The League of Women Voters of Great Bend/Barton County will hold a candidate forum on Thursday, October 21, in the lower-level meeting room of the Great Bend library. Candidates are to arrive at 6 p.m. with the forum starting promptly at 6:15 p.m. The forum will run until 7:45 p.m. as the library closes at 8. 

A total of 28 people running in contested races have been contacted and they include council members for Great Bend and Claflin; board members for school districts USD 428, 431, and 355; and trustees for Barton Community College and the Cottonwood Extension District #17.

“The League is pleased that people are stepping up in service to their local communities,” said LWV President Janice Walker. “That is a sign of a healthy democracy.”

The moderator for the evening will be Mark Mingenback, a local and active community member. Cole Reif from Eagle radio will live-stream the event to reach people who cannot attend. Those interested in submitting questions can do so by contacting Walker at 620-617-4568 or janicew49@hotmail.com with a deadline of October 15. Attendees may choose to wear a mask for health and safety reasons if the room becomes full.