RUSSELL COUNTY — The severe storm cell that rolled across central Kansas Thursday night produced several tornadoes and brought heavy rain to Russell, Lincoln and northwest Saline counties.

The National Weather Service reported up to 6 and 7 inches of rain&nbsp; in central and northeast Russell county over the past 24 hours.&nbsp;

There are reports of some hail damage, a couple of vehicles blown off Interstate 70 but no reports of injury from Thursday's storms.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656065313129.png" alt="Just before 7:30p.m. Thursday, this tornado touched down two miles west of Glendale off Interstate 70 in rural Saline County- Photo by meteorologist Adrian Campa courtesy KWCH&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Just before 7:30p.m. Thursday, this tornado touched down two miles west of Glendale off Interstate 70 in rural Saline County- Photo by meteorologist Adrian Campa courtesy KWCH&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>RUSSELL COUNTY — The severe storm cell that rolled across central Kansas Thursday night produced several tornadoes and brought heavy rain to Russell, Lincoln and northwest Saline counties.The National Weather Service reported up to 6 and 7 inches of rain&nbsp; in central and northeast Russell county over the past 24 hours.&nbsp;There are reports of some hail damage, a couple of vehicles blown off Interstate 70 but no reports of injury from Thursday's storms.

Thursday night's storm produced tornadoes, heavy rain

Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, headquartered in Hays, Kan., has launched a nationwide search for its next president and chief executive officer, following the retirement of current President and CEO Stuart Lowry. The Sunflower Board of Directors has retained CarterBaldwin Executive Search as a partner for the search. The search process will be led by Chris Guiney, who leads CarterBaldwin’s energy and infrastructure practice.

In 1957, six western Kansas distribution cooperatives formed Sunflower on the cooperative business model as a source for wholesale generation and transmission services. As distribution cooperatives, they understood the importance of the seven cooperative principles, the importance of creating a company that focuses not on profit but on the best interest of Kansans and their way of life.

Today, Sunflower’s members include six member distribution cooperatives and one wholly owned subsidiary serving consumer-members in 58 central and western Kansas counties. The focus of Sunflower’s 400+ workforce is to deliver its seven members with reliable energy at the lowest possible cost via a diverse fuel electric generation mix, including both traditional and renewable resources, and more than 2,400 miles of high-voltage transmission line.

To learn more about the CEO opportunity at Sunflower, please click here. Interested candidates should submit a personal letter of interest addressed to the Sunflower Board of Directors and résumé to SunflowerCEO@carterbaldwin.com. For most favorable consideration, application materials should be submitted by August 31, 2022.

About CarterBaldwin Executive Search CarterBaldwin is a retained executive search firm that partners with leading corporations, organizations, and institutions to help them build exceptional leadership teams. Its practice leaders have more than 100 years of combined executive search experience and are focused on delivering excellent results tailored to the unique goals and needs of every client. With C-level corporate search as its foundation,

CarterBaldwin has expanded its client portfolio to include non-profit and academic sectors and has evolved from a regional firm to a national firm with international reach.

CarterBaldwin’s Energy and Infrastructure practice serves clients across the gas, electric power, renewables, cleantech, telecom, water, waste, mining, construction, and related infrastructure projects. As the energy and infrastructure sectors continue to rebound and with more focus on energy and infrastructure investing than ever before, CarterBaldwin has established a leadership position developing and building executive teams for its clients.

About Sunflower—Sunflower’s member cooperatives include Lane-Scott Electric Cooperative, Dighton; Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Ulysses; Prairie Land Electric Cooperative, Norton; The Victory Electric Cooperative Association, Dodge City; Western Cooperative Electric Association, WaKeeney; and Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Scott City, Kansas. Southern Pioneer Electric Company is also a Member of Sunflower. Visit Sunflower’s website at http://www.sunflower.net

