Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
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Two incinerators – the new one and the long-established one – could be seen working on Thursday at the Clean Harbors Environmental Services plant in Kimball County. It's another step forward for the facility's major expansion that is bringing growth to Kimball. This photo was taken about three miles south of Kimball. Clean Harbors executive Paul Whiting said, "We completed most feed system checks on non-hazardous waste and moved to hazardous waste feeds one system at a time on Dec. 23. That pro...
Kim Randles lived at 208 N. Elm St. for the past 31 years. On Monday, Dec 29, at 6:45 a.m., she lost her home and she is unclear where she go after Jan 16. The Kimball Volunteer Fire Department and a local resident have paid for her hotel room until Jan 16. According to Randles, she is still suffering from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning from the fire. She said she is experiencing body pains and difficulty breathing. When she awoke the fire was consuming the camper and she escaped to...
Kimball resident Shirley Kinnison, 91, has a heart for recycling. Her passion runs deep and has been going on for more than 40 years. Shirley sees the whole picture. She said, "It is so important when you stop to think about the number of people and compare that to Omaha or Denver. I can't believe how much one person, like myself, has to recycle. Then think of a family and then the whole town." Shirley would like to see people rewarded for recycling, even on a small scale, to make people feel...
In 2006, after a four-year battle against Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Doug and Patty Shaw lost their oldest son, Andy, to this horrible cancer. At 20 years old, when he was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, he lived life to the fullest during his fight to the end. Andy had repeated rounds of chemo, two stem cells procedures, and other treatments. Andy’s family started the Andy Shaw Memorial Cancer Fund in 2008 to help local cancer patients with travel expenses. As Patty said, “Insurance doesn’t cover travel, hotels and meals, and we live in... Full story
Breakfast will be served at the Eagles in downtown Kimball on Sunday, Jan. 12 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The breakfast, in conjunction with a silent auction. will help with medical, travel and expenses for 9-month-old Brigsley Hinton, daughter of Trevan and Hope Hinton. At four months of age, Brigsley was diagnosed with a low grade brain tumor. She continues to need medical attention and regularly travels to Denver. Silent auction items will be available for live bidding during the breakfast. On Monday evening this week, Brigsley’s mom, Hope, p...
With thoughts of a summer vacation in your thoughts, now is the time to apply for a U.S. Passport. A passport is necessary even if you go to Canada, Mexico or on a cruise. After applying for a passport, it will take anywhere from six to 12 weeks to receive it, that is, if everything is filled out accurately and completely on the application form. First-timers will need form DS-11, which can be downloaded or obtained from the Kimball District Court. Visit the website travel.state.gov/citizenship for a downloadable DS-11 form. Kimball District Co...
Cardboard is the largest single item that Kimball residents and businesses recycle. According to Director of Kimball Recycling Spud Rowley, in 2023 he had 288 bales averaging 950 pounds of cardboard. The bales are hauled to Ogallala, then finally end up in Lawton, Oklahoma. The business single-stream totes supplied by Kimball Recycling and online shoppers are the main supporters of cardboard recycling. From January through November 2024, 273,675 pounds of cardboard were recycled, equalling... Full story
The Kimball City Council will meet 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, to discuss and vote on the approval of an application for a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development for an upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant. The Board of Public Work has recommended approval of the project. The $5,736,000 loan would be for 40 years at a rate of 3.12%. The update for the wastewater treatment plant is projected to cost that amount and will include replacing the clarifier mechanism and equipment, replacing the weir and scam battles, adding...
The city of Kimball power generation plant is projected to be up and running by June 2025, a proactive step taken by the Board of Public Works and the City Council. Since April 2022, they have jointly met and discussed options, ultimately deciding to move forward with this plant to ensure that the city has backup power and is on standby for MEAN, the organization that Kimball has purchased electricity from since the 1980s,. Annette Brower, city administrator, shared details and background about the new power generation plant with the Observer....
Gov. Jim Pillen was discharged Friday from Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, where he has received treatment for injuries resulting from a horse-riding accident. He will continue his recovery at the Governor's Residence and planned to resume his office activities this week. Pillen and his family shared their profound gratitude for the care and support provided by the medical team and staff at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha. His office said they also appreciate the many well-wishes from Nebraskans and expr... Full story
In 1919, Highway 29 started at the Colorado Nebraska border. It went to Kimball – and then four miles north, one mile west, one mile north, and one mile west into Banner County. It entered Harrisburg from the southwest after passing Lovers Leap. The highway signs had to be changed in 1963, when Highway 29 became Highway 71. The change was the result of a year's effort to form a tri-state highway going north and south through Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota. The Nebraska State Highway D...
PUBLIC NOTICE KIMBALL COUNTY BOARD OF EQUALIZATION REORGANIZATIONAL/REGULAR MEETING 9:00 A.M. - THURSDAY, january 9, 2025 In accordance with Section §23-156 of the Revised Statutes of Nebraska, the Board of Equalization of Kimball County, Nebraska, will hold a public meeting on Thursday, January 9, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room on the first floor of the Courthouse, 114 East Third Street, Kimball, Nebraska, to elect the Chairman of the Board and to consider any other matters concerning the re-organizational/regular me... Full story
The drones are back in the news, this time in New Jersey and not here. The recent surge in sightings of unidentified drones over New Jersey and other eastern parts of the United States has sparked a wave of speculation and concern. This reality is reminiscent of the drone invasion over Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas in late 2019 and early 2020, leaving residents in New Jersey and beyond puzzled about their origin, purpose, and the entities behind them. According to news reports, the New Jersey drones were first spotted on Nov. 18, appearing...
