BUSINESS NEWS

Clara Barton Hospital is pleased to announce that Amanda (Mandy) Hoffman, PharmD has been promoted to the position of Director of Pharmacy. Hoffman has been a Pharmacist since 2012 and has been an employee with Clara Barton Hospital for 6 years.

Hoffman grew up in Olpe. She attended the University of Saint Mary where she completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology and received her PharmD from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy in 2012. After graduating from the pharmacy program, Hoffman moved to Central Kansas with her husband Eric, who is originally from the Hoisington area. Prior to working full-time at Clara Barton Hospital, Hoffman worked in both the hospital and retail pharmacy setting and also covered for the Clara Barton Hospital Pharmacy on a PRN-basis.

Hoffman began working full-time at Clara Barton Hospital in October of 2016 when she was hired with the intent to take over for former Pharmacy Director, Celeste Meitner, after her retirement. In June, Meitner transitioned to partial-retirement and Hoffman was promoted to Director of Pharmacy.

Hoffman and her husband Eric live in Great Bend and have two daughters Macy (5) and Lexan (2). In her spare time Hoffman enjoys spending time with her family, playing the piano, and helping her husband on the farm.

“Mandy came to us with a remarkable set of skills and experience and has been a wonderful addition to our pharmacy department,” said Jim Blackwell, Clara Barton Hospital President/CEO. “We are honored to have Mandy transition to this new role and applaud her on this new phase in her career.”

With four airshows in three days, the 2018 Great Bend Air Fest promises to be the biggest and best airshow ever to take place at the Great Bend Airport. This years event takes place September 28-30 will once again will feature many vintage aircraft that includes the only two flying B-29’s in the world Fifi and Doc.

But the airshows will certainly be a highlight. Bruce Huddleston, who represents David Schultz Airshows, will be the “Air Boss” for the September event in Great Bend. As air boss, Huddleston is responsible for the safety of participating pilots as well as the safety of spectators at the airport. Huddleston says he basically becomes a traffic cop, controlling all movement on ground and in the air within five miles of the airport while activities are going on.

Bruce Huddleston Audio

Huddleston says every airshow is different and that includes the September event in Great Bend.

Bruce Huddleston Audio

Huddleston is a commercial pilot and owned a flying service in Ada, Oklahoma from 1979 to 1982. He is now owner of Ada Business Computers and Ada Net and has had a private pilot’s license since 1974. He is a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and has logged more than 4,000 flight hours.

In an effort to increase their fleet and replace vehicles with high mileage, USD 428 in Great Bend sent out bid proposals for three vehicles. Marmie Chrysler Dodge, Marmie Chevrolet Buick GMC, and Marmie Ford submitted bids back for a pair of vans and sport utility vehicle.

There was a relatively inexpensive Chevrolet Express 12-passenger van, but USD 428 Superintendent Khris Thexton says the state will not allow school districts with that size of a van.

Khris Thexton Audio

The 7-passenger Dodge Grand Caravan SE came with a price of $25,764. The 9-passenger Chevrolet Suburban’s bid was $39,767, and the 10-passenger Ford Transit was $26,682. The USD 428 Board of Education approved all three bids.

Thexton noted if the staff is comfortable driving the 10-passenger vans, then the Transit will be something the district looks into more in the future.

Khris Thexton Audio

The thought of getting the full-size van and SUV is to help alleviate sending out a bus for smaller groups. The Suburban is expected to be delivered in October, while the Caravan and Transit should arrive in December.

The Barton Community College Theatre Department will hold open auditions for its fall production of “Harvey” from 4-6 p.m. Aug. 20 and 21 in the Fine Arts Auditorium, or by arrangement with Theatre Director Dr. Rick Abel. Those who wish to audition can show up anytime during the allotted hours on either night. The Theatre Department will be casting all roles and all technical positions. No preparation is necessary, and all are invited to audition.

“Harvey” is a 1945 Pulitzer Prize-winning play about Elwood P. Dowd, a mild-mannered pleasant man who claims his best friend is a pooka, an Irish folklore creature which is considered to be bringers of both good and bad fortune, in the form of an invisible six-foot-one-and-a-half-inch-tall rabbit.

For more information or to arrange a separate audition time, contact Abel at abelr@bartonccc.edu or (620) 792-9333.

On Monday, August 13  at approximately 3:58 p.m. officers from the Great Bend Police Department were dispatched to 1010 Roosevelt Street in reference to a subject with an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Officers arrived on scene and located a male subject inside the residence with a gunshot wound. The male subject was transported to the hospital by Great Bend Fire Department Ambulance, and later transported to Via Christi St. Francis.

This incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Great Bend Police Department at 620-793-4120 or Crime Stoppers at 620-792-1300.