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655993013966.jpeg" alt="Stuart Lowry" />
 <figcaption>Stuart Lowry</figcaption>
 </figure>Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, headquartered in Hays, Kan., has launched a nationwide search for its next president and chief executive officer, following the retirement of current President and CEO Stuart Lowry. The Sunflower Board of Directors has retained CarterBaldwin Executive Search as a partner for the search. The search process will be led by Chris Guiney, who leads CarterBaldwin’s energy and infrastructure practice.In 1957, six western Kansas distribution cooperatives formed Sunflower on the cooperative business model as a source for wholesale generation and transmission services. As distribution cooperatives, they understood the importance of the seven cooperative principles, the importance of creating a company that focuses not on profit but on the best interest of Kansans and their way of life.Today, Sunflower’s members include six member distribution cooperatives and one wholly owned subsidiary serving consumer-members in 58 central and western Kansas counties. The focus of Sunflower’s 400+ workforce is to deliver its seven members with reliable energy at the lowest possible cost via a diverse fuel electric generation mix, including both traditional and renewable resources, and more than 2,400 miles of high-voltage transmission line.To learn more about the CEO opportunity at Sunflower, please click here. Interested candidates should submit a personal letter of interest addressed to the Sunflower Board of Directors and résumé to SunflowerCEO@carterbaldwin.com. For most favorable consideration, application materials should be submitted by August 31, 2022.About CarterBaldwin Executive Search CarterBaldwin is a retained executive search firm that partners with leading corporations, organizations, and institutions to help them build exceptional leadership teams. Its practice leaders have more than 100 years of combined executive search experience and are focused on delivering excellent results tailored to the unique goals and needs of every client. With C-level corporate search as its foundation,CarterBaldwin has expanded its client portfolio to include non-profit and academic sectors and has evolved from a regional firm to a national firm with international reach.CarterBaldwin’s Energy and Infrastructure practice serves clients across the gas, electric power, renewables, cleantech, telecom, water, waste, mining, construction, and related infrastructure projects. As the energy and infrastructure sectors continue to rebound and with more focus on energy and infrastructure investing than ever before, CarterBaldwin has established a leadership position developing and building executive teams for its clients.About Sunflower—Sunflower’s member cooperatives include Lane-Scott Electric Cooperative, Dighton; Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Ulysses; Prairie Land Electric Cooperative, Norton; The Victory Electric Cooperative Association, Dodge City; Western Cooperative Electric Association, WaKeeney; and Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Scott City, Kansas. Southern Pioneer Electric Company is also a Member of Sunflower. Visit Sunflower’s website at http://www.sunflower.net

Sunflower Electric announces nationwide search for new CEO

Barton County Conservation Connection

By COLE REIF Great Bend Post

The Barton County Health Department is moving forward with purchasing new
signage outside their office at 1300 Kansas Avenue in Great Bend. 
Health Director Karen Winkelman said the department solicited a request for
proposals (RFP) for a new LED digital sign, software and cabling. The health department received one bid
from Mark’s Custom Signs. "Unfortunately, this bid did not meet the requirements of the RFP because it did not include the electrical work in it," said Winkelman. "I have contacted a local electrician to see what it would entail. It looks like the estimate would be over the $5,000." 
The Barton County Commission approved the bid from Mark’s Custom Signs for $51,096
for the sign only. The health department will now send out another request for
proposals to handle the electrical work.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642700307990.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostThe Barton County Health Department is moving forward with purchasing new
signage outside their office at 1300 Kansas Avenue in Great Bend. 
Health Director Karen Winkelman said the department solicited a request for
proposals (RFP) for a new LED digital sign, software and cabling. The health department received one bid
from Mark’s Custom Signs. "Unfortunately, this bid did not meet the requirements of the RFP because it did not include the electrical work in it," said Winkelman. "I have contacted a local electrician to see what it would entail. It looks like the estimate would be over the $5,000." 
The Barton County Commission approved the bid from Mark’s Custom Signs for $51,096
for the sign only. The health department will now send out another request for
proposals to handle the electrical work.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Barton Co. Health Dept. to buy new digital sign

Beyond the standard germination test, most professional seed testing labs offer an Accelerated Aging (AA) test that will test seed for anticipated emergence vigor.

