Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Sorted by date Results 951 - 975 of 4073
At the time of this writing, and unless I hear a change, we will have no Nebraska football as the Big 10 has voted not to play. What I heard on Monday was that only Nebraska and Iowa voted to go ahead with the fall season, but I guess there could be a change yet. Interesting and disappointing. High School Practice Is On I did get word on Monday that the Kimball High fall sports are scheduled to proceed and fall sports practices began this past Monday. Practice time now until school starts on...
They are called Quarter Midgets, which means they are just a scaled-down Midget Sprint car, according to Tim Gasseling of Potter. Fourteen years ago, Tim raced dirt track and he was looking to get his boys into something besides four wheelers. After checking out the internet, Tim and Cassie decided "Quarter Midgets was the route we would go." And their boys took to the Quarter Midgets like champions. Landon, 12, started racing when he was 7, but Keegan, now 8, took a practice race when he was 4...
The Kimball Women’s Golf Association played its annual Horse Race. For the finals, three extra holes had to be played to break the three way tie. Taking first place was Pattie Klinginsmith and Jodi Keeler. Pattie and Jodi beat out Nora Robinson and Shellon Anderson. Nora and Shellon received second, beating out Charlotta Young and Phyllis Gross, who placed third. As the season draws to a close, some events still remain to be played, such as on August 12 the men’s golf league plays the women’s golf league in The Battle of the Sexes XIX. Last...
"They all subscribed to the Western Nebraska Observer, my grandpa, two uncles, mom and dad, and I am still subscribing." Bea Heidemann talked about her family's association to the Western Nebraska Observer. As the Western Nebraska Observer celebrates 135 years of existence, people like Bea have made the Observer and Kimball County what they are today. Born Beatrice Yaege, she was raised and has lived in Kimball County for the past 97 years. Bea Heidemann's family has roots as long as the...
The Kimball Banner County Fair, scaled back this year due to the virus, started Monday with small animals (rabbits, chickens and ducks) and the dog show. The afternoon was the clothing day with modeling after the interviews. Static Exhibit Judging Day was Tuesday beginning at 9 a.m. with interviews. Wednesday, the horse show will begin at 8:30 a.m. after the session with meet the judge at 8 a.m. Pigs, sheep and goats will be shown and judged on Thursday. Pig weigh-in is from 6-8 a.m. followed...
AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps is a federal program for 18-24 year-olds and teams up with local non-profit organizations to complete hands-on projects. AmeriCorps volunteers will be in Kimball County for the next month working on a variety of projects. The Visitors Center was first on the list of receiving help as the 11 volunteers from Connecticut to Jamaica and Lithuania acclimated themselves to Kimball. The young workers helped plant an iris area at the Visitors Center and they...
The home of Sharon and Dennis Deboodt at 401 South Howard in Kimball is the recipient of Yard of the Week. The Deboodts purchased the home over 40 years ago and have modernized and beautified the corner lot. The front yard with the wrap around porch and tiger lilies is beautiful, but the backyard with flowing water and the surrounding flowers is relaxing and beyond expectations. Heather Entingh and Morgan Baker presented the Yard of the Week award to Dennis and Sharon Deboodt...
The 29th annual Kimball Hospital Foundation Golf Classic is in the books as a record breaking event having attracted the most entries ever, according to the chairman, Mr. Kerry Ferguson. This year's event had 36 four-person teams for a total of 144 golfers, the most ever. Ferguson said, "It was truly a great day for the foundation with this great turnout. We had near perfect weather the entire day, I think everyone enjoyed themselves, and all of the volunteer helpers did such a good job. "I...
Monday, July 27 the Potter-Dix School Board approved the proposed reopening plan in a 6-0 vote. School will start Aug. 19 with an 11:30 a.m. dismissal. The proposal included information about pre-testing and assessing students to determine if skills are lacking and if there is a need for remedial instruction. Plans are coming together for the 2020-21 school year across the area. In other area school districts, Banner County School is set to open Aug. 17 and the Kimball School Board was expected...
For the past seven weeks, some Kimball students have improved their science, technology, engineering, math and literacy skills in the Elite Summer Camp. The morning program concluded on Friday the 24th of July. Although the numbers of students enrolled were down from expectations, Director Caitlin Tabor said they served anywhere from 15-35 students a day, even during this COVID-19 pandemic. The Elite program followed all the necessary COVID-19 regulations, but Tabor did stress that they...
Kimball City Council members had a full agenda to tend to in their July 21 meeting. The Economic Development Grant guidelines continue to be discussed and updated, but businesses are rapidly using the LB 840 money. Receiving Business Facade Improvement and Infrastructure Grants were Chute 7, High Point RV and Sin Easy. The work varied from signs, painting and updating a hot water heater and pipes. Meanwile, the city administrator position has been re-advertised in the hopes of gaining more applicants. The timeline for choosing an administrator...
It isn't often that a metal, life-size horse is transported on an open trailer down Highway 30. The metal horse suffered an injury to his leg when he blew over during the last blizzard of the season and so owner Dennis Raines brought the horse to Kimball to be repaired by Stephen Pinkerton at Prestige Manufacturing. The horse, with no name, will resume his spot close to the the Raines house near Albin, Wyoming. The Raines were very pleased with repairs to the injured leg....
