BCC's Dudek takes first at Garden Art exhibit

Steve Dudek was awarded the first-place Betty Sieler Award for his watercolor painting in the Wichita Garden Art Exhibit, which took place Feb. 23 through March 6. Dudek's painting was of roses from a photograph taken in the Great Bend Garden Club Memorial Rose Garden in the Great Bend Cemetery. He had two pieces accepted in the show.

Stafford County students donate to Heartland Cancer Center

Patients at the Heartland Cancer Center, Great Bend, will reap the benefits of a special fundraiser sponsored by the St. John High School Booster Club. The "Think Pink Night" raised approximately $3,300 for HCC. "We were all overwhelmed by this donation," said Jamie Hutchinson, R.N., HCC director. "It is gratifying to know there is this spirit of generosity in our central Kansas communities. We cannot thank the ...

Vehicles collide on county roads

Three people were taken to Great Bend hospitals on Friday after a driver ran the stop sign at NE 20 Ave. and NE 30 Road. According to the Barton County Sheriff's Office report, Brittney L. Smith, 16, of Ottawa was driving a Pontiac Grand Am south on NE 20 Ave. at 12:30 a.m. when she ran the stop sign. A Chevrolet Tracker driven by Kevin A. Davis, 19, of ...

Duke Special to perform Saturday in St. John

By Tribune Staff ST. JOHN - Irish musician Duke Special will return to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York next week, but on Saturday he'll stop in St. John for a "house gig" to raise money for the local food bank. The program will take place from 7-9 p.m. at the St. John High School Auditorium, said Linda Welch, concert organizer. A freewill donation is requested for the ...

Indie Award winner Jerry Barlow playing at The Back Room Tuesday night

The Barton County Arts Council will present acclaimed Celtic fingerstyle guitarist Jerry Barlow in concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday at The Back Room, 1401 Main St., Great Bend. Tickets are $10 and available at the door. Since seating is limited, reservations are recommended and may be made by calling the Arts Council this afternoon at 620-792-4221 or e-mailing bartonarts1@sbcglobal.net

Volunteers complete training with Family Crisis Center

amily Crisis Center Inc. recently recognized its newest volunteers and their accomplishments in completing 40 hours of initial training.

FHSU to host fifth annual Kansas Women’s Leadership Conference

Women from all walks of life will have the opportunity to join together for an entire day focused on them at the Kansas Women's Leadership Conference from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on April 1, on the Fort Hays State University campus.

False alarm keeps Barton County officers busy

A man reported an overturned truck on the highway on the curves west of Hoisington at 2:20 a.m. Thursday. Patrolmen thought they were looking for an injury accident, so Hoisington Emergency Medical Service was also dispatched. Nothing was found, so all curves in the county were checked by Ellinwood, Hoisington and BCSO units.

CKMC continues partnership with eye banks

Central Kansas Medical Center has a long history of collaborating with Heartland Lions Eye Banks to secure sight-saving corneal-tissue donations. And this relationship will continue after CKMC's name changes to St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center on May 1.

Randy Myers announces candidacy for mayor of Great Bend

Myers ran his first campaign for mayor on the platform that streets were in the deplorable condition, a problem he said has since been remedied. He said he also pushed for additional safety features at Brit Spaugh Zoo, features that are now in place.

Clinician to work with sutdents in Barton's Vocal Masterclass

Barton Community College's Music Department will present its 27th annual Vocal Masterclass on Saturday, featuring Dr. Holly Swartzendruber, an adjunct vocal music instructor at Tabor College and Hesston College.

Driver taken to CKMC

Haley M. Piland, 19, of Great Bend, was injured Monday afternoon in a one-vehicle accident on a rural Barton County Road. The Barton County Sheriff's Office reports Piland was driving north in the 200 block of NE 20 Ave. at 1:15 p.m. when she lost control of the 2005 Chevrolet Colorado. The vehicle went into the west ditch, struck a field drive and returned to the roadway, where it continued into ...

Concert association presents 'Legacy of Floyd Cramer'

The Golden Belt Community Concert Association will present "The Legacy of Floyd Cramer," featuring Cramer's grandson, Jason Coleman, playing in the signature style of his grandfather, the Nashville pianist whose smooth "slip note" style made him a musical legend of the 1960s.

Leadership Golden Belt announces 2011 dates

November of 2010 marked a end to the third class of Leadership Golden Belt graduates who attended almost three months of leadership training in the Golden Belt region. Now, the dates for the 2011 session have been announced, said Christy Tustin, director of the Golden Belt Community Foundation which sponsors the program.

