Great Bend man arrested for federal indictment

A Great Bend man has been charged in U.S. District Court with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Michael L. Wintholz was booked into the Barton County Jail on Monday, to be held without bond for the federal indictment. Undersheriff Larry Holliday said local law enforcement received the warrant information around noon Monday. Not long after that, "a citizen reported he was at a business." He was arrested ...

Cool at the pool

Diving boards are out, slides are 10 minutes ago, and climbing walls are the next big thing at Great Bend's Wetlands Aquatic Facility. A climbing wall at the deep end of the big pool is the newest feature at the Wetlands, Aquatics Director Paige Achatz said. Kids can climb about 8 feet above the water. The wall is made ...

Rec Commission upgrades its technology

BY SUSAN THACKER sthacker@gbtribune.com While summer activities get under way at the Great Bend Recreation Commission, the GBRC Board of Directors is looking ahead to next year's budget. At Monday's meeting, the board scheduled a budget work session for 4 p.m. on June 27. Executive Director Diann Henderson said she hopes to publish a budget by July 1 so the board can schedule the public budget hearing ...

Library announces summer reading programs

So many books, so little time. The Great Bend Public Library hopes to get people interested in books and reading at an early age, and keep them reading for the rest of their lives. This summer, a weekly story time session for infants has been added to the lineup of summer reading programs for all ages, which start this week. Things will kick off with a free magic show by ...

Schinstock eligible for parole hearing

Terrill L. Schinstock, 47, will be eligible for a parole hearing in July, the Kansas Parole Board announced. Schinstock was arrested in February of 1992, after hiring Gene Horyna to kill his wife Tammy Schinstock, who was 27 years old and eight months pregnant at the time. Horyna was also supposed to burn down the house to destroy evidence, so after beating the woman in multiple parts of the house, he ...

Tourists naturally drawn to Great Bend

When Linda DiMario set to work on a marketing plan for Great Bend, her best ideas came naturally. Nature and birding are dominant themes for Great Bend's top tourism attractions, DiMario said Friday as she presented her plan. "Underdeveloped opportunities exist in almost every corner." DiMario, with DiMario & Associates in Long Beach, Calif., is a specialist in destination marketing and economic development strategies. She has completed a 100-page plan ...

BCSO uncovers lab, stolen property

The Barton County Sheriff's Office discovered a suspected methamphetamine lab on Wednesday afternoon, in a large shop building at 395 North U.S. 281. Property that was previously reported stolen was also recovered, Detective David Paden said. Ben Moses, 23, was arrested and booked on charges of aiding and abetting manufacturing of methamphetamine, possession of ephedrine, possession of drug manufacturing paraphernalia and possession of stolen property. He was booked into ...

ON THE JOB

It was show-and-tell time for city employees on Wednesday. During the annual Youth Academy, sponsored by the City of Great Bend, 70 seventh and eighth graders got behind-the-scenes tours of city departments. The tours were also hands-on, so young people got to touch a snake at the zoo and practice a felony traffic stop with police officers. A felony traffic stop is a high-risk stop, Officer Mark Bretches explained. Officers ...

HOME ON THE RANGE

The bison were removed from Great Bend's Brit Spaugh Zoo on Tuesday, and shipped to a 30,000-acre preserve in Nebraska. Zoo Director Scott Gregory, wearing an orange vest with the word "shooter" and standing ready with a shotgun, watched zoo staff herd the animals into a livestock trailer Tuesday morning, before the zoo opened to the public. He said the male and female, along with ...

Parents warned about new tobacco products

Kansas health officials are warning the public that a new product known as tobacco sticks poses some of the same health risks as other tobacco products. Parents especially need to be aware of the products, according to Janel Rose at the Barton County Health Department. The smokeless tobacco sticks look like chocolate-covered toothpicks, but are actually coated with finely milled tobacco. They come in matchbook-size packages and ...

