Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 101
The Kimball City Council approved over $36,000 in grant money March 21 to local businesses through the Business Improvement Grant program. Lil Bit of Country, Joe Mejia Insurance, and Ondori Ramen & Sushi were businesses receiving grants. An LB 840 loan was approved to the Friends of the Goodhand Theater for $25,000 to purchase 300 black/red leather reclining/rocking theater chairs. Interviews are being conducted for the open position of the city clerk, and Creg Pike was appointed to serve on the interview committee. Interviews were planned...
Mayor John Morrison explained to the Observer the plans that Clean Harbors Inc. has to create a subdivision on 60 acres of land just across Highway 71 from Kimball Ace Hardware and to the west. The division, if it gains needed approvals, would be called "Project Lighthouse" because the term lighthouse is sometime described as being the beginning of a bay. The northeast corner of the subdivision would include Howard Street. Tuesday night, Clean Harbors executive Paul Whiting showed plans for the...
The Unicameral’s Revenue Committee heard testimony March 16 from Kimball city and county officials in support of Legislature Bill 100. LB 100 was introduced by Sen. Steve Erdman, District 47, who used to represent the Kimball area. The bill would amend the ImagiNE Act to allow certain waste treatment and disposal businesses to qualify for tax incentives. Qualifying businesses receive credits based on construction and the number of employees hired. Other available incentives include sales/use tax direct refunds and exemptions and personal p...
Highway Road Superintendent Randy Bymer summarized the effects the recent blizzard had on Kimball County roads. He started his report with the phrase, "We're pushing snow," then explained that one plow is down while there is trouble with another one, but they are busting through drifts as high as 13 feet in certain areas of the county. On Tuesday, crews were still widening out roads in the wake of the blizzard. Real troubled spots are generally a result of trees planted years ago south of Dix, south of Kimball and near County Road 46. A disaste...
When an airplane skeleton was recently unearthed at the old Castronics facility on the east side of Kimball, many individuals speculated on how it came to be buried there. The plane, considered a Vultee BT-13 Valiant, was built and used in the second phase of pilot training during World War II. After World War II, all of those planes were sold as surplus for a few hundred dollars. In 1951 the BT-13 sold for $700. The mid-training plane required the student pilot to master the two-way radio and... Full story
The Kimball Longhorns boys basketball team hosts Hershey 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, in a non-district matchup to close the 2022 portion of it season. Kimball sits at second place in the district with a 1-1 record after its 68-31 win at Morrill on Saturday, Dec. 10. The Horns lost to Perkins County the night before, 59-47, and are 1-3 overall on the season. As for Hershey, the Panthers are 0-4 overall after losing, 57-40, to North Platte St. Pat's on Dec 10. Hershey and Kimball have played one... Full story
The Nov. 1 Kimball City Council meeting opened with a postponement of a public hearing and a postponement of a vote on Ordinance No. 807 – for the proposed annexation of the Warner/Substation Property south of Horseshoe Hill area. The ordinance is expected to be voted on at the Nov. 15 meeting. The council switched to current business, which included a discussion of Ordinance No. 811 regarding the discharge of firearms. City Attorney Matt Turman told the council that the changes would clean up language and make the ordinance more up to date. C...
In a well-organized and business-like presentation, a group of juniors and seniors presented the possibility of having a school-sponsored extra-curricular activity known as an e-Sports team. E-Sports continues to grow in Nebraska. There are 71 schools in Nebraska, including regionally, Bridgeport, Banner County, Hemingford and Leyton. The proposal and presentation fell under Principal Danielle Reader's report. According to the students, the benefits of the program include greater student...
Clean Harbors' senior vice president of facility engineering, Paul Whiting, addressed the vendor partners, Clean Harbors employees, city and county officials, and citizens monitoring committee members at the Oct. 7 Milestone Recognition Event of the setting of the first steel columns for the second incinerator at the Kimball facility. The second incinerator is projected to be a $180 million investment expected to be completed by 2025 and create more than 100 permanent jobs for the area. The rota...
The Kimball County Board of Commissioners met for its first October meeting on Tuesday Oct. 4. Natasha McFaul from the High Point Welcome Center of Western Nebraska topped the agenda items. After a report on the center, McFaul was appointed interim county Tourism Director. McFaul said that the center still averages 30 visitors a day, with weekends being a few less. New hours for the center will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Paint classes continue at the center, and the souvenir and gift shops are still open....
Clean Harbors Environmental Services has filed a Class 3 Permit Modification Request with the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. There is a 60-day comment period starting Oct. 8, and a public meeting will be held in accordance to Nebraska Administrative Code at 5 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Clean Harbors business office. Clean Harbors is a permitted hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility 5 miles south of Kimball on Highway 71.... Full story
Kimball County Tourism Director Jessica Rocha submitted her resignation to the Kimball County Commissioners at the August 2 regular county board meeting. Rocha will continue until August 12 as the County Tourism Director. She has been in the position for three and a half years. According to Rocha, she has accepted a job as the executive secretary for the superintendent for Pine Bluffs Schools. The commissioners approved the Master Human Resources Outsourcing Agreement between Zelle, LLC and Kimball County to provide HR Services. County...
