Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
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The Kimball Board of Commissioners conducted three executive/closed-door sessions at the May 22 meeting on Wednesday afternoon. The first session required the commissioners to deal with an employee/personnel matter. The second and third executive sessions centered around the strategy and terms regarding the sale of real estate involving the former Kimball County Hospital and the strategy and disposition of real estate involving the Kimball County Annex building. When the commissioners emerged fr...
The Kimball County Board of Commissioners met May 22 with appointed heads of department Randy Bymer, highway superintendent; Matthew Meyers Veterans Service officer; Monica Todorov, interim building and grounds superintendent; and Christy Warner, administrator of KCTS; along with elected official Sheriff Dave Hottell. Bymer explained that while he was on vacation, an unfortunate incident occurred at the county shop. An inexperienced individual was servicing the 2018 CAT 120M long block when due to miscommunication he put all the oil into the tr...
The spring morning Monday was perfect for the local Memorial Day ceremony. John Beatty, vice commander of the Kimball VFW, opened the ceremony and Randy Bohac provided the opening and closing prayers honoring veterans. Two Kimball High School graduates, Emma Patterson and Jasmine Gawith, honored the veterans with the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner and playing of Taps. Marine Corporal Noah Thomas of Cheyenne was the speaker. Accompanied by his wife and two children, he referenced the bond...
Down in the deep end of Kimball's community pool, city employees remove sandblasted material from the pool Tuesday. Repairs to the pool are progressing. It has been sandblasted and soon it will have concrete holes repaired, and the entire pool will be repainted. The paint for the pool must cure for 5-7 days and requires a night time temperature of 50 degrees. A company from Ogallala is completing the work. Inside plumbing repairs on showers and faucets has been completed. The city is looking at...
After being rained out last year, the 15th annual Kimball Ranch Rodeo will see action again on Saturday, June 1 beginning at 5:30. Seventeen brave bronc riders will step aboard the Barnhart Rodeo Company broncs and eight ranch rodeo teams will give the crowd something to cheer for. Team events include trailer loading, roping and doctoring, team tying and wild cow milking. Food, vendors and a beer garden will highlight the experience. The Kimbal trap team is running concessions (burgers and hotdogs) from 4 to 9 pm. The event will conclude in...
At the Kimball City Council meeting on Wednesday, May 15, the City of Kimball announced a settlement with Hometown Hardware, Inc., regarding an incident involving a waterline break that occurred July 12, 2021. As a result of the incident, Hometown Hardware claimed property damage. The city’s insurance company settled in the amount of $210,000 through mediation. State law requires notice to the general public of any municipal settlement. No council action was required. In a variety of action items for the council, the new playground equipment or...
Jeffrey Barborak has been sentenced to be incarcerated in a facility to be determined by the Nebraska Department of Correction for a term of 18 months after an incident in April. Barborak was arrested for a bond violation, then was arrested for terroristic threats when he refused to comply for a urine analysis. During the booking process, Barborak told the deputy and staff that “I’m going to come in here and shoot you guys up.” He told the deputy that he was going to come back and after he gets out that he would blow the deputy’s head off. Ba...
Two Kimball City Council agenda items on May 15 were discussed but no action was taken on either a salary increase for the city clerk or an interlocal agreement for a proposal in which the city would purchase the Windbreak Restaurant from Kimball County. The discussion of the Windbreak purchase prompted council member-elect Austin Garner to read this prepared statement: “The progression of the ballpark/land swap and Windbreak transaction to most seems to be convoluted and veiled in secrecy. The lineage of this idea is cloudy and details are vag...
This Kimball County Courthouse waiting area is hallowed ground to salute those who died while serving their country. Below: The Gold Star Lapel Button, left, is issued to family of U.S. service members who have died in armed conflicts since World War I. The Next of Kin Lapel Button, right, is issued when service members die while on active duty but outside of a qualifying conflict....
The Gold Star Lapel Button and Next of Kin Lapel Button are awarded to families of military personal who died while in military service. In Kimball, a number of families have received these pins. The pins are issued to recognize U.S. service members who have died in armed conflicts (Gold Star pin) or while on active duty (Next of Kin pin) since World War I. Leading up to Memorial Day 2024, or at anytime in the year, there's a revered place in Kimball to salute some of this area's war dead. On a...
Today known as the E-Free Church, the Log Cabin building was constructed in 1946 for veterans but has served many valuable purposes for the city of Kimball. Located at 101 S Walnut St., the building known as the Log Cabin was built for such veterans as the American War Dads and those in the American Legion. It was a recreational place for servicemen. In 1946, the 105-foot-long and 65-foot-wide building was estimated to cost $20,000, with $12,000 raised "by popular subscription." The facility had...
Community is the focus of the Mary Lynch Elementary School kindergarten's field trip. On Monday, they toured seven different places around town. Here they make a stop at Dr. Ryan Behrend's High Point Spine and Joint Center on 2nd Street....
A life-threatening incident several weeks ago had a happy ending for a Kimball man who was reunited today with the EMTs and others who saved his life. Kimball Health Services emergency responders, medical providers, nurses and others received lifesaving awards for their actions April 2 when Paul Quicke, 68, suffered a heart attack and was found lying unresponsive in the intersection of Washington and 7th St. in Kimball. Responding to a Kimball County Sheriff's Office dispatch, off duty paramedic...
