The City of Great Bend has hired a new Network Administrator. The position that was created out of concern over internet and software security, has gone to James Cell.

Cell has lived in Great Bend for the last 15-years where he was an employee of Hays Med providing network support for St. Rose and Pawnee Valley Community Hospital.

Cell began working in his position last month and talked about one of his first projects that he wants to get done.

James Cell Audio

Cell will oversee software installation, backups, and maintenance of the City’s computers, networks, and Information Technology systems. He will also be part of finding a company that will handle the city’s overall network security needs.

James Cell Audio

The city council decided to create the position last spring after former Interim City Manager George Kolb raised the issue that the city’s sensitive information was at risk to computer hackers.

Participants in the second annual Ride for Independence Poker Run raised $1,785 for a special project at Sunflower Diversified Services. All proceeds are earmarked for a new art studio that will showcase the talents of Sunflower clients who want to share their creativity. Beautiful Minds Art Studio is in the planning stages.

Sunflower, which sponsored the poker run, serves infants, toddlers and adults with developmental disabilities and delays in Barton, Pawnee, Rice, Rush and Stafford counties.

Approximately 80 participants, including drivers, passengers and volunteers, made the event possible, said Tammie Caley, Sunflower’s chief financial officer.

“I want to thank all of the generous participants and sponsors who made our second poker run a success,” Caley said. “In addition, we could not have done this without the dozens of volunteers who shared their time and talent.”

The event began at Sunshine Garage in Larned. Stops along the way were: Squeak’s Club in St. John; Oasis Convenience Store, near Sylvia; Brew 56 Coffee & Tap in Lyons; the Wolf Hotel in Ellinwood; and HandleBar & Grill in Great Bend.

“It is so gratifying to have the support of businesses in our area,” Caley commented. “They can be assured their contributions mean a lot to the people we serve and our staff.”

During the Aug. 25 event, Kent Yetschke, Great Bend, won the grand prize of $250 for the best poker hand; Ryan Taylor, Great Bend, came in second and won $100.

8/31

BOOKED: Michael Wheeler of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Robert Scheuerman of Larned for Barton County District Court hold for court.

BOOKED: Randal Long of Garden City on a Barton County District Court warrant for probation violation, no bond.

BOOKED: Ethan Kilbourn of Great Bend on BTDC warrant for burglary x2, theft x2, bond set at $5,000 C/S. BTDC warrant for burglary, theft, criminal damage to property, bond is set at $5,000 C/S. BTDC warrant for burglary, theft, bond set at $5,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Brandi Krom of Great Bend on a Barton County District Court warrant for failure to appear, bond in lieu of $200 cash or 48-hour OR.

BOOKED: Melissa Slack of Great Bend on Barton County District Court case for serve sentence.

RELEASED: Albert Hass for Great Bend Municipal Court failure to appear, $500 surety bond with Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Brandi Krom on a BCDC warrant for failure to appear after posting a $200 cash bond.

9/1

BOOKED: Artyle Laforce fo St. John on Stafford County District Court case for battery DV, bond set at $2,500 C/S.

BOOKED: Jose Valdovinos of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court case for battery DV, bond is set at $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Trey Schartz on Great Bend Municipal Court case for battery LEO x2, bond at $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Jamie Bahr of Wichita on BTDC warrant for burglary, criminal trespass, theft, bond set at $20,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Barbara Schenk of Olmitz for Sedgwick County District Court warrant for trafficking contraband into a correctional facility, bond is $15,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Steven Fortner of Great Bend on GBMC case.

RELEASED: Jose Valdovinos of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court case for battery DV after he posted a $1,000 surety bond.

RELEASED: Michael Wheeler of Great Bend on GBMC case for serve sentence, time served.

RELEASED: Trey Schartz on GBMC case for battery LEO x2, posted bond amount of $1,000 through Dynomite Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Jamie Bahr of Wichita on BTDC warrant for burglary, criminal trespass, theft, posted bond of $20,000 through Dynomite Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Artyle Laforce of St. John on Stafford County District Court case for battery DV, posted bond amount of $2,500 C/S through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Marcus Murphy of Colorado on BCDC warrant for probation violation.

