The whole point of the City of Great Bend hosting events like Airfest is to give citizens a source of entertainment and to bring people from out of town into Great Bend. Airfest will be part of a huge weekend at the end of September that is being referred to as Mega Motor Weekend. The weekend also includes Lucas Oil SRCA races at the dragstrip and the Hahn Brothers Motocross Shootout.

Great Bend Community Coordinator Christina Hayes says the buzz is building.

Christina Hayes Audio

Hayes, getting ready for June Jaunt this weekend, noted the September dates could be an overwhelming weekend for the City’s hotels and restaurants, but it is a good way to advertise Great Bend.

Christina Hayes Audio

Rob Park, West Central Division Director for the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), mentioned Great Bend and the SRCA in the May 18^th edition of the National Dragster magazine. Park referred to September 27-30 as, “…what may be the most action-packed weekend in history…” The magazine has over one million subscribers.

The Barton County Commission continues to work as a four person board in the absence of 2nd District Commissioner Homer Kruckenberg. Kruckenberg continues to recover from a broken shoulder suffered during a fall in his home in early April. Kruckenberg was absent again Tuesday and has not been able to attend a meeting since April 9.

Kruckenberg is currently living and receiving rehabilitation therapy at Cherry Village in Great Bend, and according to Commissioner Don Davis, is trying to recover from a very serious injury.

Don Davis Audio

Due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also known as HIPAA, Commissioners could not elaborate on Kruckenberg’s health status when asked about it at the end of Tuesday’s meeting.

Commission Chair Jennifer Schartz did say that Kruckenberg continues to be paid during his absence and would continue to be unless he decided to step down from the board.

Jennifer Schartz Audio

Barton County Commissioners currently earn $21,070.40 per year for the elected position.

This year, the Barton County Courthouse turns 100 years old. Friday, citizens are invited to celebrate the centennial of the historic building by attending an open house and building birthday party starting at 12 noon.

Barton County Administrator Phil Hathcock talked about the weekend festivities during Tuesday’s County Commission meeting.

Phil Hathcock Audio

Construction on the Courthouse began in November of 1917 and was constructed for approximately a quarter million dollars.

Commission Chair Jennifer Schartz encourages the public to take a tour of the courthouse on Friday, not only to see some areas of the building that they might not have seen before, but to also see some of the needed repairs that are going to have to be made in the near future.

Jennifer Schartz Audio

A structural analysis of the Courthouse was recently completed to investigate the extent and estimated cost of repairs on the building that is having issues with the four outside corners separating from the center of the building on the 4th floor. The board has yet to publicly discuss that report and exactly how many dollars will be needed for repairs.

5/25

BOOKED: Evette Aguilera on GBMC for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Ashley Feil of Great Bend on Great Bend Police Department and Barton County District Court case for distribution of controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana with a bond set at $50,000 C/S. GBMC warrant for failure to appear with bond set at $1,000 C/S. GBMC warrant for failure to appear with bond set at $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Shirley Burrow of Great Bend on GBPD case for possession of methamphetamine, bond set in lieu of $10,000 C/S. GBMC warrant for failure to appear, no bond. GBMC warrant for failure to appear, no bond.

BOOKED: Tyler Schwager of Great Bend on Barton County District Court hold for contempt of court, hold for alcohol and drug evaluation.

BOOKED: Vanessa Thiel of Great Bend on revoked bond on BTDC case for probation violation and BTDC case for possession of controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, no bond.

BOOKED: Angelo Palermo of Arlington on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Castro Rodrigo of Great Bend on BTDC warrant for failure to appear, bond is set at $240 cash only.

BOOKED: Cristina Dominguez on Barton County District Court case for driving while suspended and driving without a driver’s license, with a bond set at $1,000 C/S. Wabaunsee County District Court warrant for failure to appear, bond set at $1,000 C/S.

RELEASED: John Carson of Wichita on Barton County District Court case for theft, criminal damage to property, posted bond amount of $5,000 through Dyn-O-Mite Bail Bonding. No hold through Dickenson County.

RELEASED: Castro Rodrigo of Great Bend on BTDC warrant for failure to appear, posted bond amount in cash $240 by the defendant.

5/26

BOOKED: Brandon Gordon on Hoisington Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear, bond set at $500 C/S.

BOOKED: Gage Dewald of Russell on Barton County District Court serve sentence.