BUSINESS NEWS

Yours Truly Gift and Flower Shoppe opened its second location on June 25, 2018 at 124 East Avenue South in Lyons. A local and independently owned business, Yours Truly features gifts for all occasions including weddings, birthdays, babies, retirement and more along with a fresh selection of every day home decor. With fresh flowers arriving weekly – arrangements are crafted both in traditional and modern designs. Both flowers and gifts are now available for delivery in Barton and Rice counties.

“Our vision for the business has always been to offer interesting, affordable and fun gifts to the local community. We continually watch emerging gift and floral design trends to bring the best options for our customers,” says Donna Shaffer, Owner of Yours Truly.

The shoppe located at 2017 Lakin in Great Bend remains as the company headquarters and will continue to serve Great Bend and Barton County. The business will celebrate five years in September.

“We are so appreciative for the customers we have gained here in Great Bend and look forward to continue serving this community,” says Shaffer. “The City of Great Bend is doing a lot of work behind the scenes to promote local retail business. These programs have contributed to the success of our business enabling our continued growth.”

As the brick and mortar offerings continue to grow, so does the online ordering options from Yours Truly. Floral arrangements for everyday, holiday and sympathy occasions are available online at yourstrulyks.com. Specialty gift boxes along with gifts to compliment floral arrangements are also available for order online.

Yours Truly Gift Store and Flower Shoppe is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at both locations. For additional information visit yourstrulyks.com.

BOOKED: Morgan Olliff on Barton County District Court case for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to signal, and no DL in possession, bond in lieu of $2,500 C/S.

BOOKED: Judith Evans of Hoisington on Barton County District Court case for possession of methamphetamine and possession of paraphernalia, bond set at $10,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Joshua Miller of Great Bend on Barton County District Court warrant for probation violation, bond set at $1,750 cash only. BCDC warrant for unlawful possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, bond set at $10,000 C/S. Rice County District Court warrant for probation violation, bond is set at $5,000 cash only.

BOOKED: Jennifer Ogden of Great Bend for Barton County case for driving while suspended, criminal trespass, bond set at $2,500 C/S.

BOOKED: Shawn Johnston of Hoisington on BTDC case for felony theft, bond set in lieu of $5,000 C/S. BTDC case for vehicle burglary, bond set in lieu of $5,000 C/S x5.

BOOKED: Jared Provins of Hoisington on Barton County District Court case for theft with a bond set at $5,000 C/S. Case for vehicle burglary with a bond set at $5,000 C/S x5.

BOOKED: Colby Hopkins of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court warrant for contempt of court with a bond set at $1,817.50 cash only or 24 days in jail.

BOOKED: Trinity S. Galliart on Barton County District Court warrant for failure to appear with a bond of $2,500 C/S. Great Bend Municipal Court warrant for contempt of court with a bond of $672.50 cash only.

BOOKED: Jacob Schenkel of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court case for battery with a bond set at $1,000 C/S.

RELEASED: Morgan Olliff on Barton County District Court case for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to signal, and no DL in possession, $2,500 surety bond posted through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Jacob Schenkel of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court case for battery after posting a $1,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

written by: Donna Krug, District Director and Family & Consumer Science Agent – K-State Research & Extension – Cottonwood District

I’ve seen a few articles about the new Medicare cards that will be mailed to eligible persons. In Kansas that should be happening between June 2018 and April 2019. The reason new cards are being issued is to help keep your information more secure and help protect your identity.

You will get a new Medicare Number that is unique to you, and it will only be used for your Medicare coverage. The new MBI (Medicare Beneficiary Identifier) will be 11 characters in length. The new card will not change your coverage or benefits. You will get more information from Medicare when your new card is mailed.

Here are some steps you can follow to get ready:
 Make sure your mailing address is up to date. If your address needs to be corrected, contact Social Security at ssa.gov/myaccount or call: 1-800-772-1213. TTY users can call 1-800-325-0778.
 Beware of anyone who contacts you about your new Medicare card. You should never be asked to give personal or private information in order to get your new Medicare Number and card. New cards will be mailed to beneficiaries, and no one connected with Medicare will be calling or knocking on doors.
 Understand that mailing everyone a new card will take some time. Your card might arrive at a different time than your friend’s or neighbor’s.

When your new card does arrive consider these tips:
 Destroy the old card immediately upon receiving the new one. Use the new ID number for all Medicare transactions from that point on.
 If you have Medicare questions, call the Senior Health Insurance Counselors of Kansas (SHICK). The number is 800-860-5260. You can also see a short video on the new cards at www.cms.gov/medicare/new-medicare-card/nmc-home.html
 If you have a Medicare Supplement or a Part D prescription drug plan, keep those identification cards. They are separate from the regular Medicare coverage.