This test is very capable of identifying weak seed lots where there are issues with Fusarium head scab; heating in the bin; or smaller, development-stressed seed. Briefly, in an AA test the seed is subjected to a high temperature (106 degrees F) and high moisture stress for 72 hours before planting. This accelerates the aging process of the seed. The resulting seedlings are then counted the same as with a standard germination test. The weak seed in the population will be pushed beyond the capability of germinating into a normal seedling.

When to test: Because seed vigor will only decline over time, testing close to planting time will give the best prediction of field performance. However, if there are questions about whether there has been stress-related physiological damage to the seed, it might be best to have the AA test done shortly after harvest before investing in storage, cleaning and seed treatments.

What the results mean: Ideally the AA score should be relatively close to the standard germination score. This would mean the seed lot has the greatest capability of emerging under a wide array of field conditions. While high vigor seed will be more forgiving, it is noteworthy that much of the crop’s ultimate success also depends on management practices, such as how the seed is planted, depth of planting, whether the soil gets crusted over by a hard rain before emergence, and other factors beyond seed quality. Even high vigor seed lots may not produce satisfactory stands if field conditions are extreme.

If the seed has an AA germination score considerably lower than the standard germination test, this indicates the seed has reduced vigor and is more at risk when planted. Reduced vigor seed lots may still be planted and are capable of producing adequate stands, however producers must pay extra attention to planting conditions, planting rates and will likely benefit from the protection of a fungicide seed treatment.

The real point is that knowing seed quality is critical and producers need not necessarily dump low vigor seed, nor is high vigor seed guaranteed to make a stand under any conditions. Management practices play a big role in how well the seed performs. Producers just have to pay extra attention to their management practices and have a little extra good luck on their side if they plant seed with low AA scores.

To get an AA test on your wheat seed you can contact your local County or District Extension office or go to the Kansas Crop Improvement Association web site https://www.kscrop.org/

Information provided by Eric Fabrizius, Associate Director, Kansas Crop Improvement Association.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655755839768.jpeg" alt="written by: Stacy Campbell - Cottonwood Extension District" />
 <figcaption>written by: Stacy Campbell - Cottonwood Extension District</figcaption>
 </figure>Beyond the standard germination test, most professional seed testing labs offer an Accelerated Aging (AA) test that will test seed for anticipated emergence vigor.This test is very capable of identifying weak seed lots where there are issues with Fusarium head scab; heating in the bin; or smaller, development-stressed seed. Briefly, in an AA test the seed is subjected to a high temperature (106 degrees F) and high moisture stress for 72 hours before planting. This accelerates the aging process of the seed. The resulting seedlings are then counted the same as with a standard germination test. The weak seed in the population will be pushed beyond the capability of germinating into a normal seedling.When to test: Because seed vigor will only decline over time, testing close to planting time will give the best prediction of field performance. However, if there are questions about whether there has been stress-related physiological damage to the seed, it might be best to have the AA test done shortly after harvest before investing in storage, cleaning and seed treatments.What the results mean: Ideally the AA score should be relatively close to the standard germination score. This would mean the seed lot has the greatest capability of emerging under a wide array of field conditions. While high vigor seed will be more forgiving, it is noteworthy that much of the crop’s ultimate success also depends on management practices, such as how the seed is planted, depth of planting, whether the soil gets crusted over by a hard rain before emergence, and other factors beyond seed quality. Even high vigor seed lots may not produce satisfactory stands if field conditions are extreme.If the seed has an AA germination score considerably lower than the standard germination test, this indicates the seed has reduced vigor and is more at risk when planted. Reduced vigor seed lots may still be planted and are capable of producing adequate stands, however producers must pay extra attention to planting conditions, planting rates and will likely benefit from the protection of a fungicide seed treatment.The real point is that knowing seed quality is critical and producers need not necessarily dump low vigor seed, nor is high vigor seed guaranteed to make a stand under any conditions. Management practices play a big role in how well the seed performs. Producers just have to pay extra attention to their management practices and have a little extra good luck on their side if they plant seed with low AA scores.To get an AA test on your wheat seed you can contact your local County or District Extension office or go to the Kansas Crop Improvement Association web site https://www.kscrop.org/Information provided by Eric Fabrizius, Associate Director, Kansas Crop Improvement Association.

