At about 5:30 a.m. Monday, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office and Ellinwood Fire Department were dispatched to a report of a structure fire near the city of Ellinwood. Sheriff’s officers and fire personnel responded to 211 E Street.

Upon arrival, officers discovered a house fully engulfed in flames. Initially, there was some confusion as to whether anyone was in the house, but it was later determined no one was home at the time of the fire. The residence appears to be a total loss.

Sheriff’s detectives and the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office were on the scene until late Monday morning. The investigation indicates the fire was accidental in nature, and arson is not suspected. Investigators were unable to determine the exact source of ignition.

The Barton County Sheriff’s Office, Ellinwood Fire Department, Ellinwood Police Department as well as Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office all responded to the scene.

Mick Lang is an Asphalt Foreman with the Barton County Road and Bridge Department, but he may be more well known for his work on the Golden Belt Veterans Memorial in Golden Belt Memorial Park.

Lang, who also serves as the President of the Barton County Memorial Parks Committee, was awarded Monday with the Employee Recognition Award during the Barton County Commission meeting.

Several years ago the project was authorized by Commissioners but didn’t go anywhere until Lang made it his mission to see the project through.

Mick Lang Audio

The first stone that contained the names of 377 veterans was dedicated on Veteran’s Day in 2015 with a second stone with 389 Barton County veterans dedicated in 2016. Then last November, a third stone with even more veterans names was dedicated during a special ceremony on Veterans Day.

Commissioner Jennifer Schartz Monday recognized Lang for his tireless work on the project.

Jennifer Schartz Audio

Lang was recommended for the award by the Barton County Employee Relations Committee.

On Friday, January 18 at about 7:45 p.m. Barton County Sheriff’s Office detectives were conducting surveillance on Eisenhower Court on the west side of Great Bend. Detectives were looking for a wanted person, Karie L. McBride.

McBride had felony warrants through Ness County and Rush County.

When McBride arrived at the residence and detectives approached the vehicle the suspect fled. Other Sheriff’s officers were in the area and gave pursuit.

The suspect fled west of Great Bend eventually entering Rush and Pawnee counties. Sheriff’s deputies from both of those counties assisted in the pursuit. The chase lasted more than 30 miles and at times speeds exceeded 100 miles an hour. The suspect pulled over and surrendered two miles west of the Barton / Rush County line.

Arrested at the scene was Karie L. McBride, age 29 of Bushton. McBride was booked into the Barton County jail on the various warrants including felon in possession of a firearm, possession of opiate with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as burglary. McBride was also charged with felony flee elude.

There were no injuries or damage to property during the chase.

It was a good year for high school football in Barton County and that was made evident again as Barton County Commissioners signed a proclamation declaring Monday, January 21, 2019 as “Hoisington High School Football Day.” The Cardinals went 9-3 last fall and made the final four in Class 2A before losing to eventual State Champion Phillipsburg in the sub-state round of the playoffs.

Head coach Zach Baird spoke on behalf of the team and the school at Monday’s meeting.

Zach Baird Audio

The Cardinals became the third Barton County football team to get their own day following successful 2018 seasons. Central Plains was honored by the board for their unbeaten season and 8-Man Division I State Championship. Great Bend was also honored with their own day after the Panthers posted an 8-3 season that ended in the 5A playoffs with a loss at Maize in November.

1/18

BOOKED: Johnathan Brown on Barton County District Court warrant for possession of marijuana, bond $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Alexander Anderson of McPherson on BTDC case for failure to appear, no bond. BTDC case for failure to appear, no bond. BTDC case for failure to appear, no bond.

BOOKED: Karen Bronson of Great Bend on BTDC case for failure to appear, bond set at $200 cash.

BOOKED: Chelsea Purcell of Great Bend for a serve sentence.

BOOKED: Cody Helsel on GBMC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Ouray Gray on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Juana Perez of Great Bend for GBMC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Tiffany Wedgeworth of Great Bend for BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Melissa Loveall on GBMC warrant for contempt of court, bond is $1,485 cash or 30 days in jail.

BOOKED: Justin B. Lewis on Barton County District Court warrant for failure to appear, no bond.

RELEASED: Johnathan Brown on BCDC warrant for possession of marijuana with $1,000 bond.

RELEASED: Karen Bronson of Great Bend after posting a $200 cash bond on BTDC case for failure to appear.

1/19

BOOKED: Karie McBride of Great Bend on Barton County District Court case for felony flee and elude with a bond set at $5,000 C/S. Ness County District Court warrant for possession of opiate, opium or certain narcotic with intent to distribute, and possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute with a bond set at $90,000 C/S. Rush County District Court warrant for theft, burglary to motor vehicle, criminal damage to property, and criminal possession of a firearm with a bond set at $25,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Mark Caton on Barton County District Court warrant for failure to appear with a bond of $500 cash or 48-hour OR.

