Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
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In February 1963, 16 trailers were brought in and parked in the area east of the Sunnyview Addition in Kimball, the start of what would be known as Boeing's Trailer City. According to the Feb. 14, 1963, Western Nebraska Observer, 150 trailers would eventually house missile families. The area would be complete with streetlights, fire hydrants, and telephone lines. Missile families would call this their home for the next few years. After the late '60s, the trailer park held far fewer than 150 trai...
Kimball's Japanese Restaurant, Ondori Ramen, does not yet have an opening date set, according to owner Edi Yanto. He told the Observer that he is still not sure when that day will come, but he will let everyone know. The planned restaurant is located at 114 S. Chestnut Street. From a quick tour of the building, it appears that things are progressing. Electricity for the kitchen is almost complete. Overhead hoods still need to be installed and the drop ceiling in the kitchen area needs to be put...
Details in the Kimball Public Schools treasurer’s report in April 2021 show a significant increase in total available funds from the previous year. The information was presented at last week’s school board meeting. The district shows $2.8 million in total available funds now, compared to $1.63 million in April 2020. The balance remaining after expenses depicts a similar story as in April 2020 – $2.28 million remains after expenses, while in April 2020, $1.04 million was the bottom line after costs. Further information on the treas...
After a lengthy absence, a trap shooting club has returned to the Kimball area. Spearheading the renewal of trapshooting was Brittany Cook, but she is quick to give credit to many others that helped get the event going. "Kelly Garrett was so helpful in pointing me in the right directions and to the right people to get everything lined up," Brittany said. "Jeremy Williams worked with us and got (support from) the Park and Rec board. The school worked with us to allow us to use the name (Kimball...
Forget calling it the old Shopko building. The new name is Kimball Ace Hardware, according to owner Jeff Lepp. Lepp spent about 40 minutes telling the Observer about his new store in Kimball. "We have extraordinary plans for this location," he said. Lepp likes the Ace Hardware brand because most of the stores are independently owned and operated. The store will be a work in progress, especially the first year, due to multiple problems with trucking, vendors, supply chain, signage, licensing,...
The City of Kimball mayoral recall process continues. Mayor Keith Prunty issued a statement to the media in response to the petition to recall. And one person who filed a petition, Ashley Sisk, said she was looking to “withdraw my name” from the petition process. Prunty said: “I have always carried out my duties as Mayor of the City of Kimball faithfully. I am focused wholeheartedly on our community’s stability, growth, and future prosperity. I fully appreciate and support the democratic process, and I will continue to represent the citizen...
Panhandle Public Health District reported Kimball County has only one new COVID-19 case for the past week. The surrounding counties of Cheyenne and Scotts Bluff have increased numbers, with six and 17 new cases, respectively. Just over 37 percent of the Panhandle adults have received the COVID vaccine, and doses are still arriving in the area. The required second doses of Moderna, plus 1,800 doses will be available this week. Anyone over 18 can get the vaccine now. In the immediate future, the Pfizer vaccine will be arriving in the Panhandle,...
Kimball County Transit Service employee Ron Wall shows Mary Lynch first graders Riyah Jonsrud, Adie Weinbender, Breckin Wise and J.J. Rohde the transit bus. This week is Nebraska Public Transit Week, which is a celebration and promotion of public transit across Nebraska. KCTS is celebrating their commitment to rural transit. CTS provides service throughout the county, offering demand-response service in Banner, Kimball, Cheyenne and Deuel counties....
Over the past few months, the Kimball School Board has been discussing the school district’s facilities, and now they have reached a point of needing and wanting the community’s opinions. A short survey has been prepared by the board, and this week it will be “tweaked,” according to board President Matthew Shoup. “We want to see how the public sees our buildings,” he said. The survey will be ready for public input next week. The board approved two significant projects – new auditorium curtains were approved, and so was continuing to improve the...
Two Kimball citizens have launched a petition drive to recall Mayor Keith Prunty. In November 2014, Prunty was elected mayor. He was re-elected in 2018. The recall process requires strict adherence to the Nebraska state statutes 32-1303 through 32-1309. Kimball County Clerk Cathy Sibal confirmed that Ashley Sisk and Mary M. Laughlin filed the recall petition filing forms on April 2. Laughlin, daughter of city council member Kim Baliman, wrote on the petition that this was the reason for the recall: “Not having the community’s best interest in...
Kimball Health Services presented its proposal Tuesday for a new hospital to the Kimball County Commissioners. The primary portion of the funding ($23 million) for the new hospital would come from a 40 year fixed interest USDA loan. The USDA requires a letter of support from the governing body, which is the Kimball County Commissioners. The commissioners' boardroom was crowded with six presenters from Kimball Health Services explaining different facets of the project. The facility would not be...
Friendly and entertaining, Kimball resident Bev Wilson laughs and chuckles when she tells stories about her 60 years of attending the state bowling tournament. On March 29, Bev Wilson, 88 was presented an award that less than five women bowlers in the state have achieved. Bev has attended and participated in 60 state bowling tournaments. In 1960, Bev went to the state bowling tournament in Scottsbluff, then in 1961 and 1962 tournaments in Grand Island and Omaha, but a snowstorm prevented her...
The recent cold and snowy weather took a toll on the handicapped-accessible dock at Oliver Lake west of Kimball. Galen Wittrock from the South Platte Natural Resource District said, "Ice shoved the dock east, support cables broke, and the dock and the approaches jack-knifed." Although overall damage is "not too severe," the dock and all the pieces have been placed on the shore with the help of volunteers and neighbors, such as Alan Adamson. There will be no fishing off the dock until repairs...
