BOOKED: Blake Kilbourn of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court case for failure to appear, bond set at $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Joel S. Shelor on a Barton County District Court serve sentence.

BOOKED: Luis Sepulveda on a GBMC warrant for FTA, bond is set in the amount of $500 C/S.

BOOKED: Gerald Martin of Great Bend on GBPD case for aggravated assault, bond is set at $20,000 C/S.

RELEASED: Julio Torres of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for failure to appear after posting a $250 surety bond through Dyn-O-Mite.

RELEASED: Derrick Buess of Great Bend on BCDC serve sentence after serving partial sentence.

RELEASED: Hugo Melgar-Arriaga of Tulsa, OK on BCDC case to immigration.

RELEASED: Joshua Pettijohn on BCDC warrant to probation.

RELEASED: Antonio R. Brison to Russell County District Court after being released on GBMC warrants with no conditions.

RELEASED: Luis Sepulveda on a GBMC warrant for FTA after posting $500 bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

BARTON COUNTY— One person was injured in an accident just after 11a.m. Monday in Barton County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Nissan Versa driven by Meanna Laurin, 25, Lyons was northbound on U.S. 281 three miles north of Great Bend passing a 2016 Peterbilt semi.

The semi driven by Benito Trevino, 54, Halstead, ran the Nissan off the road.

Laurin lost control of the Nissan and struck a 2006 Ford Freestyle driven by Rose Schlyer, 56, Russell.

Laurin was transported to Great Bend Regional Medical Center. Trevino and Schlyer were not injured.

All three were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Barton County Commissioners Monday approved an additional $13,979.50 that was needed to pay for all the work items for the deck repair on the Radium Road Bridge that crosses the Ark River on SW 50 Avenue. Here’s Barton County Engineer Barry McManaman.

Barry McManaman Audio

Back in December, Commissioners approved an additional $54,340 in repair costs, of which $4,300 was for additional structural steel to be welded on the bridge ends with the balance to be used to pay for patching. McManaman says the nature of the repair work made it difficult to predict how much actual work would need to been done to the deck structure.

Barry McManaman Audio

The work to repair the bridge began last fall and limited traffic to one lane that was controlled by a traffic light. The project was completed on May 11th.

Camp Hope came to a close last Saturday at Barton Community College’s Camp Aldrich. It was the 36^th year for the camp designed for children ages 5-17 that have been affected by cancer.

Volunteer Michelle Brown says the leadership of Camp Hope is what makes the week-long camp so successful and fun for the campers.

Michelle Brown Audio

Brown started coming to Camp Hope at age 8 after being informed of the camp just northeast of Great Bend by her oncologist Dr. David Rosen. Brown, originally from Medicine Lodge, was diagnosed with cancer at 7 years old and kept coming back to the camp for 10 years.

Michelle Brown Audio

Brown was one of 117 volunteers for the 2018 Camp Hope, and one of 25 former campers that served as volunteers. There were 72 campers that participated in the free camp this year that included fishing, hiking, arts and crafts, sports, movies, and a talent show.

Midwest Energy serves roughly 5,000 customers in Barton County, around 1,950 in Stafford County, and 2,200 in Pawnee County. For those customers, the scheduled public meetings discussing electric rate changes may be important to attend. Midwest Energy is seeking Board of Directors approval for proposed rate changes, effective January 1, 2019.

Mike Morley, Midwest Director of Communications, says the changes would be revenue-neutral for the company, meaning the changes are not all increased bill prices.

Mike Morley Audio

Midwest purchased the “W system” from Westar Energy in 2003, and have tried to gradually combine the system with Midwest’s existing rate schedules. Morley says the “W system” rates are significantly lower than those in the “M system” or preexisting Midwest customers prior to 2003.

Mike Morley Audio

The last general rate change for Midwest was in 2011. A public meeting to discuss the changes is being held in Great Bend on July 3 at 6 p .m. in Room 30 of the Fine Arts Building at Barton Community College. Another meeting takes place in Macksville on July 5 at 6 p.m. at the American State Bank & Trust Building.

The Board of Directors will vote on the changes July 16 at Midwest Energy Headquarters, 1330 Canterbury Drive in Hays.

If approved, the proposed rate changes will take place over a three-year period. Midwest Energy serves 50,000 electric customers in central and western Kansas.

It will be one of three. The next Great Bend City Administrator will go through interviews and public meet-and-greets this week as the City announced the three finalists.

Candidates include: Larry Collins who served as Fire Chief and Interim City Administrator in Ann Arbor Michigan, Kendal Francis who served as City Manager in Coffeyville, KS and City Administrator in Lakin, KS and Scott Hildebrand who currently serves as the City Administrator for Valley Center, KS.

Each of the candidates will attend two days of interviews and and they will participate in a variety of city tours, interviews and sessions. The schedule is set and Chamber members are invited to attend the Chamber Meet & Greet at the Great Bend Events Center on Thursday, June 28 at 10:30 a.m. The public is invited to meet the candidates during a Public Gathering at the Great Bend Events Center on June 28 from 4:30 p.m. -6 p.m.