RELEASED: Curtis Rosas of Great Bend on BCDC case for DRV, DWS, habitual violator, expired registration, display tag not assigned, no insurance, failure to signal, posted bond through Ace Bail Bonding. Released on Barber County District Court warrant for failure to appear, posted bond of $233 cash.

9/2

BOOKED: Marcos Barragan of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for failure to appear, bond set at $1,307.50 cash only or 90 days in jail.

BOOKED: Austin Riley of Great Bend on BTDC warrant for criminal threat and harassment by telecommunication device, bond set in lieu of $5,000 C/S.

RELEASED: Austin Riley of Great Bend on BTDC warrant for criminal threat and harassment by telecommunication device after posting bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Melissa Slack of Great Bend on Barton County District Court case for serve sentence.

9/3

BOOKED: Jay Holloway on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: James Jackson of Hoisington on HPD case for domestic battery, bond set at $2,500 C/S or 18-hour OR bond.

BOOKED: Misty Bryant of Hoisington on Great Bend Municipal Court case for driving while suspended, bond set in lieu of $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Dommique Burrow of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court warrant for contempt of court, bond in lieu of $1,082 cash. Barton County District Court case for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, bond in lieu of $1,000 C/S.

RELEASED: James Jackson of Hoisington on HPD case for domestic battery, posted bond through Dynomite of $2,500 C/S.

RELEASED: Misty Bryant of Hoisington on GBMC case for driving while suspended after posting a $1,000 surety bond through Dynomite.

Eagle Media Center-12th & Baker: 4.30
Charles Austin-24th & McKinley: 3.20
Steve Schnieder-North of Albert: 2.80
Jerry Morgenstern-Hoisinton: 4.10
Don Mai-North Susank: 2.40
Red Maier-NW Ellinwood: 3.25
Irv Gotsche-River Bend: 4.00
The Merry’s-West of Galatia: 3.10
Marvin Schneider-South of Rush Center: 1.80
GB COOP Test plot-West of Great Bend: 5.00
Kevin Soupiset-Quail Creek: 4.40

PRATT COUNTY —A Labor Day weekend storm brought over 6 inches of rain and flooding to some areas of Pratt County.  Many homes and businesses are now cleaning up.

The Pratt Community Center, 619 N. Main, was opened as a temporary shelter. Although water is receding, many roads are still closed or impassable, according to Pratt County Emergency Management.  Schools in USD are in session Tuesday with a one hour delay.

Ninnescah river by Pratt, Ks. Out of its banks and trying to wash this road out. Local custom cutter Randy Goldens shop is there where that flex platform is and his shop is probably 2ft under water right now #kswx pic.twitter.com/EqZrlNTXvQ

— Denton Clark (@DentonClark17) September 3, 2018

More rain is expected and a flood warning remains in effect for Pratt County until Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Story by Micah Oelze – BCC Public Relations

Barton Community College’s Center for Adult Education will soon begin its nine-week GED preparation class. Students must attend all orientation classes Sept. 10-13, and the first day of class Sept. 17. Failure to attend all five days will result in removal of the student from the program. The center is located at 1025 Main St. in Great Bend.

There is a one-time $65 fee for materials. Once students have completed the preparation courses, they will be able to take the official GED test. The cost to take the GED test is $132.

The Sept. 10 session is from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The day will include welcome information along with required testing. On Sept. 11 from 8:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m., students will learn more information about Barton’s Student Support Services, the public library and more with the 1-4 p.m. time slot available to students who may need to re-take the required tests from the previous day. On Sept. 12, students will be introduced to GED.com, take a Basic Computer Skills test, learn about Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act services and vocational rehabilitation. Lastly, on Sept. 13 from 8:30-10 a.m., students will learn about WorkReady! and partake in an Educational Opportunity Center workshop from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. After breaking for lunch, students will meet with their instructor one-on-one to discuss goals, their expectations, attendance requirements, workload, etc. Appointments will be 30 minutes each and scheduled between 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sept. 13.