Chamber Coffee

This weeks Chamber of Commerce Coffee will be hosted by Smokey Hill Public Television at the Great Bend Chamber and E.D. Conference Room, 1125 Williams, at 9:30 a.m., Thursday. Ambassador in charge will be Lynda Jamison with greeters Julie Smith and Allene Owen. Coffee, doughnuts and door prizes will be available.

Investing in Kids

Darin Johnson presents Connie Oetken, Sunflower Diversified Services director of development, a check for $1,030 for the non-profit agency's Invest in Kids membership club. These proceeds, which will be directed to children with developmental disabilities and delays, represent a portion of a month's invoices at Darin's Auto Repair, Great Bend.

Art on the Hill

Barton Community College's Shafer Gallery will host an opening reception for their annual faculty and staff exhibit from 1-3 p.m. today, which will include additional artwork from an array of local artists and three featured artists.

City Council to discuss pit bull ban

The Great Bend City Council will meet at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the City Office, 1209 Williams. On the agenda are a request to ban pit bulls and other vicious dogs, a lease request at the airport industrial area from National Co Operative Refinery Association and a cereal-malt beverage request for June Jaunt.

Knoblich and Jamieson Recognized by ElderCare, Inc.

Julie Knoblich, Director of Human Resources, Barton Community College and Bernie Jamieson, accountant with Benefits Managements Inc. were recognized for serving six years on the Board of Directors of ElderCare, Inc. Knoblich served as Board chair and Jamieson served as Board Secretary–Treasurer. Janet Splitter, Executive Director of ElderCare, Inc. presented each with a plaque in appreciation of their leadership and counsel guiding the service to older adults. Current members of the Board include: Julie Knoblich, ...

911 computers on commission agenda

The Barton County Commission will meet at 9 a.m. Monday at the Barton County Courthouse, 1400 Main in Great Bend. The agenda includes new computers for the Communications Department (911), dispatcher training and an overview of criminal victims' services.

Applicant's briefing scheduled for Barton County

On April 26, Barton County was declared eligible for Public Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) due to a snowstorm that occurred Feb. 20-23, 2013. An Applicants' Briefing for township officials, cities, county, school districts and certain non-profits organizations within Barton County has been scheduled for 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14 at the Barton County Courthouse, Room 101, Great Bend. This meeting is for public officials and officers from these agencies and ...

GBHS Variety Show tickets on sale

Great Bend High School Variety Show tickets are still available in the high school vocal music room. Please use the east front doors of the school.

Keep Children and Pets Safe by Teaching Any Dog May Bite

Each year, 4.5 million people in this country are bitten by dogs and 885,000 of those require medical attention, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among children, the rate of dog bite–related injuries is highest for those ages 5 to 9 years, and children are more likely than adults to receive medical attention for dog bites than adults. Children, because of their inexperience and size, are particularly prone to serious injury from ...

Keep children and pets safe by teaching any dog may bite

TOPEKA - Each year, 4.5 million people in this country are bitten by dogs and 885,000 of those require medical attention, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among children, the rate of dog bite–related injuries is highest for those ages 5 to 9 years, and children are more likely than adults to receive medical attention for dog bites than adults. Children, because of their inexperience and size, are particularly prone to serious ...

Full entry takes 8th at State

On Saturday May 4th the Great Bend Forensics squad traveled to Emporia High School for the 5A State Championship Speech Tournament. They competed in 16 events, which gave them a full entry. Placing 8th out of 25 schools, the team had five events break into semifinals.

German Wedding Roast a family tradition

One way to keep Mom out of the kitchen this Mother's Day is by taking her to lunch. Jeannie Munsch will be cooking German Wedding Roast to serve this Sunday at the Great Bend American Legion Post 180, 1011 Kansas Ave., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Student clean-up

From left: Chandra Gray, Holly Foster and Kole Stiner team up at St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center for the community-wide clean-up day May 1. The Great Bend High School Student Council helped organize the event as a community-service project.

Girl Scout volunteers recognized for service

Wichita - Ninety-three volunteers across 80 counties were honored by Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland recently at the 2013 Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast and Annual Meeting.

North Frey bridge work to begin Friday

According to the Barton County Engineers Office, L&M Contractors of Great Bend will begin bridge repair work on NE 10 Ave. (or North Frey Street), north of the Club at StoneRidge on Friday. Barricades will be placed at the intersection North and South of the structure, allowing access to local traffic only for about three weeks.

GBHS Technology Challenge team wins FHSU Challenge