BOOKED: Stacy Warren of Larned on a Barton County District Court warrant for failure to appear, no bond.

BOOKED: Laura Jane Standlee on Great Bend Municipal Court warrant for contempt of court with a $1,032.50 cash bond.

BOOKED: Shayla Richmeier on Barton County District Court warrant for probation violation with a bond of $638 cash only. BCDC warrant for probation violation with a bond of $233 cash only.

BOOKED: James M. New on Barton County District Court warrant for giving a worthless check with a bond of $582.01 cash only.

RELEASED: Ricky Bryant of Great Bend transported to Larned Correctional Facility.

RELEASED: Laura Jane Standlee of Ellinwood posted a $1,032.50 cash bond on Great Bend Municipal case for contempt of court.

RELEASED: James M. New on Barton County District Court warrant with a $582.01 cash bond.

RELEASED: Jordan N. Trevino on GBMC warrant with a $500 surety bond through Dynomite Bail Bonds.

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Kansas Department of Agriculture will host a business development workshop in Hays on Wednesday, March 20. Jon Schallert, internationally recognized speaker and business expert, will present a workshop titled: “Transform Your Business into a Consumer Destination.” The workshop will provide Kansas agribusinesses and communities with the business principles and tools needed to reinvent their business or community into a consumer destination.

The KDA Division of Agriculture Marketing received a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business Development Grant to help fund this workshop. The schedule for the day will include:

Keynote Session: 8:00 a.m.–11:15 a.m.
Lunch: 11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Marketing Roundtable: 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m.

“We are pleased to offer this workshop as a great opportunity for communities and small businesses to continue to grow and build upon rural prosperity across state of Kansas,” said Kansas Acting Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam. “Agriculture growth plays a big role in rural revitalization as well as health of the Kansas economy, as agriculture accounts for over 40 percent of the state’s economy and 13 percent of the state’s workforce.” Beam added that with more information and education, Kansas’ small and rural agribusinesses will be better able to serve as economic engines for their communities.

The workshop will be held at the Fort Hays State Memorial Union at 700 College Drive in Hays. The workshop is provided at no cost to attendees. Registration for this workshop is now open. Registration includes lunch; however, lunch will only be guaranteed to those participants who register by March 15. Register at https://bit.ly/2St1X7t.

Established in the 2014 Farm Bill, USDA’s Rural Business Development Grant program is a program intended to help with technical assistance, training and other activities to allow small businesses in rural areas to expand.

For additional information, contact Abby Works, KDA agribusiness development coordinator, at 785-564-6757 or Abby.Works@ks.gov. For more information about business development opportunities at KDA, go to agriculture.ks.gov/BusinessDevelopment.

The Kansas Department of Transportation distributed the results of the bridge load rating project last fall. As a result of the load rating, the Barton County Commission passed a resolution the following December to establish weight limits on seven bridges in the county.

Commissioners passed a new resolution Monday to include an eighth bridge with weight limits.

Barton County Engineer Barry McManaman says the weight limit signs on the road before the bridge helps with the county’s liability if an overweight truck has an accident on the bridge.

Barry McManaman Audio

The additional bridge added was bridge 460 on West Barton County Road near the border with Rush County. There will be signs posted in advance to each of the bridges outlining the weight limits for trucks and trailers.

Barry McManaman Audio

The weight limit for all the bridges varies with straight trucks, tractor-trailers, and double trailers. Upon posting the regulatory signage, any violation of the provision shall be a public offense and the driver can receive a fine.

There are 140,000 new cases of colon cancer diagnosed each year in the United States and 56,000 people will die from the disease. That is more people that are killed than by breast and prostate cancer. Lung cancer is the only deadlier cancer in the country.

Barton County Commissioner Jennifer Schartz says anyone is susceptible to the disease and not just those over the age of 50.

Jennifer Schartz Audio

Schartz’s son died because of the disease two and a half years ago and her husband is a colon cancer survivor, cancer free for six years. The Commission made a proclamation to make March Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir was diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2014 but was able to fight free of the disease.

Brian Bellendir Audio

One in 20 men, and one in 24 women will be diagnosed with colon cancer in their lifetime. It is believed that if the majority of the people of the United States age 50 or older were screened regularly for colon cancer, half of all cases could be prevented entirely.

