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 Park and Rec Executive Board members are exploring taking land from the Kimball Recreation Area and replacing it with other recreational land in town. This would make the golf course area land available for development for residential purposes. The land under consideration has been identified as 42 acres north of Gilliland Drive and would include the baseball fields. The plan is to move the baseball diamonds back into town if all gets approved. According to the board's Dave Wilson, "We...
At a press conference on Aug. 12, 1986, U.S. President Ronald Reagan said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Even though these words ring true in many situations, the federal and state governments, through the Federal Transit Administration 5311 grants, have helped the Kimball County Transit Service achieve a successful rural transportation program. The Federal Transit Administration grant program began in 1975 and helps fund travel industries like Greyhound Bus Lines...
Ty Proffitt is known as a "high pointer," and his wife Sheila accompanies him on some of his high point trips. The couple left Tennessee at 3 a.m. on this particular trip and flew into Denver, then drove straight to their first high point adventure, Panorama Point, in southwestern Kimball County. Ty and Sheila will cross Nebraska's high point off their list, as well as those in South Dakota, North Dakota and Colorado. Before Tuesday, Ty had visited the high points in 34 states. They will return...
Kimball Mayor John Morrison updated the Observer on Tuesday about the City Council approving a four-way stop at 2nd and Chestnut streets. Morrison said he "thinks everyone understands that we have a problem with traffic on Main Street (Chestnut Street)." Morrison explained that it was on the agenda simply for discussion, but a motion was made, and then it was seconded. There was little discussion on the subject. It passed by a 4-0 vote. Before a change is made at the intersection, Mayor...
The Longhorn girls golf team is well into the season with the Kimball Invite their third meet of the season. On Wednesday this week, the girls played at Creek Valley and on Sept. 7 they head to Mitchell. In just three meets the scores are dropping rapidly. On their home course, Kimball's Hayden Sours shot a 57 on the front nine and a 56 on the back nine to placed seventh with a 113, and Aubrey Culek shot a 63 and a 57 and her 120 took 10th place. Overall, the team placed third with a 494....
The Kimball City Council last Tuesday unanimously approved a four-way stop at 2nd and Chestnut streets downtown following a discussion on traffic, speed and the dangers of the intersection at 2nd and Chestnut streets. Warning signs will be installed to begin preparing cars and trucks for the change, which will add stop signs on Chestnut. The four-way stop will be one block from Kimball’s only stoplight at the corner of Chestnut and 3rd streets. In other business, a public hearing on Ordinance 824 – interfering with a peace officer – was held....
The first day of school for Kimball students and staff was unique and fun. School spirit was everywhere. At the Kimball Jr./Sr. High School, Superintendent Trevor Anderson had agreed to have his head shaved if grades 7-12 achieved their testing goals for the spring of 2023, and they did! Julia Winstrom, Aspyn Kiefer and Grace Anderson did the shaving. Anderson said he had not received a haircut all summer and won't have to get another haircut for a few months. The first day was filled with...
Even though it is hard work and long hours in the hot sun, Tracy Gifford, with the help of his daughter, Megan, loves his days in the fields, planting, tending to, harvesting and selling his produce. Gifford said he went broke farming in 2005 but "hung on for a couple more years," and then, due to medical reasons, he was unable to continue teaching math, so they began with a little garden by the house – but now they have expanded to acres of vegetables. He built a machine to plant the produce a...
The preliminary hearing Monday on the perjury charges against Lylia J. Childs started a minute early in Kimball County Court, with Judge Kris Mickey appearing by video. Due to a conflict of interest, Judge Mickey from Scotts Bluff County and the Cheyenne County clerk conducted the preliminary hearing. David Wilson, Kimball County attorney, represented the state, and Childs sat at the opposing table with no counsel. Childs was arraigned on August 9, and the court had received no affidavit for appointment of counsel. The state’s first witness w...
The Kimball County Commissioners on Aug. 15 met with a representative of the Nebraska Association of County Officials to discuss and consider a cost savings option concerning health insurance coverage. More than 50 counties in the state offer this incentive to not have people double covered, and it could save the county around $100,000 in insurance premiums. Individuals must be on a group insurance plan, but if they are covered by another plan they could opt out of the county plan and receive a stipend. In other business, Deputy Treasurer...
The Antelope Stampede Bicycle Race continues to grow with 49 participants from Colorado and Nebraska this year. This is the third year for the local event organized by Jon and Anna-Lisa Heidemann. The race included a 100-mile, a 50-mile and a 25-mile division race throughout the roads of the Kimball County countryside. The after race party at Gotte Park included a music, pie eating contest, a drawing for a mountain bike and other bike accessories, bounce houses, games, face painting and a...
The Indian Plate will replace the restaurant formerly known as The Diner. Amandeep Basra recently purchased the old Diner and the First Interstate Inn from LGK Inc. The new restaurant will be known as the Indian Plate and serve both Indian and American food. The start date for the restaurant opening is Aug. 15. Basra said his goal is to "have good food for everyone." He said his five star cook from California will be here Aug. 14. He said he has cooks and employees on staff, and he will remain...
A public hearing was opened at 5:03 p.m. during the Kimball City Council meeting Aug. 1 for public comment on Ordinance 823, which authorizes the city to borrow not more than $2.5 million for the purposes of financing improvements and expansion of the city’s electric system and other improvements to the city’s combined utilities system. Scott Keene from Piper Sandler, a bonding company for this project, told the council members that the city had “plenty of capacity to take on new debt.” Ordinance 823 was approved by a 4-0 vote. In other b...
