Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Sorted by date Results 526 - 550 of 1126
On Tuesday morning, Oliver Lake was stocked with 12,000 walleye and 1,500 tiger muskie from the Nebraska Game and Parks in less than an hour. Ted Bartels from the Nebraska Game and Parks brought his load from the North Platte Hatchery and delivered fish to Oliver, Winter Creek, Minatare and Big Lake Alice. Stocking by the Nebraska Game and Fish is financed by hunting and fishing licenses. Game and Parks stock most of the public lakes throughout the state. Walleye are the most popular fish and...
Banner County Historical Day has resumed after a two-year break due to the pandemic. The fun-filled day started last Saturday with a pancake feed by the Banner County Volunteer Fire Department. After a belly full of pancakes, kids and adults participated in the Banner County Historical Day Fun Run of either 1 mile or 3 miles. For months the locals had been preparing for the parade. This year marked one of the longest parades with a number of old vehicles, a horse-drawn buggy and a wagon, along... Full story
Lt. Col. Eric M. Green from F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne was the speaker for Memorial Day 2022 ceremony at the Kimball Cemetery. It was a chilly and windy day as Matt Shoup, VFW Post 2243 commander, opened the ceremony. Randy Bohac gave the opening prayer, and Eileen Rowley from the VFW Auxiliary placed a wreath at the veterans memorial. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and Tom O'Brien sang a beautiful rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner. The honor guard presented their salute,... Full story
In a few weeks, Pastor Roger Gillming from the Trinity United Methodist Church in Kimball and the Calvary United Methodist Church of Bushnell will have completed a 48-year ministry journey that has taken him through 16 churches in Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. "That is all I have done," Gillming said. "It is the only job I have ever had." Pastor Gillming has tried this retirement thing twice before. He retired from Callaway in 2010 and again after three years in Peetz, Colo. Perhaps the third...
Two Banner County officials are spending 10 days in the Scotts Bluff County Detention Center after having been found guilty by Scotts Bluff County Court Judge Kris Mickey of public indecency in an incident that occurred Dec. 28 at the Banner County Courthouse. Their jail time began on May 20, immediately after their sentencing hearing at the Scottsbluff County Courthouse. Banner County Treasurer Monty Stoddard, 58, and Assessor Bernice Huffman, 48, were both sentenced to jail time along with a v...
Kimball manslaughter suspect William Shane Serrano had a motion this month for a bond review. He is charged with five felonies, including manslaughter and possession of a firearm while committing a felony. Judge Derek S. Weimer took the May 3 bond review under advisement and issued his order. Serrano has a $100,000 bond, which is to remain unchanged. The court then permitted Serrano to have contact with his minor children with conditions. The conditions must conform to the provisions of a...
The Kimball City Council decided against having three public readings for a proposed ordinance and passed Ordinance No. 804, authorizing the issuance of combined utility revenue bonds not to exceed $2.5 million. The purpose of the bond is to finance improvements to and expansion of the city's electric system and other improvements to the city's combined utilities systems. The city's antiquated power plant, which provides power for brief periods when needed, has diesel generators from the 1950s. Those diesel generators will be parted out and...
The capitalistic spirit is alive in the Central American country of Guatemala. A caravan of used Toyota SR5 pickups stopped at Days Inn in Kimball on its way from Gillette, Wyo., where they were acquired to be sold and used in Guatemala. Twenty-year-old businessman and mechanic Diego Mendez said they located the vehicles in South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska, and then picked them up in Gillette. The parade of Toyotas had seven drivers, each driving one vehicle and towing...
Nebraska Property Tax Administrator Ruth Sorenson explained to the Observer that there is a hefty increase in assessed values of residential properties across the state. The state total for Residential & Recreational and AgResident percentage change was at 8.48%, according to a Nebraska Department of Revenue chart. Some counties are registering significant increases. For example, Wheeler County has a 57.10% increase. Speaking to the Observer from Lincoln, Sorenson suggested that was probably due to a reappraisal. Hooker, Brown, and Boyd countie...
In an update on the Kimball County Transit Service, director Christy Warner said driver Karen Hottell won first place in the 2022 Roadeo Driving contest. Karen won the van division at Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. The event draws drivers from all over the country to compete for scores that test their skills on every level. Still, the primary focus is on safe operations and passenger sensitivity. In other transit news for the commissioners at their regular meeting, officials from the state...
Banner County School graduated 10 seniors on Saturday. Along with receiving their diplomas, many members of the class received scholarships worth thousands of dollars and full tuition to area colleges. Valedictorian Makyla Mason gave the seniors and the crowd great advice – never give up. She also told her fellow classmates to be true to themselves. She received her medal from Principal Charles Jones during the commencement in the school’s gym. Lily Teeple was announced as salutatorian and als...
The Kimball High School band played “Pomp and Circumstance” as the 25 seniors marched into the gym for their final time as KHS students. The senior class was led by valedictorian Katie Heeg and salutatorian Riley Hinton. Kimball High School’s graduation ceremony was Saturday, May 14. The crowd was welcomed by class president Gideon Casimiro. Next, senior Amy Birkhofer sang the National Anthem. Superintendent Trevor Anderson recognized the top 10 % of the class academically – including Heeg and Hinton. Hinton spoke about the community and its...
