Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
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Kimball School Board held two meetings before their regular meeting on Monday evening. The 2021-22 budget was the topic for both meetings, with a budget presentation by Superintendent Trevor Anderson highlighting the past five budget years of valuations, property tax rates, and property tax requests. The levy for the Kimball district will remain the same as last year which is 1.05 per $100 of assessed valuation. Although the property tax request is up 0.9%, the valuations also are up 0.9%. Following the budget presentation and meeting, the...
On Tuesday, Sept. 14, the Kimball County Commissioners met for public comments for or against the proposed 2021-22 county budget. With no comments at that point, the commissioners opened the hearing for setting the budget. The final tax request for 2021-22 is $3,249,327, a 3.32% increase from 2020-21, which would increase the levy from .449691 to .459842. The increase would result in a little more than a 1 cent increase per $100 in valuation – or, for example, a $10 increase for a $100,000 house. New contracts, fuels, equipment purchases, c...
As an official from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the state deputy sheriff watch, a section of Banner County hemp farmer Steven Schulte's crop was destroyed Monday morning. Schulte has endured hail, drought conditions and wind throughout the spring and summer, but the destruction of the 300 plants resulted from lab testing that showed excessive THC. The THC in these plants went above the .3% threshold, and Schulte was sent a notification of forced destruction. The ag department...
The Kimball Four Winds Golf Course was the site of the Kimball XC Invite, with almost 200 runners in the junior high and high school divisions competing. Runners from Wheatland, Cheyenne, Torrington, Hemingford, Pine Bluffs, Banner County and the entire Panhandle traveled to Kimball for the invite and ran in 98-degree heat. Girls In the high school girls 5,000 meters, lone Longhorn competitor Chantel Malson placed in 9th place out of 50 runners with a time of 24:20.13. Boys Kimball High School...
The first Kimball County Commissioners board meeting of September on Tuesday addressed public hearings, roads, budgets and inventories for the county. County Zoning Administrator Sheila Newell briefly explained that the Kimball County Planning Commission met and recommended approval for the conditional permit application of Dale Critchfield of Real Western Wings. Critchfield’s application is looking to expand his controlled shooting area south of Kimball. The commissioners approved the public hearing for 10 a.m. Sept. 21. At that time, they wil...
The Four Winds Women's Golf Association's undisputed race horse winners were Donna Linn and Susie Abramson. With steady nerves and great putting, it took only five holes for them to eliminate all their competition. Alene Schilz and Daria Faden were second, and Patti Klinginsmith and Jean Barrett were a close third. Six teams participated in the annual event. The officials for the race horse were Dave and Karen Wilson, keeping score and determining ties....
The first annual P2P Antelope Stampede will occur on Sept. 18. The Antelope Stampede is an open event bike race on mostly gravel roads. Jon Heidemann, the event director, had initially planned to have this race two years ago, but due to COVID the event was put on hold. The Antelope Stampede bike race will have three options – 100 miles, 54 miles and 25 miles rides. The staggered starts begin at the Sagebrush at 8 a.m. and will continue until 9 a.m. Estimates of finish times are between 11:30 a...
For the next month, crews from Hennings Construction will be working on the water loop project that will improve the freshwater supply system for the city. The work will be between 3rd and 5th streets, including Burg, Cedar and Locust streets. Water will be temporarily shut off, but residents will be notified. Streets may have one lane of traffic at times. While the city makes water improvements, area businesses have a variety of things going on. Some are remodeling, while others are opening or...
The 2020 census figures have been released, and the population of the city of Kimball from 2010 to 2020 decreased from 2,496 to 2,290, a loss of 8.3% of the total population. Kimball County, meanwhile, experienced a 10.1% loss of people from 3,821 to 3,434. The county figures include Dix, Bushnell, and the rural parts of the county. Like many local people, Mayor Keith Prunty was surprised by the current statistics. "Wow, I am surprised," he said. "We do expect it to go up with all the new ventur...
Payton Wise and Katie Heeg are making a name for the Longhorns as they placed first and second on their home course. The Kimball Invite was the third meet of the season, and both Wise and Heeg have brought medals home at each meet to date. On Tuesday, the Four Winds Golf Course hosted nine teams, including Bridgeport, Creek Valley, Garden County, Mitchell, Perkins County, Gordon/Rushville, Bayard, Sidney JV, and Kimball's two varsity golfers, Wise and Heeg, along with JV Mariana Cajero. Payton W...
Kimball High School’s football season appears to have ended before it started. The Longhorns were forced to forfeit their scheduled opener at Hitchcock County last Friday due to a lack of players. And now this. “We only have nine players out for football right now,” Kimball coach Ben Aarestad said Tuesday. “I don’t think we will play at all this year. We have lost so many kids in the past few years that it finally caught up with us.” The Horns were scheduled to play Leyton this Friday, but that seems most unlikely barring the unforeseen....
Tim Nolting, president of the Plains Historical Museum, extended a personal invitation to the Kimball City Council members requesting their attendance at the opening of the Smithsonian exhibit on Sept. 11 at 9 a.m. His invitation and explanation of the exhibit occurred at the Aug. 17 Kimball City Council meeting. The Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition is titled “Crossroads: Change in Rural America.” The exhibit will be open to the public September 11-30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Sundays. Since it is a federal program, mas...
In many cases, history does repeat itself. Could horse racing make a repeat appearance in Kimball County as proposed at the recent joint meting of the City Council and county commissioners? Few people are still alive who would remember the Kimball County Fair hosted horse racing, along with many other types of racing. Almost a century ago, horse racing existed in Kimball but only for the week of the Kimball County Fair. According to a 1930 Observer advertisement, it was only for "Kimball County...
