Archive By Author - Susan Thacker
Thieves break in, grab guns, more
Someone broke the glass to enter the Shooting Sports Company at 1912 17th St. and stole several guns, it was reported Sunday morning. Lt. Bill Browne at the Great Bend Police Department said more than 30 privately owned guns that were in for repairs were taken. Police are still investigating a Dec. 19 burglary at P&S Security, where 23 guns were reportedly stolen. Law enforcement officers have been attempting since ...
Explore the wetlands
Editor's note: This is the final story in a series about things for families to do over the winter break.
Man jumps from window in burning house
A Great Bend man was taken to Great Bend Regional Hospital after jumping from a window in a burning house Thursday evening, Great Bend Fire Department Battalion Chief Rick Robison said. Another man stayed inside the one-story house at 1308 Eighth St. and apparently suffered no injury, refusing treatment at the scene.
YMA reaches out to the community
Youth groups from several Great Bend churches have combined efforts this year by forming Teen Workers Alliance. As many as 100 students in grades 7 through 12 attended its first major event, a "Fifth Quarter" gathering after a recent home basketball game. The goal of Fifth Quarter was to create a safe place where kids can have fun, said Ashley Dowgwillo from Trinity Lutheran Church. For the first event, students met ...
Raptors check in for rehab
Two birds of prey - raptors - rehabilitated from recent injuries, were released back into the wild Wednesday near Larned, and an injured falcon found its was to Great Bend's Brit Spaugh Zoo. Area Wildlife Manager Karl Grover from the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area found the injured prairie falcon in a field in the northern part of the wildlife refuge, Zoo Director Scott Gregory said. Dr. Mike Malone, veterinarian to ...
Burglary reported at P&S Security
P&S Security at 1705 K-96 in Great Bend was burglarized on Sunday, Police Chief Dean Akings reports. A front window was broken to gain entry. Two rifles, 21 handguns, one pair of handcuffs and flashlights were stolen.
Travel back in time
Editor's note: This is the second in a series of things families can do together during the winter break.
AVOID HOLIDAY HO-HUM
Editor's note: This is the first in a series of articles about things families can do over the winter break. The winter vacation from school starts this week, but that doesn't have to mean a break from learning and healthy living. Keep kids active for the next two weeks with a home mini-camp. Plan some fun, low-cost "camp" activities to cure winter boredom and ...
Coach supporters speak out
More than 30 people walked out of the Barton Community College Board of Trustees meeting, minutes after the meeting began Thursday afternoon. They had come to the meeting for one purpose: to express their dismay with last week's firing of head cheerleading coach Debbie Warren, who had been at the college for 27 years. Board chairman Dr. Paul Maneth said student Luke O'Bryan had approached him about supporters speaking at the ...
Bison born at Brit Spaugh Zoo
When the bison at Great Bend's Brit Spaugh Zoo started giving birth Wednesday afternoon, Zoo Director Scott Gregory was apprehensive. The animal affectionately known as "Buffy" has had two miscarriages in recent years, only with one successful pregnancy. Dr. Mike Malone, veterinarian to the zoo, was called, and a healthy baby was born around 4:15 p.m. "Bison have the same gestation as a human, about nine months," Gregory said. "That ...
PAGE TURNER
Can you believe it?! The student newspaper at Barton Community College has turned a page, dropping its familiar black-and-white tabloid look for a magazine format. Journalism Adviser Yvonda Acker hopes the new Interrobang can at least duplicate the success of its predecessor, which won one of 182 first-place awards in the American Scholastic Press Association's "Newspaper of the Year" contest for 2009-10. When Acker announced the award last May, college ...
Rec Commission gets clean audit report
The Great Bend Recreation Commission's board of directors received a clean 2009-10 audit report on Monday from Curtis W. Kuhn, a certified public accountant with McMillen Folkerts & Associates, P.A. Kuhn noted the recreation commission ended its fiscal year with $767,591 in unencumbered cash, more than $1 million less than the year before, having a major capital outlay expense with the construction of the new GBRC Activity Center. Revenue from activities ...
Barton Community College cheerleading coach Warren fired
Debbie Warren, longtime head coach of Barton Community College's cheerleading program, said she was fired Friday by Barton President Dr. Carl Heilman. Dr. Penny Quinn, vice president of instruction and student services, confirmed that as of Friday afternoon Warren was no longer an employee of the college. Warren did not elaborate on the reason or reasons given for her sudden termination, saying she had been advised by an attorney not ...
Finals wrap up BCC fall
The fall semester of 2010 wrapped up this past week, with students taking final exams at Barton Community College. On Thursday and Friday, the campus bookstore called in extra help as students sold back textbooks, typically pocketing $100-300 for Christmas. But before they could collect, students presented their ID numbers so staff could check their accounts, and any money still owed on tuition went toward that. Some students who got money ...
Christmas Past
"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." - Charles Dickens The Ghost of Christmas Past is a cheerful spirit, at least in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." At the Barton County Historical Village and Museum, staff and volunteers celebrate the season with the "Ghosts of Christmas Past" open house. The annual event will take ...
Articles By Author - Susan Thacker
It's not persecution
The Military District of Washington issued a statement concerning Master Sgt. Nathan Sommers, a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Army Band.
Hot cars quickly become deadly for children, pets
It doesn't take triple-digit temperatures outside for unattended vehicles to reach oven temperatures inside. But as summer weather returns to the Golden Belt, safety experts remind people to never leave a child or pet alone in a vehicle. Lt. Bill Browne at the Great Bend Police Department said it isn't unusual for people to call 911 when they see an unattended vehicle with a child or pet inside. More often than not, the vehicle is ...
Summer reading off to magical start
The yellow hard hats seen Monday at Great Bend Public Library weren't for construction work. Staff wore the hats to celebrate the theme for this year's summer reading program: "Dig Into Reading."
SDS axes contract with Rec Commission
Last month the Great Bend Recreation Commission's board of directors approved a new contract to provide day services to Sunflower Diversified Services, but on Monday GBRC's Executive Director Diann Henderson said Sunflower won't approve a contract for the coming year.
Inmate in custody after walking away from Barton County Jail
This story has been updated. An inmate who walked away from the Barton County Jail sometime Sunday night was back in custody by 11:40 a.m. Monday. Lee W. Dean, 23, who was being held for probation violation, was located in the southeast part of Great Bend and 201 Plum St., Sheriff Brian Bellendir announced in a news release. "(Dean) was taken into custody without incident," Bellendir said. "A second subject at the location was taken ...
Summer reading programs start Monday
The Great Bend Public Library has a new look going into the summer reading programs. The front desk has moved and the Children's Department has been refurnished.
Tax Troubles: Deep Cuts Hurt Most of Us
Enjoy your tax cut, Kansans.
Cale sculpture going up at Historical Society
The history of Barton County, from unbroken grassland to modern wind turbines, is the latest subject for Great Bend artist Chet Cale. A series of bas relief panels by the sculptor is going up at the Barton County Historical Society. Bev Komarek, executive director of the historical society, said the artwork – 8 feet wide and 6 feet high – will be the focal point of the museum's new recognition wall. Names of significant donors ...
Nex-Tech Zoo Fest is Saturday
The annual Nex-Tech Zoo Fest runs from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo. There will be free food and live entertainment for the whole family.
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