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 County received more rain in the last week than it had all the previous weeks of the year combined and saw westbound Interstate 80 closed for a couple hours last Friday night. Although no official records are kept for Kimball, Rob Cox of the National Weather Service in Cheyenne reported that the area received just over 2 inches of rain last week. Cox said that Cheyenne is about normal in terms of overall precipitation for this time of the year, while Sidney is about 2 inches above...
Ireland Olson, left, paints the pinkie of Brooklin Golding purple for the Interact Club's Purple Pinkie fundraiser on Friday morning at Mary Lynch Elementary School. Students and staff at both Kimball High School and Mary Lynch Elementary School raised over $500 in the fundraiser, which goes to Polio Plus to aid with the eradication of polio around the globe. Due to a two to one matching fund grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the $500 raised will turn into $1,500 to go to Polio...
The Kimball County Commissioners approved the hiring of additional help for the veterans service office at Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting. The commissioners agreed to hire a part-time administrative assistant for the veterans service office for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends in June. Veterans Service Officer Shaun Evertson has already advertised for the position and interviewed candidates. He hopes to make a hire by the end of the week and hopes the person can begin work next week. The probationary position would be for 2...
The Western Nebraska Observer earned three awards in the 2015 Nebraska Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. The press association announced the awards at its annual convention held over the weekend in Lincoln. The Observer finished second for a Class B weekly newspaper in the prestigious general excellence category. The award looks at the overall quality of the newspaper, and considers news, content, quality of writing, headlines, page design, photos and captions, graphics and art elements, editorial page, front page, lifestyle p...
The 105 balloons did not fit in the small net suspended above the table where Minnie Lebruska, surrounded by family and friends, celebrated her 105th birthday on Wednesday, April 15. Employees at the Kimball County Manor attempted to corral one balloon for each year Minnie has lived. Although only a fraction of the balloons would fit in the net, they drifted down on a smiling Minnie as those in attendance sang "Happy Birthday" to her that afternoon. For this milestone, Minnie shared the day...
Kimball first grader Ashlynn Kuhns will travel to Rapid City, S.D., May 15-16 to compete in the Our Little Miss regional competition. This competition teaches youngsters grace under pressure and with contests in talent, interview and a runway walk. Although Ashlynn's talent is dance, for which she uses different songs, she said she enjoys the runway walk the best. Ashlynn, who will compete against others girls her age from Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota, said the interview is the hardest...
Who done it? That is the question the audience will be asking during the murder mystery dinner theater hosted by the Friends of the Kimball Library on Saturday and Sunday at the Kimball Event Center. It starts at 6 p.m. each night. A widow, failing at running a vineyard, receives six guests over the weekend, one of whom is her murderer. Is it her family, her neighbor, or a stranger? Not even the volunteer actors know, according to Jamie Carpenter, president of the Friends of the Library. “The audience has to figure out who did it by q...
Two teams in the Tuesday Coffee league at Kim-Bowl in Kimball have collected $350 throughout the season. "This is something we saw a team doing at a state bowling contest, and we really liked the idea," bowler Dorothy Griffith said. The ladies on Eatmon Well Service team and Family Health Sports Chiropractic team collect a quarter for each strike bowled. If the bowler got multiple strikes in a row, each additional strike was a dime. They seem to bowl a lot of strikes, with just six ladies...
Weather permitting, work is scheduled to begin the week of May 4 on I-80 at Kimball Exit 20, east to Exit 22, according to the Nebraska Department of Roads. Paulsen, Inc., of Cozad, Nebraska, has the $2,263,264 contract for concrete repair, milling and resurfacing. The project will involve removal of 2 inches of asphalt by cold milling and replacing it with new asphalt. Work will also include concrete bridge deck repair, with the installation of a waterproof membrane. Traffic will be maintained with the use of lane closures and 14-foot width...
A Kimball business was one of two in Kimball and Cheyenne counties that failed a recent Nebraska State Patrol check for compliance in selling tobacco to youth. The NSP conducted checks of underage tobacco retail compliance as part of the Tobacco Free in the Panhandles comprehensive plan to keep youth from starting to use tobacco products. Officers with the assistance of youth under the age of 18 checked 10 convenience stores, grocery stores and liquor stores throughout the cities of Sidney and Kimball in March. Of the 10 establishments, eight...
Austin Niel McCloud, age 18, of Sioux City, Iowa, passed away early on Friday, April 17, 2015, at a local hospital. Austin Niel, was born to Jerry McCloud and Tammy Milburn, on Feb. 5, 1997, at Thurston, Colo. The family first made their home in Commerce City, Colo., and Tekamah. Austin then moved with his mother to Sioux City where he started school at Emerson Elementary. They then lived in Kentucky and returned to Sioux City where he attended West Junior High and High Schools. Austin loved...
Richard “Rich” Lee Elliott, 80, of Kimball, died at the Kimball County Manor on Wednesday, April 15, 2015. Richard Lee Elliott was born in Alliance on Feb. 25, 1935, the son of Larmer and Mable (Rodgers) Elliott. He attended school in Alliance and graduated in 1953. After graduation, he worked on a ranch in Merriman. This was a job he really loved. Rich then worked in the oil fields during the 1960s. He later worked for Foster Lumber and that is where he studied to be a locksmith, receiving a diploma in 1988. Then he worked at Cabela’s and l...
