The project to pave 8^th Street between McKinley and Grant streets in Great Bend is about two weeks behind schedule according to City Administrator Kendal Francis.

The unfinished portion of 8^th Street is set to be paved with three lanes that will provide a connecting corridor between two of the biggest retail businesses in town, Walmart and Dillons.

Francis says the cold weather has not been helpful for construction work.

Kendal Francis Audio

Mud and wet conditions have been the biggest culprit to the delays. A change order with Venture Corporation took out some of the mud and placed a gravel base or crushed concrete aggregate to dry up the area. Francis estimated Venture will pour asphalt for 8^th Street late next week.

At Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting, the city honored employees with service awards for significant anniversaries of employment.

Great Bend Human Resources Director Randy Keasling read through the names that were recognized beginning with the five-year work anniversaries and all the way to the 40-year anniversary with Building Inspector Lee Schneider.

Randy Keasling Audio

Along with Schneider, two staff members were recognized for 30 years, there were three employees receiving 25-year awards, two with 20 years, four with 15 years, four workers with 10 years, and five employees with five years of employment.

Employees recognized…

Five years
Amber Allen – Police Department
Michael Bradley – Police Department
Nathan Florian – Fire Department
Heather McLemore – Police Department
Robert Zimmerman – Public Works

10 years
Tim Newby – Public Lands
Matthew Tiede – Public Works
Chuck Pike – Municipal Court judge (part time)
Susan Thacker – Crossing Guard (part time)

15 years
Jason Cauley – Public Works
Jefferson Davis – Police Department
James Giles – Public Works
Eric Yoder – Police Department

20 years
Paul Millard – Police Department
Mike Smith – Fire Department

25 years
John Reynolds – Police Department
Terra Sanders – Public Lands
James Tillery – Public Lands

30 years
Janie Cheney – Front Door
Rick Robinson – Fire Department

40 years
Lee Schneider – Fire Department (volunteer part time)

At Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting, the governing board voted 5-3 to table a decision to hire a consultant to assist with retail development and recruitment. It was tabled until January under councilmember Brock McPherson’s motion to wait until the newly elected councilmembers take their seat.

When another motion came up on the agenda to approve a request for a consultant to handle a three-year strategic plan, McPherson motioned to table the decision as well. The consultant’s proposal was to include orientation training for the City Council. McPherson did not believe a decision should be made on extra work for councilmembers that were not part of the board yet.

Current councilmember Jolene Biggs took offense to McPherson’s statement.

Jolene Biggs Audio

The vote to table the proposal from Austin Peters Group ended in a 4-4 tie before Mayor Joe Andrasek broke the tie deciding to make a decision on the matter that night. McPherson responded to Biggs stating that councilmembers are expected to put in the necessary work to fulfill their duty, but the orientation would be extra time.

Brock McPherson Audio

The City Council passed the proposal from Austin Peters Group for the strategic planning that will cost $10,867.50 plus travel expenses for the group out of Overland Park. The Council did say no to the plan for the orientation training.

For well over 25-years, Tim McQuade was the face of local news in central and western Kansas as a News Anchor for KSN Television in Great Bend. His signature signoff of “Thanks for joining us tonight, see you next time” was the calming voice that brought an end to an entire generation’s evening for many years.

Now McQuade is using that calming voice in a different way as a dispatcher for Barton County 911.

After KSN stopped broadcasting local news from the Great Bend facility, McQuade became the local manager for the Cox Communications retail center in Great Bend. When Cox eventually closed the location, McQuade decided to try his hand at dispatching where he thought he would be a perfect fit.

Tim McQuade Audio

But now after constant training and practice, McQuade is a shift supervisor for Barton County 911 and is approaching his 10th anniversary on the job.

Tim McQuade Audio

McQuade brings the same type of passion to his dispatching job as he did to his news reporting job that he did for over two decades. Whether at the news anchor’s desk on television or his control console in the 911 center, McQuade continues to be that calming voice on both the radio and the telephone.

A fund has been established for Anna Fisher, age 18 of Ellinwood, who was recently diagnosed with liver cancer. A 2018 graduate of Ellinwood High School, Anna was studying to be a dental hygienist at Wichita State  University until she became ill in November. She is the daughter of Rob  and Jodie Fisher Ellinwood.

She has undergone surgery in Kansas City and will soon be traveling to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX for further treatment.

Contributions to the Anna Fisher Fund can be made at any First Kansas Bank location: 101 N Main, Hoisington 67544; 4001 10th, Great Bend, 67530; or 123 Main, Claflin, 67525. Funds will be used to defray expenses surrounding her care. Kans for Kids Fighting Cancer Foundation, PO Box 178, Hoisington, KS 67544 is also providing emotional and financial assistance to Anna and her family.

BOOKED: Ari Hooley of Great Bend on BTDC case for possession with intent to distribute controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of drug paraphernalia, and no drug tax stamp, bond set at $300,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Sammy Jahay on BTDC warrants for probation violation, no bond.

BOOKED: Bobby Gray on BTDC warrant for FTA, bond is set in the amount of $1,000 cash only.

BOOKED: Matthew Cooley of Great Bend on Central Kansas Community Corrections serve sentence.

BOOKED: Andrew Tucker of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Randy Chambers of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Lamont Clark of Larned on GBMC warrant for contempt of court, bond set at $717.50 cash only or 30 days in jail.

RELEASED: Jacqueline Goodwin on a BCDC warrant for criminal threat, posted an OR bond and being transferred to Shawnee County.

RELEASED: Bobby Gray on BTDC warrant for FTA, posted bond amount in cash only or $1,000.