer, the chiller quit and the boiler had reached the end of life for such equipment. The commissioners voted on Tuesday, June 20, at their regular meeting to move the ADA handicap-accessible ramp from the north entrance of the courthouse to the east entrance. Estimates have been provided for the move. In addition to the ramp, new parking s...
The 20th Annual FFA Alumni Progress Show was the biggest and the best, with competitors from Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Colorado converging on Kimball. The Kimball Fairgrounds was packed with trailers, tents, vehicles, animals, and show families. The progress show circuit begins in May and runs through July when county and state fairs start. The Father's Day progress show began 20 years ago with the Wilkes, Lukassens and FFA instructor Alan Held. The purpose was to give local kids a po...
Another perfect Father's Day for the Greenwoods as they rack up another win. Jordan, Kenny, and Jeffrey Greenwood shot 59 on Saturday and 58 on Sunday for a total gross of 117 to win flight 1 of the Father's Day golf tournament. In second place, the Texas Browns shot 61 and 62 for a total of 123, followed by Greg Robinson and sons Tony and Michael with 124. Mark Daum and sons Jake and Colton were in the money with a fourth-place finish, shooting a 125. Thirty-six three-person teams kept the...
Kimball qualified 20 individuals for National Trap on July 7 and 8 in Mason, Michigan. But with the national popularity of the sport only one team and five individuals from Kimball were able to get registered. The following individuals will participate at Nationals: Nolan Cook, Cameron McGinnis, Justin Klosterman and Cainin Sours. The Kimball National team is composed of the four individuals and James McGinnis. According to Brittany Cook the national slots are filled by season average of 15+ to...
The Observer received the unofficial Kimball special election results from Kimball County Clerk Cathy Sibal at about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday. Sibal said all the measures on the June 13 ballot were defeated. The voter turnout was a disappointing 18.12%. Results will not be official until the canvassing board meets to verify the results. At this time, Sibal did not believe there was a need for a recount. Both propositions 1 and 2 reflected the possible continuation of the existing half-cent sales tax...
The Kimball County Assessor’s office has been busy answering questions and explaining the changes in property valuations to local residents. On June 1, letters went out to property owners showing the changes in valuation. Most residential properties increased in value, while a few were reduced. By statute, every six years, all property in the county must be re-evaluated and reviewed. Therefore, the increase in valuation is partially a result of going from the 2016 cost tables to the 2022 cost tables. Another factor that influenced the property...
After just one event on Saturday, the Kimball Ranch Rodeo was canceled due to the continual downpour of rain. About a half dozen bronc riders enjoyed the dry conditions to start the 14th annual ranch rodeo. Local cowboy Lane Wasielewski got a turn before a home crowd to ride a bronc. After grabbing the reins, Wasielewski rode the wild bronc for about three jumps, and then he had a flying dismount. But he jumped up and grabbed his hat to the cheers of his rooting section. Eight teams were able...
The Yard of the Week went to 314 Walnut St., the home of Nicole Gifford and James Fraser. The family has owned the house for two years and began improvements soon after they purchased the property. With a sprinkler system there but no lawn, they dug up the entire yard and replanted grass, fixed the sprinkler system, replaced sidewalks, removed stumps and removed overgrowth. They built a backyard pool deck and are ready to enjoy their improvements over the summer. From left are James Fraser,...
Perjury charges were filed on June 7 against Kenneth D. Childs in another legal case involving the Dix resident. The Kimball County Sheriff’s Office handled the case. The charges stem from Sept. 30, 2022, and Feb. 20, 2023, when Childs completed and signed a financial affidavit and application attesting to income, cash, savings, stocks, and bonds. His wife, Lyla J. Childs, also faces perjury charges. According to the court documents from Sept. 30, 2022, “Kenneth recorded $0 in cash, savings, stocks and bonds. Based on the information obt...
New Kimball Police Chief Jose Ruiz has a wealth of knowledge not only from his years of experience with the Cheyenne Police Department but also from growing up on the south side of Denver in Adams County. Growing up, Ruiz said their family was impoverished, and the culture he was raised in centered on violence, gangs and drugs. Ruiz said his mother tried to keep "us away from as much as she could," but in the end Ruiz said he decided himself that he "didn't want to have the life that his brother...
