Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

Articles from the March 26, 2015 edition


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  • Layoffs hit IOS again; sale of company announced

    Tonia Copeland|Mar 26, 2015

    The local Inspection Oilfield Services site went through a third round of layoffs Monday, the same day the sale of the company was announced. According to multiple sources, at least 12 employees from both day and night positions lost their jobs this week. This most recent reduction in force effectively shut down the night shift, although some second-shift employees were retained for day shift. More than 40 people were laid off in the first two rounds of reductions held earlier. The sale of IOS to L.B. Foster Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., was...

  • Ash gets life in prison

    Tonia Copeland|Mar 26, 2015

    Vencil Ash was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday afternoon in Kimball County District Court. Ash was found guilty early last month in the 2003 murder of Ryan Guitron. Tuesday in court, he was sentenced to mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole. The facility where he will be detained will be determined by the Nebraska Department of Corrections at a later time. Prior to Tuesday’s sentencing, Ash made a motion for a new trial. That motion was denied. Ash said Tuesday that the murder was not committed in Kimball County, but ra...

  • Kimball Prom Royalty

    Mar 26, 2015

    Justin Mohr, son of Gene and Chari Mohr, was voted prom king and Kallie Bush, daughter of Doran and Krissy Bush, was voted prom queen at the Kimball High School prom held Saturday in the Kimball Jr./Sr. High School Gym. Attendants are Enrique Cajero, son of Magdaleno and Monica Cajero; Tyler Harroun, son of Joseph and Andrea Harroun; Alexis Gawith, daughter of Bill and Heather Gawith; and Jessica Hanks, daughter of Eugene and Christy Hanks. Pictured, from left, are: Cajero, Harroun, Mohr, Bush,...

  • Potter-Dix Prom Royalty

    Mar 26, 2015

    Members of the Potter-Dix High School prom royalty were announced at Saturday's prom. Jourdan Langley was named queen and Cameron Purcell was named king. Pictured, at front, are ring bearers Austin Hurt and Landon Gasseling. Prom royalty, pictured, in back, from left, are: Kinley Vowers, Queen Jourdan Langley, King Cameron Purcell and Zac Gotfrey....

  • Friends and Neighbors: Medicine came naturally for new KHS physicians assistant Jonna Beyer

    John Verser|Mar 26, 2015

    Medicine and giving a helping hand came naturally for Jonna Beyer. The Donnelly, Minn., native was just 5 or 6 years old when she was pouring hydrogen peroxide on her father's hands after he came home from work in the autobody field. Beyer recently joined the staff at Kimball Health Services as a certified physicians assistant. "He used to come home with cuts all over his fingers, and I used to pour hydrogen peroxide on them," she said. "There was something about just helping and healing a perso...

  • Council encourages KKB to be more financially independent, tables Keno grant

    Tonia Copeland|Mar 26, 2015

    The Kimball City Council tabled a request for a Keno funds grant from Keep Kimball Beautiful at last Tuesday’s meeting. KKB sought a grant in the amount of $4,000 at the meeting. “We are here tonight to go over a Keno grant application for the electronics that we have collected throughout the last year,” said KKB representative Earl “Spud” Rowley. “Before this project basically we used to take sponsorships. So we thought we would take a break on some of the businesses for the sponsorship.” Rowley said the organization has collected nea...

  • Council, public works board looks at utilities in joint meeting

    Tonia Copeland|Mar 26, 2015

    Members of the Kimball City Council, Mayor Keith Prunty and members of the Kimball Board of Public Works joined together last Thursday to discuss utilities. Each utility department supervisor presented a list of needs and accomplishments, but one utility supervisor, Jim Schulte, focused also on the growth and positive changes his crew has made at the Kimball County Landfill. Schulte represented the City of Kimball’s sanitation department as well as the Kimball County Landfill and highlighted many accomplishments made at the local landfill s...

