Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
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Good morning and here is hoping you had a blast on the 4th, celebrating our great country! I was with friends at the rodeo, something that my family has done for over 40 years, seldom missing an attendance on one night or the other. Many have been "doing" fireworks for several days and now that is over for another year, I am OK with that. We start off this week with lots of music in lots of different local areas. In Scottsbluff at the 18th Street Plaza the New Wave Machine and Loaded Dice will p...
Colored smoke bombs were a favorite of this group of pre-Independence Day celebrators on Sunday. Elizebeth, 11, was lighting the fireworks while William, 6, and Jameson, 3, look on in their W. 4th Street neighborhood. The early celebrators were under the watchful eye of mom Katie Kaser and grandmother Ruth Knicely....
The Bushnell and Oliver Lake areas were hit especially hard by the severe storm Monday night that pounded the Kimball area. A visitor to Oliver from New Mexico described her experience. Still shaken from the experience the previous night, the visitor, who identified herself as Kaitlynn, said, "It was scary." Road-tripping from New Mexico to Idaho, they stopped at Oliver just minutes before the hail began. She recalled saying, "That looks like a pretty bad thunderstorm. Hopefully, it goes the oth... Full story
Over three days –Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of last week – the Kimball City Council annexed and rezoned 150 acres of land contiguous to the City of Kimball to the south. The council conducted all three readings of the ordinance within the week. On Tuesday evening, the council met for its regular meeting. The first item on the agenda was a public hearing on Ordinance No. 821, the annexation. With no comment from anyone, the council approved the first reading of the ordinance. The planning commission previously approved the annexation. Add...
The Kimball County Commissioners split the vote on the final agenda item on June 20's Kimball County Commissioners meeting, which was to discuss and consider any action to enter into a lease for additional garage parking space for KCTS transit vehicles. Commissioners Elyse Lukassen and Carl Stander approved the contract, while Commissioner Flores voted no and refused to pen his name on the lease agreement as chairman of the board. The commissioners, in the 2-1 vote, approved a five-year lease...
As a prelude to the Fourth of July, the Big Boy No. 4014 will stop in Kimball at 9:15 a.m. on Monday, July 3. After a trip to the College World Series in Omaha, the "Home Run Express Tour" is returning to Cheyenne, the home of the Big Boy No. 4014. Locally, on July 4, Kimball Gotte Park will be the location for the Kimball Volunteer Fire Department fire truck rides from 10 a.m. until noon on the fourth of July. (See Big Boy photo on Page A4.) On Tuesday night, the Fourth, a fireworks display on... Full story
Good morning Banner County, friends near and far! As we all are aware, our weather situation has been pretty violent with destructive rain, wind hail and tornadoes. Several times all at once. According to the weather forecast as of right now (Monday, June 26) we are clear until tonight and Friday. Time will tell, right? (Editor's note: As it turned out, parts of this area endured a tornado watch and hail Monday night.) There are a lot of things in the works for Thursday, June 29th, so lets hope...
Kimball veteran Gary Barker's name was read at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., along with 565 other individuals who died as a result of their injuries during the Vietnam War. It was an emotional few days as Barb Barker and her family traveled to Washington. Nearly 50 years after Gary Barker's death, Barb submitted all the documentation to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and received word that he met the qualifications to be honored. Seventeen other Nebraska names were read... Full story
Kimball Police Chief Jose Ruiz asks the public in the area of Marian Street to contact police if they have a ring camera, other surveillance equipment or information about a stolen vehicle. A 2019 Honda CRV was stolen from the 700 block of Marian Street on June 18 at about 11 p.m. Ruiz said police need public help to find the individual responsible for this crime. Other vehicles were broken into and burglarized on the same evening. In another matter, on June 19, the Kimball Police Department...
At its regular board meeting, the Kimball School Board selected former board member Chauncey Pederson’s replacement on June 12. The new member, Britni Toth, will complete the 17 months remaining of Pederson’s term. Toth was selected from four potential candidates who applied for the spot. The Toth family moved to Kimball a little over a year ago. They have three children, two at Mary Lynch and one in the Jr/Sr High School. Toth said the reason she applied for the position was because “I wanted to volunteer for the opportunity to assist in suppo...
A Kimball community meeting is scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, at The Sagebrush Event Center with a couple of important local issues up for discussion: • The upcoming missile project. • Developing a chamber of commerce in Kimball. Northrop Grumman officials will be available for questions on the missile project, while Cheyenne County chamber leaders will do likewise during the chamber talk. Meeting organizers say it will be an opportunity for all business owners and community members to stay informed and have their voices hea... Full story
Improvements and upgrades to the Kimball County Courthouse continue as the county commissioners’ previous approval for the purchase and installation of the chiller and boiler are currently happening. Last summer, the chiller quit and the boiler had reached the end of life for such equipment. The commissioners voted on Tuesday, June 20, at their regular meeting to move the ADA handicap-accessible ramp from the north entrance of the courthouse to the east entrance. Estimates have been provided for the move. In addition to the ramp, new parking s...