New faces were approved at the Dec. 17 Kimball City Council meeting for appointments to city boards and commissions. The council approved the appointment of Jack Shaw to fill the open seat on the Board of Public Works, and Aaron Abraham became the newest member to fill the seat on the Planning Commission. In other regular business, Mayor John Morrison signed the State of Nebraska Department of Transportation City Maintenance Agreement renewal, which requires yearly approval. The previously approved development agreement between the City of Kimb...
The first two homes – model homes – have arrived at Kimball's planned Lighthouse District residential subdivision along Highway 71 that Clean Harbors is backing to accommodate the growing workforce at its expanding Kimball County operation. A temporary road, seen here from Howard Street, has been constructed. The two homes will serve as show homes in the new neighborhood, where final designs for utiltiies are in the works. The Lighthouse district will be open to anyone to live, but Clean Har...
Two departing Kimball County employees were honored at the County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, December 17. Commissioner Carl Stander and HighwaySuperintendent Randy Bymer are leaving their county positions. Bymer is retiring. Stander will be replaced by former county highway superintendent David Hottell, who was elected to take the seat. Hottell will be sworn into office on Thursday, Jan 9, at 8:30 a.m. Bymer gave his last superintendent update on the highway department, and reported that...
Young Kimball singers and band members from Pre-K to the 6th grade showcased their talents Dec. 17 during Kimball's annual Elementary Christmas Concert at the Kimball Jr/Sr High School auditorium. "What an amazing night at our Elementary Music Concert," Mary Lynch Elementary Principal Amanda Culek said. "We are so proud of our talented students for their fantastic performances. A big shout-out to Mr. Hoffman and Mrs. Hiles-Smith for their hard work and dedication in putting on such a great...
The story of Kimball's Park Terrace development goes back nearly half of a century. Let's take a walk back in time to those early days. In 1977, the Housing Authority was composed of five members who were at the time Diane Boklman, Ron Soper, James Pince, Rev. William Smythe and chairman Leonard Hodgson. At a meeting, David E. Rainbolt of the Farmers Home Administration presented a program for the construction and financing for a development for low-income individuals or couples. The Housing Aut... Full story
Ron Buchart told the Observer that the effort he publicly led to recall Kimball Mayor John Morrison, which began on Oct. 22 and ended on Dec. 12, ended up 70 signatures short of the necessary 280 to force a recall election. Dec 12 was the statutory deadline for signatures to be turned in to the Kimball County Courthouse. Buchart requested the petition that set the recall effort in motion. “We gave it everything we could,” Buchart said. “All of my spare time went into it.” The petitions will be shredded as required by law, he said. The mayor a... Full story
Jordan Autrey has been selected as Kimball Volunteer Fire Deparment Fireman of the Year, it was announced at the recent Firemen's Banquet. Jordan serves as KVFD's treasurer....
Former Kimball resident Leota Kant was found incompetent to stand trial for a shooting incident on Halloween evening 2023 in Kimball. Kant who was 86 at the time of the shooting recently received a diagnosis of dementia from court appointed Forensic Psychiatrist Klaus Hartmann. Judge Derek Weimer signed the order finding the defendant incompetent on Dec. 13. Kant was charged with attempted murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and discharge of a weapon in city limits. The incident occurred at the Finer Motel on the east edge of Kimball....
Two Kimball City Council meeting took place one Dec. 5, one for the outgoing members and one for the new members. After the consent agenda was approved, Christy Warner received a Presentation of Appreciation for her eight years of service on the council. Meanwhile, Gabe Ingram, who also left the council, was not in attendance to receive his Presentation of Appreciation Award. The meeting was adjourned at 5:01 p.m. The 2023-24 council adjourned and the 2024-25 council was called into session with Jamie Murdoch and Austin Garner taking their...
Efforts continue to gather signatures for the petition to recall Kimball Mayor John Morrison, but the deadline to do so is fast approaching without enough signatures to force the recall, petition organizer Ron Buchart said. Buchart and Gabe Miller set up along Highway 30 in the cold and dark on Monday evening to gather signatures for the petition that Buchart requested to recall the mayor. Signature gatherers also were stationed there over the weekend. On Tuesday, Buchart said more signatures were still needed. To force a recall election, he...
A whirlwind of activities – from ice cream school to opening Josie's Creamery – describes the past year for Coralee Smith, Josie's owner. The creamery is named after Coralee's first milk cow, Josie. Josie inspired Coralee to begin milking and initially making raw ice cream, which was sold at Farmers Markets. Now, her legacy lives on with the pasteurized premium ice cream made in Burns, Wyo., and delivered to Laramie, Cheyenne, Pine Bluffs and Kimball. Coralee has always dabbled in milk cows and...
The audit for the Kimball School District from Rauner and Associates, P.C. stated that Kimball Public School and Creek Valley Schools are in the best financial position of the 10 districts that they audit in the Panhandle. The audit was reviewed and accepted at Monday evening’s Kimball School Board meeting. On another positive note, the Kimball district was assessed as excellent in the state’s ratings, a status that three districts in the Panhandle received. Mary Lynch Elementary was rated as a great, the junior high was rated as excellent, and...