FirsTier Bank has announced the promotion of Jared Reich to Kimball branch president. Jared has been proudly serving the community at FirsTier for just over 11 years. He grew up on a ranch and dairy operation near Bartlett, Nebraska, and attended Chadron State College graduating with a degree in Ag Business, and a minor in Ag Marketing. Jared considers himself a resource for his clients and is delighted to inform the bank's customers of opportunities to strengthen their operations. Following...
Not a lot to share with you readers this week. The coronavirus played havoc with the Nebraska West Nebraska All Star Football game, which had to be canceled when a member of the East Team tested positive. The volleyball match went on as scheduled and the West Team won in five straight sets. Payton Wise I can boast once again on the play of our Payton Wise who did very well in the final two tournaments of the Panhandle Junior Tour. She shot a round of 79, despite not putting her best, at Gering...
Bingo, Bango, Bongo was the Wednesday night game for the Kimball Women's Golf Association. The Pine Bluffs women took top honors as Alice Theobald and her partner Donna Loyd tied for first place. Alice took home $5.00 and Donna's winning were $7.00 due to a $2.00 birdie. Second place winnings were $3.00 each and Susie Abramson and Jean Barrett tied for 2nd place. Phyllis Greenwood and Pattie Klinginsmith also tallied up a birdie, birdies paid out $2.00. Week 6 Pattie Klinginsmith shot lights...
From Friday to Monday, 13 more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the Panhandle. Kimball County has one case and Scotts Bluff and Box Butte counties share the remaining 12. A male in his 50s is the latest Kimball County case and his exposure type is reported as community spread. According to Panhandle Public Health District, all close contacts will be quarantined and actively monitored daily for fever and respiratory symptoms by public health officials. Jessica Davies from Panhandle Public Health District commented to the Observer about some...
A huge project is in the works at the Kimball Frenchman Valley Coop on the north side of the railroad tracks. From a distance, a crane is visible but up close the boot pit is visible. Previously, corn had been stored on the ground to the east of the scale at Frenchman Valley Coop. Corn will still be stored in that location, but the corn will now be housed in a flat storage facility. The Kimball flat storage facility completion date is Oct. 1 and it has been a year in the planning and...
The Kimball School Board computer program Sparq erroneously stated at the last board meeting that a “motion failed” when in fact the motion passed. During the meeting, Travis Cook voted against approving the treasurer’s report due partly to the fact that tax receipts had not been updated, while Carrie Tabor abstained and Lynn Vogel, while on the phone, was technically absent. The Sparq program is relatively new and used for the agenda, minutes and voting. The members of the school board do not do a voice vote but voted on their computers, and t...
Receiving the Yard of the Week award is Valerie O'Brien at 401 Chestnut in Kimball. The O'Briens purchased the house in 2016, but didn't make the final transition to Nebraska from Aurora, Colorado, until July of 2019. In their effort to modernize the property, they removed some old dead trees in the front yard, replaced the old broken up sidewalk with new sidewalk and rocked parts of the front yard. The dry weather makes it hard to keep the grass green, according to Valerie, but it is a...
A Sept. 24 trial date has been set for Kenneth Childs of Dix. Childs is charged with making terroristic threats, which is a Class 3A felony, and false reporting, which is a misdemeanor. Childs is represented by Audrey M. Elliott, and he is being prosecuted by Special Acting County Attorney Paul Schaub of Sidney. The charges against Childs stem from an incident on April 9, 2020 in Dix. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 1 at 9:30 a.m. in Kimball District Court. Childs' bond has been...
Cameron Wynne, the son of Brian Wynne who was a 1997 Kimball High grad, and an outstanding athlete for the Longhorns, has signed to return home to Nebraska to play out his collegiate baseball. Cam, as he goes by, grew up in Lincoln and played his high school baseball at Lincoln High before playing 2 years of baseball for Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. His next move was to sign with Texas A&M. When the COVID-19 scare came along and everything came to a halt, Cam went...
The 3rd annual James L. Eatmon Masonic Lodge golf tournament was held this past Saturday night at the Four Winds Golf Course, and yes, I said Saturday NIGHT! This fun format consists of a cross country laid-out out course during daylight hours, with a break for outstanding food prepared by Dave Klinkhammer, and served at the course, and then 9 more holes of golf in the dark using glo balls! This year’s tournament attracted 20 four-person teams, or 80 golfers, and according to the chairman, Kevin Wynne, “It went very well and seemed like eve...
The USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program has come to Trinity Methodist Church in Kimball. The church is the local distribution entity. According to Carol Walker, the church receives enough food to feed many families in our area. There are no financial qualifications and the food is distributed on a "on a first come, first served basis." The food is available on Thursdays at the Methodist Church, 305 East 4th St., beginning around 9:30 a.m. The only requirement is for individuals to wear a...
Kimball School Superintendent Trevor Anderson has a big job ahead of him, but he is ready for the challenge. Admittedly he knows he has to "hit the ground running" and he must "deal with the hand that you are dealt." Anderson took over the helm of Kimball Public Schools on July 1. School will be starting in just a little over a month and, according to Anderson, his top priority, as well as the school's number one priority is to determine what school is going to look like, to figure out how to...
Bransyn Kiefer sounds like a mathematical genius as he rattles off a multitude of numbers. The language he speaks is times, motor temperatures, head temperatures, reaction times, miles per hour, tire pressure, dial board and it is all done in 1/8 of a mile. And of course, as a 13 year-old, his favorite thing in drag racing is "burnouts." Even though the burnouts are fun they do have a purpose, to get the temperature of the motor to the correct degrees and to get everything off the tires before...