BOOKED: Barrian Cartwright of Great Bend on BTSO case for DWS, no insurance with a bond set at $1,000 C/S.

RELEASED: Trisha Buresh on Great Bend Police Department case for battery LEO and interference with LEO, time served on 48-hour OR.

1/20

BOOKED: Janett Natividad of Great Bend on GBMC case for domestic battery, bond is set at $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Miles Jackson of Great Bend on BTDC warrant for probation violation, no bond. BTDC warrant for probation violation, no bond.

BOOKED: Crystal Rios on Barton County District Court warrant for contempt of court with a $200 cash bond or 48-hour OR.

BOOKED: WIlliam Rowe of Great Bend on BTDC case for aggravated assault, criminal damage to property, bond set at $20,000 C/S.

RELEASED: Barrian Cartwright of Great Bend on BTSO case for DWS, no insurance, posted bond amount of $1,000 through Dyn-O-Mite Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Crystal Rios on BCDC warrant with a $200 cash bond.

RELEASED: Chelsea Purcell of Great Bend on served sentence in full on BTDC case.

RELEASED: Cody Helsel on GBMC case for serve sentence in full.

RELEASED: Ouray Gray on BTDC case for partial serve sentence.

RELEASED: Janett Natividad of Great Bend posted a $1,000 surety bond through Dyn-O-Mite Bail Bonding on GBMC case for domestic battery.

Since this series deals with water, it’s appropriate to briefly discuss this winter’s weather.  Soil in the area is wet, quite wet and as this is being written, another winter storm is on the way.  Many soils are saturated and there are areas on standing water.  What does this mean for wheat in the ground?  On the plus side, unless the weather turns off exceptionally hot and dry, there should be adequate moisture for a wheat crop.  Are there concerns with standing water and saturated soils?  While not ideal, the damage should be minimal if standing water infiltrates into the soil before temperatures warm and wheat resumes growth.  There are two problems with standing water.  The first is the loss of nitrogen from the soil.  The second is a lack of oxygen necessary for root cells to respire and function properly.  Cold weather minimizes that need since plants aren’t trying to grow.  Time will tell how much damage may have been done.  Last week we discussed were the water use comes from – the surface and groundwater we use.  Today, were does that water come from?

Groundwater, is the result of the accumulation of water over hundreds and thousands of years in water permeable rock from precipitation.  This rate of accumulation is the result how much precipitation falls and the intensity of events.  Precipitation must be sufficient to not only infiltrate into the soil but enough to fill all soil pours – to saturate the soil – and allow gravity to push the water downward.  Most rainfall events don’t contribute to groundwater.  A secondary factor is the ease with which water can move downward.  That is a function of the soil type; movement is easier in sandy soils, and the composition of the water bearing rock.  There are other factors such as depth to groundwater, evapotranspiration rates, and temperature.  The accumulation of groundwater is a slow process.  The Ogallala aquifer, a large underground lake in western Kansas and states such as Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas is critical in supplying water for an area prone to drought and heat.  As long as withdrawals from pumping don’t exceed inputs, the aquifer is fine.  When more is withdrawn than can be replenished you have a water deficit.  It is like a checking account.  You can’t take out more than you have and that is the direction the aquifer is heading towards.

Reservoirs are filled by runoff from precipitation flowing into them, typically from creeks and rivers.  Rivers receive water from runoff within the state and from states upstream such as Colorado and Nebraska.  Their flow is also determined by groundwater.  Permanent streams and rivers are groundwater at the surface so as the groundwater declines, so does the flow in the streams.

Next week: where are we at with water in Kansas.

The City of Hoisington and the community are looking to make some major changes to Bicentennial Park in the near future.

An overhaul of the baseball and softball fields along with the addition of a dog park are expected to begin this spring.

The Hoisington Recreation Commission along with other interested individuals are wanting to fundraise more than $200,000 to attract more tournaments and make the facilities safer. The Hoisington Rec has already contributed $50,000 to the project.

Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell says Gary Boxberger and legion of volunteers have raised more than half of the goal.

Jonathan Mitchell Audio

The fields have not been upgraded since the massive tornado went through the town in 2001. The plan is to reconfigure the ballfields, close the roadway around the ballfields, upgrade the concession stand, restrooms, and expand the outfield fences.

A $50,000 dog park is expected to begin construction this spring that will be one acre in size. Hoisington Code Enforcement Officer Dolores Kippers says fundraising from donors is still needed, as the project is about halfway to its financial goal.

Dolores Kipper Audio

The dog park will include a 4-foot fence, not only surrounding the park, but separating two sections for large and smaller dogs.

