Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
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On a beautiful May morning at the Kimball Cemetery, people gathered to observe Memorial Day. The ceremony began with Amy Birkhofer singing the Star-Spangled Banner. Speaker Thomas Tudor held the crowd's attention with his memories of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery from 1969-70. Drafted into the Army in 1968, Tudor was selected to go to the 3rd Infanty at Arlington, VA, where he eventually was chosen to "walk the mat." He mentioned three special memories of his...
The study continues into whether to upgrade Kimball Public Schools facilities. On May 24, the Kimball School Board met with Jacob Sertich from Wilkins Architecture, Design and Planning to discuss an architect’s role in designing/planning a facility renovation or addition. According to schools Superintendent Trevor Anderson in an email to the Observer, “At this time, there are no plans in terms of designs for the buildings. We are presently working to identify costs associated with a renovation of the facilities and/or addition to our exi...
For Kim Sharples, receiving the 2021 Nebraska Library Association Outstanding Volunteer Award came as a surprise. "I was very surprised and honored to receive this award," said the volunteer at Kimball Public Library. "I have always loved to help others when and where I can. I appreciate what others have done for me over the years, and I like to give back to the community." Sharples volunteers in many aspects of the library – from Little Readers Storytime to being president of the Friends of t...
Once again, Oliver Reservoir had an abundance of campers for the Memorial Day weekend. On May 27, the South Platte Natural Resource District reported that "All campsites are full at Oliver Reservoir for the Memorial Day Weekend." Oliver Reservoir information stated that boaters and fishermen need to use caution in the east and west shallow areas as the depth map may not show the actual depth. While Sunday was cool and rainy, Monday was a perfect day to spend with family and friends at Oliver...
“It is always important to ask questions. Don’t immediately assume that the person on the other line is valid, especially if they are threatening you or if they are telling you to send money now or you are going to go to jail.” The Observer obtained this advice from Jina Ragland, associate state director of advocacy and outreach for AARP Nebraska. Ragland continued, “The most important thing is to ask for a call back number, and when you call that number back, you can always verify whether or not that is a true person or an imposte...
Memorial Day services in Kimball will be Monday, May 31, at the Kimball Cemetery. The 10 a.m. service will include the presentation of the flag, the national anthem and taps. Last year, the service was short and sweet to abide by COVID-19 rules, but this year the service itself will return to a more familiar format. The traditional hamburger feed after the ceremony, however, will not be held this year. A special speaker is in store for the ceremony: Thomas W. Tudor. Tudor is a past board...
The Kimball City Council and the Kimball Board of Public Works met in a joint session on Monday evening in the City Council Chambers. The only item to be discussed at the meeting was the future of the power plant. Although the power plant produced electricity when it was needed in February, over the past few years it has become a drain financially on the city budget. In 2018-19, the total loss for the power plant was almost $70,000. By 2019-2020, the numbers had jumped to nearly $350,000, and from October 2020 to May 21, 2021, the loss is...
The Kimball City Council meeting did not go as the Porters had hoped. Sonny, Kathy and Gerry Porter were somewhat disappointed by the outcome that council rejected their development project. Sonny Porter said, "Before we commit any more time and money, we need to see what our options are and then see where to go from here." He encouraged people to come and talk to them about their project. But he said, "Nobody did." The continuation of the public hearing from last month on the rezoning of 22...
It won't happen this Memorial Day, but by Memorial Day 2022, the extended family of World War II Staff Sgt. Penrod L. Reader of Kimball should be able to honor and bury him here in the United States. Since last August, DNA testing has been in the works, and if a match is confirmed, Reader's remains of will be brought home from the Philippines. The official declassified documentation lists the 21-year-old Reader as a Japanese POW, P. I. (Philippine Islands). He succumbed to death from malaria and...
Addressing a packed gym for the Kimball High School Graduation Exercises, Principal Danielle Reader said the school was thrilled that conditions were "as normal as possible," especially considering the previous year. Reader thanked all school personnel for everything that they did to maintain the "in-person instruction." The Kimball High School band announced the incoming graduates with "Pomp and Circumstance," and junior Amy Birkhofer sang an impressive rendition of the Star Spangled Banner....