Director of Human Resources Randy Keasling said, “We look forward to the opportunity of meeting with each of the candidates over this two-day period as well as giving business and community members the chance to meet and learn more about these candidates.”

Slavin Management Consultants is the company in charge of the official search for candidates. In February, the Great Bend City Council moved forward with hiring Slavin Management Consultants to conduct the job search for $15,505 plus travel and office costs.

The City of Great Bend has been without a permanent city administrator since Howard Partington announced his early retirement on August 16, 2017. Interim City Administrator George Kolb was hired on a short-term basis only to fill the gap until a permanent candidate was found.

Partington spent 36 years at City Administrator but stated he retired early because of “actions of a loud and malicious minority.” Partington got caught up in the community backlash of the suspension of former Great Bend Police Chief Cliff Couch last summer. Couch claimed acts of misconduct from Partington and former Mayor Mike Allison. The City claimed Couch was suspended because of not following an order from Partington, among other reasons. Couch was reinstated but eventually resigned from the position noting a “target on his back.” Partington stated he was bullied, harassed, and threatened and that the “harassing attacks have been the most difficult challenge I have faced in my life.”

6/22

BOOKED: Sterling Mills of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court case for driving under the influence with bond set at $1,000 C/S or 48-hour OR bond.

BOOKED: Cody Day of Great Bend on Barton County District Court case for probation violation, bond set at $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Eric Tauscher of Alexander on Barton County District Court warrant for battery, bond set in lieu of $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Dontae Adams for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, theft, criminal use of weapons, possession of substance, bond revoked, no bond.

BOOKED: Jonathan Stemm of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence for 30 days.

BOOKED: Fredrick James Silas McNett of Great Bend for revoked bond on BTDC case for distribution of heroin, possession of paraphernalia x2, no drug tax stamp, aggravated endangering a child x2, criminal use of explosives, possession of stolen property, distribute marijuana, no bond.

BOOKED: Marcus Bryant of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: John Lynch of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Brian Fox of Great Bend on GBMC case for domestic battery, bond is set at $1,000 C/S or 48-hour OR bond.

RELEASED: Sterling Mills of Great Bend on GBMC case for driving under the influence after posting a $1,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Eric Tauscher of Alexander on BCDC warrant for battery after posting $1,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Fred Kendrick of Tuba City, AZ received a 48-hour OR on GBMC case for criminal trespass.

RELEASED: Benson Begay of Great Bend received a 48-hour OR bond on GBMC case for criminal trespass.

RELEASED: Brian Fox of Great Bend on GBMC case for domestic battery, posted bond through A-1 Bail Bonding with $1,000.

6/23

BOOKED: Juan Gonzalez Jr. of Houston, TX on Great Bend Municipal Court case for DUI, driving with no headlights, no DL in possession, no seat belt and expired tag with bond set at $1,000 C/S or 48-hour OR bond. Saline County District Court warrant for failure to appear with bond set at $1,500 C/S.

BOOKED: Derrick Buess of Great Bend on Barton County District Court serve sentence.

BOOKED: John Wilkinson of Great  Bend on BTDC warrant for probation violation, bond set at $1,000 cash only.

RELEASED: Juan Gonzalez Jr. of Houston, TX on GBMC case for DUI, driving with no headlights, no DL in possession, no seat belt, and expired tax after posting a $1,000 surety bond through Dyn-O-Mite Bail Bonding. Saline County District Court warrant for failure to appear after posting a $1,500 surety bond through Dyn-O-Mite Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Fernando Acosta of Great Bend on BTDC warrant for probation violation, cash bond of $1,063 posted.

6/24

BOOKED: Paige Vansteenburgh of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court case for driving while suspended, no insurance and expired tag with a bond set at $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Dimitt Riggs of Lyons on Barton County District Court warrant for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a hallucinogenic and possession of drug paraphernalia, bond set at $10,000 C/S. Stafford County District Court warrant for failure to appear, bond set at $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Jerome T. Maravilla on Barton County District Court warrant for failure to appear, bond of $5,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Julio Torres of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear, bond set at $250 C/S.

RELEASED: Paige Vansteenburgh on Great Bend Municipal Court warrant with a $1,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Jerome T. Maravilla on BCDC warrant for failure to appear with a $5,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Marcus Bryant of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence in full.

RELEASED: John Lynch of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence.

Eagle Media Center-12th and Baker: 1.48
Charles Austin-3 miles North of Alexander: .75
Steve Schneider- 2 ½ North of Albert: 1.50
Don Mie-Susank: 1.15
Red Maier-NW Ellinwood: 1.65
Fred Seyfert-Seward: 1.70
Barbara Merry-West of Galatia: 1.22
Marvin Schneider-South of Rush Center: 1.10
Great Bend COOP test Plot: 3 miles West of Great Bend: 1.20
Phil Grossardt-Bissell’s Point: 1.00
Dakota Tucker-St. John: 1.80
Kevin Soupiset-Quail Creek: 1.60

Have a rainfall total for us?  Call between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. to 792-2479 or e-mail dakota.tucker@eagleradio.net