Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
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Progress has been made in efforts to replace bad sprinklers and improve burned out conditions on some holes at Four Winds Golf Course. A loan has been approved to buy new sprinklers. Henry Heeg, chairman of the Kimball-Kimball County Parks and Recreation Operating Board, told the Parks and Recreation Executive Board at a special meeting last week that they were in the “same place as last meeting and are trying to move forward.” The Parks and Recreation Executive Board is composed of the three county commissioners and David Wilson on the cou...
Ordinance #830, which updated the city code relating to Unsafe Buildings and Property Maintenance, generated some strong opinions at the Kimball City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 16. The new ordinance attempts to link the unsafe buildings and nuisance codes. The new ordinance addresses unsafe structures and property maintenance. It also sets minimum standards for what constitutes a safe home. City Attorney Matt Turman explained that the government cannot deprive someone of life, liberty and property without due process. The ordinance and co...
Kimball-Banner County Fair goers will notice a new pavilion constructed this past weekend by members of the Ag Society and volunteers from Clean Harbors. The pavilion will be used for the free hamburger feed and as the beer garden during the rodeo. Below: Elizabeth Perry poses with her Clover Kid project, a Hereford bucket calf named Fire Blue Crystal that she'll be showing at the Kimball-Banner County Fair....
The excitement is plausible as Theo, 9, and Elizabeth Perry, 6, describe their upcoming Kimball-Banner County Fair projects. “I am more excited than I can explain,” Theo said. Yet the excitement for Theo was curtailed a bit when he required surgery on his foot from a BB gun incident just days ago. A BB from someone else’s gun was embedded in the bone of his big toe. With surgery a few days behind him, he is not letting it stop him from working his steer, although carrying buckets of feed are off limits. He limps around while his mother cauti...
The late May freeze and the drought conditions throughout the spring and summer had a huge effect on the wheat crop, according to officials at Frenchman Valley Coop. On Tuesday, they stated that 90% of the wheat crop is in and by the end of the week harvest in the area will be done. The yields were found to be 50% of last year with an average of less than 30 bushels an acre although the quality was good. Irrigated wheat was OK, but not as well as it should have been. Frenchman Valley officials...
The Sentinel missile program, hoped to boost this area’s economy, will continue with an increase in costs and a delay in construction, the U.S. Department of Defense announced. The department, Congress and Pentagon determined that the Sentinel program is essential to national security and there are no alternatives to the program at a lesser cost, according to information that the department released. Other reasons for the certification of the Sentinel program were listed as: The director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation agreed that n...
The Kimball County Commissioners anticipated opening bids at their July 16 meeting to purchase the former Kimball Health Services hospital at 505 South Burg Street, but no bids were submitted. The building was shown to two different parties, but neither one made an offer, officials said. Now, attorney Matt Turman will contact realtors on behalf of the county and try to proceed with selling the property. The commissioners also met with appointed officials, including Randy Bymer and Darcee Wheeland, to receive updates on the road department and...
When the Culpepper & Merriweather Grand Combined Circus came to town Sunday, it was a show for all ages under the bigtop on Kimball Jr/Sr High School grounds. Two performances of the Farmers Day fundraiser were pushed back to later in the day due to the heat. See other photos, Page B8....
A special meeting of the Parks and Rec Operating Board was held on Wednesday, July 10, to accept the resignation of Four Winds golf pro Edward Tamsett. Tamsett, from Australia, took the Four Winds golf pro job in the spring of 2023 after long-time golf pro Chad Wise left. The operating board’s newest appointed member is Jenna Miller, and the chairman is Henry Heeg. Other members include John Morrison, Rich Flores, Jaclyn Burks and vice chairman Pat O’Brien. O’Brien was absent from the July 10 meeting. The second order of business on the agend...
Kimball's new Heritage Cafe has been painted and remodeled, the kitchen has been rearranged, and it is open for business at 214 S. Walnut St. Right now, it is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, but the owners anticipate additional days and evenings. They are getting acclimated to Kimball and their new business. Owners Doug Mallett and his daughter, Deborah O'Connor, have made the place a family affair with her daughter and son-in-law adding to the business. Deborah has already...
Kimball native Ryan Heidemann met up with his first flight instructor, Ed Nelson, recently at the Kimball Airport. They are standing in front of the aircraft that Ryan began his lessons in, a 1950s Cessna 140 two-seater. Ryan, a United Airlines pilot, took his first lessons when he was 17. In a few weeks, he will be hitting the magical retirement number for airline pilots after his 37 year, 2 month career. Ryan flies a Boeing 787 internationally. "Who would have thought a kid from Kimball would...
Kimball City Councilman Don Muench has resigned his position, according to the agenda for the Tuesday, July 15, council meeting. Muench was elected after running as a write-in candidate for City Council in November 2022. He took office in December 2022 and has served on the council for one year and seven months. He could not be immediately reached for comment. The council planned to address the opening during its meeting. – Daria Anderson-Faden...
The Kimball School Board began tackling a sensitive issue or, as board President Travis Cook put it, "a heavy topic" at its July 8 meeting – whether school employees should carry firearms. With state Sen. Brian Hardin in attendance, Hardin explained that the Unicameral passed legislation allowing school employees to carry a firearm, either concealed or open carry. The discussion addressed Board Policy 702.11 as it pertains to firearms in schools. The board, along with local law enforcement, d...
