Word that Family Dollar was slated to close came as a surprise to Kimball residents. Employees first learned of the decision, handed down from corporate headquarters, on August 11.

But, says manager Reane Marosi, the shuttering this prominent Highway 30 location had been in the works for months. The store was simply not generating the revenue necessary to cover rent, electricity and other costs, she explains. Indeed, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company brought her in to assist with the process.

"It's awful," Marosi says of the decision. Despite prior awareness, the act of informing her three part time staff and preparing for the store's closing--set for the end of this month--is hardly pleasant.

"It's different," she says of the experience, her first. "There's a lot of work."

The employees took the news relatively well, according to Marosi. Only one had any longevity. Still, there's a sense of loss hanging over the place.

"I don't know what people in Kimball are going to do," Marosi adds, reflecting on the public surprise at the announcement.

Family Dollar branches exist in Sidney and Scottsbluff, as well as Sterling, Colorado, and Cheyenne, Wyoming. In addition, there's a local Dollar General on Second Street.

The Family Dollar institution began in 1958 with a single store in Charlotte. Today they operate more than 6,800 stores from Maine to Arizona. They are currently opening stores in Ohio, Texas, Michigan, Kansas and other states. Marosi will be relocated to another branch once the Kimball location shuts down for good.

Some inventory from the store will be marked down drastically over the coming weeks. Other items will remain at their current price point then be shipped elsewhere.