The Barton County Road and Bridge Department has announced it will close two miles of SE 20 Road from SE 60 Avenue to SE 80 Avenue to replace a culvert.

The road will be closed June 10 through June 16 to all traffic.

If you have questions, please call the Road and Bridge Office at (620)793-1816.

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Local FFA members were among the 60 Kansas students awarded $1,000 Ford Trucks/Built Ford Tough Scholarships during the third session of the 90th Kansas FFA State Convention, May 30–June 1, 2018, on the Kansas State University campus.

The Built Ford Tough FFA Scholarship Program recognizes FFA members’ talents and accomplishments while encouraging their future academic achievements.

“We’re proud to recognize these student leaders for their commitment to FFA and the leadership they display in their chapters and their communities,” said Marie Reveles, Kansas FFA State Secretary. “We appreciate this financial support from Ford Trucks/Built Ford Tough which will further these students’ educational goals.”

This year’s recipients are from: Abilene — Elise Jones; Anderson County — Tessa Jirak, Shylie Scheckel; Arkansas City — Lindsay Noland; Atwood  — Cauy Hayes; Buhler — Jacob Milburn, Lawson Schultz; Burlington — Cody Collins; Central Heights — Tyler Roberts; Centralia — Josh Hasenkamp; Centre — Max Svoboda; Chapman — Lindsey Anderson, Jamie Rock; Cheney — Sam Reno; Cherryvale — Colben Dodson, Natalee Morris; Cheylin — Rachel Keltz; Clay Center — Garrett Craig; Colby — Hayden Reinert; Columbus — Dylan Helwig; Ellinwood — Katelyn Reh; Ellis — Jaylinn Pfeifer; Ell-Saline — Bryce Lange; Erie — Katie Malone; Fort Scott — Kaleb Guilfoyle; Garden City — Abigail Murrell; Girard — Jessica Brynds; Goodland — Blaine Sederstorm; Haven — Connor Peirce, Sydnee Shive; Hillsboro — Callyan Lacio; Holcomb — Emma Mangels; Holton — Mason Chanay; Horton — Krstin Becker, Callie Hoobler; Humboldt — Hunter Nickell; Inman — Alyssa Leslie, Elizabeth Wood; Iola — Isaiah Wicoff; Jackson Heights — Judd Nelson; Labette County — Shyanne Jones; Louisburg — Kaitlyn Urban; Manhattan — Kyndall Norris; Marais des Cygnes Valley — Kali Holt; Marmaton Valley — Emily Smart; Marysville — Michaela Forst; McLouth — Emma Jolley; Minneapolis — Courtney Walker; Ottawa — Travis Lutz; Paola — Garrett Davidson; Riverton — Devin Elliott; Pleasant Ridge — Ariana Horton; Pleasanton — Logan Mattingley; Renwick — Peyton Niemann; Republic County — Amanda Baxa; Southwestern Heights — Emily Headrick; St. Francis — Mattisen Witzel; Tonganoxie — Rebekah Martin; Wellington — Abby Lowe; Wichita Southeast — Serenity Radford.

In Monday’s consent agenda at the Great Bend City Council meeting, there was the letter of resignation from Public Works Director Charlie Suchy. Suchy mentioned in his letter that it was an early retirement after working for the City of Great Bend for 33 years.

The Public Works Director oversees the street, sanitation, water, and sewer divisions.

Councilmember Jolene Biggs noted working for the City for over three decades warranted something to be said.

Jolene Biggs Audio

Suchy’s retirement takes effect June 8, 2018 but his last day of work was May 25, using vacation time to finish out his stint with the City. Suchy was appointed the Director position in August of 2016 following the retirement of Don Craig.

Great Bend Chamber of Commerce CEO Jan Peters appreciated working with Suchy.

Jan Peters Audio

In his letter of resignation Suchy stated, “I had a vision with an amazing staff that worked hard as a team to help accomplish this vision, unfortunately I will fall short because of my early retirement. I am fully confident that the Public Works staff will continue to follow this vision successfully if they have the proper support needed.”

The City Council or City Administration did not mention a timeline or procedure to find Suchy’s replacement.

