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 ...

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 ...

2011 Eco-Peace Camp

Recently the Golden Belt Community Foundation awarded a $1,500 grant to the Dominican Sisters of Peace - Heartland Farm to support the 2011 Eco-Peace Camp. The camp will be held June 6-10 and is for ages 10-13. The camp provides an exciting outdoor experience with an emphasis on sustainable living. Activities focus on alternative energy, gardening and cooking, native Kansas nature study and interpersonal skills of cooperation and peacemaking. Those interested in attending the camp ...

Friends of the Library prepare for annual book sale

The newly formed Friends of the Library is assuming full responsibility for this year's annual fall book sale. A June meeting of the Friends will be devoted to a behind the scenes look at the preparations needed for the book sale. On Saturday, June 4, at 10 a.m. a trip to the basement archives of donated and weeded books will be conducted by Cara Negaard and Jerri Collins, members of the library staff. They will ...

Peer Support Program

The SouthWest Kansas Area Agency on Aging is looking for volunteers for their new program, Peer Support. Peer Support is a volunteer program that pairs older adult volunteers with older adults who need support in:

Families pick up the pieces

STAFFORD COUNTY - Frances Fanshier has more than 60 years of experience watching severe weather in Stafford County.

June Jam and BBQ to be held

On June 4 at 6 p.m., a June Jam and BBQ featuring vocalist Melanie Ryan will be held at Community Christian Church, 253 NE 30 Rd. with over 40 prize baskets for a donation available.

Friends of the Library prepare for annual book sale

The Friends of the Library group is assuming responsibility for this year's annual fall book sale at the Great Bend Public Library. A June meeting of the Friends will be devoted to a behind-the-scenes look at the preparations needed for the book sale. The next meeting is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, June 4. Friends will join Cara Negaard and Jerri Collins from ...

Barton Foundation’s Robert Keenan Memorial brings Music to Gallery

When the Barton Community College Foundation received memorial funds honoring the late Robert P. Keenan, his family asked that part of those funds be given to Barton's Learning Resource Center and they designated that the remainder go to help the college's Shafer Gallery in some way. Barton's Executive Director of Institutional Advancement Darnell Holopirek and Shafer Gallery Director Dave Barnes put their heads together and determined that a good ...

Dr. Preston reception set for Tuesday

The retirement reception for Dr. Richard Preston has been scheduled for 2-4 p.m. Tuesday at St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center. The event will be held in the atrium in the Medical Office Building on the west side of St. Rose. "Dr. Preston has been committed to his patients and their families for more than 30 years," said Mark Mingenback, St. Rose director of business strategy and marketing. "He has always ...

Sunflower hosts 45th birthday party

Sunflower Diversified Services will host an activity-filled weekend to celebrate its 45th birthday and thank central Kansans for their support throughout the years.

The Young Swedish Singers to visit Great Bend

The Young Swedish Singers, a 34-member gospel singing group from Hässleholm, Skåne, Sweden, will appear in concert at Trinity Lutheran Church, 24th and Adams, in Great Bend, at 6 p.m. Sunday, June 19. The group's tour includes stops in Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and Iowa.

Seat belt crackdown leads to other arrests

The annual crackdown on motorists not wearing their seat belts can sometimes lead to other things, Barton County Sheriff Greg Armstrong said. This week, one of his deputies stopped an unbuckled motorist and wound up arresting that person for driving with a suspended license. Lieutenant Brian Bellendir said Barton County patrol officers are in the midst of the two-week "Click It or Ticket" campaign, which continues through June 5. ...

Memorial Day Services

Memorial Day Services Veterans Circle - Great Bend Cemetery Monday May 30 - 10 a.m. Call to order (It's A Grand Old Flag)-Steve Lockwood *Entrance of the American Legion Riders Post 180, Great Bend Master of Ceremonies-Terry W. Young (DAV Chapter 27) Invocation-Reverend William Johnson Presentation of Memorials Disabled American Veterans Chapter 27 ---------------------------Richard Callahan (Commander) American Legion Post 180 ----------------------------------------Bill Pickle (Commander) American Legion Post 180 Auxiliary 180 --------------------------Brenda Krueger (President) Sons of American ...

Wildlife Photography

The Wetland Explorer Wildlife Photography By Eric Giesing KWEC Educator Growing up in Illinois, I only heard people refer to wheat fields or the Wizard of Oz when they spoke of Kansas. People always talked about the flat land stretching as far as the eye could see with nothing but crops everywhere. You can imagine my surprise then when I came to Great Bend for a job interview at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center and ...

FBLA Color Run

It's not an official color run, but it promises to be just as much fun according to Great Bend High School Future Business Leaders of America members.

Bison to celebrate 125th

The city of Bison will celebrate its 125th anniversary on Saturday. The festivities will begin by digging up the time capsule at 2 p.m., which was buried near the old City Hall on Main Street during the towns centennial. This will be followed by a firemans water fight between the Bison and Timken volunteer firemen.

Job Fest deemed huge success – laptop winner announced

For the seventh year in a row, local job seekers were given a unique opportunity to network with area employers at the community Job Fest event held May 9th at the Best Western courtyard in Great Bend.

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 ...

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 ...

Kansas 150 1901-1925