Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
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At the Tuesday commissioner meeting, the Kimball County Commissioners voted to approve Kimball Police Chief Jose Ruiz’s request to use the former Kimball Health Services hospital for training purposes. The approval is for training on Aug. 28 that will focus on clearing buildings. Ruiz must provide a certificate of liability for the training to be conducted at the former hospital building, which is owned by the county and up for sale. In other business, Kimball County Treasurer Cindi Rahmig and Dave Hottell, county sheriff, explained the t...
The Keno Funds for the Feral Cat program this year have been exhausted in Kimball, but two individuals have stepped up to continue working to control the feral cat population in Kimball County in a humane way. Sherrie Stevenson and Dawn Hinton took 17 kitties/cats to be spayed/neutered at the Northern Colorado Friends of Feral clinic over the weekend. The Keno Funds are used only within the city limits of Kimball, but Hinton and Stevenson are accepting Kimball County, Dix and Bushnell cats for...
Westen Hottell, 16, said, “I figured I always liked to talk, so I might as well get paid to do it.” Westen had to take special course to learn the language he is speaking, the language of an auctioneer. Last weekend at the Top Hand Longhorn Sale in Rapid City, S.D., Westen used his talking skills and chant to auction off a bred Longhorn heifer. On Saturday, Westen sold Lot No. 1, designated as a youth lot with only youth bidding. This was his second opportunity to practice his skills in an actual auction setting. Westen’s first auction attem...
The Kimball School Board received an update at its meeting Monday on summer projects in the school district. The board and administration have worked diligently over the past few years to make the district grounds and buildings more attractive. Projects completed this summer include the Junior/Senior High School asphalt work on the west parking lot, scoreboard installation, flooring in the student center and auditorium foyer, LED lighting in the practice gym and locker rooms, the gym floors being recoated, and the roof on the slant wall of the...
Ten years ago in August, Heather and Nate Entingh purchased the Wooden Keg and the laundromat from Ken and Nancy Heig, and now the Entinghs are celebrating. Living in Cheyenne and coming to Kimball for the Farmers Day celebration, Nate and Heather kept an eye on the Wooden Keg. In 2012, the Wooden Keg was advertised, but hesitant to jump into the business scene, Nate and Heather waited. By 2014, the price had dropped, and they took the plunge. They renamed the bar. Beer & Loathing was born. But...
A long week of Kimball-Banner County Fair activities concluded Saturday with the livestock sale, the Rubber Check Race and a dance in the arena. At the livestock sale, dozens of animals went through the sale ring with premium bids totaling thousands of dollars. Thirteen swine went through, along with 12 sheep, 30 beef and 31 goats. In the swine division Trey Cook had the overall FFA grand champion swine, followed by Jax Toth with the reserve. Trey also had the overall 4-H grand champion hog and Bodee Carruthers won the reserve. Tatum Medina...
The Kimball-Banner Fair has started with a variety of activities completed. Competitions that are in the record books include archery, clothing, fashion revue, static and the dog show. Archery competition was completed on Wednesday, with a group of high quality shooters. In the Unsighted division, Ember White took Junior Grand Champion and Braun Hottell was Reserve. Audrey Ferguson received a purple, and Kolh Hottell a blue. For the Intermediates, Luke Olsen, Joel Berger, and Alaina Sperslage...
The Park and Recreation Operating Board met to receive an update on the installation of sprinklers. Work on holes 4 and 14 has been the focus of the sprinkler updates. Roy’s Landscaping has begun removing old sprinklers and installing new ones. With golf pro Edward Tamsett’s employment at Four Winds golf course ending, the operating board purchased most of the merchandise in the pro shop from Tamsett and was awaiting an accurate inventory of the merchandise. It’s a common practice for golf pros to purchase merchandise that they sell at in pr...
Weeshire Mains, a sensory farm and a federally nonprofit organization, is a testament to the dedication of Sarah and Ken Shropshire. They purchased five acres when they moved from Thornton, Colorado, to Kimball in December 2021, with a clear vision of creating a unique space for their own autistic boys, but now the farm has a new mission of providing a place for kids with sensory challenges to explore. Their sensory farm is a work in progress, with 247 blueberry plants now thriving, fainting...
The 2024-25 softball season will be exciting for Kimball High School freshman JaLeigh Bohac. After the Kimball School Board negotiated a cooperative arrangement with Gering Public Schools, JaLeigh will begin her high school softball career with Gering High School. She will attend daily practices after her school day in Kimball. Conditioning for Gering starts Aug. 5. The Nebraska high school softball season runs until Oct. 5. JaLeigh said, "In Gering, I'm expecting to work hard and meet new...
Surrounded by family and friends, former Kimball County Attorney Dave Wilson accepted congratulations and praise Friday from colleagues, fellow county employees and friends at a reception in his honor. Wilson spent his entire career in Kimball as county attorney and in his private practice. He expressed heartfelt thanks to all the people who have been part of the Wilson family's lives, saying, "It has been a wonderful life here. We have made some wonderful friends. It is hard to leave, but we ha...
Crates of Toro sprinklers have arrived for the needed repairs at the Four Wind Golf Course. Course superintendent Jeremy Williams said they have begun installing the sprinklers on the top side of the fourth hole. Fairways were burned out in several areas after gravel plugged up old sprinkler heads. Roy's Landscaping is set to help complete the installation of the 200 sprinklers the week of August 8. The Kimball City-Kimball County Parks and Recreation Executive board approved a $110,000 loan to...
