Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Sorted by date Results 101 - 115 of 115
Those driving down the I-80 will no doubt have a new landmark in their line of vision near Kimball. Last Wednesday, the Kimball oil derrick was raised and placed on land out by the golf course. The BW Drilling Company used the derrick in the 1960s and 1970s. After that time, the company donated it to the City of Kimball. It did so because oil is a big part of the history and heritage of Kimball. The derrick itself was built in 1949 in Texas, and was brought to Kimball by BW Drilling. The...
The Kimball school board approved a fix for lighting at the football stadium at Monday’s regular monthly meeting. The board discussed in a previous meeting how the lighting was considered dangerous. As a result of this dangerous situation, several precautions have been taken in order to prevent an accident from occurring until the lights could be properly repaired. Bids from High West Wiring were brought before the board in an attempt to fix the lighting. Due to the nature of the issues with the football lights, the bid from High West was put i...
Kimball Public Schools have addressed the need for updates to the school buildings’ structures as well as some safety issues at the Sept. 8 board meeting. Kimball Public schools has been working with 360 Energy Engineers in order to address some much needed updates to both the elementary school as well as the high school. 360 Energy offers a preliminary engineering audit as well as a facilities master plan that allows the school to see its problem areas and then decide how to proceed. At the board meeting, 360 Energy Engineering r...
Over the weekend Camp Grace held their annual carnival fundraiser, which was attended by many members of the community. Camp Grace is a non-profit farm therapy camp. One of the only of it's kind in the United States, Camp Grace is a place that helps children with varied abilities. Generally the children who attend require some form of physical, speech, or occupational therapy. Also children with Sensory Integration Dysfunction tend to benefit greatly from the program at Camp Grace. Laura Welchel...
A community cannot thrive and grow without people to make it grow. Unfortunately, Kimball has not seen much, if any, growth in the past 10 to 15 years. Kimball City Administrator Daniel Ortiz explained the importance of having a wide spectrum of housing in the Kimball area. Kimball is in need of more housing. If Kimball is to grow and thrive it’s important that it be full of places for a variety of people to call home. At one point, Kimball had a large number of residents. Some 6,000 people called Kimball home. However, over the years that n...
When thinking of art people generally picture paintings. However, there are various mediums in which art can be expressed. Amber Wilke is a local artist who expresses her art through making baskets. Wilke works at Clean Harbors during the day. Her husband works their farm. Despite the busy nature of her life, she manages to make time for her art. Wilke weaves baskets out of pine needles. Her specialized interest and talent in the art form of making pine needle baskets is the result of her...
Kimball residents will soon be dealing with the effects of a six percent increase in electric utility rates. According to Kimball City Administrator Daniel Ortiz, the city of Kimball has recently decided to increase the electric rates, which will go into effect April, 1, 2014, in response to changes to the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN) due to increased federal regulations. The increase, which will be the second six percent rate increase since October, also comes on the heels of an added $63,000 the city will have to pay over the... Full story
After 60 years of owning and operating Kimball Laundry and Dry Cleaning, Jim O'Brien has finally hung a 'For Sale' sign in the window in preparation of walking away from the business that has been part of his life since he was 15 years old. O'Brien remembers the early days of the business, back when they used four ringer wash machines and automatic machines were simply a fantasy. "It had a tub and you took them out one piece at a time and put it through a ringer and squeezed the water out of it... Full story
Getting the flu vaccine was no big deal for about 300 participants at Saturday’s Kimball Health Services’ flu clinic at the former West Elementary School building. In fact, it was one of the best turnouts in years for the annual community flu clinic, held just in time for the traditional start of flu season. Participants either rolled up their sleeve and were vaccinated through their car window on the south end of the building, or parked and walked for a shot in one of the former cla...
With the rail spur project completely stagnant and many new businesses failing to keep their doors open during tough economic times, many are pondering the question of just what has the potential to revitalize Kimball and bring new faces to the community. However, in recent years, local organizations have been turning their focus to a staple of day-to-day life in the Panhandle in hopes of jumpstarting the local economy: wind. The idea of harnessing wind energy in order to reduce harmful... Full story
A tip alerted the Western Nebraska Observer to a spill at Clean Harbors’ Kimball location last Wednesday, when a container overturned in the north yard of the facility, spilling some 3,000 - 5,000 pounds of its contents. “When we set it down, the rails on the truck were bent, and it got stuck,” said Jared Hunsaker, Plant Manager for the Kimball facility. “We got a forklift to try and lift it up onto those rails, and that’s when it tipped over.” According to Hunsaker, there was never any danger... Full story
The new Economic Development Director for the city of Kimball, Wilson Bowling, started work here in city offices April 29. Bowling, a longtime resident of Alabama with undergraduate and graduate degrees from Auburn University, was originally informed about the job listing in Kimball through the Nebraska Economic Development Association’s website. “The city here posted the job quite a few places in order to attract outside talent. I found it on there, applied, and for some reason they hired me,... Full story
Feb. 2012 Kimball’s junior high boys lost two heartbreakers to Bridgeport on Monday. The 7th graders dropped a tight two point contest, 29-27--a game coach Dane Wurdeman characterized as hard fought all the way. “We just couldn’t get shots to fall when we needed them to,” he added. Brandon Barker let the way with 12 points, followed by Jaden Withrow’s eight. On the 8th grade side things were even more nerve-wracking. Bridgeport’s closest game coming into Monday’s matchup was an 18 point runaway. Over the weekend they drilled Bayard 68-2....
Thank you all for giving me so much support while I was so ill at RWMC. Thank you first of all for all the prayers. So many of you made phone calls, sent beautiful cards and notes and I received so many pretty flowers. Some of you were there several times and saw me in ICU. I am sorry that I was unable to know that at the time, but your visits were so much appreciated. You are a very special group of people, Love you all Hedy Hiett THANK YOU TO ALL THE FOLLOWING FOR DONATIONS TO THE SHOP WITH A COP PROGRAM: Todd & Kim Baliman, Points West...
The oil derrick that once sat on the edge of town as a monument to the oil boom that occurred here decades ago has been laying on its side for the past couple years. More recently, the tower was sold, leaving a lot of local residents wondering why. Fortunately for those who wish to see the derrick installed again, it remains intact and waiting for a new location. According to the Executive Director of the Kimball-Banner County Chamber of Commerce, Jeanette Rabender, it was originally sidelined because of the land it sat on. “The state took i... Full story