BOOKED: Ryan Tallman of Newton on a Newton Municipal Court warrant for FTA, no bond.

RELEASED: Brandon Gordon on Hoisington Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear after posting a $500 surety bond through Dyn-O-Mite.

RELEASED: Cristina Dominguez of Great Bend on BCDC for DWS and no DL after she posted a $1,000 surety bond. Wabaunsee County District Court warrant for failure to appear after posting a $1,000 surety bond.

5/27

BOOKED: Dalton Bender of Great Bend on Hoisington Municipal Court case for no driver’s license with bond set at $1,000 C/S or 18-hour OR bond.

5/28

BOOKED: Shawny Burch of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for contempt of court, bond set at $1,482.50 cash only and GBMC warrant for failure to appear, bond set in lieu of $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Fernando Acosta of Great Bend on GBPD case for driving while revoked, illegal tag, bond set at $500 C/S or serve 48-hour OR bond.

BOOKED: Trinity Galliart of Great Bend on BTDC case for driving while suspended with prior convictions and failure to wear a seat belt, bond set at $2,500 C/S.

RELEASED: Dalton Bender of Great Bend on Hoisington Municipal Court case for no driver’s license after posting a $1,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Gage A. Dewald of Russell on BCDC case for serve sentence.

RELEASED: Fernando Acosta of Great Bend on GBPD case for driving while revoked, illegal tag, posted bond amount of $500 through Ace Bail Bonding.

RELEASED: Evette Aguilera on GBMC case for served sentence.

RELEASED: Angelo Palermo of Arlington, KS on BTDC case for serve sentence.

RELEASED: Trinity Galliart of Great Bend on BTDC case for driving while suspended with prior convictions and failure to wear a seat belt, posted bond amount of $2,500 through Dyn-O-Mite Bail Bonding.

Eagle Media Center-Great Bend: .70
Charles Austin-Great Bend: .90
Steve Schneider-North of Albert: 1.05
Jerry Morganstern-Hoisington 1.60
Don Mie-North Susank: .85
Red Maier-NW Ellinwood: .45
Fred Seyfert-Seward: .75
Barbara Merry-West of Galatia: 1.15
Marvin Schneider-South of Rush Center: .90
GB COOP Test Plot West of Great Bend: .80
Phil Grossardt-Bissell’s Point: 1.00
Joey Bahr-5 miles south of Albert: .87
Dakota Tucker-St. John: .50
Kevin Soupiset-Quail Creek: 1.00

Great Bend, Kansas–Low-income Kansas seniors may be eligible for a program that provides checks to purchase fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables and honey at farmers markets throughout the state.

The Kansas Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (KSFMNP) is providing low-income seniors who meet age and income requirements with $30 in checks to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and honey from authorized farmers at local participating farmers markets June 1 through Nov. 1. Checks are available in $5 increments.

To be eligible to receive KSFMNP checks, the following criteria must be met:
1. Age: A senior must be 60 years old or older on the day the money is issued.
2. Income level: A senior’s annual gross household income (before taxes are withheld) must be at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. For example, a household of one must have an annual gross income at or below $22,459 or a monthly gross income at or below $1,872.

The Chronic Disease Risk Reduction Program Coordinator manages the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program for Barton and Stafford Counties. Applications for the Kansas Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program will be available on Monday, June 4, at Barton County Health Department. from 9 am to Noon, and 1 pm to 4 pm.

On Tuesday, June 5, seniors may apply at Great Bend Senior Center from 9am to Noon. On Wednesday, June 6, seniors may apply at Hoisington Friendship Meal Site from 11 am until 1 pm.

Funds are limited and benefits will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about the Kansas Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, call Janel Rose, Barton County Health Department at 620-793-1902.

Eligible foods to purchase with the KSFMNP checks from authorized farmers at participating farmers markets are defined as “fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables, locally produced honey and herbs for human consumption that are produced in Kansas under normal growing conditions.”

The Senior Farmers’ Market Program is a project of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The program is coordinated by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), which is collaborating with local partners to identify and distribute checks to eligible seniors.

The program is currently available in the following counties: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Douglas, Doniphan, Ellsworth, Finney, Franklin, Geary, Harvey, Jewell, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Labette,
Lincoln, Linn, Leavenworth, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Mitchell, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Stafford, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Wyandotte.