In other Council news from June 4, 2018…

– Peters says the Kansas Legislature passed a Senate Bill to establish a transportation task force for a purpose of bringing back a highway program. State Representative Troy Waymaster and Venture Corporation’s Kip Spray will be members of the committee.

– Peters noted that political candidates are reaching out to request stops in Great Bend. Governor Jeff Colyer will be in Great Bend Wednesday afternoon to view the downtown area after approving “Opportunity Zones” to the City. Independent candidate for Governor Greg Orman will be in town Thursday.

– With a 6-2 vote, the City Council approved the application and permitted the hooking onto the City sewer line for the 3208 Railroad Avenue property, outside of city limits. The property is owned by Richard Suchy.

– Following the meeting, local agencies went before the City Council during the annual budget requests to describe what their agency does and why they need the funding. Below are the agencies that Great Bend helps fund with their 2018 fiscal budget and their 2019 request. The City Council will continue budget discussions throughout the summer.

Barton County Fair
2018 Budget: $8,000
2019 Request: $10,000

Great Bend Beautification 
2018 Budget: $2,000
2019 Request: $2,000

Great Bend City Band
2018 Budget: $2,500
2019 Request: $2,500

Sunflower Diversified Services – Recylcing
2018 Budget: $18,000
2019 Request: $18,000

Barton County Historical Society
2018 Budget: $10,000
2019 Request: $10,000

Great Bend Senior Center
2018 Budget: $215,969
2019 Request: $234,254

Tree Board
2018 Budget: $4,000
2019 Request: $5,000

Golden Belt Humane Society
2018 Budget: $85,000
2019 Request: $89,250

Great Bend Public Library
2018 Budget: $727,000
2019 Request: $755,050

The Barton County Relay for Life, a way to raise funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society, takes place Friday at Veterans Park in Great Bend. Monday, Barton County Commissioners passed a proclamation as a means of showing their support for the local event.

Commission Chair Jennifer Schartz read the proclamation which was fitting because of the way cancer has affected her family.

Jennifer Schartz Audio

Schartz will again read that proclamation Friday during the opening ceremony at Veterans Park, then join husband Shannon in leading the opening lap.

That opening Ceremony starts at 6 p.m. and the Relay will go until 2 a.m.

Everyone is urged to become a Super Hero and form a team today and help out with this American Cancer Society Fund Raiser. Find out more on Facebook or call Kim Peach at 785-639-3603.

Incumbents Kenny Schremmer and Jennifer Schartz will run unopposed for another term on the Barton County Commission in the 1st and 5th Districts respectively.

Alicia Straub in the 4th District will not. Straub, who will be seeking a second term as 4th District Commissioner, will be challenged by lifelong Barton County resident Randy Suchy.

Randy Suchy Audio

Suchy says he has been thinking about running for a spot on the Commission for the past 10 years but only recently decided to run after being what he called both “encouraged and pushed” to seek a spot on the board.

The 4th District was changed in February to better reflect population trends in the county and now encompasses the southern part of the county and a small section of Great Bend on the southern part of the city.

Randy Suchy Audio

Straub and Suchy are both Republicans meaning they will square off in the primary that will take place on August 7.

The filing deadline was at noon on Friday and included County Commission, City Council’s in Great Bend, Hoisington and Ellinwood along with one position of the Ellinwood District Hospital Board.

For a complete listing of candidates and races, visit bartoncounty.org.

6/1

BOOKED: Corbin Cale of Great Bend on BTDC warrant for probation violation, no bond. BTDC case for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine, obstruction, bond is set at $10,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Alex Herren of Abilene on BTDC warrant for probation violation with no bond. BTDC warrant for probation violation with no bond x3.

BOOKED: Nicholas Ney of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: James Jackson of Great Bend on GBMC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Michael Hurd of Topeka on BTDC warrant for failure to appear, bond set at $1,000 cash only.

BOOKED: Travis Watkins of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for contempt of court, bond set at $967.50 cash only or 76 days in jail. GBMC warrant for contempt of court, bond set at $1,035 cash only or 180 days in jail.

BOOKED: Randal Long of Garden City on BTDC case for serve sentence.