Beginning February 4, 2019 the WSR-88D operated by NOAA’s National Weather Service in Wichita, KS will be down for approximately three weeks for an important upgrade. Technicians will refurbish and replace the pedestal, one of the most critical components of the radar, which is necessary for antenna rotation and positioning to capture data in all directions. The components are extremely heavy and will require the radome to be removed by crane and replaced when the work is completed.

The radar and pedestal were designed to last 25 years, and this radar has exceeded its life-span. This activity is necessary to keep the radar functioning for another 20 years or more.

The pedestal refurbishment is the third major project of the NEXRAD Service Life Extension Program, a series of upgrades that will keep our nation’s radars viable into the 2030s. NOAA’s National Weather Service, the United States Air Force, and the Federal Aviation Administration are investing $150 million in the eight year program. The first project was the installation of the new signal processor and the second project was the refurbishment of the transmitter. The fourth project will be the refurbishment of the equipment shelters. The Service Life Extension Program will be complete in 2023.

During the downtime, adjacent radars will be available, including:

TICH Wichita, KS
KVNX Enid OK
KTWX Topeka, KS
KDDC Dodge City, KS
KUEX Hastings, NE,
KINX Tulsa, OK

For direct access to any of these surrounding radar sites, visit the following web page: https://radar.weather.gov/

The KICT WSR-88D is part of a network of 159 operational radars. The Radar Operations Center in Norman, Oklahoma, provides lifecycle management and support for all WSR-88Ds.

The National Weather Service in Wichita, KS can be found on social media at Us National Weather Service Wichita Kansas on Facebook and @NWSWichita on Twitter.

by Mary Lou Peter
Two worlds. When a person from one country comes into a different country, it can feel to them like they have entered another world. That feeling caused one woman to create a bilingual newspaper so as to help others through such transitions. She has gone on to provide outstanding leadership for the Hispanic community in the Kansas City region.

Clara Reyes is the founder and owner of Dos Mundos, which literally translated means Two Worlds. Dos Mundos is the Spanish and English language newspaper in Kansas City.

Clara grew up in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She wanted to pursue a career as a dentist and graduated from the University of Guadalajara. In 1964, she traveled to Kansas City to explore pursuing her education in dentistry. While there, she met Manuel Reyes and a romance ensued.

After a brief courtship, he followed her to Guadalajara where they were married. Then they moved to his home area in Overland Park.

“When I came from Mexico, I didn’t know any English,” Clara said. She quickly found that tasks which came easy to a U.S. citizen, such as opening a checking account or paying a telephone bill, were monumental challenges for someone unfamiliar with the language or the culture. She wished she had a bicultural, Spanish-language aid to help her adapt to her new country.

Clara spent several years as a student, homemaker, mother of two and then a real estate agent in Kansas City. “I saw people from Mexico who wanted to buy a house but didn’t know how to get loans or sign up for utilities,” Clara said.

She set out to find assistance for them. “I went to the gas company and they said, `Yes, we want to help and we have bilingual information, but we don’t know how to disseminate it,’” Clara said.  The Chamber of Commerce indicated something similar.  “They said, `We need some way to communicate with the Hispanic community.’”

In 1981, with support of her husband and children, Clara began a bilingual newspaper which could help inform the Hispanic community. “We started with a typesetter in our basement,” Clara said. The newspaper was called Dos Mundos, meaning two worlds.  The company logo shows two globes connecting with each other.

Rather than producing the paper only in Spanish, she chose to use both Spanish and English. “We did it in bilingual form because we wanted others to read and know our needs also,” Clara said.

Dos Mundos was the first bilingual newspaper in Kansas City. It has now grown to become the largest and most read Hispanic paper in the area. The company’s market profile shows that the circulation region extends beyond Kansas City to rural communities such as Oskaloosa, Ottawa and Mound City, population 694 people. Now, that’s rural.

Clara Reyes’ company also operates three Spanish music and language radio stations in Kansas City. She is extremely active in community affairs.

Clara has served as president of the Coalition of Hispanic Women against Cancer, was a co-founder of the Southwest Boulevard Business Association, and has been a board member for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, the National Federation of Hispanic Owned Publications, the Salvation Army, and many more. She has also received the international Ohtli Award from the Mexican consulate in Kansas City.

“Clara Reyes was our Huck Boyd Lecture speaker several years ago, and it was so interesting to learn how she started Dos Mundos with the help of her husband and children,” said Gloria Freeland, director of the Huck Boyd National Center for Community Media in K-State’s A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications. “For more than 35 years, her publication has filled a real need in her community and beyond.  Her work demonstrates that communication can be used to unite people and strengthen communities.”

For more information, see www.dosmundos.com.

Two worlds. Just as the Dos Mundos newspaper has helped to connect the Hispanic world with the English one, Clara Reyes has been a leader in connecting people in Kansas City. In doing so, she has made a world of difference.