Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
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Former Kimball City Councilman and former Mayor Greg Robinson was appointed by current Mayor John Morrison to fill a council seat left vacant by the resignation of Don Muench. Robinson’s appointment was approved at the Oct. 15, 2024 meeting by the council in a 3-0 vote, and the former Larsen’s Jewelry Store owner will assume his duties in November. Morrison said in December there would be two new council members with no experience, and he felt he needed to appoint someone with experience. An executive session completed the council meeting. How...
The Horns handed the Morrill Lions a season ending defeat by a score of 46-0. The Longhorns also ended the season with a big win, but an overall record of 2-6 and fifth in district standings. Kimball football will miss the following seniors: Trenton Hottell, Jacob Wurdeman, Connor Deboodt, Noe Trevino, Hunter Funk and Aaspyn Tyan. Efforts forge on to build a bright future for the Horns. Coach Darrell Howitt said that 10 eighth-graders will add to the program for next fall. He said the eighth...
Eleven law enforcement personnel converged on 404 Myrtle St. in Kimball shortly after 9:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 11, to execute a search warrant in reference to possible animal cruelty case. In an affidavit, Kimball Police Officer Logan Luft stated that Eldon Blake Lewis, 27, was being investigated for capturing, killing, skinning, eating and keeping the head of his ex-wife's cat. While Lewis was detained in the patrol car, the household, garage and property were searched. Luft's affidavit states...
The Kimball County Commissioner accepted the resignation/retirement of highway superintendent Randy Bymer on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Bymer has served in the superintendent capacity for five years and will retire effective Dec. 27. After a review of the job description, the county will begin the search for a new road superintendent. In other business at the meeting, discussion centered on filling a vacancy on the Kimball County Visitors Committee and seeking a person to fill an at-large position to represent the county on the City/County Park and...
Kimball Public Schools Food Service Director Danessa Terrill praised local groups and community members for the generous donations to pay off previous lunch debts. The lunch debt fund received significant contributions from the Knights of Columbus, the Red Knights and the Masonic Lodge. Other donations came from an account that Terrill set up in honor of former employee Vicki Kaczar; they received $750 from that account, which paid for milk and seconds on food items for children. Terrill shared with the board on Monday evening, October 14, that...
A Dix man is facing a variety of charges after an incident on Oct. 8. Mike Evans has been charged with assault on a peace officer, resisting arrest, obstruction of law enforcement, flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and driving under revocation for the incident which started with a Kimball County Sheriff’s deputy attempting to stop Evans south of Dix on county roads 59 and 18. Deputy Youngquist said that while he was on patrol, he observed a vehicle run off the road, get back on the road, and drive down the center. When Y...
The 2024 volleyball season for the Kimball Lady Longhorns has been a journey of growth, dedication, and resilience. As one of the youngest teams in the league, these girls have shown a commitment to improvement and teamwork that has been evident both on and off the court. This improvement has been noticeable throughout the season. One great example is our serving percentage, which went from 75.6% in our first game, to a remarkable 96.8% accuracy in a recent game against Potter-Dix. This...
Budgets for area governmental entities have been approved by their boards and submitted to the state. Here’s how the budget numbers break down for the city of Kimball, comparing the 2023-24 and 2024-25 budgets. Property Tax Request: $533,102.24 in 2023-24 and $743,113.56 in 2024-25. Valuations: $147,439,939.00 in 2023-24 and $179,818,174.00 in 2024-25. Municipal Levy: 0.361572 in 2023-24 and 0.413258 in 2024-25. Value Attributable to Growth: $2,081,295.00 in 2023-24 and $2,172,301.00 in 2024-25. Real Growth Percentage: 1.68 in 2023-24 and 0...
The Kimball Volunteer Fire Department celebrated National Fire Prevention Week, observed from Oct. 6-12 this year, with its annual open house on Wednesday, Oct. 9. Leading up to the event at the fire hall, community support for the department remained strong. KVFD's first open house was held in 2007, and this now-established successful community event continues to this day. This year's turnout was not immediately available, but more than 180 people attended last year. A light supper and...
Traveling parts of the state of Nebraska, Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer visited Kimball and the Western Nebraska Observer for an interview Monday. She is seeking a third six-year term and facing off against registered Independent challenger Dan Osborn. Fischer outlined her recent official stops in Kimball, with elected Scottsbluff officials, in North Platte for an airport opening, and at meetings in Broken Bow and Ogallala. "So that is the job," she remarked. Fischer also touched on topics...
Kimball FFA members ride their float down 2nd Street in Kimball during the Farmer's Day Parade on Saturday, Sept. 28. The float treated parade watchers with a patriotic ag theme including flags, corn, wheat and hay bales. Kimball FFA has about 30 members....
The Lady Longhorns have only one home game left in the 2024 season. The Arena should be packed on Oct. 15 for the home JV/V game with Paxton. The team will travel for eight games beginning from Tuesday, Oct. 8, with a Triangular at Bayard, then on the 10th they play at Morrill. The season's remaining games are tournaments and triangulars throughout October. Subdistricts is scheduled for the end of October. Experience will pay off in the future as a young team is gaining in playing time and...
