The Kansas American Legion Family will hold it Tenth Annual Big Red ‘1’ Turkey Run on Saturday November 17, 2018 at Fort Riley.The Turkey Run provides support for the families of the Warrior Transition Battalion. Many members of the Warrior Transition Battalion have been severely injured.

Fort Riley officials reported that there are 600 military families that will need assistance.  Some of these families plan on remaining on active duty while others will be leaving active military duty.

The Turkey Run Committee is chaired by Roger Beckley.  “The Turkey Run began as an American Legion Rider’s initiative,” Beckley said.  “Over the years, it has evolved into a Legion family supported event.  Terry Harris represents the Sons of American Legion, Kathy Saindon is the Auxiliary Rep, Berry Maples is the Legion Rep, and Mindy King is the Ft. Riley liaison.”

Roger Beckley is asking for volunteers to come to the clamshell at Fort Riley on November 17 at 8:00 a.m.  Help will be needed to set up distribution sites, organize lines, assist families, and distribute food.  Volunteers will begin distributing meals at 10:00 a.m. Legion volunteers will create a positive impression for The American Legion when they are seen actively helping those in need.

Volunteers can ensure easy Fort Riley access by emailing their identification information to Terry Harris.  Terry’s email address is: flstfi_2005@hotmail.com.Information required is: Name, Date of birth, Gender,  Driver’s license number and state of issuance.

Monetary donations may be sent to Department Headquarters.  Chairman Beckley asks donors to enter “Turkey Run” on a check’s memo line.  For more information, contact Roger Beckley at (785) 212-0179.

Kansas Psychiatric Animal Wellness Support, also known as “KPAWS”, is a part of the new Emotional Support Program being offered by the Center for Counseling and Consultation in Great Bend. In responding to consumer requests, the Center will write letters which will serve as a prescription to allow a person with a disability who has an emotional support animal equal opportunity to access housing when a no-pet policy exists. Gail Sullivan, Clinical Director at the Center for Counseling and Consultation, says people will be able to access the program by request or referral.

Gail Sullivan Audio

An Emotional Support Animal committee will determine the medical necessity for an emotional support animal, offer feedback and direction in meeting criteria for a prescription letter for housing, and will grant permission to those who qualify to bring ESA to assist in individual therapy.

A fund has been established at the Center in conjunction with the Animal Medical Center in Great Bend to help those with an ESA animal who might struggle with the costs of animal care.

For more information, contact the Center for Counseling and Consultation at 620-792-2544.

Barton County Sheriff Daily Incident Log (10/17)

CHASE

At 3:25 AM a chase started at 3307 10th Street, Great Bend.

CATTLE OUT

At 11:49 AM cattle were reported out at 451 NW 70 Ave, Barton County, KS.

ANIMAL COMPLAINT

At 2:31 PM an animal complaint was reported at 1400 Sheridan Ave., Great Bend, KS.

BURGLARY IN PROGRESS

At 5:36 PM there was a burglary in progress reported at 110 Ave, Barton County, KS.

GUNSHOT WOUND

At 7:15PM an accidental gunshot wound was reported at 204 NE 60 Rd, Cheyenne Bottoms, Great Bend, KS.

ALARM

At 8:08 PM an alarm was reported at 72 W K4 Hwy, Hoisington, KS.

NON INJURY ACCIDENT

At 8:55 PM a vehicle vs deer accident was reported at 654 NW 30 Ave, Great Bend, KS.  There were no injuries.

 

Great Bend Police Department Daily Incident Log (10/17)

CHASE

At 3:25 AM a chase began at 3307 10th St, Great Bend.

STRUCTURE FIRE

At 7:28 AM a fire was reported at 2714 18th Street, Great Bend, KS.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE

At 7:34 AM reported damage to a vehicle at 3214 23rd Street, Great Bend, KS.

NARCOTICS VIOLATION

At 8:39 AM a narcotics violation was reported at 2714 18th Street, Great Bend, KS.

LOST PROPERTY

At 9:02 AM theft of a handi placard was reported at 1201 10th St, Great Bend, KS.

NON INJURY ACCIDENT

At 10:15 AM a non-injury accident occurred at 17th & Willams St, Great Bend, KS.

NON INJURY ACCIDENT

At 12:16 PM a non-injury accident occurred at 4107 10th Street, Great Bend, KS.

ANIMAL COMPLAINT

At 2:31PM a large and vicious dog was reported at large near 1400 Sheridan Ave, Great Bend, KS.

