Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
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"Planting a tree is one of the most selfless acts you can do. You never plant it for yourself. You are planting it so future generations will be able to enjoy the shade of the tree." This quote or thought was expressed by many during Kimball's Arbor Day planting ceremony, including Kimball Street Superintendent Jim Shoup, Mayor Keith Prunty and park employee John Heidemann. Prunty addressed the fourth-grade students and read the official proclamation making April 29 Arbor Day. This year...
Area high school commencements are on the calendar and preparations are being made for celebrating the accomplishments of the Potter-Dix, Kimball and Banner County graduates of 2022. Potter-Dix Public Schools will lead the way with the first local graduation on May 7 at 2 p.m.. Seven students will graduate from Potter-Dix. The valedictorian is Thomas Muldoon and Ana Manning is salutatorian. The Kimball seniors will graduate a week later on May 14 at 11 a.m. The 28 classmates will wrap up their high school career led by the valedictorian and...
The 1970s-era Minuteman III Missiles will be replaced in the next few years by the Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile system, which the Air Force describes as a more cost-effective option. According to officials at the Air Force Real Estate Meetings in Kimball and Banner counties, the Minuteman III was built for 10 years of service, but it has been on alert for 50 years and is aging and cost-prohibitive to operate. The Sentinel: Officially known as LGM-35A Sentinel, it will be...
After the required three readings at the Kimball City Council meeting, Linda Stahla's application for rezoning of Lot 2, Lockwood Subdivision NE ½ of the SW ¼ of Section 29 (#2 Stahla Drive) in Kimball was approved and Ordinance No. 803 passed. The lot was rezoned from Residential Rural to Residential Mobile Home Park. In another public hearing, the 1 & 6-year Street Plan was approved. Under current business, the council rescinded Resolution 2017-09, which closed the Gotte Park access to Adams Street. The board reconsidered this action as a r...
Air Force Col. Catherine Barrington, 90th Missile Wing commander, began the missile project Real Estate meeting by thanking area departments and agencies for their response during the Humvee fire incident that closed Highway 71 for five days. An Air Force Humvee with explosive hazards caught fire as it traveled south on 71 at mile marker 23. There were no injuries. According to 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs, a team from the 90th Explosive Ordinance Disposal detonated ammunition and grenades...
The Banner County Wildcats track team, which competes in the MAC meet this Saturday at Bayard, is small but mighty. Lone senior Makyla Mason runs the distance events (1600 and 3200 M run). She medaled at the Chappell Tri-State Invite. Coach Kari Gifford said the weather this season had been an issue for practices as well as school events, creating conflicts for the track team. "We are already heading into the end of our season, and it doesn't feel like we've even hardly got started," Gifford...
Weed season is back, well, almost. The cold and wind has prevented spraying, according to Rick Wangler, the Kimball County Weed Superintendent. He explained to the Kimball County Board of Commissioners that he is currently doing inspections and working on the equipment. The county business continued with a presentation by Jacob Hurla, President of Community Building Solutions. Previously, Hurla toured the Courthouse and explained that Community Building Solutions is a small project management company created to provided rural schools, counties...
Two senior girls provide leadership for the Kimball track team – Kaitlin Heeg and Tianna Stierwalt. Heeg has high exceptions for herself. "I hope to place in everything I do," she said, referring to the WTC meet on Tuesday. Her events include 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, triple jump, and possibility the long jump. Tianna Stierwalt placed third in the high jump at Chappell, 6th in the 400 m. run and ran a leg on the 4x400 m. relay, which ranked fourth. At Holyoke, Stierwalt jumped her personal b...
The Kimball Longhorn Trap Team is in its second year of existence with coaches Brittany Cook, Kelly Dunegan, Sean Dunegan and Jeremy Fryda leading the team of 7-11 graders. Practices have been delayed due primarily to the wind, but also the cold has made it difficult to practice. According to the coaches, everything is scored from now until the end of the season. They have five scored shoots. With 15 individuals returning from the 2021 team, experience is in abundance, and the kids and coaches...
The wind and cold weather has had an impact on all the spring sports. The Kimball High School boys golf is no exception. Coach Ben Aarestad said, "The season has been challenging with the weather. Hopefully next week we can get back to normal. We have had one meet and that was tough with the wind. Kyler has the best chance of making state." The team is loaded with freshmen, including Kyler Lusche holding the number one spot. Other freshman are Bransyn Kiefer and Connor Deboodt. Senior Trevor...
The Kimball School Board approved the contract for Amanda Culek as the Mary Lynch principal and Special Services Director on Monday night at their regular meeting. (See sidebar with Amanda Culek's response to the approval.) The board also accepted two resignations from Ashley Heidemann, 10-12 Language Arts teacher, and Luke Maas, Science teacher. In a board presentation, the FFA Conduct of Chapter Meeting team comprised of eighth graders and one freshman demonstrated their skills in front of the board and attendees. The school board...
Dr. Karla Wilke, assistant professor of animal science at the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff, shared her thoughts and information on avian influenza. A backyard flock in Scotts Bluff County became infected with avian influenza and the chickens and waterfowl had to be killed and incinerated. Early detection is essential to controlling the disease, according to Wilke. In March, avian influenza was detected in a commercial flock in Butler County and backyard flocks in Merrick and Holt counties, and...
