Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
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Oct. 15 will be the final day of operation for the High Point Visitors Center after 11 years of operation. The Kimball County Commissioners elected to close the tourism facility. On Monday evening at a special Visitors Center meeting, Kimball County Commissioner Rich Flores explained “due to budget constraints in LB 34, thank your Governor for that ... we really had to tighten our belts.” LB 34 is the recetly passed measure to reduce Nebraska property taxes. According to Flores, “The conse...
There was no discussion at the Kimball City Council meeting on Tuesday when the council held two public hearings to rezone a parcel of land from rural residential to C-2 general commercial, and to approve a conditional use permit for storage units on this property. The land includes 2.591 acres on Kearney Street. Additional items under current business included the ratification of the new members of the Kimball Volunteer Fire Department, Jim Shoup’s reappointment as the city’s street superintendent for 2025, and the approval of an updated job...
At least one person has expressed interest in the open seat on the Kimball City Council. Mayor John Morrison told the Observer that he has one interested party and is in the process of contacting that person for an interview. Councilman Don Muench submitted his resignation on Tuesday, July 15. Muench ran as a write-in candidate for council in November 2022, took office in December that year, and served until August 2024. The mayor will make the appointment, which must be approved by a majority vote of the council. Muench’s job took him to e...
Clean Harbors, Inc. is on track to have a big September and October to celebrate its expansion projects. The projects include housing developments, workforce housing, an apartment complex and a new incinerator. The most significant undertaking, the new $215 million rotary kiln incinerator, is set to commence operations in mid-October. Originally estimated at $185 million in 2019, the project's budget has experienced a 10% to 11% cost increase due to inflation, additional features and design...
About 20 people attended a special meeting of the Kimball County Commissioners on Friday, Aug. 16, with U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer to discuss the public perception of the Sentinel missile project. Fischer spent almost an hour listening to how the project is going in the Kimball area. The senator said that her office has had "really good meetings and updates from the Air Force, also from Northrop and Bechtel." Throughout the meeting, Fischer stated that the country needs this missile project, and that...
At the Tuesday commissioner meeting, the Kimball County Commissioners voted to approve Kimball Police Chief Jose Ruiz’s request to use the former Kimball Health Services hospital for training purposes. The approval is for training on Aug. 28 that will focus on clearing buildings. Ruiz must provide a certificate of liability for the training to be conducted at the former hospital building, which is owned by the county and up for sale. In other business, Kimball County Treasurer Cindi Rahmig and Dave Hottell, county sheriff, explained the t...
The Keno Funds for the Feral Cat program this year have been exhausted in Kimball, but two individuals have stepped up to continue working to control the feral cat population in Kimball County in a humane way. Sherrie Stevenson and Dawn Hinton took 17 kitties/cats to be spayed/neutered at the Northern Colorado Friends of Feral clinic over the weekend. The Keno Funds are used only within the city limits of Kimball, but Hinton and Stevenson are accepting Kimball County, Dix and Bushnell cats for...
Westen Hottell, 16, said, “I figured I always liked to talk, so I might as well get paid to do it.” Westen had to take special course to learn the language he is speaking, the language of an auctioneer. Last weekend at the Top Hand Longhorn Sale in Rapid City, S.D., Westen used his talking skills and chant to auction off a bred Longhorn heifer. On Saturday, Westen sold Lot No. 1, designated as a youth lot with only youth bidding. This was his second opportunity to practice his skills in an actual auction setting. Westen’s first auction attem...
Kimball-Banner County Fair Rodeo queen Emily Whitney carries the American flag before the rodeo performances last Tuesday. Don't miss the full page of images from the fair on Page B8....
The Kimball School Board received an update at its meeting Monday on summer projects in the school district. The board and administration have worked diligently over the past few years to make the district grounds and buildings more attractive. Projects completed this summer include the Junior/Senior High School asphalt work on the west parking lot, scoreboard installation, flooring in the student center and auditorium foyer, LED lighting in the practice gym and locker rooms, the gym floors being recoated, and the roof on the slant wall of the...
The David Hagstrom family was awarded the Nebraska Pioneer Farm Award by AKSARBEN Foundation and Nebraska Farm Bureau at the Kimball/Banner Fair BBQ. The award is given to honor families for 100 years of farm ownership. Erick A. Hagstrom came to America from his hometown of Gastrikland, Sweden at the age of 18. He spent 2 years living in Sioux City, Iowa with his older sister and her husband. In 1900, Erick moved to Kimball County Nebraska and laid claim to a homestead within Section 30-14-55....
Ten years ago in August, Heather and Nate Entingh purchased the Wooden Keg and the laundromat from Ken and Nancy Heig, and now the Entinghs are celebrating. Living in Cheyenne and coming to Kimball for the Farmers Day celebration, Nate and Heather kept an eye on the Wooden Keg. In 2012, the Wooden Keg was advertised, but hesitant to jump into the business scene, Nate and Heather waited. By 2014, the price had dropped, and they took the plunge. They renamed the bar. Beer & Loathing was born. But...