LOST PROPERTY

At 2:38PM possible lost property was reported at 4107 10th Street, Great Bend, KS.

BURGLARY / NOT IN PROGRESS

At 3:58 PM a burglary and theft case was made at 1300 Park Ave, Great Bend.

LOST PROPERTY

At 5:16 PM a wallet was reported stolen at 4107 10th Street, Great Bend, KS.

INJURY ACCIDENT

At 6:35 PM vehicle 1 was eastbound on Broadway at Morton Street and struck pedestrian 2.  Pedestrian 2 was not transported, minor scrapes and bruises.

(10/18)

ALARM

At 3:01 AM, an alarm was reported at 4905 10th Street, Great Bend, KS.  Code 4.

Do neighbors and their irrigation practices influence a farmer’s decision to adopt irrigation themselves? That was a question one K-State agricultural economist addressed in a new analysis. His findings could well be helpful as future irrigation policy is formed. K-State’s Gabe Sampson outlines what he did as he studied the peer effects on irrigation adoption.

Gabe Sampson Audio

After mining through the extensive data from the High Plains aquifer region in Kansas, Sampson discovered that irrigating neighbors are definitely a factor in a producer’s commitment to crop irrigation.

Gabe Sampson Audio

That represents a substantial amount of irrigation water usage from the aquifer. Sampson believes this is something that water use policy makers need to consider when making decisions for the future.

BOOKED: Martinez, Reynaldo on BTDC warrant for Probation Violation. Bond is set in the amount of NO BOND.  Also Booked in on GBMC warrant for FTA.  Bond is set at $1,000.00 C/S.

BOOKED:  Chavez, Fabio of Great Bend KS on BTDC warrant for Probation Violation.  NO BOND.

BOOKED:  Escobido-Trevino, Joe on BTDC case for Fleeing or attempt to Elude and no proof of insurance.  Bond is set in the amount of $1,000.00 C/S.

RELEASED: Escobido-Trevino, Joe on BTDC case for Fleeing or attempt to Elude and no insurance after posting $1,000.00 surety bond through Dynomite Bail Bonds.

RELEASED:  Kramer, Jeffery on Barton County District warrant on a $2,500 OR bond.  Signal 30 through Dispatch.

RELEASED:  Booth, Matthew D on Barton County District Court serve sentence for case.

BOOKED:  Alivis, Thomas on a BTDC Warrant for Probation Violation.  Bond Set $1,093.01 Cash Only.

BOOKED:  Schwartz, Miranda of Ellinwood KS on a BTDC Warrant for FTA.  Bond set at $433.00 Cash Bond.

BOOKED:  Coil, Cody of Hill City, KS for served sentence on Great Bend Municipal Court.  Time to be served from 10/17/2018 @ 5:30 PM until 10/19/2018 @ 5:30 PM.

RELEASED:  Schwartz, Miranda of Ellinwood KS on a BTDC Warrant for FTA.  Posted Bond Amount $433.00 Cash Paid By Defendant.  Signal 30 Through Dispatch.

RELEASED:  Sanderson, Matthew of Larned KS on Barton County District Court case after he received a Furlough to attend the Oxford house treatment program.

BOOKED:  Guyton, Oliver of Great bend KS on Barton County District Court warrant for battery.  His bond is set at $1,000.00 CS.

BOOKED:  Dittrick, Zachariah of Great Bend KS on Barton County District Court warrant for battery.  He has a bond set at $1,000.00 C/S.

BOOKED:  Leon, Lee S of Great Bend KS on BTDC case for Aggravated Domestic Battery and Criminal damage bond set at $20,000.00 C/S.

 

The 13^th Annual Fall fun Festival was held on Sept 30 at the Kyle and Melinda Kasselman farm. All proceeds were donated to Kans for Kids Fighting Cancer Foundation. The brainchild of Kylee Kasselman has grown by leaps and bounds with well over 1,000 people in attendance this year.

The Kasselman farm yard, decorated with scarecrows and pumpkins, was filled with families enjoying a cool, fall afternoon filled with activities, games, crafts, bounce houses, a petting zoo and concessions. At the end of the four hour event, over $13,000 had been raised for children in Barton, Rice and Russell counties who are diagnosed with pediatric cancer.

Kans for Kids representative, Debbie Reif, expressed gratitude to the Kasselman family, sponsors, the many volunteers,  and all those that attend that make the Fall Fun Festival such a successful event.The Kasselman’s were presented with the Heart of Gold Award for outstanding support of Kans for Kids.