Kimball Longhorn head football coach Darrell Howitt said he was "super excited" for the season and said it is "always great to get on the field." Howitt had about 20 guys out for the first day of five practices this week. Early in the morning, they had an offensive focus and later was the defensive focus. Linebackers and defensive backs got some specialty work. Howitt said he was pleased with those showing up and had expected a few more, but some were on vacation and some just had to work at...
Progress has been made in efforts to replace bad sprinklers and improve burned out conditions on some holes at Four Winds Golf Course. A loan has been approved to buy new sprinklers. Henry Heeg, chairman of the Kimball-Kimball County Parks and Recreation Operating Board, told the Parks and Recreation Executive Board at a special meeting last week that they were in the “same place as last meeting and are trying to move forward.” The Parks and Recreation Executive Board is composed of the three county commissioners and David Wilson on the cou...
Ordinance #830, which updated the city code relating to Unsafe Buildings and Property Maintenance, generated some strong opinions at the Kimball City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 16. The new ordinance attempts to link the unsafe buildings and nuisance codes. The new ordinance addresses unsafe structures and property maintenance. It also sets minimum standards for what constitutes a safe home. City Attorney Matt Turman explained that the government cannot deprive someone of life, liberty and property without due process. The ordinance and co...
The excitement is plausible as Theo, 9, and Elizabeth Perry, 6, describe their upcoming Kimball-Banner County Fair projects. “I am more excited than I can explain,” Theo said. Yet the excitement for Theo was curtailed a bit when he required surgery on his foot from a BB gun incident just days ago. A BB from someone else’s gun was embedded in the bone of his big toe. With surgery a few days behind him, he is not letting it stop him from working his steer, although carrying buckets of feed are off limits. He limps around while his mother cauti...
The late May freeze and the drought conditions throughout the spring and summer had a huge effect on the wheat crop, according to officials at Frenchman Valley Coop. On Tuesday, they stated that 90% of the wheat crop is in and by the end of the week harvest in the area will be done. The yields were found to be 50% of last year with an average of less than 30 bushels an acre although the quality was good. Irrigated wheat was OK, but not as well as it should have been. Frenchman Valley officials...
The Sentinel missile program, hoped to boost this area’s economy, will continue with an increase in costs and a delay in construction, the U.S. Department of Defense announced. The department, Congress and Pentagon determined that the Sentinel program is essential to national security and there are no alternatives to the program at a lesser cost, according to information that the department released. Other reasons for the certification of the Sentinel program were listed as: The director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation agreed that n...
A special meeting of the Parks and Rec Operating Board was held on Wednesday, July 10, to accept the resignation of Four Winds golf pro Edward Tamsett. Tamsett, from Australia, took the Four Winds golf pro job in the spring of 2023 after long-time golf pro Chad Wise left. The operating board’s newest appointed member is Jenna Miller, and the chairman is Henry Heeg. Other members include John Morrison, Rich Flores, Jaclyn Burks and vice chairman Pat O’Brien. O’Brien was absent from the July 10 meeting. The second order of business on the agend...
Kimball's new Heritage Cafe has been painted and remodeled, the kitchen has been rearranged, and it is open for business at 214 S. Walnut St. Right now, it is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, but the owners anticipate additional days and evenings. They are getting acclimated to Kimball and their new business. Owners Doug Mallett and his daughter, Deborah O'Connor, have made the place a family affair with her daughter and son-in-law adding to the business. Deborah has already...
Twenty golfers at the 15th annual Vince's Corner Golf Tournament won the chance to chip from 100 yards out on hole 16, and the winner of the contest would take home a golf cart donated by the Panhandle Auto Group. Jeff Greenwood chipped within 3 feet of the cup to take home the golf cart. The Vince's tournament is comprised of 36 teams and players, who come from California, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming and all over Nebraska. Here are the results of top finishers in each of the four divisions: A...
The Kimball School Board began tackling a sensitive issue or, as board President Travis Cook put it, "a heavy topic" at its July 8 meeting – whether school employees should carry firearms. With state Sen. Brian Hardin in attendance, Hardin explained that the Unicameral passed legislation allowing school employees to carry a firearm, either concealed or open carry. The discussion addressed Board Policy 702.11 as it pertains to firearms in schools. The board, along with local law enforcement, d...
The Kimball City Council voted unanimously to add a second K-9 unit to the Kimball Police Department at the council meeting on Tuesday, July 2. The unit’s dog, a Belgian Malinois named Trudy, will cost $7,000, significantly less than the going rate of $25,000, Police Chief Jose Ruiz said. Trudy will be trained along with the city’s other police dog, Lucy, at Ragnar Defense in Casper, Wyoming. Trudy will be trained as a dual purpose dog, detecting narcotics and performing apprehension or bite work. A loan has been secured from a local bank to...
The Kimball City/County Park and Recreation Executive Board met on July 1 with one item to discuss – 200 new sprinklers for the Four Winds Golf Course. Chairman of the Park and Recreation Operating Board Henry Heeg and course Superintendent Jeremy Williams explained the problem. The current sprinklers are 25 years old and at the end of their life and still working, but parts are difficult or impossible to find for them. Last summer when the big water well went down, gravel and rocks were p...
It was all smiles for Kimball's 12 and under baseball team members as they won their league championship last week. They put up 31 runs in two games. In Game 1, they played Mitchell and racked up 15 runs opposed to 9 for Mitchell. In Game 2, the bats were on fire again as Kimball scored 16 runs against 7 for Gering. Leading the team in hits was Kasyn Snyder, who went 5 for 6 at the plate. Knox Hottell went 4 for 4, Barrett Brown went 4 for 5 and Nash Burback and Blayden Serrano both went 3 for...