Nine for nine

Editor's note: Warning. This story will likely make you smile.

Ellinwood’s St. Joseph school celebrating 130 years of teaching

ELLINWOOD - Rev. Terrance Klein, parochial administrator of St. Joseph Parish of Ellinwood, was busy placing newly polished candlesticks at the church in preparation for Easter Sunday on Thursday afternoon. This weekend, the church is expecting the return of several hundred alumni of the parish school. They are coming to celebrate the 130th anniversary of this Ellinwood institution.

Out of Control

In recent days with all the wildfires that sparked up in Barton County and around the state, fire safety should be on everyone's mind. Prevention is the key to help stopping these fires and protecting ones family and home, safety officials said.

Taking funds from KDOT may jeopardize Kansas roads

As state lawmakers continue to eye the Kansas Department of Transportation as "the bank of KDOT" and defund it to help balance the budget, many roads and highways, and other much-used programs such as air travel and public transportation are growing increasingly in peril, officials say. This is being felt in many ways.

Commission to hold Monday morning meeting

The Barton County Commission will meet at 9 a.m. Monday at the Barton County Courthouse, 1400 Main in Great Bend. The agenda includes a National Health Week proclamation, a federal emergency relief agreement for flood-related road repairs and asphalt mixing bids.

Government commodities to be distributed

United States government commodities will be distributed from 5-6 p.m., Monday, March 28, at the Great Bend Kansas Department of Children and Families office, 1305 Patton Rd. Bring some form of identification. For more information, call 620-722-7676.

BCC employees get Run Hide Fight training

Barton Community College has stepped up its game in terms of safety and preparedness in recent months. New emergency notification apps and other enhancements have been paired with a recent series of trainings for employees on the college's Run Hide Fight response to active shooters.

Golden Belt Home Health & Hospice offers volunteer training

Since volunteers can play a crucial role in supporting families caring for hospice patients, a local non-profit agency has scheduled training sessions for those willing to help.

Edmonds will not seek reelection

State Representative John Edmonds, R-Great Bend, announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election to the 112th District seat in the Kansas House of Representatives. Edmonds was first elected to the House in 1994 and has served 16 years, in addition to four years as a member of the Barton County Commission.

Kansas State University team part of $10 million grant to study the Ogallala Aquifer

For more than 80 years, the Ogallala Aquifer, the largest freshwater aquifer in the world, has been the main source of agricultural and public water for western Kansas and parts of seven other states in the Great Plains.

Out of the Morgue

This week in 1966, young men of draft age who hoped to complete college were given hope when the Selective Service announced it would continue to provide college deferments based on performance for the time being. It was reported in the March 25, 1966 edition of the Tribune, a Selective service spokesman had put it succinctly, "We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best." It issued guidelines to the local draft boards that allowed them to consider a student's calss standing and deferment test score in determining deferment eligibility.

Library sees utility savings with geothermal

The geothermal heating and air conditioning system installed in the Great Bend Public Library building at the end of 2014 may never pay for itself, but it has resulted in lower utility costs. At Monday's Library Board meeting, GBPL Director Harry Willems shared month-by-month fees for gas and electricity for both years, showing a net savings of $6,823.

BARTON COUNTY BURNING

The gusty wind and dry conditions help fuel fire in Barton County.

Fire danger remains high

WICHITA -- Very strong south to southwest winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts over 55 mph, dry air, and warm temperatures will create extreme grassland fire danger conditions across much of the region again today into Tuesday evening. Fires have been reported in northern Barton County. A fire in Comanche County has burned more than 41,000 acres. Barber County requested mutual fire assistance from Barton County at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Smoke was visible on radar in several Kansas counties stretching from Barber County to Sedgwick County.

State’s funding of KDOT causing concern for city

City Administrator Howard Partington told the Great Bend City Council Monday night that he testified at the House Taxation Committee hearing in Topeka on March 15 to urge the committee to fund Kansas Department of Transportation projects and operations.

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 ...

BCC to host Workmen’s Compensation Symposium for employers

Workmen's compensation claims can be extremely costly to employers, but there are ways to mitigate risk. WorkFit is a partnership between Barton Community College ...

College celebrates 10-year partnership

Barton Community College is celebrating a 10-year partnership with a Great Bend business, Advanced Therapy & Sports Medicine. Together they created the Limited Liability Company WorkFit ...

Hundreds attend Riley centennial

Riley School celebrated its centennial on Sunday, Sept. 11 with a come-and-go community event.

FHSU college named in honor of W.R. and Yvonne Robbins

HAYS – The Kansas Board of Regents today approved naming Fort Hays State University's College of Business and Entrepreneurship the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins ...

Woman robbed while walking to bank

Authorities are investing an alleged robbery that took place Tuesday night as woman was attempting to make a bank deposit, Great Bend Police Chief Cliff ...

Health Department ready for flu season

The 2016-2017 flu season is rapidly approaching and the Barton County Health Department is prepared. The office will have the vaccines available starting Monday and ...

Levingston’s ‘wild ride’ in the media ‘super’

For the past few weeks, Austin Levingston, son of Cindy and Beau Levingston, Great Bend, has been navigating new waters as he's been plunged ...

BCC looks at swim program

Barton Community College could add competitive swimming to is sports programming, Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs said Tuesday.

A LESSON IN PERSEVERANCE

ELLINWOOD - A visit almost a year in the planning brought author and Holocaust survivor Marion Blumenthal Lazan to the Ellinwood High School gymnasium Tuesday, first ...

Shooting sends victim to Wichita hospital

Authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred late Tuesday morning that sent the victim to a Wichita hospital, Great Bend Police Chief Cliff Couch said.

Band Day 2016 features halftime show with more than 2,000 performers

The Pride of Wildcat Land, the Kansas State University Marching Band, will be joined by band alumni and high school bands from across the state ...

Kansas 150 1901-1925