A look back at the year through headlines

January

Nebraska public schools showed improvement and growth under a new accountability system. This caused a sharp improvement in the amount of students graduating. This year 180 of 249 Nebraska public school districts graduated 90 percent of their high school seniors. State wide 88 percent of seniors graduated, a two percent increase from last year.

Rail Spur project gets new life after being in the works for eight or ten years. The rail spur would allow Kimball to be a part of trans-loading. This would mean product would have a place to move from rail to truck or truck to rail. The reason for it's slow start is attributed to the many components that must be approved by Union Pacific through a meticulous process. However, once completed Larissa Binod is convinced it will bring business to Kimball.

Governor Dave Heineman proposes tax reform. The reform proposal includes a desire to end individual income taxes for working Nebraskans, and taxes on small business income, and other breaks. The business owners want simplicity and fairness according to Heineman, who will have legslation introduced to eliminate individual income and corporate income tax. At the very least lower the aforementioned.

Mad Dog's opens under new ownership. Bob Hinton, the new owner says he'll be offering new specials for sports fans and participants. Hinton hopes to introduce new menu items and to make the bar friendly to non-sports fans as well. It is also mentioned that Hinton will not tolerate disturbances in the bar. It was said that some liquor belonging to previous owner, Greg Reinninger, may still be in the building but none has been spotted by Hinton.

Japan introduces a new beef export protocol. It now calls for the import of beef less than 30 months rather than the previous 20 months. U.S. beef was previously banned in Japan in December 2003, due to detection of beef spongiform encephalopathy(BSE). However now with new protocol, this means a great increase in exports for American ranchers.

February

West Elementary might have to close its doors due to budgetary shortfall. Repairs must be made for the school to stay open, however there are no funds for that. Nor is there money for the general fund bills. Troy Unzicker, school superintendent, presented a list of pros and cons concerning Mary Lynch Elementary absorbing West Elementary. A big concern was increased class sizes. The issue of closing west will be brought before the school board in their February 11, meeting.

The school board decided to close West Elementary at the end of the school year. Concerns of having all the students in one building was a concern. However, the board addressed this situation by bringing to light that where the children learn isn't the issue, it's the quality of the teachers. The financial situation ultimately meant that West Elementary would have to close.

Economic Development Director. Larissa Binod, was terminated on February 13. The state does not have to provide a reason for termination. There is still no known reason for the termination. Binod expresses her want to stay an active member of the city of Kimball, wanting to help the city in any way she can. The city began the search for a new Economic Development Director.

Public school's accelerated reading (AR) program receives a $1500 grant from the City. This program focuses on increasing literacy among students. The students in the program can work toward getting points to earn money for the AR store. This opportunity is exciting to students who enjoy having something to work toward. The program also accepts donations to keep the program going.

March

The City Council debates over whether or not the city should acquire a School Resource officer. Representatives from SIdney Public Schools speak about the benefits of having a School Resource Officer. There is a decrease in violence in schools, with an officer present. However having a Resource Officer would mean overworked officers would be working longer shifts to fill the Resource Officer need. The City Council did not take any action concerning the issue.

Jim Merryfield resigns from City Council. He expressed his love for Kimball and love for serving Kimball, and the reasoning behind his resignation being financial. He will be taking over the job of running a charter aircraft company in Afghanistan. Though upon his return, Merryfield said, he would be interested in running for CIty Council again. Once the Council fills Merryfield's chair they will not be open for election until 2016.

The County Commissioners decide to move forward on the visitor's center after hearing the presentation from tourism director, Jo Caskey. The sister center would have a full-timestaff that would initially take care of maintenance. The location for the center being the old Burger King building by the Interstate. The visitor center will hopefully capture the traveler's eye and bring more business to Kimball.

Police Chief Mark Simpson is on Administrative leave while under investigation. Simpson is on leave due to false accusations he made. The results of the current ongoing investigation will determine whether or not Simpson is reinstated.

April

Two finalists are chosen for consideration of filling the vacant position of City Economic Development DIrector. Fifteen applicants, local and otherwise, were considered and two chosen for further consideration. However, even though these two candidates show the most promise at the moment, if a more qualified applicant turns up, they could still be considered.

A late season Blizzard causes Kimball residents and travelers to be immobilized. The blizzard cause local residents to have to stay home and travelers had to pull off the road. However, Kimball's residents proved to be hospitable to the travelers who were immobilized by the storm. Businesses closed early and the town's streets had to be cleaned.

Board of Education announces hiring a new Kimball High School superintendent. The new superintendent replacing Troy Unzicker will be Marshall Lewis of Belmond Iowa. Belmond is said to be very active and enthusiastic. He will certainly be an asset to the school.

Mary Lynch Elementary fifth grade class ranks in top 100 for national reading program. The BOOK IT! Program focuses on helping children develop a lifelong love of reading while improving reading skills. Carma Weisbrook, the teacher of the fifth grade class is very proud of her students and grateful for the support in making reading a priority.

May

Paving of new roads is beginning. The laying of the asphalt is going to start downtown. There was a concern for how the paving would affect the businesses, but it is reported that customers are still stopping by establishments. The customers have a small detour to make, but it's worth it for nicer roads.

Nearly a century later the Wheat Grower's Hotel is still standing. THere were over 200 people in attendance at the hotel's grand opening in 1919. It was amazing how many showed up for the event and beautiful to hear the music. The Wheat Grower's Hotel is certainly a monument rich with history of the area.

Nearly fifty people attended the flag retirement ceremony at the Kimball Cemetery. High school students, Kimball High School leadership, fire department members, U.S. veterans and current members of the Civil Air Patrol were all in attendance. The ceremony encouraged the proper disposal of unserviceable flags in a dignified manner.

A gas line explodes near Bushnell and conflicting reports emerge. The company learned of the rupture through their control center in Lakewood, Colorado. The facility monitors the changes in pressure in their pipes across the country. Since the rupture the destroyed line has been replaced and an investigation is underway.

Senator Deb Fischer makes a stop in Kimball on May 28, to give residents an update on what she has been working on for the people of Nebraska. In addition to her update she expresses the sentiment of wanting the people of the community and country to come together more and accomplish great things.

June

LorRon Department Store nears fifty years in business. The store has gone through a few name changes over the years but the current name is a result of a hybrid of the current owner's names, Lorna and Ron Evelyn. Resulting in LorRon. The store provides a convenient stop for locals as well as a bit of nostalgia.

The fifth annual Ranch Rodeo draws a large crowd to the Kimball Fairgrounds. Several in attendance express their love of the event and the team in charge of the whole affair mention that since the people love it so much they'll keep bringing it back.

There have been several rattlesnake dens confirmed within the Kimball City limits. The citizens are strongly cautioned to the danger posed by the snakes and urged to steer clear of the dens. They are also urged to keep their lawns trimmed to prevent the snakes from hiding in tall grass.

The Kramer family wins $1 million jack pot. The winning ticket was purchased by Peggy and Loran Kramer at Vince's Corner. This is their second win although, it is their largest win. The previous win being $100,000. The Kramers report that they don't feel changed by the money and don't want to make a big deal out of the win.