The primary election results from Tuesday, May 14 had only one race of local importance. Four individuals filed for Kimball County Commissioner on the Republican ticket and Tuesday determined the next commissioner because no Democrats sought the seat. In the commissioner race, David R. Hottell had 218 votes while incumbent Carl Stander had 197 votes cast in his favor, Hottell will serve as commissioner for the next four years beginning in January 2025. Matt Bright had 147 votes cast for him,...
Superintendent Trevor Anderson informed the Kimball School Board on Monday evening at the school board meeting that expenses are up mainly due to salary increases and benefits, which were necessary to retain and attract quality staff. The superintendent’s financial update stated that 51.41% of the budget had been spent, with 67% of the fiscal year completed. At the end of April 2024, 51.41% has been spent compared to 49.18% in 2023 and 2022 45.84% was spent. Anderson mentioned that the property tax draw to date is about half of previous y...
The Kimball Longhorns Class of 2024 gathers before Saturday's graduation ceremony for this group photo on steps in the high school. Below: Valedictorian Grace Anderson delivers a powerful speech. Her exceptional academic performance was recognized with a multitude of awards. See other Kimball graduation photo, Page B6....
The Kimball High School Class of 2024, a group of individuals with some remarkable achievements, celebrated its graduation on May 11. The ceremony began at 11 a.m. with 29 individuals, each with unique accomplishments, receiving their long-awaited diplomas. The National Anthem was sung by Rachel Berger, Amber Childers, Carlee Murdoch and Rene Murdoch. Special recognition was given to former elementary guidance counselor Mr. Jim Reeves, who unexpectedly passed away five years ago. Mr. Jim Reeves...
Investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested a Kimball man following an investigation into a reported sexual assault of a child. In early April, the Nebraska State Patrol was made aware of a reported assault of a young child that had occurred in Kimball County in 2019. The initial report came to the Keith County Sheriff’s Office, which referred the case to the state patrol because of the location of the assault. Upon investigation, patrol investigators obtained an arrest warrant for the subject, identified as Chris Wilson, 46, of K...
Kimball's new hospital will be the site of this weekend's Kimball Community Health Fair. A cooperative effort between Kimball Health Services and Wyoming Health Fairs, the health fair offers low-cost blood testing and free vital sign testing as a community service to help residents identify health problems before they become life-threatening. The event runs 7 to 11 a.m. both days. Appointments are highly recommended to minimize waiting time but not required, said Kerry Ferguson, director of Comm...
The last week of school for the 29 graduating Longhorns in 2024 was full of many final events. Graduation is on Saturday at 11 a.m. And it will be the culmination of years of hard work, and as Longhorn senior Hayden Sours said, it will be “sad and stressful” although they are all excited to the next chapter of their lives. Grades had to be completed on Friday to have time to calculate the GPA for valedictorian, salutatorian and scholarships. Academic awards were presented on Monday at Lon... Full story
A new person apparently will be in the mix among those with a voice in overseeing the Kimball City/County Recreation Area while it’s at a crossroads. The county commissioners are seeking interested parties to serve on the Kimball City/County Park & Recreation Operating Board as a county appointee to complete Ashley Thurin’s four-year term ending Dec. 31, 2026. Thurin resigned. The commissioners on May 3 decided not to vote on appointing Klent Schnell to the position in favor of advertising it. This development comes during talk of a pro...
Due to scheduling needs of the Kimball County Commissioners, their May meeting was held Friday, May 3, instead of Tuesday, May 7. The second May meeting also was moved to accommodate scheduling requests from Tuesday, May 21, to Wednesday, May 22. Before the agenda items, the board was informed of an 8.7% increase in the county's health and dental insurance. Two county departments, roads and transit, updated the board on business. Randy Bymer, county highway superintendent, reported that...
LINCOLN – Gov. Jim Pillen on Monday requested a federal major disaster declaration for Nebraska counties impacted by winter storm conditions on April 6 and 7. The request includes the following eight counties: Banner, Cheyenne, Dawes, Garden, Kimball, Morrill, Scotts Bluff and Sioux. What began with thunderstorms and heavy rains developed into a system that produced freezing rain, snow, strong winds and blizzard conditions. The most significant damage was to power systems, including downed power lines. The five utility systems affected by t...
A team effort helped the sixth annual Casino Night benefit Kimball Health Services on Saturday at The Sagebrush. "We had lots of fun on the gaming floor and during the silent and live auction to raise money for new surgical equipment at Kimball Health Services," said Kerry Ferguson, director of community relations and foundation at KHS. Ferguson gave a "special shout-out" to the KHS staff, foundation board members and other volunteers who made it happen. They include KHS staff Nicole Snyder,...
The Kimball City/County Parks and Recreation Executive Board members tabled the only item on their agenda Monday evening under current business. They discussed but took no action on items related to the timeline, finances and budget of the operating board pertaining to a proposed land swap. Six months are left for approval from the federal government for the trade in which involves 44 acres of what is now the four ballfields being exchanged for three acres and the Windbreak restaurant property at Four Winds Golf Course. The Park and Rec...