12th Annual Christmas Day Dinner

The 12th Annual Christmas Day Dinner will be held at St. Michaels Parish Hall, 10th and Lincoln, in LaCrosse. A traditional homemade Christmas meal will be served. Some sugar-free pie and salad will be available. Everyone is invited. The meal is free as area businesses and groups provide the financing.

Baby, it's cold outside -- Argus Hamilton

HOLLYWOOD - God bless America, and how's everybody? The Weather Channel reported a wintry blast of frigid Arctic air swept down into the South Tuesday. The mercury fell to single digits in South Florida. Last night it was so cold in Palm Beach that the fire department was advising residents to set their houses on fire. President Obama lit the White House Christmas tree Friday. He told the story which he said is dear to ...

Goodell hoping labor deal can be settled by Super Bowl

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said a new labor agreement could be in place by the Super Bowl "if we all commit to it and work hard at it."

CASSEL OR NOT?

KANSAS CITY, Mo, (AP) - Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel was back on the practice field Wednesday, but whether he will start Sunday against the Rams remained uncertain.

Chargers, Niners still alive for playoff berths

Take one 7-6 team, match it up with a 5-8 team on national TV and let's all yawn. Except the San Francisco-San Diego game Thursday night actually is quite meaningful, even if it pairs mediocre teams in downtrodden divisions. Although the Chargers are four-time defending champs in the AFC West, they've hardly looked like a playoff team for much of this year. Their usual late-season charge, though, has lifted them from 2-5 and they come ...

Barton Community College announces holiday closings

Barton Community College offices will be closed for the holiday break Dec. 20-31. All offices at the college will reopen at 7:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 3. Spring semester classes will begin Jan. 10. Barton's Center for Adult Education also will be closed from Dec. 20-31 and will resume its regular schedule at 8 a.m. Jan. 3. The college's Shafer Gallery closed Dec. 10 and will remain closed through Jan. 8. The ...

Schedule of holiday prayers and Masses announced

Dominican Chapel of the Plains announces its holiday schedule of prayers and Masses, starting today. According to Sister Elaine Osborne, OP, Christmas novena will be sung at 5 p.m. daily, Dec. 16 through 23, and at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 24. Christmas Eve Mass will be at 4 p.m., and on Christmas Day, Mass will be at 10:15 a.m. Sung morning prayer services for Christmas Day, Dec. 26 and ...

GIVING TREE

A local business is offering the opportunity to make the Christmas season a little brighter for some local and area youngsters. Great Bend Coffee Company, 2015 Lakin, is displaying a Giving Tree to benefit children under 5 who attend either Sunflower's Early Education Center or its Incredible Years Preschool. "This is so incredibly generous," said Cathy Estes, coordinator of both the EEC and the preschool. "The folks at Great Bend ...

Dec. 16, 2010

Great Bend Fire Department Firefighters were dispatched to a vehicle fire at 812 Kansas Ave. at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. They arrived to find a sport utility vehicle owned by Aaron Rodriquez in flames. The vehicle was a total loss. There was also one false alarm caused by a system malfunction, and firefighters made two ambulance runs on Tuesday Great Bend Police A check forgery at 1019 ...

Kiah Kay Mead

Kiah Kay Mead, 21, was called to be with her Heavenly Father on Dec. 14, at her parents' home in Great Bend, surrounded by family. She was born Jan. 18, 1989, in Great Bend, the daughter of Vonda Halfhill and Stephen R. Mead. She lived in Great Bend with her husband Doug Freeman and two daughters, Haevyn, 3, and Nayomi, 1. She graduated from Great Bend High School in 2007, and had attended Barton ...

Letha D. Wells

WOOSTER, Ohio - Letha D. Wells, 81, passed away quietly early Monday morning, Dec. 14, 2010, following a short illness at Fairview Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio.

Delores Jean Piper

MISSOURI CITY, Texas - Delores Jean Piper, 75, died Dec. 14 at Atrium Medical Center in Stafford, Texas. She was born Feb. 23, 1935, at Great Bend, the daughter of Harley Ray and Ruth Ann (Alefs) Evers. She married Ronnie Piper on Sept. 25, 1955, at Great Bend. She was a nurse. A Missouri City, Texas, resident since 1988, she moved from Great Bend in 1962, living in Tulsa, Okla., and New ...

