Kiosk open

Ellinwood holds open house

ELLINWOOD - Fourteen stores will kick off the Christmas shopping season in Ellinwood from 1 to 5 p.m. on Nov. 14 complete with festive foods and drinks, drawings and giveaways, and tours of Ellinwood's Underground World.

Learning of our world at State Eco-Meet

BARTON COUNTY - Armed with determination in search of knowledge of their own surroundings, more than 100 high school students from across the state participated in a scavenger hunt and an interpretive play, and took tests about herpetology and woodland ecology on Thursday at the Kansas State Eco-Meet held at Camp Aldrich and the Kansas Wetlands Education Center. The Eco-Meet is where learning of Kansas' wildlife and plants led to fun and scholarships.

USD 431 board hears character ed, mentoring reports

HOISINGTON - The Hoisington School Board heard reports as its regular monthly meeting on Monday concerning mentoring programs for new teachers and character education at the high school.

The old is new again

BUSHTON - Harkening back to the days of yesteryear prior to rural electrification in central Kansas, food was kept in the first half of the 20th century by home canning and smoking. Women would work through the night to ensure that food was safely preserved for their families.

Cates wins race for 4th District County Commissioner

CLAFLIN - Republican candidate Don Cates will be the new Fourth District County Commissioner defeating Ellinwood resident and Democrat Frank Koelsch with 100 percent of the votes counted. A Claflin resident, Cates won 1,038 to 650 with 61 percent of the votes for Cates.

Sidewinders to hold Casino Night

ELLINWOOD - For those who like to throw the dice, the Kansas Sidewinders Motorcycle Club, 21 N. Main, in Ellinwood will hold a Casino Night United Way Fundraiser from 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday.

Crazy Hair

Hoisington kicks off holiday shopping season

HOISINGTON - Hoisington will celebrate its kick-off for holiday shopping by holding the Shop Chimney Hop and Ladies Night Out at 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, providing food and fun for bargain hunters.

Schools celebrate Red Ribbon Week

BARTON COUNTY - Elementary schools in Ellinwood and Hoisington are celebrating Red Ribbon Week which is observed across the nation to highlight the issues of substance abuse and its negative impact on schools, communities and the nation.

Teen problem behaviors high in Barton County

BARTON COUNTY - Regional Prevention Centers around the state are highlighting the 2010 Communities That Care student school surveys, and the results show Barton County's rates for overall alcohol use, binge drinking and drug use is higher than the average for the state and surrounding counties.

Council hears weatherization presentation

HOISINGTON - At its regular meeting Monday evening, the Hoisington City Council heard a presentation from Nickie Lee, Efficiency Kansas team leader. Two programs are available, Efficiency Kansas and the Weatherization Assistance Program, to provide home weatherization assistance as cost savings measures.

Kans for Kids hold informational event

CLAFLIN - Kans for Kids held an informational meeting for Claflin High School students last Wednesday, providing information about childhood cancer victims in Barton County.

Kans for Kids recognition

Walking trail

Medals of Honor Presentation brings history alive for students

HOISINGTON - A cross-curricular study aimed at teaching history, English, speech, character qualities, technology and collaborative work, Hoisington High School juniors each studied a Medal of Honor recipient, stirring feelings of patriotism and admiration for American heroes.

Farmers: Start your engines

HOISINGTON - Which is the better, faster, stronger tractor? Allis Chalmers, John Deere? Massey Ferguson?

EHS/EMS students learn positive thinking

ELLINWOOD - Motivational speaker Joe Coles spent the day Wednesday at Ellinwood Middle and High School teaching the students life skills, positive changes, and including everyone.

USD 355 to soon install electronic doors

ELLINWOOD - The planning stage is nearly over as USD 355 will soon be installing electronic locking doors at district schools, beginning the first of May. They will be done shortly thereafter.

Food Stamp program undergoes reduction in benefits

The federal Food Stamp program, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, underwent changes beginning in October of 2013, and as a result, local charities that provide food are now seeing an increase in usage.

Immunizations still necessary

Prevention is the best medicine.

Area-wide oration contest held Saturday

Catholic students from the Dodge City Diocese learned about the importance of forming healthy habits and spoke about their knowledge at the annual Civic Oration Contest held Saturday in Great Bend.

City of Hoisington repairs major water leak

HOISINGTON - The city of Hoisington had a major community water leak on Tuesday when the main transmission line to the community failed.

‘HomeWords’ wanted

Kansas Poet Laureate Wyatt Townley wants to bring poetry home to Kansans, and in that vein, is beginning a weekly poetry column that will be published in the Great Bend Tribune.

Poet laureate magically weaves words

ELLINWOOD - Wyatt Townley, Shawnee Mission, finds poetry in every day life, in trains, in the Kansas wind, and in nature. Imaging magical ways to weave words, she comes home to poetry.

Council considers one-way streets at EGS

ELLINWOOD - At its regular meeting on Tuesday, the Ellinwood City council discussed traffic flow in front of Ellinwood Grade School on Sixth Street.

Camp Aldrich dining hall destroyed in fire

An early morning fire destroyed the Camp Aldrich dining hall on Saturday. It created an orange glow that could be seen from Claflin.

Camp Aldrich Dining Hall destroyed

USD 431 considers construction project

HOISINGTON - At the Hoisington School Board meeting on Monday, the school board heard preliminary plans for separating the Hoisington Middle School Library into two rooms.