On Monday, Sept. 17, students will have the choice to begin attending the morning class pathway from 8-11 a.m. or the evening hybrid class pathway from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Those interested in taking the GED exam without any preparation instruction can do so right away but are urged to receive advising before moving forward.

Minors must bring a parent or legal guardian to enroll and must also bring their disclaimer or exemption documentation from their high school or online program.

For more information, contact Adult Education Support & Testing Specialist Susanne Yarmer at yarmers@bartonccc.edu.

FHSU University Relations

Three candidates for the position of Fort Hays State University’s provost and vice president for academic affairs search will visit FHSU and the Hays community in September.

Dr. C. David Moon, professor of political science and special assistant to the provost at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, will visit from Tuesday, Sept. 4, to Thursday, Sept. 6.

Dr. Neal Schnoor, senior advisor to the chancellor for executive affairs at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, will visit from Monday, Sept. 10, to Wednesday, Sept. 12.

Dr. Jeff Briggs, currently serving as FHSU’s interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, will conduct his candidate visits on campus from Sunday, Sept. 23, to Tuesday, Sept. 25.

Moon earned a B.A. in political science in 1979 from Austin College, Sherman, Texas. His M.A. in government, 1983, and his Ph.D. in government, 1986, were both earned at the University of Texas, Austin.

Schnoor earned his B.F.A. in education in 1990 from Wayne State College, Wayne, Neb. His Master of Music, 1996, and his Ph.D., 1999, were both earned at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His Ph.D. is in education administration, curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in music education.

Briggs earned both his B.S. in physical education, 1983, and his M.S. in health, physical education and recreation, 1984, from Fort Hays State. He earned his Ed.D. in kinesiology in 1992 at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

More information on the candidates and the search process is available at www.fhsu.edu/president/provost-search/candidate-information-campus-visits.

Each candidate will meet with various constituent groups over the course of three days and will include meetings with the Search Committee, faculty, students, staff, administration and more, as well as campus and community tours. The search committee will notify the various groups by email of their times with the candidates.

The provost and vice president for academic affairs, the chief academic officer of the university, reports directly to the president and is a member of her Executive Leadership Team.

Anyone who orders Krispy Kreme donuts during the current Sunflower Diversified Services fundraiser will be supporting young children who need a helping hand. All proceeds will go directly to the non-profit agency’s Invest in Kids Club, which supports Sunflower’s Early Education Center and Incredible Years Preschool.

“Our Invest in Kids Club has been crucial to children and their families during the past several years,” said Connie Oetken, director of development. “The funds we raise for our little ones with developmental disabilities and delays fill in some of the financial gaps.

“Research has demonstrated time and time again that the early years are the most important to development. Since Sunflower’s professional teachers and therapists support families in their homes and our preschool, many delays can be alleviated or overcome.”

A dozen fresh Krispy Kremes costs $10. Orders, which are being taken until Sept. 12, must be paid in advance. Pick-up sites will be available on Saturday, Sept. 22 at four locations. They are: the Fair on the Square at Lyons, 101 W. Commercial; Gather, 19 N. Main in Ellinwood; Sunflower’s Recycling Center, 5523 10th in Great Bend; and the Larned Pizza Hut, 126 W. 14th.

Orders may be placed by calling 620-792-4087 or visiting www.sunflowerdiv.com/events/krispy-kremes-for-kids. Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted.

“Because tax revenues simply cannot meet all the financial needs, children and their families rely on central Kansans who support Sunflower,” Oetken said. “We hope all our supporters enjoy the Krispy Kremes.”

Sunflower serves infants, toddlers and adults with developmental delays in Barton, Pawnee, Rice, Rush and Stafford counties.