On a budget and in just over a year, the Kasseroler family has transformed this yard and property into a eye-appealing package. Dustin and Viktoria have taken their time to improve the yard and property at 1300 East 3rd St. The front yard has a variety of plants from hibiscus, mint and snap dragons to a rose bush to highlight the yard. But the backyard is their oasis, soon to have a pond and other amenities, complete with an area for the kids to play in behind the six foot safety fence....
Good morning! Well summer is officially underway and boy has it arrived with a heat wave. With 90 degree plus pretty much all of this week, well here we go! Today is Thursday, June 22nd and we are looking at a busy weekend. Today at the Leid Library in Scottsbluff and through Saturday, the teen advisory Council will host a last Escape Room session, “Mystery of the Missing Podcaster.” Teams of up to 6 people are invited to enter for a one hour time slot. Please call either 308-630-6290 or 308-630-6250 to choose your time. Later that evening the...
The Observer received the unofficial Kimball special election results from Kimball County Clerk Cathy Sibal at about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday. Sibal said all the measures on the June 13 ballot were defeated. The voter turnout was a disappointing 18.12%. Results will not be official until the canvassing board meets to verify the results. At this time, Sibal did not believe there was a need for a recount. Both propositions 1 and 2 reflected the possible continuation of the existing half-cent sales tax... Full story
The Kimball County Assessor’s office has been busy answering questions and explaining the changes in property valuations to local residents. On June 1, letters went out to property owners showing the changes in valuation. Most residential properties increased in value, while a few were reduced. By statute, every six years, all property in the county must be re-evaluated and reviewed. Therefore, the increase in valuation is partially a result of going from the 2016 cost tables to the 2022 cost tables. Another factor that influenced the property...
The Kimball City Council has two special meetings scheduled for next week to address and possibly approve the annexation of land along Highway 71 south of the city where Clean Harbors proposes a 60-acre, 120-lot housing development to help accommodate added workers due to its expansion. The first meeting is scheduled to begin 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, at the City Council Chambers. The main item on the agenda is the second reading of Ordinance 821 to annex the land. A public comment period also is on the agenda, but any comments would be for... Full story
After just one event on Saturday, the Kimball Ranch Rodeo was canceled due to the continual downpour of rain. About a half dozen bronc riders enjoyed the dry conditions to start the 14th annual ranch rodeo. Local cowboy Lane Wasielewski got a turn before a home crowd to ride a bronc. After grabbing the reins, Wasielewski rode the wild bronc for about three jumps, and then he had a flying dismount. But he jumped up and grabbed his hat to the cheers of his rooting section. Eight teams were able... Full story
The Yard of the Week went to 314 Walnut St., the home of Nicole Gifford and James Fraser. The family has owned the house for two years and began improvements soon after they purchased the property. With a sprinkler system there but no lawn, they dug up the entire yard and replanted grass, fixed the sprinkler system, replaced sidewalks, removed stumps and removed overgrowth. They built a backyard pool deck and are ready to enjoy their improvements over the summer. From left are James Fraser,...
Good morning Banner County! Well here we are smack dab in the middle of June and a good part of the time it feels like April. This past Monday was even chilly. Hummm ... must be in Nebraska! Heading down south to our neighbors in Kimball, the city pool is open and ready for your swim. Open swim has various hours – noon to 5 p.m. or 1 to 6 p.m. Plus there are lap and lesson schedules, so stop by and get the info you need to help you cool off. I know the heat is going to show up one of these days! Sidney had its Gold Rush Days celebration r... Full story
Perjury charges were filed on June 7 against Kenneth D. Childs in another legal case involving the Dix resident. The Kimball County Sheriff’s Office handled the case. The charges stem from Sept. 30, 2022, and Feb. 20, 2023, when Childs completed and signed a financial affidavit and application attesting to income, cash, savings, stocks, and bonds. His wife, Lyla J. Childs, also faces perjury charges. According to the court documents from Sept. 30, 2022, “Kenneth recorded $0 in cash, savings, stocks and bonds. Based on the information obt...
Lifeguards spray down the Kimball Swimming Pool area in preparations for the pool’s annual reopening earlier this month.... Full story
The ranch rodeo crowd stayed dry under the grandstands, but when the rodeo was canceled they headed to their vehicles and them felt the rain....
New Kimball Police Chief Jose Ruiz has a wealth of knowledge not only from his years of experience with the Cheyenne Police Department but also from growing up on the south side of Denver in Adams County. Growing up, Ruiz said their family was impoverished, and the culture he was raised in centered on violence, gangs and drugs. Ruiz said his mother tried to keep "us away from as much as she could," but in the end Ruiz said he decided himself that he "didn't want to have the life that his brother...
Text 911 is now available in Kimball County. Alicia Downey from the Sheriff’s Department explained to the Kimball County Commissioners on Tuesday that texting 911 would work with the communication desk texting back and forth to the “caller.” Downey said calling 911 should always be the first option, but in some cases where coverage is limited, texting is a great option. The other reason to text to 911 is a possible domestic situation, and the “caller” must be silent. Texting 911 is nationwide and in Nebraska, the Public Service Commissio...