Text 911 is now available in Kimball County. Alicia Downey from the Sheriff’s Department explained to the Kimball County Commissioners on Tuesday that texting 911 would work with the communication desk texting back and forth to the “caller.” Downey said calling 911 should always be the first option, but in some cases where coverage is limited, texting is a great option. The other reason to text to 911 is a possible domestic situation, and the “caller” must be silent. Texting 911 is nationwide and in Nebraska, the Public Service Commissio...
The Kimball School Board met in a special session on Tuesday, May 30, to accept the resignation of business teacher Ty Neill. Neill in his resignation letter wrote, “I appreciate the opportunity to teach in the district as a provisional teacher. Throughout the semester, I questioned whether or not this job would lead to a career. Recently, I have confirmed that teaching is not a profession I want to pursue.” The business classes will be handled with instructors on staff, according to Superintendent Trevor Anderson. In another agenda item, Tar...
A solemn ceremony honoring those who died in the service of their country was held Monday, Memorial Day, at the Kimball Cemetery. About 125 people attended the event, which began with 2023 graduate Emma Patterson singing the national anthem, Mayor John Morrison saying a few words of welcome, and Randy Bohac providing the beginning prayer and benediction. VFW member Larry Engstrom raised the flag to full staff, and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary placed a wreath to honor all those who served in the...
In a special meeting on Wednesday, May 24, the Kimball City Council unanimously approved the mayor’s appointment of Jose Ruiz as police chief. According to the Mayor John Morrison, Ruiz is in the process of purchasing a house and will be moving to Kimball in the near future. Morrison said, “I had an interview process, had two very good candidates. When it came down to it, based on the recommendation from the selection committee. My interview, I felt that Jose was the candidate that I wanted.” After Ruiz was approved, the council had to approve...
Educational Service Unit 13, which serves the Panhandle, would like to find some children and young adults in Kimball County to participate in its Title 1C Education Program. Title 1C helps students – who work in agriculture or fishing –with supplemental educational programs to catch them up to regular schoolwork. To qualify, the students must be younger than 22, have made a qualifying move to work in agriculture or fishing, moved from one school district to another, and made a change from one residence to another. The program helps reduce dis...
The Kimball City Council on Tuesday, May 16, spent a significant amount of meeting time on presentations and reports from Olsson Engineering on preliminary expansion and upgrades to the sewer and water systems in Kimball. Using GIS, surveys and opening up manhole covers, Olsson has determined efficiencies and problem areas. The town has anywhere from 4-inch sewer pipes, which are unacceptable, to 6-inch and 8-inch, with 8-inch required for new construction. Olsson Engeering recommended four...
Edward Tamsett, Four Winds Golf Course's new golf pro, arrived in Kimball about three weeks ago from Australia. About three or four days ago, he was joined by his wife, Wilkiria. The United States is familiar to Tamsett; he attended college at Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, on a golf scholarship. After graduating with a business degree, Tamsett set out to play on the tour in Australia, Asia and Europe. After about 10 years on the tour, Tamsett realized he wasn't making money on the tour. He chang...
Legal issues continue to follow Stoney Vance as the City of Kimball has filed a complaint against Vance individually and his Cuisine Caravan, L.L.C. in Kimball County Court. Vance was the former CEO/manager of Arrow Medical in Kimball. In March, Vance was charged with felony theft-receiving stolen property from a Kimball EMS ambulance. In another case, the late Dr. James F. Broomfield and nurse practitioners Holly F. Dobrinski and Keri D. Foster filed a complaint against Vance and others for a temporary restraining order, injunction and other e...
The Kimball City Council planned to meet in special session on Wednesday evening, May 24, to consider Mayor John Morrioson’s appointment of Jose Ruiz as police chief. Ruiz would follow former Chief Andy Bremer and Interim Chief Dwain Murdoch on the job. In other police business, the City Council on May 16 considered the approval of the mayor’s appointment of Michael Youngquist, Damien S. Martinez and Greg Taylor as police officers. Councilwoman Christy Warner asked if all three officers were interviewed and if all the proper procedures wer...