SEWARD COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 3p.m. Wednesday in Seward County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Peterbilt semi driven by Danny L. Huch, 64, Protection, was eastbound on Kansas 51 five miles west of the U.S. 83 Junction.

The driver attempted to pass a 2007 Freightliner utility truck driven by Kyle Kleinhans, 23, Hays, making a left turn onto County Road C.

The Peterbilt semi traveled into the north ditch and overturned. The Freightliner truck traveled into the south ditch and overturned.

A passenger in the Freightliner Florin Bulea, 45, Minto, North Dakota, was transported to Southwest Medical Center where he died.

Huch, Kleinhans and passengers in the Freightliner Kevin R. Cox, 32, Hays, were not injured. The KHP did not have details on Bulea’s seat belt usage. All others were properly restrained at the time of the accident.

The Great Bend City Council approved a motion to have Mayor Joe Andrasek sign contracts, bonds, and surety with Venture Corporation and Burns & McDonnell for the Federal Aviation Administration’s runway project at Great Bend Municipal Airport.

Great received word in late August that the FAA approved the grant to replace 5,500 feet of the main runway, but the contracts will now allow the project to proceed according to Airport Manager Martin Miller.

Martin Miller Audio

The grant will spend $6,734,361 for 5,500 feet of the runway. The remaining 2,351 feet will be repaired through financial assistance from the Kansas Department of Transportation. Great Bend is responsible for 10 percent of the total bill.

Venture will handle the asphalt project and Burns & McDonnell will peform the supervision and inspection of the project.

The replacement of runway 17/35 is expected to begin next spring with 310 days of contracted time to finish the job.

BUSINESS NEWS

written by: Brandon Steinert & Coleen Cape

Barton Community College is offering an innovative movement class using dancing and rhythm to focus on mature adults of any age to assist them in staying mobile. The exercises are designed for people of all levels of experience and mobility needs who wish to improve balance and over all mind-to-body connection. Each class will engage participants’ bodies and creative minds with an enjoyable blend of social and line dances, jazz dance and modern dance. Class will also include a new type of ballet barre exercise specifically developed to aid in balance and fall prevention. Each class will include history of the different dance styles taught as well as social time with a snack.

Students will:

• Develop flexibility and improve balance, mobility, coordination, range of motion and posture.
• Stimulate mental activity that connects the mind to the body.
• Increase motivation and self-confidence through goal setting activities.
• Emphasize the principle that new goals can be sought at any stage of life.
• Listen to good music and celebrate life in a safe and welcoming environment.

Participants will be guided by Danika Bielek, the new Performing Arts Dance Instructor/Coordinator at Barton. She has worked in the field of dance for more than two decades and received training and worked in geriatrics in Colorado Springs, Colo. There she learned to develop a passion for using dance as a vehicle for exercise and therapy for aging adults. She is the founder of Rhythm Connection for PD (Parkinson’s Disease), a movement class for people living with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders.

The class will run from Oct. 22 – Dec. 5 on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 1:30 – 2:40 p.m. in the dance studio on campus. This class requires a minimum of six and a maximum of 12. Because of its nature, pre-registration is required by calling the Foundation office at (620) 792-9306. The cost for Silver Cougar Club members will be $38.00; cost for non-members will be $112.

For further information about the nature of the class and to make sure it’s a good fit, contact Bielek at (620) 792-9253.

Several interested parties in Great Bend have been very vocal in their support of installing turf on the baseball and softball fields at the Great Bend Sports Complex.

Mayor Joe Andrasek recently formed a committee that will meet to study the possibility of that taking place in the future. That committee will include new Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis.

Kendal Francis Audio

Francis says some of those other concerns include the light poles on the ball fields at Veterans Park. The steel poles are roughly 50 years old and one collapsed during a storm in 2016.

Kendal Francis Audio

Francis says the committee that was formed to study the feasibility of turf at the Sports Complex will begin meeting soon. It will include council members Jolene Biggs and Cory Urban, City Administrator Kendal Francis, Public Lands Director Scott Keeler, USD 428 Superintendent Khris Thexton, USD 428 Director of Maintenance Cody Schmidt, and citizen Shawn Behr.

It had been reported that the city transferred $1.3 million into a fund for the possibility of installing turf at the fields but Francis says that isn’t the case. There is a fund that contains around $500,000 but he says that money can be used for any improvement project, not just turf at the Sports Complex.