The Kimball Cobras Trampoline and Tumbling team members showed off their skills at the State meet at WNCC in Scottsbluff on April 2. And show off they did with four young ladies winning State Championship in their division. Level Five state champion Shaylee Markum, 8, put it all into perspective when she said, "I got two first and a second, when I figured it out I went, REALLY!" She received first in floor or tumbling and the double mini. When competing in the floor she starts her routine...
The Kimball County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday to receive an update on Kimball Health Services. Kayla Fennell was appointed to replace M. Timothy Nolting on the Kimball Health Service Board of Trustees. Nolting recently resigned his seat on the board. Kimball Health Services CEO Ken Hunter explained an important change in the emergency room staffing method. KHS has contracted with Aligned Providers, a Wyoming company, to staff its emergency room. Aligned Providers provides ERs with specifically ER trained...
Mark your calendars for Monday, April 11, and Thursday, April 14. The City of Kimball has announced that the power supplier Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) will be shutting down electricity to Kimball parts of those two days. On Monday, the power will be shut down for 2 hours but Thursday, make a plan because from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., the WAPA power will be shut off. The City asks businesses and residents to prepare for the two days, although the City Power Plant will operate to supply backup power. Officials caution that there will...
The Kimball School Board met for a special meeting on March 29. With all members present, a vote on the purchase and replacement of seating in the Harry McNees Auditorium was the main item on the agenda. According to Superintendent Trevor Anderson, there are now 763 seats in the auditorium. The board voted to replace the seats with 450 new larger seats with the cost not to exceed $107,199.50. The Kimball School Foundation has pledged $20,000 for the new seats. More information will be released,...
In the March 17 edition of the Observer, U.S. Sens. Fischer and Sasse were asked about the chance of lifting the federal gasoline tax due to help offset surging fuel costs. On March 29, Sen. Deb Fischer's office responded to the question about lifting the federal gas tax. Here is part of her response.: “Russia has used energy exports to strengthen their economic and political influence over Europe for far too long. This is why in March of 2021, nearly a year before the invasion of Ukraine, I joined a group of my Republican colleagues in c...
Rich Patterson from Hometown Hardware says he sees the new Kimball Ace Hardware store as a benefit to everyone – including his business. "Competition is good," Patterson said. "There is nothing wrong with competition. It will be beneficial for both of us and the community. It will keep people in town. "They are going to have things that I don't have, and I will have things that they won't have." As for the future, Patterson indicated that they "may diversify back into major appliances," and h...
"We will be opening, it will be new and exciting," said Deb Fiehtner, owner of the new Sugar Shack in Kimball. The Sugar Shack will open in mid-April with much of the same menu, she said, as the old Dairy Queen. Fiehtner wanted to assure everyone that they will have the same shakes, sundaes, cakes, hamburgers, hot dogs, the famous Hickory Burger, and chocolate jimmies. A "Blizzard" just won't be called a "Blizzard." Get used to saying, "I'll have a Reese's Pieces Sugar Storm." Fiehtner...
With all seriousness and total concentration, Mark Nelson from the Kimball Volunteer Fire Department team shoots for two during Donkey Basketball on Monday evening at the Kimball High School gym. As for just about everyone in the crowd, the whole night was a laughing matter. See story, other photo on Page B6....
The Kimball Jr/Sr High School gym was full of basketball fans Monday night as Donkey Basketball took center stage. Kimball Ranch Rodeo sponsored the event as a fundraiser. Four teams competed for the championship title, with Teacher's Pets crushing their opponents. The first game pitted Teacher's Pets against the Banner County Wrecking Crew. Then the Eh Ranch Rough Riders took on the Hot Shots. Finally, on their home court, the Teacher's Pets team outscored the Rough Riders in the final...
A young woman left her home and family in Ukraine to study abroad at the University of Wyoming in January. But just about a month after arriving in the United States, Anastasiia Pereverten said, "The war is happening. I was shocked during the first 20 minutes of the whole-scale war on the 24th of February. Later, gradually comes the recognition of the war destroying your homeland and killing thousands of civilians. "I cannot describe this feeling, but 'shock' is too weak for that. It is...
Kimball Street Superintendent Jim Shoup asked the City Council to change the speed limit on south Chestnut Street at the March council meeting. The change will occur from FVC to Sixth Street. The speed limit will be 35 mph, which is a decrease of 5 mph. From Sixth Street to Fourth Street, the speed limit will be 30 mph, and from Fourth Street to the stoplight, the speed limit will be 25 mph. The council approved the decrease in the speed limit presented. In other business, Potter-Dix Post Prom received $400 in Keno Funds to purchase local gift...
Nora Robinson of Kimball was selected recently by Gov. Pete Rickets to serve on the state Early Childhood Education Endowment board. This three-year commitment requires meeting three times a year. Like many boards, it is an unpaid position and does not require Unicameral approval, although some boards do require legislative approval. Robinson currently works at ESU 13 as the Panhandle Early Learning Connections Coordinator. Before working at ESU 13, she taught elementary school in Kimball. According to the description for the program: The...
A reader recently sent this question to the Observer: “Why have none of the candidates from the coming election not put ads in the paper telling us who they are and what is their platform? True people know each other in a small community, but those of us who have just moved here do not know them.” Great question. For the primary election, which is May 10, only one race will be contested and that is the sheriff’s race. The Observer has reached out to both candidates and asked them a series of questions. Those questions and answers will appea...