Archive By Author - Veronica Coons
Youth Academy grad career path leads to nation’s capital
Katie Niederee, a GBHS graduate, was recently picked by Sen. Jerry Moran to join his team as a Senate press secretary. It meant a move to Washington D.C., where she is settling in after two months. This week, she had the unique opportunity to visit with some of Great Bend's elected officials and Chamber members that unknowingly set her on her path when she took part in the Great Bend Youth Academy in seventh grade. ...
GETTING REVVED UP
With clear skies expected in Great Bend Friday evening, the sound of thunder filling the air west of town won't be coming from the skies. The 2013 drag racing season opens with a Test and Tune and Grudge Match at the Sunflower Rod and Custom Association drag strip located at the Great Bend Expo Complex. Marking the 60th anniversary of the SCRA, it's not going to be a quiet one.
Great Bend Firefighters respond to garage fire
The Great Bend fire department was called to a structure fire around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning at 821 Morphy Street. A white Chevrolet SUV was on fire, which caught the detached garage behind the house on fire. Firefighters sprayed fire-retardant foam on the fire for several minutes until a front-end loader arrived, and the vehicle was pulled from the building by a chain. Once in the open, firefighters were able to open doors to the ...
Great Bend CVB nature postcards available
For people who live in Great Bend, this is home. But for people who visit the area, Great Bend is known for its proximity to the natural beauty of the Scenic Byway, the Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira Natural Refuge. Now, thanks to the efforts of the Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Central Kansas Photography Club, businesses in Great Bend can access a free resource to help visitors spread that message to the rest of the world.
State Champions receive congratulations
A whirlwind of attention and activity has caught up members of the boys and girls GBHS bowling teams since winning and placing at the 5A State Championship Feb. 28. In the past week and a half, they've been honored at the GBHS Winter Sports Banquet on March 4, been interviewed by local and state media and contacted by college recruiters. On Monday morning, they were honored by Barton County Commissioners, and in the evening, formally ...
USD 428 approves calendar—with possible changes
In addition to congratulating the Great Bend High School Boys Bowling team for winning the State Championship this season, the Board of Education voted on which calendar the district would adopt for the 2013-2014 school year at Monday night's BOE meeting.
STAR POWER
Fourteen Junior Poms and 11 Senior Variety Argonne All-Star Dance team members competed at the NDA All-Star National Competition in Dallas, Texas last weekend, March 1 through 3.
Keeping nature at hand
A frequent contributor to the Barton County Historical Society Museum, Robert Button was recently asked to exhibit part of his vast collection of shorebird carvings and decorative decoys. The collection includes many varieties of birds which will be visiting the Cheyenne Bottoms again soon. What's unique about the collection is they've been carved by Button himself.
Out of the Morgue, March 7, 2013
Each week we'll take a step back into the history of Great Bend through the eyes of reporters past. We'll reacquaint you with what went into creating the Great Bend of today, and do our best to update you on what "the rest of the story" turned out to be.
Access more than Geographical
EDITOR'S NOTE: The dental debate continues. Following a previous story, "Great Bend dentists speak out: Dental crisis fact or myth", representatives from Kansas Action for Children and the W.K. Kellogg foundation contacted the Tribune to comment about access to dental care in rural Kansas. They expressed concerns about the information about access to dental care presented in the story, which ran on Sunday, Feb. 20. We listened, and did some more digging, and this is ...
Getting to the root of the dental problem
Like most things, if the people offering services like dental care are not treated with the respect their educations garner them, they are less likely to wish to serve. It costs a great deal of money to operate any professional practice, and when that is taken for granted, it costs the provider money in lost opportunity. Scheduling problems arise, and from time to time, everyone will forget something, but allowing it to become a chronic ...
GBMS Band receives 34th consecutive Superior rating
Tuesday night, Feb. 26, GBMS band teacher Kurtis Koch directed the 7th and 8th grade bands in their spring performances in the middle school gymnasium. A separate concert was held for each grade. The following day, he announced, they would take part in an in-house contest and be judged by a district clinician.
Brungardt resigns, Bonner Springs bound
Dr. Tom Vernon, superintendent for USD 428 asked the Board of Education to approve the resignation of Dan Brungardt, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations at the noon meeting Feb. 26 at Great Bend High School.
