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

Articles from the May 21, 2015 edition


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  • Kimball graduates 29 in class of 2015

    John Verser|May 21, 2015

    Rowdy Keller spent more time preparing Saturday's co-valedictorian speech than any in high school, he said. The roughly two-minute speech at the Kimball High School graduation ceremony bookended a 13-year journey in front of classmates, friends, family, school officials and others Saturday morning. "It has been a fast four years with my classmates," Keller said of his time at KHS. "It seems like just yesterday we were creating havoc in freshman PE. Through those many things, we learned many...

  • 21 receive diplomas from Potter-Dix

    Penny Merryfield|May 21, 2015

    A brief presentation of photographs of the soon-to-be graduates showed on-screen their transition from babies to young children and teenagers, and started Saturday's graduation ceremony at Potter-Dix High School. There were 21 soon-to-be graduates gathered in the entrance way of the gym preparing to enter one by one. Excitement and tears were on many of the students' faces. The ushers, which included Sam Bogert, Regyn Hicks, Coby Hicks, Sara Gingerich, Justice Palmer and Savannah Shaw, guided...

  • 13 graduate from Banner County High School as class of 2015

    John Verser|May 21, 2015

    "This place will always be home," said Dalton Jordan, valedictorian for the Banner County High School class of 2015. Jordan was one of three speakers at Saturday's commencement that said farewell to the class of 2015. The ceremony opened with a photo slideshow with music before the 13 members of the class walked into the gym and onto the stage. After an invocation from class member Christina Grubbs, school superintendent Lana Sides took the audience on a trip down memory lane. "It seems like...

  • New superintendent excited about coming to Potter-Dix

    Tonia Copeland|May 21, 2015

    Veteran teacher, principal and superintendent Mike Williams is excited to become superintendent at Potter-Dix Public Schools. He replaces longtime superintendent Kevin Thomas, who will retire at the end of this school year. Williams, along with his wife and four children, has spent the last four years at Maywood Public School, a small, rural school district south of North Platte. "My entire career has been in rural schools and I just can't see myself at a larger district," Williams said. "The op...

  • Local shooters to compete at nationals

    Tonia Copeland|May 21, 2015

    For three young ladies, a summer of fun begins with a national championship competition. These young shooters will travel to Albuquerque, N.M., for the 2015 NRA Open Air Gun Championships, scheduled May 22-24. Madie Snyder of Kimball and Annie Grothusen of Mitchell were selected as team members with Shauntae Daily of Dix named as the team's alternate. All three competitors are members of the local Dead Eyes 4-H club. Additionally, Snyder made it on the sixth place precision team in the National...

  • Comprehensive plan discussed at open house

    Tonia Copeland|May 21, 2015

    More than two dozen attended an open house/community listening session, including residents, city officials, personnel and council members on Monday at the Kimball Event Center. City Administrator Daniel Ortiz opened the meeting by explaining that the comprehensive plan is the city's development guide for up to the next decade. "A lot of people don't understand what the comprehensive plan is and really how it affects our community as we move forward and as we grow," Ortiz said. "To sum it up a...

  • Tours set locally for Nebraska Wildflower Week

    May 21, 2015

    Kimball County Tourism, in conjunction with PrairieAdventure Tours, is offering prairie wildflower tours in celebration of Nebraska Wildflower Week, May 30 through June 7. Tours will be led by local rancher and biologist Shaun Evertson. Tours will be offered Saturdays, May 30 and June 6, and Sundays, May 31 and June 7, at 8 a.m. An evening tour on Wednesday, June 3, is scheduled for 6 p.m. All tours are free and open to the public. Also, available are free brochures identifying roadside flowers and grasses. Tours will last approximately 90...

  • Norma L. Soule

    May 21, 2015

    Norma L. Soule, 84, of Kimball, died at Kimball Health Services on Monday, May 18, 2015. Friends may call at Cantrell Funeral Home from 1-6 p.m. on Friday, May 22. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, at the Cantrell Funeral Home in Kimball with Ron Johnson officiating. Burial will be held in Sunset Cemetery in Scottsbluff following the funeral in Kimball. Memorials have established to Vista Villa. Friends may also visit www.cantrellfh.com to view Norma's Tribute Wall...

  • Friends and Neighbors: Rodriguez takes part in 'Honor Flight'

    Tonia Copeland|May 21, 2015

    Lupe Rodriguez, 82, a local Korean War veteran, recently returned from a memorable trip to Washington D.C. Veterans from northern Colorado and Nebraska, including Rodriguez, were given the opportunity to make the trip because of a non-profit organization called Honor Flight. Honor Flight is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to ensure United States veterans have the ability to travel to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials of their respective war. The trip is free to the veteran....