RELEASED: Omar Dominguez-Campos of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court case for no driver’s license and run stop sign after receiving a 48-hour OR bond.

RELEASED: Rodney Jay Miller on BCDC case for possession with intent to distribute, possession of paraphernalia with intent to distribute, possession of paraphernalia, no registration, no tag, notice to change of address, failure to wear seat belt and trafficking contraband into a correctional facility with a $100,000 OR bond.

RELEASED: Amy T. Valdez on Great Bend Municipal Court serve sentence.

RELEASED: Kimberly Trimmer of Ellinwood on EMC case for serve sentence.

RELEASED: Amy Ferguson of Hudson for BCDC case for trafficking in contraband, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, one way glass violation after posting a $40,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

6/2

BOOKED: Jordan Levingston of Great Bend on Barton County District Court case for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving under the influence with bond set at $2,500 C/S.

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

BOOKED: Evette Aguilera of Great Bend on GBMC case for serve sentence.

RELEASED: Jordan Levingston of Great Bend on Barton County District Court case for marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving under the influence after posting a $2,500 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Cristina Dominguez of Great Bend on BCDC warrant for failure to appear after posting $200 cash.

RELEASED: James Jackson of Great Bend on GBMC case for serve sentence.

6/3

BOOKED: Brent Corwin of Downs on Osborne County District Court warrant for criminal trespass, criminal possession of a firearm, and interference with LEO with a bond set at $15,000 C/S.

RELEASED: Marcus Bryant of Great Bend on Barton County District Court case after serving partial sentence.

RELEASED: Evette Aguilera of Great Bend on GBMC case for serve sentence.

RELEASED: Randal Long of Garden City on BTDC case for serve sentence.

Before returning to our discussion regarding grasses and broadleaves, a drought update. The Drought Monitor Report, updated as of Tuesday, May 29^th, shows easing of drought conditions.  In the NW and SE corners of Kansas, the drought is gone and there is easing throughout much of the rest of the state.  The rains of the last several days should reflect further easing next week, however, the well above normal temperatures towards the end of this past week will somewhat erase some of the benefits.  At least much of the state now has the needed moisture to finish the wheat crop, benefit pastures and alfalfa greatly, and help the spring row crops establish strongly.  Now back to the topic at hand there are two more differences between grasses and broadleaf crops to mention.

• Pollination – Broadleaves typically rely on help in achieving pollination such as insects, bats, and birds. That normally isn’t a huge problem until the pollinators aren’t around.  If you pay the least bit of attention to agriculture news reports, it is virtually impossible to miss the declining European Honeybee populations being dealt with in the U.S. and other areas.  While there are many types of bees, producers of fruits, vegetables, and other crops such as alfalfa rely on these bee for pollination.  This is a weakness for these types of plants as having to rely on another organism to pollinate can lead to disaster if the organisms aren’t present.  Many plant items we rely on from broadleaves are in danger if the pollinators become scarce or disappear.  In California, the value of bee pollinated crops is in the hundreds of millions of dollars. While we didn’t go into differences here, grasses and broadleaves have markedly different flower structures.  Grasses lack petals and sepals since they don’t need petals as they don’t need to attract pollinators.  Instead grasses are self- or wind- pollinated.  This has the advantage of not needing to rely on another organism for seed production and is considered more evolutionarily advanced.
• Vascular system – Both types of plants have a vascular system. Xylem to transport water and nutrients from the roots throughout the plant and phloem to transport the products of photosynthesis throughout the plant for growth and reproduction.  Typically grasses such as corn and grain sorghum have vascular bundles scattered throughout the pith of the stem.  Broadleaves have their vascular bundles on the outer edge of the stem.  The easiest way to think of this is a deciduous tree such as an oak or maple.  Most know you can determine the age of the tree by counting the rings.  Each year is a ring with the youngest wood (xylem) on the outside.  Just beneath the bark are the actively growing vascular bundles.  This is why if you girdle a tree, cut into the trunk about an inch all the way around, you kill the tree as you have severed the vascular system.

There are many more differences between the two types of plants that matter but hopefully this provides a brief overview of basic differences and why they matter.