KWEC guided tours of Cheyenne Bottoms

To better educate visitors on the unique Cheyenne Bottoms history, management, wetlands and wildlife, the Kansas Wetlands Education Center of Fort Hays State University's Sternberg Museum of Natural History is now offering guided van tours.

Chamber Coffee

This weeks Chamber of Commerce Coffee will be hosted by Community Bank of the Midwest, 2220 Broadway, at 9:30 a.m., Thursday. Ambassador in charge will be Jim Vopat with greeters Rebecca Ford and John Sullivan. Coffee, doughnuts and door prizes will be available.

Kiwanis Fundraiser

The Kiwanis are raising funds to build a cabin at the Victory Junction camp being built in Kansas City. This is a camp to serve children that have chronic and serious illnesses. At this time, the only camp exists in Randleman, N.C. and was built in 2004 on honor of Adam Petty. It cost $250,000 to build a cabin and the cost to send a child to camp is $2,500, but no child or family incurs that cost thanks to generous donors.

Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science prepares to honor 3rd graduating class

The 27 members of the 2013 class of the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science will walk across the stage at Commencement beginning at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, in the Fort Hays Ballroom on the second floor of the Memorial Union.

Pecked

Lots to Celebrate in May

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there! The month of May has arrived and that means a frenzy of activity for families who are celebrating Mother's day today and graduations now or in the weeks ahead. I am truly blessed to have my mother-in-law, daughter, and granddaughters close by. It is a joy to spend time together at a moment's notice. Hopefully your weekend plans include some good family time with plenty of hugs.

Prides of Kansas Lions To Wichita Convention

The annual Kansas Lions State Convention in Wichita, May 30 - June 1, 2013, will take on an international significance as the Kansas Lions host Lions Clubs International President Wayne Madden and wife Linda at the Airport Hilton Convention Center.

MILC, SURE, and NAP will restart on May 8

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan M. Garcia announced today that farm payments, which had been temporarily suspended due to sequestration, are scheduled to resume today, May 8th. This includes payments for the 2011 Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE), the Noninsured Crop Assistance Program (NAP) and the Milk Income Loss Contract Program (MILC).

Why Does It Matter?

This is finals week at Barton and many of the other colleges around the state. For instructors it's time to evaluate what students learned over the last semester. For students it's time for that one last push to maintain or raise their grades. While faculty see testing as a method to evaluate learning and adjust accordingly, students often see testing as a way to be tortured. Students focus on the grade while faculty focus on ...

Play safe on the farm

The dream of many young farm boys and girls is to ride on a tractor. For a youngster, the mammoth tractor epitomizes raw power, responsibility and coming of age.

“Celebrate Wheat” Quilt Block Challenge announced

The theme for the 2013 Barton County Fair quilt block challenge is "Celebrate Wheat." Coordinated by members of the Central Kansas Thread Benders quilt guild, the contest is open to anyone who sews. Kits are available for pick up for $3 at the Barton County Extension Office, 1800 12th Street in Great Bend. Each kit contains two fat eighths of fabric. Each of these fabrics must be used in the final block as well as ...

Pacers put down Knicks for 2-1 series lead

INDIANAPOLIS - Roy Hibbert had 24 points and 12 rebounds and Paul George had 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assist to lead the Pacers past New York 82-71 Saturday night in Game of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Pirates topple Mets

NEW YORK - Francisco Liriano struck out nine and pitched into the sixth inning to win his debut with Pittsburgh and help the Pirates beat the New York Mets 11-2.

Pettitte, Yankees edge Royals 3-2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Andy Pettitte finally stopped beating himself up long enough to look at video of his past couple of outings, subpar efforts by any stretch and certainly his own lofty standards.

Lady Panthers to play Hays

The Great Bend High School girls' soccer team travels to Hays on Tuesday to play an opening-round game of a Class 5A regional tournament

Oilers capture third place at state tourney

HILLSBORO - Central Plains High School brought a young team, but the Oilers came through for a third-place finish at the Class 3-1A state tennis tournament on Saturday to take home some hardware.

Eagles lead area teams at Mid-Central Activities Association meet

HAYS - It was Thomas More Prep Marian that ruled Thursday's Mid-Central Activities Association track and field meet.

Cubs chase Strasburg in fifth en route to 8-2 win over Nationals

WASHINGTON - Stephen Strasburg fell apart after one of third baseman Ryan Zimmerman's two errors and wound up dropping his fifth consecutive decision as the Chicago Cubs beat the Washington Nationals 8-2 Saturday.