With two games left in the regular season, the Kimball Longhorns have the opportunity to improve their record and head into next year with momentum. Though the Longhorns have demonstrated grit and determination, never giving up despite facing tough opponents and lopsided scores. This Friday they travel to Sutherland for their final road trip. Sutherland is 1-5. They lost 26-6 to common opponent Hemingford. The Horns lost 68-20 to Hemingford. This could be a great match up. The final game of the regular season is against Morrill (0-6) on the Hor...
Edward Barnes and his sister, Autumn Uglow, aren't your typical siblings. They spend their time behind the wheel, crashing and smashing their way through local demolition derbies. And with their combined 23 years of experience – nine years for Edward and 14 for Autumn – they are seasoned veterans in the local derby scene. Their preparation for the Farmer's Day Demolition Derby started long before the engines revved up on Saturday night. "Stripping everything out, including the seats," is the...
During the Kimball County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 1, two public hearings were held regarding conditional use permits. The first hearing involved the renewal of Real Western Wings' conditional use permit for indoor and outdoor recreational facilities. With no public comments either for or against, the commissioners renewed the permit for another five years to align with the Nebraska Game and Parks contract, which also operates on a five-year basis. The second public hearing...
A number of mayoral appointments were made Sept. 24 at the Kimball City Council meeting. Mike Downey was appointed to the Planning Commission, Tammy Land to the Board of Public Works, and Jodel “Jody” Keeler to the Housing Authority Board. In other business, Police Chief Jose Ruiz presented a mutual aid agreement with the City of Sidney Police Department, which was approved by the council. This agreement allows Kimball officers to assist in Sidney when necessary, particularly in executing search or arrest warrants. Sidney officer also will ass...
As the town gears up for its 98th Farmer's Day celebration, the Kimball Public Library is set to be a central hub of activity, featuring a silent auction that promises a variety of enticing items. With the theme "Our Land, Our Legacy," this year's festivities will kick off on Friday, Sept. 27, and continue through the weekend, showcasing both new events and beloved traditions. The silent auction, taking place on Friday and Saturday, will include unique items, such as an under-bed safe, themed...
Kimball’s annual Farmer’s Day celebration is set to promote the spirit of community and dedication to growth and agriculture with a lineup of distinguished dignitaries. This year’s celebration, always a special event for locals, will honor several pillars of the community whose contributions have left a lasting impact. Paul and Jacque Whiting, selected as Grand Marshals for the parade, have played a vital role in Kimball’s development over the past 25 years. Paul, a senior-level manager at Clean Harbors, has been a driving force behind communi...
Kimball recently launched a new Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), aiming to prepare local residents for potential disasters. The CERT program, supported by FEMA, Homeland Security, and Nebraska Emergency Management, equips community members with the skills to care for themselves, their families, and neighbors in the event of a large-scale emergency. Ron Leal, from Emergency Management Region 21, hosted the inaugural training event, emphasizing the importance of self-reliance in times of...
Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc. – the permitted hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility 5 miles south of Kimball on Highway 71 – has filed a Class 1 Permit Modification Request with the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. The purpose for the permit modification is to revise several Part B Permit Application sections in order to address clerical errors and provide additional clarification of wording where needed. Those sections are: • C-1 Chemical and Physical Waste Characterization. • C-2 Waste Analysi...
Four Winds Golf Course superintendent Jeremy Williams reminisced on the golf course water troubles of the past year: "It was a perfect storm of terrible weather, not much rain, sprinklers . . . Oh, it has just been a nightmare." Late last summer, gravel began to infiltrate the course's water system, plugging up many of the almost 1,000 sprinklers. Williams said he thought there was a leak in the system, and it was pulling gravel in. It took a couple of months to determine that the big well was...
On Sept. 17 the Kimball County Commissioners set a public hearing for Oct. 1 at 10:15 a.m. on a potential motocross practice track south of Kimball on Road 16 and west of Highway 71. Owners of the property Michael and Melissa Caldwell applied for a conditional use permit for indoor or outdoor recreational facilities. The Caldwells purchased the 40 acres and have plans of building a house beginning next spring. Another public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. to renew the conditional use permit for owners Dale and Ruth Critchfield of Re...
The Kimball cross country team will travel to Alliance on Saturday, then to Ogallala on Sept. 26, completing half of their season. The Alliance meet is known for its challenging terrain, while the Ogallala meet is a crucial one in the season. Last week was the Kimball meet. Coach Tiffany Johnson said, "The Kimball meet went well, and the kids have been working really hard. They started out setting the bar high at the Panhandle Classic. Then we ran Gering, which is a tougher, hillier course and...
What a difference a few rains and 200 new water sprinkler heads have made at Four Winds Golf Course from mid-July to the first part of September. According to Four Winds Grounds Superintendent Jeremy Williams, rain came at a critical time to help the golf course staff as it worked to improve conditions that caused portions of the course to burn out due to failing sprinkler heads. The new sprinkler heads have been installed and some fairways have been reseeded....
Weekly, usually on Wednesday or Thursday evenings, a team of Kimball Health Services employees enjoys supper at the Indian Plate restaurant in Kimball. Amandeep Basra opened the Indian Plate restaurant in August 2023. Stepping into the Indian Plate is akin to a brief journey to India, where you can immerse yourself in their culture, history and, of course, the delectable cuisine. Basra, with his warm hospitality, guides newcomers with food suggestions, making them feel like part of his family....