The SRCA Dragstrip was recently notified that because of rain in Earlville, Iowa, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) was looking to move a 2018 Lucas Oil Regional race to Great Bend. SRCA Board of Directors President Hank Denning accepted the offer and will add the event to the busy week of Great Bend Airfest, where there is already a Lucas Oil Points Race at the dragstrip.

That is the good news. The bad news is the dragstip is falling apart, and two high-profile events could put the track out of commission for a while.

Hank Denning Audio

The track was paved in 2000, and it was grounded and polished in 2012 because the SRCA did not have funds to repave the track at the time.

Denning says, like any street in town, the dragstrip has surpassed its lifespan and needs to be repaved. Since 2009, the SRCA has spent over $2.4 million in expenses at the facility.

Denning pleaded to the Great Bend City Council Tuesday night to establish a maintenance fund for the dragstrip and the rest of the Great Bend Expo Complex grounds. Denning suggested establishing fees for the different entities that use the facilities throughout the year.

Hank Denning Audio

The SRCA signed a new five-year contract in April to lease the track from the City with an annual fee of $10,000.

Denning called out the Kansas National Guard Armory that has a station near the Expo Complex. The Armory’s large vehicles have also caused damage to cement and asphalt. It was stated that the Armory pays $1 a year to lease the facility.

Denning says he received a quote from two companies two years ago that estimated the cost to repave just the track with concrete. The first company quoted $1.5 million and the second calculated the cost at $870,000.

City Administrator Kendal Francis said City staff will work with the SRCA to maintenance the track the best they can to get by for the races during the final week of the month. Going forward, Francis says administration will look into establishing a maintenance fund.

BOOKED: Cody Bradley of Hoisington on Hoisington Municipal Court case for battery, bond set at $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Esteban Foster of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court warrant for contempt of court, bond set at $413.50 cash or 30 days in jail.

BOOKED: Christy Contreras on BTDC warrant for unlawful possession of a controlled substance and possession of paraphernalia, bond is set in the amount of $10,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Shannon Ybarra of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for failure to appear, bond set at $1,000 C/S. BTDC warrant for failure to appear, bond set at $500 cash only.

BOOKED: Andrea Short of Great Bend on Barton County warrant for unlawful possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), unlawful possession of a controlled substance (cocaine), possession of drug paraphernalia, bond set in the amount of $10,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Charles D. Bruce II of Great Bend on BTDC case for aggravated domestic battery, bond set at $20,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Brent Allen of Great Bend on Dickinson County District Court warrant for making false information x3, bond is set at $10,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Aundria M. Pasek of Victoria on Barton County District Court case for burglary and possession of paraphernalia with a bond of $10,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Nancy Salcido-Mancada of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court case for no DL with bond of $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Blaine Marie Reeder on Great Bend Municipal Court case for battery DV with bond of $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Brett Woods of Victoria on a Barton County District Court case for burglary and possession of paraphernalia, bond in lieu of $20,000 C/S. Russell County Court warrant for failure to appear, bond in lieu of $2,500 C/S.

BOOKED: David Collier of Hoisington on Barton County District Court case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Jaime Ayala Jr. on Barton County District Court serve sentence on case.

BOOKED: Ralph Tuey on a Barton County District Court warrant on lascivious behavior x2, bond in lieu of $5,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Rebecca Muckenthaler of Ellinwood on Barton County District Court warrant for probation violation, no bond.

RELEASED: Cody Bradley of Hoisington on Hoisington Municipal Court case for battery after posting a $1,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Marcos Barragan of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for failure to appear, posted amount of $1,307.50 cash only bond.

RELEASED: Jacob L. Hoch on Central Kansas Community Corrections order to arrest and detain on BCDC warrant for probation violation, time served.

RELEASED: Jason Battlaglear Jr. of Great Bend on BTDC case for criminal threat, posted amount of $5,000 through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Charles D. Bruce II of Great Bend on BTDC case for aggravated domestic battery, posted bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Blaine M. Reeder on Great Bend Municipal Court case with a $1,000 surety bond through A-1 Bail Bonds.

RELEASED: Steven M. Fortner on GBMC case with a serve sentence.

RELEASED: Andrea Short on BTDC warrant for unlawful possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), unlawful possession of a controlled substance (cocaine), possession of drug paraphernalia after posting a $10,000 surety bond.

RELEASED: Mark Rogers of Great Bend on BTDC case for time served.

RELEASED: Ralph Tuey on a BCDC warrant for lascivious behavior x2 after posting $5,000 surety bond through Dynomite.

RELEASED: Nancy Salcido-Mancada on Great Bend Municipal Court case for no DL with $1,000 surety through Dynomite Bail Bonds.

RELEASED: Esteban Foster of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for contempt of court, posted $413.50 cash bond.

