Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Sorted by date Results 1 - 12 of 12
More than 6 inches of rain in about half an hour wreaked havoc Monday night in Kimball County, according to Kimball County Sheriff Deputy Brandon Loy. The event began with light rain early Monday evening, but progressed quickly and lasted through the early morning hours Tuesday. There was up to a foot of flood water in spots throughout the county, Loy said, and the previously saturated ground could not absorb more. "Though funnel clouds were reported in Banner County, the storm lacked the...
Earliest reports that Jesus Estrada-Perez died while incarcerated at the Kimball County Jail were incorrect, but he later died after attempting to take his own life. Estrada-Perez, 28, died last week at Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff. He was joined by family as he remained on life support for several days, according to Nebraska State Patrol Lieutenant Monica Bartling. Kimball County Attorney Dave Wilson did not have a time or date of death for Estrada-Perez. He reported the death to...
Both mother and daughter, Erika, right, and McKayla Loy are all smiles as they head around the arena during the pee wee division of "barrel racing" last Wednesday at the Kimball-Banner County Fair. Erika leads the horse, while McKayla is held on for safety by another individual who cannot be seen in this photo. See additional fair photos in this week's edition of The Observer....
Charles Jones is looking for a banner year in his new position, and is happy to be closer to home. The veteran educator officially started his job as principal at Banner County School on Aug. 3. "This is kind of like home for me and my family," Jones said. "We're originally from Pine Bluffs, Wyo. This is like home. We're really excited about being here and for the opportunity to be here." Jones comes to Banner County from Maywood, where he spent seven years as a teacher and coach. Prior to...
The Kimball County Commissioners discussed the possibility of moving its weed superintendent services to contract services at its Aug. 4 meeting. Dave Hottell, county highway and weed superintendent, said major changes need to be made in order to control weeds. “With the conditions of the last few years, I think it’s gotten out of control,” he said. “Unless we do something to make some changes, some place, next year is just going to be worse.” Hottell said about 50 to 60 inspections were made annually in the past. With re-inspections, that numb...
Recent maintenance updates at the power plant in Kimball have sparked community interest in the inner workings of the facility. City Administrator Daniel Ortiz, Kimball power plant supervisor Lance Terrill and City of Kimball Electric Department crewman Taylor Brown took time to explain how the community is powered. The majority of the city's power is transmitted through Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) lines, which is then transformed to more usable energy and transmitted to one of two...
A Banner County man died last week after his tractor ran over him. Brad Cross, 60, of rural Harrisburg, was on the ground trying to start his tractor last Wednesday when it started and ran over him. It is reported that he died instantly. The accident happened shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at the farm of his mother, Barb Cross, west of Hwy. 71 on Hwy. 88. Cross was a member of the Banner County Board of Education for more than a decade and a half and also served on the Banner County Volunteer Fire Department. His funeral was held...
The Kimball City Council approved a bid from local company Z & S Construction to close and cap the cell at the Kimball landfill during its regular board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 4. The board approved the bid with the caveat that bond insurance will be purchased. Funds for the process to close and cap Municipal Solid Waste cell 1 (the eastern most cell) are already accounted for since the NDEQ (Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality) mandates that to open a cell, municipalities must have the funds for closure and capping in reserve....
A city crew that included, from left, Lance Terrill from the power plant, Jim Shoup from the street department, Marshall Lewis, Kimball Public Schools Superintendent, Mary Lynch Elementary principal Mike Mitchell and Kimball Electric Department's Bill Hinton survey the underground wiring concerns while replacing the crosswalk sign and light on Wednesday, Aug. 5. School is scheduled to begin Friday in Kimball....
Weather permitting, bridge work is scheduled to begin the week of Aug. 17 on L-17B, Potter Link, in Cheyenne County, according to the Nebraska Department of Roads. Simon Contractors and Subsidiaries of Cheyenne, Wyoming, has the $533,925 contract. Work includes bridge deck and approach repair, installation of a waterproof membrane and asphalt overlay, reconstruction of bridge rail and installation of new guardrail. Traffic will be maintained with the use of a lane closure and a temporary traffic signal to direct traffic through the reduced...
Kimball City Council approved a request from the local Airport Authority Board’s chairman Jason Lockwood for increased funds this year. The request for more than $45,000 came at the regular board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 4. The total funding would be split up with $20,000 for operating costs and $25,000 for a new bond. “If you’ve ever been out to the airport, you have seen that we have a construction project going on,” Lockwood explained. “We are doing a sizable expansion of the hangars.” Lockwood said opening the doors of many of the aging h...
Exhibitors of all stripes had a busy week at the annual Kimball-Banner County Fair last week showing off their animals and various projects. The annual event also hosted concerts, a rodeo and more. Check out this week's edition of The Observer for additional fair photos. Be on the lookout for complete fair results and additional photos, which will be printed soon in The Observer....