The Kimball City Council voted unanimously to add a second K-9 unit to the Kimball Police Department at the council meeting on Tuesday, July 2. The unit’s dog, a Belgian Malinois named Trudy, will cost $7,000, significantly less than the going rate of $25,000, Police Chief Jose Ruiz said. Trudy will be trained along with the city’s other police dog, Lucy, at Ragnar Defense in Casper, Wyoming. Trudy will be trained as a dual purpose dog, detecting narcotics and performing apprehension or bite work. A loan has been secured from a local bank to...
The Kimball City/County Park and Recreation Executive Board met on July 1 with one item to discuss – 200 new sprinklers for the Four Winds Golf Course. Chairman of the Park and Recreation Operating Board Henry Heeg and course Superintendent Jeremy Williams explained the problem. The current sprinklers are 25 years old and at the end of their life and still working, but parts are difficult or impossible to find for them. Last summer when the big water well went down, gravel and rocks were p...
Carla Gorenson and Greg Robinson know the impact and understand the legacy of Larsen's Jewelry Store and its 98-year history in Kimball. Carla and Greg are the great-grandchildren of store founder O.C. Larsen. They are emotional and reflective about the end of the 98-year-old business. This coming Christmas will be the first time in a long time that either Carla or Greg have been able to do much of anything as far as Christmas with their families. Greg said, "It will be difficult because they wi...
About 50 shoppers wait patiently for the doors to open last Thursday for the going out of business sale at Larsen's Jewelry Store in Kimball. Greg Robinson opened the doors at noon so the crowd could check out sale items. As Kimball resident Susie Abramson waited outside for the opening, she said, "We are so lucky to have had the store as long as we did. Congratulations on retirement." Below: Store owners Greg Robinson and Carla Gorenson take time during the busy sale week to pose for a photo...
Lt. Cmdr. Dr. Kali Autrey, a Kimball High School graduate, was presented with the Junior Pharmacist of the Year Award on June 26. Autrey serves as a pharmacotherapy subject matter expert and reimbursement lead at the Center for Disease Control Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. She graduated from Kimball High School in 2009 and attended the University of Wyoming, where she received her doctorate in pharmacy. She moved to Farmington, N.M., and joined the U.S. Public Health...
KCTS and the City of Kimball have joined forces to provide rides throughout town for the summer months. There are 10 bus stops that will be serviced on a 30-minute loop and five stops used on request. The stops run from 7 am to 5 pm. KCTS Administrator Christy Warner said, "We will still pick people up at their door if they have a situation that doesn't allow them to get to a stop, such as age or disability." Warner stressed that KCTS still does reservation rides in town before 7 a.m. and after...
Four Winds Golf Course pro Edward Tamsett has given 30 days notice of his resignation, the Observer learned Monday. Kimball Park and Recreation Board Chairman Henry Heeg on Monday confirmed that Tamsett resigned. Tamsett, a professional golfer in his native Australia before arriving at the Kimball golf course, was in the second year of his contract with the Park and Rec Board....
After two public hearings, the Kimball City Council voted to approve and adopt the new zoning ordinance and the new comprehensive plan at the June 18 meeting. John Shepherd from Marvin Planning said they had been working with the City of Kimball and the planning commission for over a year, updating the comprehensive plan and zoning regulations. Marvin Planning held a town hall meeting, conducted surveys and got people’s opinions to develop the plans. According to Shepherd, the comprehensive plan is the strategic plan for the city, and it is the...
The grand finale is nearing for a Kimball institution, Larsen's Jewelry, after 98 years of business that defied the fate of closing at an earlier age that so many neighboring businesses experienced over the years. A going out of business sale with deep discounts is planned from today, June 27, through Sunday, June 30, for the iconic store that has been true to its name as a jewel of downtown Kimball's Chestnut Street since 1926. It has been a family operation from when O.C. Larsen opened up...
What did you do for the Fourth of July? Family picnic, swimming, baseball, horse racing, horseshoe throwing? In Kimball, there are many things folks have done – and still do – to enjoy this nice day. It was not unusual for the homesteaders to pack up their wagons with food, games and other things that were to be enjoyed. The day usually started with a parade, with people enjoying seeing different things. They had a chance to visit with the people in the area, catching up on all the happenings of...
Two bids were accepted by the Kimball City Council on June 18 for a chip seal project and concrete repair projects. Areas affected include the site of the new Clean Harbors apartments. The chip seal project includes parts of High School, Marion and Cedar streets, while the concrete repair projects include the 7th and Vista intersection, 6th Street pavement repair near Chestnut, and Evergreen pavement repairs near 8th Street. Timing was perfect for the 7th and Vista intersection project because the sewer and water lines for the Clean Harbor...
Mary Lynch Elementary School recently upgraded its playground equipment to replace old equipment that had deteriorated, especially the slides and swings. The purchase of the equipment from Creative Sites LLC was approved by the Kimball School Board in October and includes a zip line, climbing structure, a spinning comet, and a large play structure with slides and climbing apparatus. Included in the installation cost of the new equipment was removal of the old equipment. Superintendent Trevor...