After pouring over hundreds of surveys and conducting two different visioning group workshops, the Great Bend Community Visioning Group has identified ten goals for the city in the future.

The initiative from the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce that has been dubbed “Great Bend, Better than Great,” has been working for the past few months do develop a vision for the community moving forward. That top ten list was revealed at the recent Chamber Banquet where those in attendance were asked to prioritize their top three goals from the list that was provided.

Chamber President and CEO Jan Peters revealed those results at Monday night’s City Council meeting.

Jan Peters Audio

Peters also revealed what the next step in the process will be.

Jan Peters Audio

Sheila Shockey from Shockey Consulting Services in Kansas City was hired to develop a strategic plan. Peters says Shockey will return to Great Bend to meet with all ten committees once they are formed which she says should be in a couple of weeks.

The Harms Trust awarded the funding needed to hire the consultant.

Great Bend, Ks, March 5, 2019 – The City of Great Bend would like to announce the start of the next big street project. U.S. 56 (10^th Street) and Grant Street. Weather permitting, the tentative project start date will be March 18, 2019.

Construction will continue on the intersection for the next several months with an estimated completion date in July. The project will be a full-depth pavement reconstruction of the 10^th and Grant Intersection. The geometric improvements will optimize efficiency and safety by improving turning movements through the intersection. An asphalt mill and overlay along 10^th Street east and west of the intersection improvements will be completed with the project, as well as incidental storm sewer improvements.

Public Works Director, Simon Wiley said, said, “This project has been on the priority list to ensure safety and visibility of that intersection.” The contractor for this project is Morgan Brothers out of La Crosse. Wiley also stated, “Special thanks to the public for understanding, please let our office know if you have special questions or concerns.”

The City of Great Bend appreciates the patience of motorists and residents while this work is being performed. Please contact Simon Wiley, Public Works Director at 620-793-4150 in regards to this project.

GREAT BEND – A 54-year-old Florida man on Monday pleaded guilty to two counts of first degree murder and one count of theft in Barton County District Court in connection with the July 2018 deaths of Alfred “Sonny” Carpenter and Pauline Carpenter, both of Wichita. They were vendors at the Barton County Fair.

According to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt Michael Fowler, Jr., of Sarasota, Florida, pleaded guilty to the three counts and District Judge Mike Keeley accepted the pleas. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

As part of the plea agreement, Schmidt agreed to dismiss the count of capital murder in the case.

The victim’s bodies were discovered in July in shallow graves near Van Buren, Arkansas. Prosecutors say the Carpenters were killed at the Barton County Fair.  Fowler and the other suspects worked for the carnival company at the fair.

The case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Great Bend Police Department in Kansas, as well as the Van Buren Police Department and Crawford County Sherriff’s Office in Arkansas. Deputy Attorney General Vic Braden, Assistant Attorney General Jessica Domme and Assistant Attorney General Lyndzie Carter of Schmidt’s office are prosecuting the case.

Related charges against four other defendants remain pending.

Great Bend High School students will have an extra period next year after the USD 428 Board of Education voted 6-0 Monday night to implement a plan that would add an extra period to the students day which will hopefully give students more chances to earn credits for graduation.

In February, the board was presented a plan to change to the new schedule over the current seven period day that has been in effect since 2012. The board heard both pros and cons of the new plan for over an hour Monday night before finally voting to proceed with the eight hour day. The Building Leadership Team at the High School proposed the new plan in an effort to increase graduation rates, find more time for student interventions, create extra class choices, and allow more collaboration between unit teachers.

As she did at the February meeting, board member Cheryl Rugan had concerns about additional homework being assigned.

Cheryl Rugan Audio

Rachel Thexton is a Guidance Counselor at the High School and explained that staff identifies students who may struggle with certain classes to ensure that their workload won’t become too much.

Rachel Thexton Audio

The new schedule will shorten classes from 48 minutes to 45 minutes. 93% of teachers surveyed said they would schedule no more homework than normal with three minutes less of class time.

Principal Tim Friess also revealed the results of a petition that was circulated among students that had 182 names of students who were opposed to the eight period day. That’s just over 20% of the 875 students who are enrolled at Great Bend High School.