  • Memorial Day ceremony set for Pleasant Hill Cemetery

    May 21, 2015

    The public is invited to the Memorial Day Services beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 25, at Pleasant Hill Cemetery. The cemetery is located 14 miles south of Stegall, at the intersection of Stegall Road and County Road 40 in Banner County. For more information call Greg Schurer at 308-672-2940 or 308-436-2780. The following veterans are buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery: Name War Years alive George Wick Civil War John Wilson Civil War -1891 Hiram Ammerman Civil War 1839-1886 Norman Clapp Civil War 1823-1891 John A Slingbaum Civil War...

  • Memorial Day ceremony set for Kimball

    Tonia Copeland|May 21, 2015

    The local Memorial Day ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. on Monday, May 25, at the Kimball Cemetery. Rev. Carla Gunn will officiate the ceremony with Joyce Witt acting as master of ceremonies. Kimball Mayor Keith Prunty will speak and will give the closing prayer, according to Witt. Local talent Carol Jo Nagel will sing the national anthem, followed by the pledge of allegiance. The local honor guard will present the 21 gun salute and a wreath will be laid at the cemetery. After that, the flag will be raised to full staff. The ceremony will conclu...

  • A military veteran

    Joseph S. Hernandez, Active Korean War Veteran of Kimball|May 21, 2015

    My take of the definition of a Military Veteran is from experiences I have been through. A Military Veteran is a person, whether male or female, who voluntarily enlists, or is caught up, in the Draft. Not the NFL draft, the Man’s Draft, the one that during the time of war sent chills up and down the spines of any within the ages of 18 to 27; which was mostly used to fill the Army and Marine Corps ranks. Once you’re in this big room and all the physicals and paperwork are done, this long line of hundreds of persons take a step forward and get...

  • Kimball High School graduation

    May 21, 2015

    Kimball High School held its graduation ceremony last Saturday with 29 in the class of 2015. See this week's Observer for additional photos....

  • Banner County High School graduation

    May 21, 2015

    Banner County High School held its 2015 graduation last Saturday with 13 members in the class of 2015. See this week's Observer for additional photos....

  • Potter-Dix High School graduation

    May 21, 2015

    Potter-Dix High School held its 2015 graduation last Saturday with 21 members in the class of 2015. See this week's Observer for additional photos....

  • Greenwood wins district golf, earns state berth

    Tom Southard|May 21, 2015

    Jordan Greenwood whipped the tough McCook Golf Course, and a tough field of District Golf competitors on Monday to emerge as the District Champion with his medalist round of 38-36=74! The young Kimball High sophomore is making a return trip to the State Tournament to be held May 27-28 at the Holmes Golf Course in Lincoln. Greenwood finished 4 strokes ahead of the runnerup individual, Hunter Quinn, a senior from Southern Valley, who shot 78. The only other Panhandle golfer to qualify in the top t...

  • Potter-Dix boys, girls earn district track championships

    May 21, 2015

    The Coyotes have plenty to howl about heading into this week's state meet in Omaha. The Potter-Dix boys and girls each won their respective district track meets last week and will compete in 22 individual events or relays at state. The boys will compete in 13, while the girls will compete in nine. Kelsey Rozelle earned a state berth in four different events after winning the long jump and high jump at district and taking second place in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes. Jake Johnson, Cooper...

  • Kimball qualifies 6 for state track meet

    Tom Southard|May 21, 2015

    A good showing for the Kimball High Track and Field Team as they qualified 6 individuals in 8 events at the C-II District meet held in Bayard this past week. Team wise, the Kimball boys finished 4th in the 8 school field and the Kimball girls wound up 5th. Team scores for the boys saw Bridgeport win out with 109 points followed by Hemingford with 101, Chase County 76, Kimball 68, Dundy County-Stratton 47, Bayard 45, Perkins County 43, Gordon-Rushville 38. Chase County won the girls team title wi...

  • Tyson Dahlgrin, MaKenna Dahlgrin earn state berths for Banner County

    May 21, 2015

    Banner County will have a pair of representatives at this week's state track meet. Senior Tyson Dahlgrin won the 110 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles to earn his way to Omaha, while MaKenna Dahlgrin took second in the discus to earn a state berth. Tyson Dahlgrin took the top spot in the 110 meter hurdles in 15.69 seconds, almost a full second ahead of second place finisher Coby Hicks of Potter-Dix. He won the 300 meter hurdles in 41.33 seconds, just over a full second ahead of Cooper Hicks...

  • Cupcake party for raising Relay For Life funds

    May 21, 2015

    Mary Lynch Elementary School students raised $243.38 for the local Relay For Life through a challenge where the top fundraising class won a cupcake party. The first grade won the challenge by raising more than $75. Fran Wallin, local Relay For Life representative, brought cupcakes to the first graders Wednesday afternoon. She thanked them and their parents for providing the funds to fight cancer....