On July 11, Clean Harbors Inc. submitted an Approval to Construct Request to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. This request is to continue construction for the implementation of the new rotary kiln incinerator infrastructure. The projected completion date for the new rotary kiln incinerator is mid-2024. The approval to submit to NDEE allows Clean Harbors to continue the existing construction activities for the areas of the new incinerator layout. According to Alyssa King from... Full story
Kimball's Tom O'Brien will step onto the stage again this week in the Theatre West production of "Legally Blonde." Legally Blonde runs July 14-16, and then July 20-23 in the Judy Chaloupka Theater at WNCC in Scottsbluff. In recent weeks, O'Brien and the rest of the cast have been hitting the rehearsal schedule hard. O'Brien plays the part of Professor Callahan, who is a "villainous and conniving" law professor at Harvard Law School. His character routinely picks on and humiliates law student...
Two significant matters, one a proposed development and one a permit renewal, are unfolding five miles south of Kimball at Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc. Clean Harbors has applied to the the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy to begin construction of the foundation for a new incinerator, a proposed development that has gained much attention in the Kimball area. Copies of that application are available to review or obtain from the department. Mike Chrisenbery, Clean Harbors vice president of environmental compliance,...
The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy has temporarily withdrawn its intent to renew Clean Harbors Environmental Services' permit regarding hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The NDEE notified the Observer about the decision in a letter dated June 8, saying it needed to “reconsider several conditions of the permit.” The NDEE also postponed the June 14 public information session regarding the permit. When a new date has been determined, the NDEE said it “will re-pu...
The 48th District of the Nebraska Unicameral now includes Kimball, Banner and Scotts Bluff counties due to redistricting. The 48th seat is currently held by John Stinner, but he will term out at the end of this year. So this year, 24 of the even-numbered seats among the 49 legislative districts of the Unicameral will elect representatives. Due to redistricting, Sen. Steve Erdman no longer will represent this area. Following are responses to Observer questions from the five candidates looking to...
Clean Harbors submitted the winning bid of $1,000 to purchase two lots combined (Parcels 530018519 and 530018527) across from the Kimball County Manor at the most recent Kimball City Council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 15. The Clean Harbors proposal would “develop much needed multi-unit housing to support our need to attract 100 new workers to Kimball in 2023 and 2024.” The Clean Harbors proposal is for an 8-unit, 7,000-square-foot multifamily building with units of 2 bedrooms, 2 baths of approximately 875 square foot each. Brian Johnson from Joh...
The Kimball City Council convened at 6 p.m. Jan 18 for its regular meeting. The council voted to change the meeting date to once a month. Meetings will be on the third Tuesday for the next couple of months until there is more on their agenda. Kimball Library Director Amber Sweetland gave her annual report to the board highlighting youth and teen programs, active attendance at the library and computer usage. In addition, the library has 26 periodical and two newspaper subscriptions. Matt Shoup from the electric department gave a presentation on...
Kimball Health Services (KHS) leadership on Thursday, Jan. 13, announced a $2.2 million fundraising campaign to complete funding for a new hospital in Kimball opening in the fall of 2023. Standing on the site where the hospital will be constructed, officials announced a lead gift of $500,000 from Bonnie Risk to kick off the fundraising campaign. Her contribution brings the private gifts committed to $1.5 million. Risk has been a longtime advocate for Kimball Health Services and is a member of...
The Kimball City Council met with a full agenda on Tuesday, Nov. 16, with a variety of discussion items. Topping the list of items was the approval of needed new sidewalks, gutters, pavement, ADA ramps, and pads at Dollar General. The council had expected two bids but only received one from Hennings Construction, Inc., Gering, for $14,120.74. The weather will determine when the project will begin and be completed. Two ordinances, 796 and 797, were amended by the council to clean up language and clarify the meaning. Ordinance 796 deals with...
James (Jim) Nelson, a long-time resident of Kimball County, died unexpectedly from natural causes in his home on May 30, 2021 at the age of 64. He was born in Sidney, Ne on September 20, 1956, to Harvey and Peggy Nelson. Upon graduation from Dix High School, Jim attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he earned a degree in Ag Economics. He was a member of Alpha Gamma Sigma, and legendary ski trips with friends in his DIY conversion van were a highlight of his college years. In 1985,... Full story
Nebraska Lt. Gov. Mike Foley travelled west for a stop in Kimball on Monday. The stop included a a tour of the town and a visit to Clean Harbors, plus visits to Kimball Health Services and the Kimball Public Schools. Foley told the Observer that he came to Kimball for two reasons. “I like to get out across the state and meet the economic development folks and find out what is really going in these communities.,” he said. “There is a lot happening in Kimball and about to happen, as we all know.... Full story
Cowboys and cowgirls from Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Nebraska sorted steers in Kimball for the Halligan Agency LLC Ranch Sorting. Kimball was a prelude to ranch sorting at Cheyenne Frontier Days, known as the Big Daddy beginning on Thursday and concluding Aug. 1. The Big Daddy is also a Cinch-sanctioned event. Taking home a trophy headstall were weekend highpoint winners in the youth division Grady Watkins from Cheyenne; beginner/rookie division Ciara Coleman from...
Clean Harbors is looking into a major expansion at its facility south of Kimball that would involve construction of a second incinerator and could create about 100 jobs. The company released this statement to the Observer on Tuesday from Clean Harbors spokesman Jim Buckley: “Clean Harbors is exploring the potential of expanding the capacity at its Kimball, Neb., facility by building a second incinerator. This state-of-the-art incineration unit, which will exceed all state and federal emissions control standards, will go through a rigorous p...