On Thursday, freshman Kyler Lusche was just getting warmed up for Monday's District golf meet. At the Kimball Invite on Thursday, Lusche shot a 77 for second place on the Four Winds course, but he outdid himself on Monday shooting a 75 and nabbing first place. Zaybreon Hansen from Perkins County placed second with a 78. Hemingford's Dax Powell was third with an 82. In an interview by Kaitlin Heeg for the Observer, Lusche said he wanted to shoot in the mid-70s and he accomplished that goal.... Full story
After months of campaigning for the hotly contested Kimball County Sheriff's race, voters unseated Sheriff Harry Gillway in favor of challenger David Hottell, according to unofficial results. The GOP primary determined the winner because no other candidates sought the office. The unofficial results as of 9:20 Tuesday night were Hottell with 431 votes and Gillway with 413, County Clerk Cathy Sibal told the Observer. Results by precinct weren't immediately available. At 7:08, the counting board... Full story
Matt Shoup resigned his position on Kimball School Board, only to be hired as Kimball's 7-8 grade social studies teacher. Shoup resigned his school board position effect July 11, which will end a six-year career on the board. His resignation letter stated, “I have been so pleased to work with each and every one of the current and former board members. In those years, we have struggled and fought to make our school the best it can be, and I have complete faith in the future ahead for our school system.” said Shoup, who currently works for the...
Seven seniors received their high school diplomas in the ceremony. Numerous scholarships were handed, but the big winners were Thomas Muldoon receiving Regent Scholarships to UN-K and UN-L and a Chancellor's Scholarship to UN-O. Hannah Reeve also received a UN-K Regents Scholarship. Speakers included Ana Manning with the salutatorian address followed by valedictorian Thomas Muldoon. Muldoon shared his story and lessons learned and expressed his appreciation for the many people that influenced...
A reader asked this question. How is the project on feral cats coming? According to Kimball feral cat program founder,Tiffany LaBeau, "The program is still going great. I'm hoping to take three momma cats and her kitten to be spayed, and her kittens will be re-homed through adoption at the shelter." LaBeau said that she had noticed a lot of family cats missing. She asks that people do not trap cats in town, and then sometime these cats are released into the country. She encourages people to put... Full story
"Planting a tree is one of the most selfless acts you can do. You never plant it for yourself. You are planting it so future generations will be able to enjoy the shade of the tree." This quote or thought was expressed by many during Kimball's Arbor Day planting ceremony, including Kimball Street Superintendent Jim Shoup, Mayor Keith Prunty and park employee John Heidemann. Prunty addressed the fourth-grade students and read the official proclamation making April 29 Arbor Day. This year...
Area high school commencements are on the calendar and preparations are being made for celebrating the accomplishments of the Potter-Dix, Kimball and Banner County graduates of 2022. Potter-Dix Public Schools will lead the way with the first local graduation on May 7 at 2 p.m.. Seven students will graduate from Potter-Dix. The valedictorian is Thomas Muldoon and Ana Manning is salutatorian. The Kimball seniors will graduate a week later on May 14 at 11 a.m. The 28 classmates will wrap up their high school career led by the valedictorian and...
The 1970s-era Minuteman III Missiles will be replaced in the next few years by the Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile system, which the Air Force describes as a more cost-effective option. According to officials at the Air Force Real Estate Meetings in Kimball and Banner counties, the Minuteman III was built for 10 years of service, but it has been on alert for 50 years and is aging and cost-prohibitive to operate. The Sentinel: Officially known as LGM-35A Sentinel, it will be... Full story
After the required three readings at the Kimball City Council meeting, Linda Stahla's application for rezoning of Lot 2, Lockwood Subdivision NE ½ of the SW ¼ of Section 29 (#2 Stahla Drive) in Kimball was approved and Ordinance No. 803 passed. The lot was rezoned from Residential Rural to Residential Mobile Home Park. In another public hearing, the 1 & 6-year Street Plan was approved. Under current business, the council rescinded Resolution 2017-09, which closed the Gotte Park access to Adams Street. The board reconsidered this action as a r...
Air Force Col. Catherine Barrington, 90th Missile Wing commander, began the missile project Real Estate meeting by thanking area departments and agencies for their response during the Humvee fire incident that closed Highway 71 for five days. An Air Force Humvee with explosive hazards caught fire as it traveled south on 71 at mile marker 23. There were no injuries. According to 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs, a team from the 90th Explosive Ordinance Disposal detonated ammunition and grenades...
The Banner County Wildcats track team, which competes in the MAC meet this Saturday at Bayard, is small but mighty. Lone senior Makyla Mason runs the distance events (1600 and 3200 M run). She medaled at the Chappell Tri-State Invite. Coach Kari Gifford said the weather this season had been an issue for practices as well as school events, creating conflicts for the track team. "We are already heading into the end of our season, and it doesn't feel like we've even hardly got started," Gifford... Full story
Weed season is back, well, almost. The cold and wind has prevented spraying, according to Rick Wangler, the Kimball County Weed Superintendent. He explained to the Kimball County Board of Commissioners that he is currently doing inspections and working on the equipment. The county business continued with a presentation by Jacob Hurla, President of Community Building Solutions. Previously, Hurla toured the Courthouse and explained that Community Building Solutions is a small project management company created to provided rural schools, counties...
Two senior girls provide leadership for the Kimball track team – Kaitlin Heeg and Tianna Stierwalt. Heeg has high exceptions for herself. "I hope to place in everything I do," she said, referring to the WTC meet on Tuesday. Her events include 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, triple jump, and possibility the long jump. Tianna Stierwalt placed third in the high jump at Chappell, 6th in the 400 m. run and ran a leg on the 4x400 m. relay, which ranked fourth. At Holyoke, Stierwalt jumped her personal b...