LARNED — After sustaining major damage from a lightning strike that led to a fire, Larned’s Rodeway Inn expects to reopen in the third or fourth week of July.

On May 18, 2022, the Rodeway Inn, located at 802 East 14th St., was struck by lightning and the resulting fire forced an evacuation of the property. The entire second-floor ceiling had to be ripped out at the time. Wiring, plumbing, walls and flooring were all replaced. Now, a little over a year later, major renovations are nearing completion which will enable the Rodeway Inn to reopen.

Joiner Construction of Ellinwood replaced all of the roof and the trusses and Construction Resolve of Great Bend has been doing other repair work. New ceilings, paint, tile flooring and carpet in all of the rooms is nearing completion, which will enable the owners, Nick Patel Sr. and Nick Patel Jr., to reopen and begin taking reservations.

When the fire happened in 2022, it could not have come at a more inconvenient time as all members of the family were in India for Nick Patel Jr.’s wedding. Nick is the manager for both the Rodeway Inn and The Townsman Motels in Larned. The Patel family thanks the Larned community for their patience during this long rebuilding process.