Wounded Warrior Project helps ease way back to civilian life
This is part two of our series about the Wounded Warrior Project coming to Great Bend. Last weekend, a group of five soldiers attended a Wounded Warrior hunt sponsored in part by the WWP and Pheasants Forever Rooster Booster Chapter 504. The Tribune spotlighted each of the soldiers and how they became part of the project. Today, we'll take a closer look at how the Wounded Warrior Project is working to help soldiers transition back ...
Wounded Warrior Project comes to Barton County
On Friday night, five soldiers converged on the Great Bend area on a mission. The following morning, they would take part in a European style pheasant hunt, part of a two day event jointly sponsored by a local Pheasants Forever chapter and the national organization, Wounded Warrior Project.
Articles By Author - Veronica Coons
Perfect attendance pays off
Perfect attendance is a rare accomplishment for most students. It takes planning and preparation, with illnesses and bad weather to contend with from time to time, to make it in to school every day on time. But for those who achieve it, it's nice to be recognized for the effort. Dale Shaner wanted to do that for USD 428 students. He had an idea, and after sharing it with his wife, Karen, and some friends, the group put the idea into action.
Tornado-safe room building starts
Workers began pouring the foundation of the new Great Bend Middle School tornado safe room Tuesday morning, less than a day after the devastating F4 tornado that struck Moore, Okla., tore the roofs off two elementary schools, injuring many and killing nine confirmed at the time of this writing.
GBHS 2013 grads strive to “have a life worth living”
Great Bend High School principal Tim Friess welcomed family and friends to the graduation ceremony at Panther Stadium Sunday, where he announced the 206 graduates of the Class of 2013. The sun broke through clouds briefly late afternoon, making it possible for the ceremony to be held outside, despite the threat of impending thunderstorms.
First Steps: Aging out of foster care
This is part one of a three part series focusing on youth aging out of foster care.
Important new addition to museum collection
SRCA board member Butch Fry made an important donation to the Barton County Historical Society Museum Saturday afternoon. He presented his SRCA 1964 Record Holder jacket.
The day the sculptures rolled in
Whether it was dragsters, street rods, Mopars, or vintage cars that struck their fancy, visitors and exhibitors alike were drawn to the Second Annual Barton Historical Society Museum Rolling Sculpture car show Saturday afternoon, May 18.
Edna I. (Craig) Logan Francis, 1913-2013
Edna I. (Craig) Logan Francis, 99, formerly of Claflin, died Friday, May 17 at Woodhaven Care Center in Ellinwood. Born Nov. 5, 1913 near Caldwell, she was the daughter of Homer Francis and Katie Elmira (Siebenthaler) Craig.
TLC Twisters bring comfort to shelter dogs
The TLC Twisters 4-H club at TLC Discoveries built eight dog beds which they presented to the Golden Belt Humane Society last week. The beds, made of donated PVC pipe and nylon material, will provide a place for puppies and smaller dogs to relax off the cement floor. They are easily hosed off, and are quick drying, making them ideal for a kennel environment.
Out of the Morgue
Each week we'll take a step back into the history of Great Bend through the eyes of reporters past. We'll reacquaint you with what went into creating the Great Bend of today, and do our best to update you on what "the rest of the story" turned out to be.
Spring and music in the air
The Panther Jazz Band pumped up the audience at the GBHS Panther Bands Spring Contest Concert Monday night with their opening rendition of Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock. It was a night to celebrate the accomplishments of the high school music program and a select group of accomplished musicians who competed at the state level earlier this spring. Senior band members also recognized and thanked their parents for the support offered through the years of ...
More sleep time? USD 428 gives a nod
High schoolers may get a few extra zs next year thanks to a proposal approved at the USD 428 board meeting Monday night. But not for teachers. Board members approved a series of late starts for the high school during the 2013-2014 school year that would give teachers the time they need to collaborate, but take away two hours of student contact time a month
Salad days
With high hopes that the area has seen the end of frost for the year, a full-house turned out to learn the how-tos of container gardening at the Great Bend Rec activity center Thursday.
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