The Trinity United Methodist Women are planning a fun, informative day for all local women on Saturday, May 2. The church is located at 305 East Fourth Street in Kimball. There will be guests, speaking on a variety of current topics. Possible topics include: funeral planning, gardening, reading food labels, stretching to keep fit, estate planning, personal safety and recycling. In addition to the speakers, demonstrations and entertainment, there will be a light lunch and a chocolate tasting. There will be a free will offering taken to help...
Mike Winstrom of Kimball purchased Reganis Motors, located at 435 Illinois Street in Sidney. The new name of the business will be Panhandle Automotive Group. Pictured, from left, Winstrom accepts the dealership license plate former owner Tim Reganis....
An increase in high speed internet access is key to Nebraska’s future, according Gerald Vap of the Nebraska Public Service Commission. Vap, the NPSC’s fifth district commissioner, toured the panhandle recently to promote the commission’s use of the universal service fund for the broadband pilot program. Over the last three years, about three-fourths of Kimball County and more than a third of Banner County have been impacted by the program. “If we’re not providing high speed internet to customers, they’re not going to be customers in the futu...
Keep Kimball Beautiful board members, staff and an amazing crew of 35 citizens swept through the community on Saturday, April 11, and collected over 650 pounds of litter which accumulated over the past year. The volunteers were assigned streets, alleyways or travel zones for litter removal and after a couple hours they filled the bed of the truck and a small trailer with over 60 bags of litter. A large group collected a massive heap of litter from the southern part of town around the area where...
If you love the arts and you have an appreciation for opera, this Friday night's performance on the campus of Northeastern Junior College is one you will not want to miss. Kimball native Katie Warner will be presenting a nine song recital and is sure to make your spring. A library technician at Northeastern, Warner, originally from Kimball, will leave Northeastern later this year to pursue a masters in music at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC). She will be receiving her advanced degree...
Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Scotts Bluff, Morrill, Kimball, Garden, Cheyenne and Deuel counties will be administered through Educational Service Unit #13. On April 8, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) officially notified ESU #13 of its successful application for the $2.8 million program. The award includes Head Start and Early Head Start services to nearly 350 children annually in the counties. “Head Start and Early Head Start programs have been important to children and families in the Panhandle for many y...
Sara Gingerich, a junior at Potter-Dix High School, was recently presented with a pair of honors for her artistic talents. She was chosen as the winner of the third Congressional district's art competition and was honored as a Nebraska Young Artist award winner by the University of Nebraska. Gingerich was one of 60 students statewide honored at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts held its Nebraska Young Artist Awards on April 8. Students applied for...
LINCOLN -- Two local students are among the more than 1,800 who were honored during the All-University Honors Convocation at 2 p.m. April 12 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. Those with local ties who were honored were Kirstie Smith and Kaleb Thomas, both of Potter. They each received the Superior Scholar Award, which is presented to seniors graduating in the 2014-2015 academic year who are in the top 3 percent of their college’s senior class or who have been recognized at Honors Convocation e...
On Sunday, the Kimball TeamMates Mentoring Program had its annual "One-Hour Walk" at the high school. This is an annual fundraiser were individuals and groups can donate money for the local Kimball TeamMates Mentoring Program. The One Hour Walk represented the one hour mentors spend with their mentee each week during the school year. The main focus of the walk was to honor the adult mentors and the student mentees while at the same time providing financial support for the program. If anyone...
David Seay of Avoca shows a yak horn that is also an instrument during his unique presentation of various folk instruments, both usual and unusual, Sunday afternoon at the Kimball Public Library. The sometimes interactive presentation gave those who attended an insight on the history of various folk instruments and how they have been used. Seay also gave a beginning harmonica lesson to anyone who wanted it. The presentation was sponsored by the Kimball Friends of the Library and the Nebraska...
Congratulations to Kimball High School's March Student of the Month, Jaycie Walker. Throughout high school, Jaycie has been involved in many activities. She has participated in band for four years, jazz band for one year, has been a part of the cheer team for three years, the volleyball team for two years, and the girls golf team for two years. Jaycie qualified for state golf both years she participated and her senior year, she medaled at every meet but one, received first place at Bayard,...
"Six Appeal," the national champions of a cappella music, will perform in Kimball on May 1 at 7:30 at the Harry McNees Auditorium. It is sponsored by the Kimball Concert Association. This male ensemble began in 2006 at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. The founding members decided to start singing together as a diversion from studies. Starting with a strong choral background and classical roots, they expanded their repertoire to the music of today. The "Six Appeal" roster now includes...
The Kimball High boys golf team got two tournaments in this past week but weather caused the Bridgeport Tournament to be called off with no new reschedule date as of yet. The Longhorns went up against most all of the large schools at the Mitchell Tournament, won by Scottsbluff with 315 team strokes. Gering was runnerup with 351, Crawford had 364, Alliance 365, Chadron 367, Laramie 372, Bridgeport 386, Sidney 382, Kimball 393, Garden County 440, and Mitchell 495. Scottsbluff took the top two indi...