BOOKED: Clinton McGuire of Claflin on BTDC case for possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, and DUI. Bond is set in the amount of $2,500 C/S.

BOOKED: Katherine Robinson of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for disorderly conduct, bond set at $500 C/S.

BOOKED: Darlene Seinert of Hoisington on BTDC warrant for distribution or possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia x2, no drug tax stamp and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, bond set at $100,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Richard Clark of Hoisington on BTDC warrant for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, possession of meth, possession of marijuana, and possession of paraphernalia, bond set in the amount of $100,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Cletus Wolford of Ellinwood on Barton County District Court case for obstruction, cruelty to animals and maintain public nuisance with bond set at $2,500 C/S.

BOOKED: Adam Walker of Larned on Great Bend Municipal Court case for domestic battery with bond set at $1,000 C/S or 48-hour OR bond.

BOOKED: Patrick Bruner of Wichita on Barton County District Court warrant for failure to appear with no bond.

BOOKED: Gilbert King of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court case for domestic battery with a bond set at $1,000 C/S or 48-hour OR bond.

RELEASED: Mercedes Mater on CKCC sentence on BCDC case. Mater was released to Lakeside Treatment in Lawrence.

RELEASED: Katherine Robinson of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for disorderly conduct, bond of $500 posted through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Marcus Miller to Johnson County for their warrant.

RELEASED: Travis Watkins of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for contempt, bond is set at $1,085 cash only. GBMC warrant for contempt. GBPD case for interference with LEO. Released by court order.

RELEASED: Colby Hopkins of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for contempt of court, released by court order.

RELEASED: Thelma Hernandez-Medina of Great Bend on GBMC case for contempt x2, released by order of the court.

RELEASED: Randy Chambers on BTDC warrants for contempt of court. Sentenced to 18  months to corrections for all four cases and no contact with the victim.

RELEASED: Clinton McGuire of Claflin on BTDC case for possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, and DUI after posting a surety bond of $2,500 through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Morgan R. Olliff on BCDC warrant with a $10,000 OR bond.

RELEASED: Adam Walker of Larned on GBMC case for domestic battery after posting a $1,000 surety bond through Dyn-O-Mite Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Stacy Warren of Larned to Finney County Sheriff’s Office for their charges.

Major Political Parties
• A person affiliated with the Republican Party may only vote a Republican ballot.
• A person affiliated with the Democratic Party may only vote a Democratic ballot.

Minor Political Parties
• A person affiliated with the Libertarian Party is not eligible to vote in the primary election.
EXCEPTION: Voters residing in Great Bend City 1 st Ward may vote the Non-Partisan CITY ballot.

Not Affiliated – Chooses to Affiliate
• A person registered to vote but not affiliated with any political party may choose to affiliate with the Republican Party and vote a Republican ballot.
• A person registered to vote but not affiliated with any political party may choose to affiliate with the Democratic Party and vote a Democratic ballot.

Not Affiliated – Does NOT Choose to Affiliate
• A person registered to vote but not affiliated with any political party and who does NOT choose to affiliate, may not vote in the primary election.
EXCEPTION: Voters residing in Great Bend City 1 st Ward may vote the Non-Partisan CITY ballot.

Precinct Committeemen and Committeewomen are “elected” in the August Primary and do not advance to the November General.

All other Candidates nominated in the Primary will appear together on the November General Ballot.

This is our first combined Partisan / Non-Partisan Election. Great Bend City 1 st Ward is the only non-partisan election appearing on the August Primary. That is the only precinct that had enough filings to cause a primary.

The 100 People Who Care group of Barton County will be holding their next meeting on Tuesday, August 7, at 5:30 p.m., in the Courtyard of the Best Western Angus Inn, 2920 10th Street, Great Bend.  The meeting will include presentations from three charities nominated at the previous meeting.  Following the presentations, members will vote on the charity to receive their $100 donations.  With membership continuing to grow, the winning charity will receive over $10,000 to further their work in Barton County.

Charities who were nominated this quarter include the Great Bend Zoological Society, Central Kansas CASA, Inc. and Healing Hearts Ranch, Inc.. Current members are permitted to vote or nominate future charities. If you are interested in learning more, we welcome you to attend the August meeting.  To join prior to the meeting, please visit www.100bartoncounty.org.  You can also find our group on Facebook.

CRAWFORD COUNTY, AR — A fourth suspect is in custody in connection with the death of a Kansas couple at the Barton County Fair in Great Bend.

Just after 3:30p.m. Thursday, police arrested 37-year-old Christine Marie Tenney  of Sante Fe, Texas, according to Detective Jonathan Wear.

Tenney is being charged with Abuse of a Corpse, Felony Theft by Receiving, Tampering with Physical Evidence, and Obstruction of Governmental Operations.  She was booked into the Crawford County Detention Center with no bond, according to Wear.

Three other suspects, Michael Fowler, Rusty Frazier and Kimberly Younger, also known as Myrna Khan are also jailed for the alleged murder of fair vendors Sonny and Pauline Carpenter of Wichita. Authorities believe the Carpenters were killed July 13, after meeting the carnival workers as the couple sold crafts, jewelry, purses and other handmade items during the fair, according to Wear.

