Archive By Author - Susan Thacker
Zoo gets bird DNA samples
Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Mike Malone found himself eyeball to eyeball with an eagle. Malone is veterinarian to Great Bend's Brit Spaugh Zoo. This week he completed collecting blood samples on 20 of the zoo's birds. Samples will be sent to a lab to determine the sex of the birds. The eagle has been at the zoo for several years, but its sex was never known for certain, Zoo Director ...
Baby animals born during Zoo Boo
Great Bend's Brit Spaugh Zoo has two new baby agoutis, named Steve and Sam. They were born last Saturday, the day of Zoo Boo, Zoo Director Scott Gregory said. The agouti (ah GOO tee) is a rodent from the rain forests of Central and South America. The babies, a male and female, came as a surprise. "We thought we had two female adults, but I guess not," Gregory said. ...
Wolf re-elected
Rep. Bill Wolf will return to Topeka for a third term as Representative of the 112th District, winning his bid for re-election Tuesday with nearly 60 percent of the votes. In the unofficial election results posted Tuesday night by Barton County Clerk/Election Officer Donna Zimmerman, Republican candidate Wolf received 3,432 votes. Democratic party challenger Christina Stein received 2,307 votes - just over 40 percent - and there were eight ...
MONSTER MASH
Little lawmen and firefighters walked the streets with cowboys, ninjas and princesses, Saturday in downtown Great Bend. Mild fall weather boosted attendance at the annual Halloween parade, where hundreds of kids picked up candy.
Sixth-grader Muth sings for crowd
It's not often that the Great Bend High School marching band yields the field to a guest singer when it's time to perform the national anthem. But for the Oct. 15 football game, the honor went to 12-year-old Allison Muth.
Topeka couple visits state’s courthouses
Weeks before the Jack Kilby Plaza in Great Bend became a construction site, a Topeka couple was on a summer quest to visit every courthouse in each of the state's 105 counties. Barton County's courthouse ranked as an overall favorite with travelers Randy and Gayla Starkey. It took the Starkeys 13 days to stop at every Kansas courthouse, Randy Starkey told the Great Bend Tribune. "We ...
Firefighters holding fundraiser
Great Bend's Firefighters hope to honor a World War II veteran with some of the proceeds from this year's Spaghetti Feed and Raffle, firefighter Brad Descher said.
Sparking Curiosity: Science Day lights the fires of imagination
First came a sizzle/whoosh!, like a firework launching into the air. That was followed by the sound of running feet, as two high school students came around the Fine Arts Building. "Did you see where our rocket landed?" Approximately 600 Kansas high school students and their science teachers descended on Barton Community College on Tuesday for the college's seventh-annual Jack Kilby Science Day. They could compete in math and ...
Great Bend Zoo joins ferret hunt
Great Bend zoo staff headed to western Kansas in September for the Fall 2010 Ferret survey. Marge Bowen, curator at the Brit Spaugh Zoo, and zookeeper Trish McKinley traveled to Logan County, where conservationists have reintroduced the black-footed ferret, bringing the species back from the brink of extinction. The black-footed ferret differs from tame ferrets sold at pet stores, which are mostly of European descent, McKinley said. They are brown ...
Hell is only one option at Judgement House
While fantasy Halloween horrors await brave souls who attend other haunted houses, area churches are offering a different sort of fall program this weekend at Judgement House. This seven-scene walk-through drama promises "Real people, real choices (and) real consequences," with characters going to heaven or hell. The program will be held from 6-10 p.m. Friday, 5-10 p.m. Saturday and 12:30-6 p.m. Sunday at Great Bend Church of the Nazarene, 4811 ...
K-12 superintendents chat with college trustees
Three trustees of Barton Community College sat down with four public school superintendents Thursday to discuss the college's partnership with secondary schools in the area. Joining Barton trustees Paul Maneth, Robert Feldt and John Moshier were Great Bend Unified School District Superintendent Tom Vernon, Ellinwood USD 355 Superintendent Ben Jacobs, Hoisington USD 431 Superintendent Bill Lowry and Lyons USD 405 Superintendent Gary Sechrist. Dean Elaine Simmons said the ...
Longoria in court today
More motions and responses have been filed this week in connection with the capital murder trial of Adam Longoria. The Great Bend man is scheduled to appear in Barton County District Court this morning for a pre-trial hearing. Longoria, 36, is charged with capital murder and sodomy in the death of 14-year-old Alicia DeBolt, Great Bend. Previous motions filed by the Attorney General Steve Six for the State of ...