  • County Government Day

    Mar 26, 2015

    Kimball County Clerk Magistrate Michelle Woods, right, "swore in" Kimball High School senior Justin Mohr at the Annual County Government Day in the Kimball District Court....

  • Mystery dinner theater to benefit library carpet fund

    Mar 26, 2015

    Who committed the murder? Come find out in the performance of The Sour Grapes of Wrath to be held at 6 p.m. April 25-26 at the Kimball Event Center. The mystery dinner theater will benefit the Kimball Public Library’s carpet fund. Tickets are $20 each and include a pasta dinner of spaghetti or chicken alfredo, salad, breadstick and dessert. There will also be a cash bar available. Tickets will be available at the library. Additional details will be announced at a later time. For more information, call the library at 308-235-...

  • Kimball council buys lighting with ACE refund

    Tonia Copeland|Mar 26, 2015

    The Kimball City Council decided at its regularly scheduled meeting held March 17 to use the city’s ACE refund for lighting. The city received an annual return on the Alliance for Community Energy (ACE) investment of just more than $3,000. To date, Mayor Keith Prunty said, the city has received more the $35,000 in returns from ACE. Keith Prunty asked council for thoughts on how the money could best be used. Council member James Schnell suggested that there are banners the city must purchase. “Especially with the all-class reunion this sum...

  • Delores Wann

    Mar 26, 2015

    Delores Wann, 87, of Kimball, died at Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff on Saturday. Memorial services are pending at the Cantrell Funeral Home in Kimball. A complete obituary will be published in next week’s paper....

  • Sydney Nicholos Hubbard

    Mar 26, 2015

    Sydney Nicholos Hubbard, 26, of Kimball, passed away Friday, March 20, 2015 at his home. His Celebration of Life service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, at the Sidney Park in Sidney. The family requests that this be a celebration with good food, friends and fellowship. Please bring whatever you would like for the luncheon. Memorials may be made in care of the family. Online condolences may be left at www.jolliffefuneralhome.com. Jolliffe Funeral Home and Crematory in Scottsbluff is in charge of arrangements....

  • Nicholas William Wackel

    Mar 26, 2015

    Nicholas William Wackel, 92, of Lincoln, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family. He was born to the late Fred and Erma Wackel, March 29,1922, in West Point, Nebraska. Nick graduated from Guardian Angel High School in West Point, Neb., then attended and graduated from Kemper Military Junior College in 1942. He attended Creighton University until May 1943, at which time he entered the U.S. Army. Mr. Wackel served in the continental U.S. and overseas in the Southwest Pacific, being...

  • Fire department battles small grass fire

    Tonia Copeland|Mar 26, 2015

    The Kimball Volunteer Fire Department responded to a fire at approximately 2:30 p.m. last Sunday. The Kimball Ambulance Service was also dispatched as a precaution. Witnesses at the scene, Mia Biberos and Trisha Dimmitt, stated that they found the fire while it was still very small. They attempted to extinguish it themselves by stomping it and soaking their clothing in the nearby creek, then wringing the water out onto the flames. When it became apparent that they would not be successful, they...

  • Library gains grants, momentum for carpet fund

    Jan Sears, Kimball Public Library|Mar 26, 2015

    The Kimball Public Library is gaining momentum toward the purchase of new carpet, and could use your help to reach that final goal. The library’s carpet fund has approximately $11,000 on hand and will need at least $20,000 to recarpet all of the library floors. The library recently received word that it will be able to receive help through the Howard and Peggy Atkins Fund in the form of a matching grant. For every $2 raised by individuals, the fund will donate $1 to the library toward the purchase of carpet, up to a total of $3,000. If that t...

  • How does one catch a leprechaun?

    Wade Brashear, Essay Winner|Mar 26, 2015

    Editor's Note: Wade Brashear won first place in the adult division in the Kimball Business Boosters' essay contest on how to catch a leprachaun. His essay is included below. A "pot of gold" at the end of a rainbow is not unlike our challenges through life, a never-ending quest to find that "pot of gold," our belonging. Therefore, this essay answers the question, how do we find that fit, that belonging, in life? Well, it is ironic that one would ask, what is the goal of living? How do I catch...