BUSINESS NEWS

written by: Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice

I am getting to the age that sometimes I look back on my life at the all the twists and turns. I know that all my “experiences” helped make me who I am today, and I am sure I am a better person for it. But, I really do not think I would want to go back and relive those events again.

I do not want to get into detail about my life, so let me pick on my grandmother again. She and my grandfather were married in the midst of the Depression. My grandfather was thankful that he got a job hauling crushed rock for the roadways in the Hill Country of Texas. My grandparents were thankful that they had a farm and could produce some of their own food such as eggs, pork, and beef. They knew that others were not so lucky.

My grandparents always recalled their blessings. This despite the fact that my grandmother’s father was murdered when she was only 18, that she and my grandfather had two boys that were both hemophiliacs, and who died because of hemophiliac-related illnesses; that my grandfather was involved in a bad train wreck and broke his neck; and on and on and on. Along the way, my grandfather was County Clerk for several terms, served as Sheriff of Hill County, Texas, became a policeman, and eventually Assistant Chief of Police in River Oaks, Texas.

I am sure that my grandparents had no idea where they ended up would have so many turns along the way.

I want to share this with you because I see this in estate planning. Years ago, when I was doing estate planning, people would come in and just tell me who they wanted to leave their property to. We would do a simple will.
Even today, I see some of that done with Legal Zoom and other online products. Also, I see it done in estate plans drafted by “big” law firms – you go through a series of questions, and they draft a set of documents for you.

What has changed? You have changed. I have changed. How?

We are living longer. We have more opinions about what we want and do not want. As an example, I know that I want my family to use every effort to keep me out of a nursing home for as long as possible. I have very definitive ideas about end of life and what is acceptable with me, and what is not acceptable to me. I have strong opinions about if I develop Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia, and what I want to happen going forward.

I also know what I do not know. I do not know what is going to happen to me. I do not know what is going to happen to my family. I do not know what is going to happen to my health. I do not know what is going to happen to my finances.

But, I know that, given the right questions, I can make a plan. I also know that I need to be sure that that plan is flexible.

Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to randy@clinkscaleslaw.com. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.

When an estimated budget was constructed in November of 2017, the City of Great Bend believed repairing the runway at the Great Bend Municipal Airport was going to cost $1.1 million for the City’s share, and more than $11.1 million total. Airport Manager Martin Miller told the Great Bend City Council the city’s share will be well under that estimate, down to $837,133.

The Council approved the Federal Aviation Administration’s offer of funding 90 percent of 5,500 feet of the primary runway 17/35.

Miller says the replacement project will include asphalt, constructed by Venture Corporation.

Martin Miller Audio

The runway will include 5 inches of asphalt, on top of 10 inches of subgrades, on top of one foot of stabilized soil. Four major general contractors had plans for the job, with Venture being selected. Burns & McDonnell was chosen to handle the supervision of the project.

Miller expected the replacement to get started next spring with 310 days of contracted time to finish the job. The construction could hurt traffic coming in and out of Great Bend, but Miller says there will always be one runway option open during the process.

Martin Miller Audio

The total length of the runway is 7,851 feet, with the remaining 2,351 not covered by the FAA grant planned to come from Kansas Department of Transportation assistance. KDOT would cover 90 percent of the $550,102 of the northern portion, costing the City $55,010.

The effort to preserve the length of the runway will keep Great Bend’s runway one of the longest in the state.

In other Great Bend City Council news from Sept. 4…

– Hank Denning with the SRCA Dragstrip addressed the council regarding establishing a maintenance fund to replace the dragstrip. Denning expected to get two more years of use out of the current track that was placed in 2000. The Council and administration said they will look into the idea.

– Kid’s Ag Day on Wednesday has been moved to the Great Bend Expo Complex because of the rain.

– City Administrator Kendal Francis stated he will host “Kendal’s Coffee” sessions where he will be available to the public to talk with him about concerns or thoughts on the city. The first coffee session is scheduled for October 12 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Perk’s Coffee Shop. Francis expected to host these gatherings quarterly throughout the year.

– The Council voted 4-3 to approve two additional paid holidays for employees (adding Christmas Eve and Presidents Day) and increased structure for vacation days.

At summer school this year, the staff at Lincoln Elementary School in Great Bend was noticing many students coming to school either tired or full of energy, both extremes. Principal Misty Straub says the staff wanted to find something for the students to do besides sitting in the gym and talking with each other.

In an effort to get the children moving, Lincoln developed the Walking Club.

Misty Straub Audio

From 7:30 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. students that choose to, walk laps around the building with their peers. Straub says the students benefit from getting fresh air, movement, and additional oxygen moving through their bodies, helping them feel more awake and prepared for the school day.

Getting the staff to help supervise was easy.

Misty Straub Audio

The Walking Club started last Monday, and Straub says there was approximately 50 percent participation with the 3^rd through 6^th grade classes. Second grade was added later last week, and kindergarten and 1^st grade were added to the mix this week.