Midnight pursuit ends in arrest
A speeding motorist who refused to stop for Barton County Deputy Keith Kennon was arrested early Monday after a pursuit. Kennon reports that at 12:09 a.m. he notified the 911 dispatch center he was attempting to stop a speeding car, a brown Chrysler, north of Great Bend. When the car pulled off North Washington St. onto U.S. 281, he said, "I realized that the vehicle was pulling ahead of me. ...
Alternative fuels drive BCC program
When Barton Community College asks "What drives you?", there's no one answer. And when people think about what supplies power to their cars, they shouldn't just think about petroleum. That was the idea when the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium created Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day back in 2002. Breaking America's dependence on foreign oil is one purpose of AFV Day, observed last Friday at Barton Community College. For Auto ...
Halloween events planned
This year's Halloween Parade will have to work around the construction site of the future Jack Kilby Plaza, but that shouldn't scare anyone. Plenty of volunteers will be on hand to lead children on a safe route down both sides of Main Street, where businesses will be handing out candy, starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30. Great Bend residents and visitors can get an early start on ...
Articles By Author - Susan Thacker
Kaiser recognized for 17 years of service
Monday was Leonard Kaiser's final meeting as a board member of the Great Bend Recreation Commission, at least for now. The outgoing board member received a plaque for 17 years of service.
Representation: 3-mile zone creates issues
A while back the League of Women Voters asked Great Bend City Attorney Robert Suelter to discuss the three-mile zone around the city limits, which has been overseen by the city since 2000. The area has a mix of agricultural, industrial and residential uses.
Zoo News: Brit Spaugh Zoo continues search for new animals
One of the new animals at Great Bend's Brit Spaugh Zoo is a 6-month-old African serval cat named Akida. This male cat was shipped to the zoo from New Zealand and Zoo Director Scott Gregory said he will try to find a female from another zoo so they can attempt to breed the pair. Although the zoo already has a female serval, she dates to an earlier time when zoo record keeping was not as ...
Historical Society announces ‘Ghosts of Christmas Past’ open house
Nostalgia, entertainment and music are on the agenda for the Barton County Historical Society's holiday open house, "Ghosts of Christmas Past." It will take place 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, at the museum. Admission is free for the day. The Barton County Historical Museum & Village is located just south of the Arkansas River bridge on U.S. 281 in Great Bend. Regular winter hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Executive Director ...
Every Christmas Story
Last year, Great Bend Community Theatre's holiday gift to the community was "It's A Wonderful Life, a Radio Show." This year director Sally O'Connor will deck the halls with "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)." The play opens Thursday, Dec. 5, with nightly shows at 8 p.m. through Dec. 7, and ends with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Dec. 8, at the Crest Theater, 1905 Lakin Ave. The box office will be ...
'Trick or Tree' contest pleases tree lovers
As the fall colors began to turn, Great Bend's Tree Board announced its first Trick or Tree photography contest. Contest coordinator Toni Rice announced the winners this past week. "We had so many wonderful entries," Rice said. Although six were named winners – and will be awarded gift certificates – Rice had many "favorites" among the submissions – which brought out the variety in species as well as the history of trees in Barton County. ...
Wholistic center celebrates quarter century of healing hands
The "Heartland" ministries of Great Bend's Dominican Sisters of Peace have always been intended to address body, mind and spirit. One of those ministries, the Heartland Center for Wholistic Health at 1005 Williams St., is celebrating 25 years.
Acres for birds
You'd think people would be happy with the rise of ethanol, a renewable energy source, taking the place of some oil, which is non-renewable. By creating another market for corn farmers, it should be a win-win.
Santa's Workshop opens Monday
After Thanksgiving, the elves at the north pole get busy. A winter tradition, Santa's Workshop will be open from 6-8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2, at the City Auditorium. Garet Fitzpatrick at the Great Bend Recreation Commission notes that a number of volunteers will help to transform the City Auditorium into the 17th annual Santa's Workshop, a free event "designed for preschool through sixth graders and their families and those young at heart." Enter through the ...
Mayor to throw switch on 'Trail of Lights'
The newest holiday display in Great Bend is located on the north side of the courthouse square. Christina Hayes, Great Bend Community Coordinator, described the interactive light display. "We are very excited about this new feature," she said. "It's set to music where you can park your car and tune in your radio, and the lights will dance with the music." Parks Director Terry Hoff described the synchronized light show as a major addition to ...
2nd Grade Civics
Second graders from Park Elementary School took a trip to the Golden Belt Humane Society on Monday for story time. After Kennel Technician Aaron Pike read a story, there was time for cookies and juice. Children also got to pet some puppies and kittens while learning important lessons about animals from the shelter's staff. Heather Acheson, director of the humane society, compared lessons on approaching injured or stray animals to what kids learn about "stranger ...
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