  • Birding tours set to begin next week

    Mar 26, 2015

    The birds of Kimball County will be highlighted during a six week series of Watchable Wildlife Tours sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and the Kimball Area Tourism Department, funded in part by the Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund. The series, titled “For the Birds,” will run from April 1 to May 15. All tours will depart from the High Point Welcome Center of Western Nebraska, located at exit 20 on I-80. The tours are free, but reservations are required. “Our guides for these tours are providing equipment to help people have...

  • Main Street Market presents 'Receipts for Cash' checks

    Mar 26, 2015

    Main Street Market presented checks for $1,000 to Keep Kimball Beautiful and New Hope Assembly of God through the "Receipts for Cash" program. MSM gives a $1,000 check for each $100,000 of receipts turned in through the program....

  • Kimball High School speech team open house

    Mar 26, 2015

    The Kimball High School speech team hosted an open house last Thursday in which its district performers gave the audience a look at many different categories included in competition, including Oral Interpretation of Drama, Serious Prose, Humerous Prose, Persuasive Speaking and more. Three Kimball students will compete this week in state. They are: Taylor Muldoon in Serious Prose, Darcy Usher in Poetry Interpretation and Leisha Casimiro in Informative Speaking. See additional photos in this...

  • Potter-Dix claims district speech title

    Mar 26, 2015

    Potter-Dix rolled over its competition on the way to yet another district speech title last week. Potter-Dix will also send eight individual competitors and two teams to the state competition this week. The Oral Interpretation of Drama team brought home one of two first place finishes for Potter-Dix. The team is comprised of Audrey Juelfs, Jourdan Langley, Dawson Sharman, Alaina Thies and Jamison Tvrs. Regyn Hicks also won in Persuasive Speaking, while teammate Rebekah Hutchinson finished second...

  • Scenes from the 2015 Kimball High School Prom

    Mar 26, 2015

    Justin Mohr was crowned king and Kallie Bush was crowned queen on Saturday at the 2015 Kimball High School Prom....

  • Scenes from the 2015 Potter-Dix High School Prom

    Mar 26, 2015

    Cameron Purcell was crowned king and Jourdan Langley was crowned queen on Saturday at the 2015 Potter-Dix High School Prom....

  • Kimball has strong showing at Chadron indoor meet

    Tom Southard|Mar 26, 2015

    Some real bright spots by the Kimball High Track Team in a strong showing at the Chadron State College High School Indoor Track and Field Meet held this past Saturday. At the meet that attracted 16 schools, 450 athletes, and 750 entries, the Longhorns reaped some honors. Coach Gene Mohr was expecting strong showings from his team in the field events and they did not disappoint him. In the boys pole vault Trent Rutledge won with a vault of 12'8" and Justin Mohr was 6th at 10'2." In the triple...

  • Potter-Dix has 6 named All-MAC; Banner County has 3 named to list

    Mar 26, 2015

    The All-Minuteman Activities Conference basketball selections were recently announced, and Potter-Dix and Banner County were each well represented. Potter-Dix had four girls and two boys named All-MAC, while Banner County had two boys and one girl. Freshman Audrey Juelfs was named first team All-MAC for the Lady Coyotes. She averaged a team-high 9.9 points per game, in addition to 4.2 rebounds per game, 4.2 assists per game and 4.1 steals per game in her inaugural high school campaign. Potter-Dix finished the season with a 15-5 record....

  • Competing on the big mat

    Mar 26, 2015

    Cameron McGinnis of Kimball finished third in the 50 pounds weight class at the Nebraska State Federation Wrestling Championships held Saturday in Grand Island. McGinnis was one of five Kimball competitors at the state meet and was the only one to place....

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