AT LEFT: Kimball Banner County Fair had two nights of mutton busting with over 55 kids ages 4-7 trying their luck riding a sheep. Equipped with helmets and vests, the rodeo riders took to the arena to showcase their skills. Riders received a five dollar bill on Tuesday and a shiny new silver dollar on Thursday. BELOW: Although not old enough to show goats in the fair, Eliza Ferguson and Collette Deweese give a little love to these goats....
A long week of Kimball-Banner County Fair activities concluded Saturday with the livestock sale, the Rubber Check Race and a dance in the arena. At the livestock sale, dozens of animals went through the sale ring with premium bids totaling thousands of dollars. Thirteen swine went through, along with 12 sheep, 30 beef and 31 goats. In the swine division Trey Cook had the overall FFA grand champion swine, followed by Jax Toth with the reserve. Trey also had the overall 4-H grand champion hog and Bodee Carruthers won the reserve. Tatum Medina...
The future is bright for the goat show in Kimball and Banner counties. One of the last events of the livestock show was the chance for Clover kids to show a goat. That group of kids showed the most excitement for being in the show ring....
BUDGET WORK SESSION OF BOARD OF EDUCATION BANNER COUNTY SCHOOL, DISTRICT 1, HARRISBURG, BANNER COUNTY, NEBRASKA Notice is hereby given that a Work Session of the Board of Education will be held at 12:00 PM on Friday, 23rd of August, 2024, in the Banner County School library, which meeting will be open to the public. The agendas for such meetings, which are kept continuously current, are available for public inspection in the office of the Superintendent of Schools. If special accommodations are needed to hear the proceedings, notify the...
The Kimball-Banner Fair has started with a variety of activities completed. Competitions that are in the record books include archery, clothing, fashion revue, static and the dog show. Archery competition was completed on Wednesday, with a group of high quality shooters. In the Unsighted division, Ember White took Junior Grand Champion and Braun Hottell was Reserve. Audrey Ferguson received a purple, and Kolh Hottell a blue. For the Intermediates, Luke Olsen, Joel Berger, and Alaina Sperslage...
Amber Sweetland, director of Kimball Public Library, addressed the Kimball County Commissioners at their regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 6. Sweetland requested $20,000 of county funds for the library, while last year the request was $17,000. Sweetland explained many of the programs that the library offers, from the summer reading program to the Makerspace program. The director explained that funding has become a challenge for the library due to the defeat of the city sales tax proposition. She said the library, which is run by the city, lost...
The Park and Recreation Operating Board met to receive an update on the installation of sprinklers. Work on holes 4 and 14 has been the focus of the sprinkler updates. Roy’s Landscaping has begun removing old sprinklers and installing new ones. With golf pro Edward Tamsett’s employment at Four Winds golf course ending, the operating board purchased most of the merchandise in the pro shop from Tamsett and was awaiting an accurate inventory of the merchandise. It’s a common practice for golf pros to purchase merchandise that they sell at in pr...
The Sentinel missile project – which received the green light to proceed in July after a review by the Department of Defense – announced last Wednesday that it would hold a town hall meeting on Tuesday this week at The Sagebrush in Kimball. A similar town hall was set for Sidney a day later. The intent of the meetings was to inform local public and landowners about relevant future construction plans and facts concerning the Sentinel program, according to a statement from F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. The short-notice town hall mee...
The 4-H Kimbots proudly pose with their impressive handicapped/wheelchair bowling ball returner. From left are Laurel Norberg, Katie Hawthorne, McKenzie Miller, Harley O'Rourke, Timothy Hawthorne and Andrew Hawthorne....
Nothing like kids and dogs to start off the animal show at the Kimball-Banner County Fair. All the dogs were on their best behavior at the 4-H dog show on Monday evening. Showing as a Clover Kid by Jessalynn Snyder and her 9-month-old Goldendoodle, Zeva, a crowd favorite. Jalanna Krakow received reserve champion and showed her Border Collie/Blue Heeler, named Uma. Kohl Krakow's dog, Jane, is a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd and he too received numerous reserve champion awards. Rascal, a...
Surrounded by family and friends, former Kimball County Attorney Dave Wilson accepted congratulations and praise Friday from colleagues, fellow county employees and friends at a reception in his honor. Wilson spent his entire career in Kimball as county attorney and in his private practice. He expressed heartfelt thanks to all the people who have been part of the Wilson family's lives, saying, "It has been a wonderful life here. We have made some wonderful friends. It is hard to leave, but we ha...
Crates of Toro sprinklers have arrived for the needed repairs at the Four Wind Golf Course. Course superintendent Jeremy Williams said they have begun installing the sprinklers on the top side of the fourth hole. Fairways were burned out in several areas after gravel plugged up old sprinkler heads. Roy's Landscaping is set to help complete the installation of the 200 sprinklers the week of August 8. The Kimball City-Kimball County Parks and Recreation Executive board approved a $110,000 loan to...
The Nebraska State Patrol told the Western Nebraska Observer that it investigated a one vehicle, fatal accident on Highway 71 south of Kimball at 7 a.m. last Friday, July 27. The driven was identified as Daryl Scherbarth, 55, from Sidney. He was originally from Hay Springs, Sheridan County. He was headed south and lost control of his vehicle at Road 28, the patrol said. The vehicle rolled over and he was pronounced deceased at the scene. Next of kin were notified....