The COVID-19 risk dial was removed from the Panhandle Public Health District website, and data on COVID cases has been generalized in the Panhandle. According to Jessica Davis from PPHD, when Gov. Pete Rickett’s executive order ended, then-specific data also ended. Currently, only data for populations of 20,000 or more is depicted on their website. So, the Panhandle is broken down into only two areas, Scottsbluff and the Greater Panhandle. PPHD Unified Command confirmed on Monday 152 new cases of COVID, with four youth from ages up to 9 contrac...
Bushnell Day 2021 reappeared after almost a decade of nonexistence. The day began with a parade complete with Bushnell fire trucks celebrating 100 years of service to the community, Kimball and Dix fire trucks, princesses, the VFW, and Bushnell Day King Bruce Sigette and Queen Wilma Lockwood-Sigette. According to Bushnell Fire Chief Klent Schnell, "A group of Bushnell citizens formed a fire department in 1921." The department has come a long ways from the initial equipment of a hose cart,...
With cost-share federal funds eliminated from the USDA Wildlife Specialists budget, Kimball County and other area counties are looking at a price increase or the loss of the wildlife specialist. Five counties help fund the costs for specialist Matt Anderson, and according to Jerry Feist, Nebraska District supervisor, no federal funds will be available. Feist told the Kimball County Commissioners on Tuesday that it used to be a 50/50 cost share but no more. Matt Anderson has worked the past 13 years for the USDA, trapping coyotes, raccoons,...
An overflow crowd attended the joint meeting of the Kimball City Council and the Kimball County Commissioners. The officials and public heard a presentation in which developer Canterbury Park Holdings proposed a horse racing track and casino for Kimball. It's clear that this proposal is in the very early stages and its future is uncertain. Tom Sage, executive director of the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, provided the Observer with some background information on racing and gaming. Sage...
When the new school year opens next Monday, Aug. 23, in Kimball, it will open with these new teachers. From left are Jolie Dorrell, 4th grade; Jack Birky, social sciences; Mark Jefferis, art; Katherine Robinson, 5th grade; Blythe Diamond, 3rd grade; and Jenna Enevoldsen, mathematics. Nearby, classes began Aug. 16 in Banner County and Aug. 18 in Potter-Dix....
Regular league play for the 2021 Kimball Women’s Golf Association has concluded with weeks 9,10, and 11 in the books. Shellon Anderson shot low gross with a 45, and Kathy Robinson and Alene Schilz tied for low net, with each registering a 34 for Week 9. A hot putter from Donna Linn registered only 15 putts. Flag prizes were for longest putt and were won by Shellon Anderson, Jean Barrett and Susie Abramson in their respective handicap categories. Week 10 low gross was shot by Pattie Klinginsmith with a 43, and Laura Noah had a low net with a 3...
A joint meeting of Mayor Keith Prunty, the Kimball City Council and Kimball County Commissioners was scheduled to hear a presentation from developer Canterbury Park Holdings for a proposed Resort Hotel and Casino Development. The development would include horse racing, an event center, restaurants and fueling stations. The proposed site is dscribed as Section 33, Township 15, Range 55W, which includes the city of Kimball. The proposed site of the development, bordering the Highway 71 bypass and Interstate 80, is owned by Nancy A. Nielsen Young...
The Kimball School Board received the Mary Lynch administrator’s report listing current enrollment. The largest classes for the 2021-22 school term will be the kindergarten class and the sixth-grade class, both reporting 40 students. The total registration for Mary Lynch is 221 students. Mary Lynch will be debuting a new program called Moby Max. According to Principal Jamie Soper’s report: “We will put every student through a diagnostic test, and then the student will progress on this online program throughout the school year.” Both princip...
Winds, rough terrain and hot dry weather contributed to the massive wildfire which started in Banner County and spread into Morrill County. The fire started Thursday evening from a lightning strike and has produced smokey skies and nasty air quality for southern panhandle residents. The fire, 23 miles northeast of Kimball, was about 95% contained Tuesday, according to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency. Known as the Hackberry Wildfire in the southeast portion of Banner County, the fire...
As the youngest in a devout Catholic family of seven, Father C.P. Varghese always knew what he wanted to do with his life. No dramatic moment occurred, but from the age of 7, the new priest at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Kimball had a desire to become a priest. "Everyone always told me it was good to be a priest," he recalled. "I come from a very devout Catholic family. From early childhood, I have always attended Mass every day. The family went to Mass." Father Varghese continued to...
Tuesday was the first day of the Kimball-Banner County Fair with the Fashion Revue and Clothing Judging comnpleted. Horses were on the agenda for Wednesday as about 30 kids showed their horses, beginning at 8 a.m. and finally concluding the day at 8:30 p.m. The 4-H'ers did everything from halter, showmanship, reining, trail, western pleasure, western horsemanship, barrels and poles. But the most encouraging part of the long day was late in the evening when the 8- to 10-year-olds yelled...
During the time she studied for her Early Childhood Education Endorsement, Potter-Dix kindergarten teacher Chari Mohr made some startling discoveries. "A kindergarten student who has not been read to could enter school with less than 60 hours of literacy nutrition," she said. "No teacher, no matter how talented, can make up for those lost hours of mental nourishment." It is not too late to help young children prepare for school although the clock is ticking. There is still time to encourage and...