Their bodies were found days later in a shallow grave in a forest near Van Buren, Arkansas.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Chad Somers and James Breitenbach will be the two candidates that voters in Ward 2 will decide between in November as they seek a spot on the Great Bend City Council. Both men participated in Tuesday night’s Candidate Forum at Great Bend High School.

Somers is a 13-year resident of Great Bend and is co-owner of Golden Belt Cinema 6 after previously being a co-owner of Benefit Management, Inc. In his opening statement Tuesday, Somers said there are three areas of concern that he has for the city.

Chad Somers Audio

Breitenbach has lived in Great Bend for three years after moving to the area from Lawrence to help his family support their family farming operations. He has experience in emergency management, and has 10-plus years of experience as a field engineer in a world wide telecommunications company.

James Breitenbach Audio

Since there are just two candidates running for both Ward 2 and Ward 3 positions, there will be no primary held on August 7th for those two spots on the council. Ward 1 however has five candidates who are running for one position, meaning there will be a primary vote on August 7th with the top 2 candidates moving on to the November general election.

Kansas Senator Pat Roberts met with President Donald Trump this week to express his concerns with how the President’s trade policies are affecting agriculture. Tariffs that have been implemented led to retaliatory measures by countries like China that have impacted agriculture more than any other sector of the U.S. economy. Roberts says that uncertainty has made passage of the new farm bill a big priority.

Pat Roberts Audio

The House voted to go to conference with the Senate to resolve the differences between the House and Senate bill. The House adopted Minnesota Democrat Congressman Collin Peterson’s motion to instruct the House conferees to support mandatory funding for USDA’s animal health laboratory network, animal disease preparedness and response program and a national animal vaccine bank. The House bill contains $450 million in mandatory funding over five years while the Senate bill authorizes the programs but does not provide mandatory funding.

Pat Roberts Audio

Roberts says crop insurance is the one item that he continues to hear about from farmers. He says the Senate version includes changes to the program, but he thinks the program will make the crop insurance portion of the bill stronger in the end. He adds that this isn’t the year to make drastic changes to the crop insurance program, as agriculture can’t afford that right now.

When Amanda Urban reflects on her past and future at Sunflower Diversified Services, she mentions many topics but it all comes down to the bottom line. That bottom line is serving people with developmental disabilities and delays, while providing options that allow them to grow and reach new levels of independence.

Urban was recently promoted to director of Adult Services at Sunflower, a non-profit agency that serves infants, toddlers and adults in Barton, Pawnee, Rice, Rush and Stafford counties. The position entails services including retirement, therapy, residential, training/advocacy and quality supports.

“The best part of my job is watching people grow; there is nothing like it,” Urban said. “Our clients are given options and then make their own decisions about where to live and work, and how to spend their leisure time.

“We also explain their rights and responsibilities,” Urban continued. “They appreciate being treated like the adults they are and living life like everybody else.”

During Urban’s 15 years at Sunflower, she has held managerial/coordinator positions in supportive home care; employment and residential services; training/advocacy; and therapeutic/retirement services.

She has been an instructor for specialized training and CPR; and serves on the Emergency Response Team and safety committee. To illustrate Sunflower’s philosophy of independent living, Urban outlined an example.

“Some people want to start out living in one of our two group homes,” she said.

“Then they decide they want just one roommate. The next thing we know, some want to live alone because of their growing independence.”

This also is an example of how rights lead to responsibilities.

“We are not their maids,” Urban noted. “Our clients are required to perform all the household chores they can. We offer guidance but they become actively involved in caring for their homes. This is what life is all about.”

Sunflower is always looking for applicants who want to support people with disabilities. Part-time and full-time positions are available.

“We fully explain job requirements and expectations,” she commented. “We spend a lot of time and money on this because we know our clients will reap the benefits.

“A new employee works with an experienced colleague during initial home visits,” she added. “We ensure the staff member is comfortable so that our client is comfortable too. This builds trust, which is crucial.”

Urban acknowledged that some prospective employees are apprehensive at first. But the initial and ongoing training alleviate that apprehension.

“They soon learn that clients look forward to their visits; the personal rewards for the employee are extremely gratifying.”

In addition to the two group homes, Sunflower clients live in about 40 residences throughout the agency’s five-county service area. They rent from local landlords; some need 24-hour support, while others need minimal services.

“We provide whatever level of support our clients need,” Urban said. “It is a privilege to serve Sunflower clients as they reach goals and demonstrate their potential. I love my job.”

Sarah Krom, Sunflower chief operating officer, said Urban is passionate about high-quality services.

“Amanda is a powerful force as an advocate for individuals,” Krom said. “She looks for innovative ways to support their dreams and needs. Amanda has the energy of youth and the tenacity to make a significant impact on the daily lives of our clients.”

Krom also noted that Urban demonstrates “wicked organizational skills. This and her love for interacting with clients and mentoring new staff combine to make Amanda the best person for this important position at Sunflower.”