The Kimball County Clerk’s Office confirmed Tuesday that the City of Kimball mayoral recall effort is over. The allowed time for signed petitions supporting a recall lapsed May 14. The effort sought to remove Mayor Keith Prunty from office. The clerk’s office on April 23 sent certified letters and emails to recall petitioners Ashley Sisk and Mary Laughlin to notify them that the time was near for them to pick up the petions at the clerk’s office, which they never had done. Neither certified letter was claimed at the post offic...
Randy Bymer, Kimball County highway superintendent, updated the Kimball County Commissioners on the county roads at their May 18 meeting. He said wet conditions were putting a damper on work to be done. The department has been grading and graveling between rains, and work on the 1/6 Year plan project has been halted due to muddy conditions. Bymer said that on June 1, two additional GPS units will be installed on county pickups. He said work also has been completed on the roof of the Dix shop for a total of $5,850, but the roofers may have...
Six students graduated from Banner County High School on Saturday, May 15. The 2021 graduation marked the 101st commencement exercises for Banner County High School. Superintendent Dr. Evelyn Browne briefly addressed the crowd and was thankful for returning to in-person instruction at Banner County despite the pandemic. As salutatorian, Aubrey Clement shared memories of teachers and praised them for the time and effort that they invested in the students. She said everyone was "pushed out of...
Cleanup at the Kimball Park and Rec Area was Saturday, May 8, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Nineteen community volunteers plus the grounds crew worked on the softball fields, golf course and trap range. Jeremy Williams, grounds superintendent at the rec area, reported that "we did get quite a bit of work done."...
In a special presentation this month to the Kimball School Board, high school English students Grace Anderson and Aaron Gillming explained their assignment named "It's More than Just Tractors and Cows." Their project introduced FFA to young students in the Elite after school program with demonstrations ranging from welding with frosting and graham crackers to introducing baby piglets to the students....
Connect Kimball, along with the Rotary Club, hosted the Class of 2021 Senior Showcase on Friday, May 7. COVID-19 created the unique parade activity in 2020, which was followed by cruise night. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves during that strange time. Connect Kimball, formerly known as Kiwanis, has rebranded itself to be a local organization. The seniors decorated their cars, and while they were being judged, the seniors took advantage of their free meals at Dairy Queen and Nebraska Coffee....
Potter-Dix Schools seniors were the first of the area seniors to graduate. The 15 P-D seniors graduated on May 8 at 2 p.m. Their Class Motto was a quote from Tim McGraw: "Chase Your Dreams, but always know the road that will lead you home." The afternoon began with a 10-minute slideshow highlighting the seniors, and salutatorian Jaydin Paxton and valedictorian Mary Kasten relived moments and thanked family and staff. Teacher and coach Dale Frerichs addressed the seniors and crowd with wisdom,...
With the school year winding down, the Kimball Public Schools staff and school board addressed issues at Monday’s board meeting that will affect next year and beyond. Activities Director Ken Smith recapped the number of participants in activities this year and explained what the plan is to get more students to participate. Activities include FFA, music, sports, cheer, play production,and speech. The ninth grade class has 29 students, and 21 of them participated in one or more activities, with music being the most popular for all students. The n...
Good morning, Banner County! School is winding down here in the Burg. It is going better than at this time last year for sure. Thursday, May 13 – tonight! – is the activities and academic banquet for high school students, followed by senior graduation on Saturday, May 15th. That will take place in the big gym at 3 p.m. We have seven students moving on this year. Monday the 17th will be Patron’s Day for K-5th and will be an all day event. Or at least it used to be. I think they finish up around noon nowadays. On Wednesday, May 19th, there will...
Mary Lynch fourth-graders helped the City of Kimball celebrate Arbor Day by planting four evergreen trees in Gotte Park. The short ceremony began with the head of the street department, Jim Shoup, talking about Arbor Day and how Kimball "has an urban forest." Shoup continued to explain to the fourth-graders that there were conifer and evergreen trees in the park because "in the wintertime, we want to see green and in the summer we want shade." Arbor Day was proposed in 1872 by J. Sterling...
On May 3 the Unified Command confirmed that Kimball County once again has zero COVID-19 cases and vaccinations are continuing. Panhandle Public Health District has vaccination data per county, and Kimball County data shows that 837 individuals are fully vaccinated, which equals 29% of the population. Banner County data reports that 38% of residents are fully vaccinated, and Scotts Bluff County reports 36% of the people have been fully vaccinated. Dr. Matthew Bruner, OB/GYN and Chief Medical Officer at Regional West Health Services based in...
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...