The Kimball-Banner County Fair is in full swing, with some events already completed. Archery was held last Wednesday evening, followed by clothing exhibits, a fashion revue and table setting on Thursday. Receiving a variety of Grand Champions in archery were Jace Reich, Luke Olsen, Isaac Olsen, Jalanna Krakow and Giacomo Varra. The dog show and static exhibits were on the agenda for Monday, and the results are in the books. With a change of the schedule from previous years, animals began... Full story
At the July 18 Kimball City Council meeting, a discussion was held on possible improvements to Gotte Park. Improvement topics ranged from the drainage ditch to various park improvements to the removal of the Titan I missile displayed on park grounds. Only the bottom part of the missile remains standing today, and pictures taken by the City of Kimball electric department show areas of the missile that are rotted through. Mayor John Morrison said, "It is actually becoming a hazard to the public."...
After months of negotiations and executive sessions, on Tuesday, Aug. 1, the Kimball County Commissioners voted to sell the High Point Welcome Center of Western Nebraska property located at 204 South Kimball Boulevard and the adjacent land to Big D Oil Co. of Rapid City, S.D. The selling price was $500,000. Big D Oil’s possible plan is to operate a truck stop at the site. It is a family owned business with 39 retail stores in western South Dakota, eastern Wyoming and northern Colorado. As for the welcome center’s future, it was not dis...
The 1st annual Red and White Classic Golf Tournament at the Four Winds Golf Course was a success, according to Kimball Jr/Sr High Activities Director Darrell Howitt. With 31 teams playing on Saturday and 130 tickets sold to the banquet on Saturday evening, they are still tallying up the finances, but Howitt believes that they made about $40,000. Howitt said he is "thankful for the supportive community that rallies behind the kids and the school." The winning golf team shot a 53 and was...
Wheat harvest has begun in and around the Kimball area. The recent days of 90-plus degree weather "gets things dried out," according to Frenchman Valley Coop's Hope Hinton. On Monday, cutting is happening "all over" north of Potter, north and south of Kimball, and south of Dix, she said. Hinton predicted that they will be in the harvest mode until the middle of August because of the large area that FVC covers. On Monday in the FVC office, the harvest crew was training for the long days of... Full story
At the Kimball City Council meeting on July 18, City Administrator Annette Brower addressed key issues regarding the missile project. Brower said the Pioneer Camp will be in place in 2024 and the Housing Hub for hundreds of project workers at a time will be built and operational in 2025. The Pioneer Camp will house workers who will construct the hub. In another matter, Mayor John Morrison commented on a story on July 13 front page of the Observer about Hometown Hardware. Referring to a water main break that affected the business, Morrison said...
Chief Jose Ruiz of the Kimball Police Department reported at the Kimball City Council on meeting a lengthy list of happenings. During the council meeting, the department also added two more officers to the ranks. New Kimball policemen include Sgt. Jose Barboza and Officer Colton McKenzie. Meanwhile, the department is in the process of nine abatements regarding residential maintence, while 16 have been completed, and three abatements are with the city attorney. In response to the semi-parking...
The high school rodeo season will start again for Kimball's bull rider Cody Brinkman in two weeks at Bassett, Nebraska. Cody spent last week in Gillette, Wyoming, at the National High School Finals Rodeo. He rode bulls on Monday and Friday but got "bucked off" both times. Cody said he was a little disappointed with the "tough draw," and the experience was "definitely different." He said there was a vast range of bulls, and it depended on the "luck of the draw." The bulls Cody drew had stats...
The Kimball Women’s Golf Association Wednesday League is winding down its season. The nine-hole tournament was Wednesday, followed by three more weeks of league play, the Horse Race and Battle of Sexes. Shellon Anderson brought her game to claim the top gross on July 19 in league play. Shellon shot a 48, and Regan Hinton took the top net score with a 38. Charlotta Young claimed the lowest putts with 16, and flag prizes went to Dar Evertson, Phyllis Gross, and Daria Anderson-Faden. On July 12, in league play, Phyllis Greenwood had low gross with...
While Mike's Greenhouse in Kimball has hit the end of the season for selling tomatoes, peppers and other starter plants, Mike Schepker looks forward to his real adventure, his true love, mining for gold. Wyoming Game and Fish has set July 1 to Sept. 10 as the Wyoming mining season. The season was set up as a window between the spawning seasons of trout in the spring and fall. Mike packs up his RV and heads west to Snowy Range to mine for gold and other precious gems. "It is a lot of hard work,...
The Kimball County Commissioners went into executive session Tuesday to discuss and consider approval of an agreement for the sale of the High Point Welcome Center of Western Nebraska property and adjacent land. When the commissioners returned to open session, no action was taken as following previous executive sessions regarding the matter, although they did state that a decision would be made on Aug 1. In a public comment period, Jack Shaw of Kimball addressed the commissioners concerning the planned relocation of the courthouse handicap...
Kimball County Transit Service celebrated its expanded service on July 12 with an open house and ribbon cutting. Officials from the Nebraska Department of Transportation and Mobility Management were on hand to celebrate, along with local and regional officials. The new extended service was launched July 11 between Kimball and Scottsbluff, known as the Sky Line. Also, operation began on the Sun Line route from Kimball to Sidney and Chappell. KCTS also runs the Red Line from Scottsbluff to... Full story