The new owner of the former Shopko building, Jeff Lepp, confirmed to the Observer this week that he purchased the property. Lepp owns and operates Specialty Sports & Supply in Colorado Springs, Colo., and also owns Chadron Ace Hardware and Annex. Lepp's Colorado store is advertised as the "largest gun store in Colorado" and "is the premier retailer of knives, firearms, ammunition, and accessories on the Colorado front range." The Chadron location also has a wide selection of guns for sale. Lepp...
Operating in a 70-year-old building and facing rising patient numbers, Kimball Health Services is looking to build a new hospital. Hospital officials say the new facility would enhance patient care, comfort and privacy, replace the current facility that's at the end of its useful life, and expand services to meet current demand and future needs. The increase in services and patient numbers as reported by Kimball Health Services: • Hospital discharges up 24%. • Rural health clinic visits up 10%...
Panhandle Public Health District reported no new COVID-19 cases in Kimball County for the past week, and the county is in the yellow or moderate risk category. All of the Panhandle counties are in the yellow or green category. One year ago, on March 29, the first case of COVID-19 appeared in the Panhandle; that case was in Scotts Bluff County. Almost 32% of Panhandle adults have received their vaccination, and COVID doses regularly arrive in the area. This week 2,700 doses, plus the required second doses, will arrive. Anyone over the age of 18...
Mayor Keith Prunty, Kimball City Council and the Board of Public Works conducted one interview last week for city administrator position. The candidate, John Walz, a mechanical engineer from Hastings, was interviewed. Since Dan Dean retired in May of last year, the post has been vacant. Mayor Keith Prunty told the Observer on Monday afternoon that due to “lack of support from the city council, the individual that was interviewed would not be pursued....
Potter-Dix Public Schools are not rushing a decision on whether to switch to a four-day school week or stick with the traditional five-day week. When the Observer contacted Potter-Dix Schools Superintendent Adam Patrick via email, he responded with this statement on March 25: "A decision to slow the time frame on approaching the four day school week has been made. “Providing a high-quality education for all students is the number one priority of the district. We want to ensure whatever decision is made aligns with that goal, and we do not w...
After being canceled last year due to COVID-19, the popular Easter Egg Hunt in Kimball is back and will occur on Saturday, April 3 at 11 a.m. The event will be at Gotte Park, and the New Hope Youth group has taken over the event from Bob and Dawn Hinton. Since the beginning of March, Katharine Roberts, Pastor Roberts' wife, and about 10 youth group members have been working on the Easter Egg Hunt. According to Katharine Roberts, "The eggs are stuffed, all the prizes are ready, and we have a bunny." With the help of church members, they plan to...
Editor's note: Kimball Health Services has completed a feasibility study for a new hospital. But this article is about the early days of old Kimball County Hospital as reported in the Western Nebraska Observer from August to November 1950. On Aug. 21, 1950, the "modern, new" Kimball County Hospital opened for business with beds and furnishing borrowed from St. Mary's Hospital in Scottsbluff, according to the Aug. 24 edition of the Western Nebraska Observer. Almost immediately, patients began...
Rick Craig has a soft spot in his heart for Harrisburg and Banner County. Craig was raised in Harrisburg and would have graduated from BCHS in 1994 if he hadn't moved his senior year to the eastern part of the state, but Banner County still holds a special spot, and he knows many of the area people. "I love that town," he said. Now living in Seward, Craig and his partners, Bob and Dez Viger, are owners and operators of Lite Em Up Custom Burning, Inc., which they started in 2012 with just one...
The area snowstorm postponed the regular school board meeting for Potter-Dix Schools from Monday until Friday, March 19. The agenda was full with regular items, but under new business/discussion items, the matter of a four-day school week created the most discussion of any item. The school board conducted a work retreat session and the four-day school week came up in that session. At the meeting, Superintendent Adam Patrick relayed information that he had collected from some schools that adopted the four-day school week: Wynot, Randolph, and...
Kimball County recorded one new COVID-19 case this past week. This statistic is part of a wider trend as the pandemic’s grip on the region appears to be easing. All Panhandle counties were in the single digits for new COVID-19 cases except for Scotts Bluff County, which reported 40 new cases. In vaccine news, 28% of Panhandle adults have been vaccinated. “People will likely be surprised how quickly they are being scheduled to get their COVID vaccine now. Communities are moving to persons aged 30 and older if they are not already at that poi...
Kimball Volunteer Fire Chief Andrew Bohac addressed the City Council on March 16 in regard to a mutual aid agreement. According to Bohac, this agreement encompasses everything from Big Springs to the Wyoming line. Mutual aid has always been done, but according to Bohac, now they are just "putting it on paper." One phrase sums up the agreement: "We pledge our assistance to each other in the use of fire apparatus, firefighters, medical or rescue emergency or natural disaster – whatever may be i...
Locally, Mark and Bryce Halstead from the EH Ranch, LLC approached Karen Hewitt of Karen's Kitchen in Kimball to promote "Meat on the Menu Day." They said that they wanted to purchase the first 20 prime ribs on Saturday at her restaurant to "support the beef industry and her business." Karen said the customers appreciated it, and it "went great." She said that she cooked four prime ribs and only had four end pieces left. Karen did mention that another beef employer purchased 40 meals for their...