Zoo Fest

Mark Bitter receives Great Bend Greater Award

Local businessman Mark Bitter thought he'd been invited to the Noon Kiwanis meeting last Wednesday to talk about the MyTown Project. Actually, the invitation was also extended so the club could surprise Bitter, the recipient of the Great Bend Greater Award. The local Kiwanis chapter presents this award each year to "someone who makes Great Bend a better place to live," member Paul Snapp said. Bitter was chosen in part because ...

College trustees ask for Camp Aldrich committee

Editor's note: This is the final story in a series about the Camp Aldrich Feasibility Study commissioned by Barton Community College.

Dean: BCC wages falling behind

Barton Community College's top number cruncher is recommending raises for college employees in the next fiscal year. Dean of Administration Mark Dean provided preliminary information on the Fiscal Year 2012 operating budget, Thursday at the trustees' June study session. "No wage increases were given for FY2009-10 or FY2010-11," Dean said. In lieu of raises last year, employees received one-time bonuses. Barton uses the Compease salary administration program ...

Nex-Tech Zoo Fest set for Saturday

The seventh annual Nex-Tech Zoo Fest will take place Saturday afternoon at the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo. From 1-4 p.m., there will be free food, prizes from local businesses, live entertainment and games. Admission is free, but guests are invited to make a donation to the zoo. Nex-Tech will donate $3 to the zoo for every person who attends, up to $1,500. Local ...

Poppies to honor veterans available

The American Legion Auxiliary will be out this Memorial weekend asking for donations to help with its Poppy Program. Members will be in front of Great Bend businesses with poppies this evening and all day Saturday. They will also be out on Sunday if they still have some of the 3,000 poppies, said Marianne Krallman, cochair of this year's Poppy Program. Look for volunteers in front of Walmart, both Dillon's stores, Orscheln's and True Value ...

Ironic freedom

On Thursday, Gov. Sam Brownback signed a bill that establishes "Celebrate Freedom Week" during the week of Sept. 17 and requires schools to teach students about the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence in grades K-8 each year during that week. (Sept. 17, 1787, is the date the U.S. Constitution was adopted in Philadelphia.)

Two Barton coaching contracts 'pending'

Nine head coaching contracts were renewed Wednesday when the Barton Community College Board of Trustees met, but the contracts of two head coaches are "pending final review." The board discussed personnel matters behind closed doors for nearly an hour before voting on head coach contracts, administrative contracts and contracts for managerial staff. Barton President Dr. Carl Heilman said there were no changes in head coaches, but the board did not approve a contract for a ...

Two flee; child left in truck

A minor child was left in a truck with a loaded gun Monday night as two suspects fled from Barton County deputies.

Our zoo is famous and other local news

Tying up a few loose ends on stories that didn't make the front page:

Higher gas prices not likely to drop by weekend

Gasoline prices have risen dramatically in the past two weeks throughout much of the Midwest. While the price increases may ease off by June, but don't expect relief at the pump this Memorial Weekend, industry experts say. The American Automobile Association's online daily fuel gauge report and GasBuddy.com both showed the average price for a gallon of regular gas Monday in Kansas was $3.92. Just one week ago, the average price was $3.64, and it ...

Cool/Not Cool

The Imagination Playground is coming to Great Bend and will make its public debut during June Jaunt. The portable playground is a set of oversized blocks, lightweight but sturdy enough to build with. They were designed by award-winning architect David Rockwell, who was inspired by watching his own children play.

These masterpieces have wheels

Barton County Historic Society is celebrating the 60th anniversary of organized drag racing in the Golden Belt with a new exhibit and a car show during its open house this Saturday.

GBRC shares Blue Ribbon Award to promote health

Several people working to make Barton County a healthier place received some recognition and financial assistance Monday during the Great Bend Recreation Commission Board meeting. Doug Vance, executive director of the Kansas Recreation & Park Association, visited the meeting along with representatives from BlueCross BlueShield of Kansas, to present a $2,500 facsimile check and a banner in honor of Great Bend winning the Blue Chip award.

Trash talk

The senior class president of Heights High School in Wichita was suspended for the rest of the school year after posting a bit of trash talk about the school football team on Twitter.

BCC may opt out of conceal carry law

Barton Community College trustees may request an exemption to a new gun law taking effect July 1.