CAMPBELL: Accelerated Aging test on seed for emergence vigor

Hear this week's City Edition episode with Eagle Radio's Steve Webster and Great Bend Network Administrator James Cell that aired June 22, 2022.

The City Edition program airs every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. on 1590 KVGB &amp; 95.5 FM.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596658271505.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hear this week's City Edition episode with Eagle Radio's Steve Webster and Great Bend Network Administrator James Cell that aired June 22, 2022.<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/vgmb0k5b/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>The City Edition program airs every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. on 1590 KVGB &amp; 95.5 FM.&nbsp;

🎙City Edition: Network Administrator James Cell

Great Bend’s Speech Team wrapped up its 2021-22 season with a strong showing at the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) Tournament held during the week of June 11-17. Five Panthers represented GBHS at the national tournament. This was the most students that Great Bend had qualified for the national tournament in several years. They joined nearly 5000 other competitors in Louisville, Kentucky, to debate current events, voice their views, and share their stories.

Among the participants was freshman Darcy Feist in Original Oration. Her persuasive speech argued that competitive travel sports leagues can be very costly, place too much of a time commitment on families and cause burnout in young athletes. After she was eliminated from the oratory competition, Feist shared a prose interpretation entitled “Story on Page 6.” 

Feist was very excited about her nationals experience and said, “the competition gave me an opportunity to learn so many new things. Getting to hear people’s speeches from around the country gave me 10 minute insights into a lot of problems we are facing, and I saw a few amazing pieces I think I can try to find for next year in the prose category.” 

GBHS Forensics Coach, Kim Heath, commented that Darcy “earned her spot on the national team through consistent goal setting, hard work and improvement. I can’t wait to watch her grow and succeed during these next three years.”

The Panthers entered two teams in Duo Interpretation. Sophomore Milena Carbajal and junior Alondra Alvarez performed a cutting from The House on Mango. The girls cut their selection from a series of vignettes to capture the theme of not letting the allure of growing up threaten true friendships. After they were eliminated from Duo Interpretation, Alvarez and Carbajal both entered the Original Spoken Word Poetry competition where they crafted emotional performances through the creative arrangement of words, rhythm and sound. 

Mrs. Heath described their performances as “absolutely beautiful” and praised Alondra and Milena’s commitment to their work. 

Alvarez added, “Nationals was one of the greatest experiences I’ve had throughout all of high school. Milena and I worked very hard on our piece with the help of Mr. and Mrs. Heath. I am so glad we were able to see how it would do against some of the greatest actors in our nation. Competition was tough but I met some extremely talented people. I had a blast hanging out with my team and being able to enjoy an amazing week in Louisville.”

Recent 2022 graduates Isaiah Smith and Malachi Wasson presented a cutting from the play Columbinus to focus attention on the mental health crisis faced by America’s students and share their fear of violence following news of recent mass shootings. This was the pair's third time competing at nationals, but the first time they were able to experience it in person. Despite facing tough competition, including students who placed last year and others who went on to compete in late elimination rounds this year, Smith and Wasson still performed very well. They earned several first place rankings and just missed breaking in the top 60 of 225 duo interpretations. 

“The development of Columbinus was an excellent capstone performance for these young men representing hours of hard work and analysis,” said Coach Heath.

Following elimination from Duo Interpretation, Smith entered extemporaneous debate where students debated in a one-on-one format with limited prep time to prepare for the topic they were to debate. Each round Smith debated a unique resolution and was given thirty minutes to prepare for the round. Smith was victorious in half of his debates. 

He explained that “the opportunity to meet new people from across the country all sharing the same passion and love for forensics as I do was the best part of nationals.”

Wasson entered Impromptu Speaking and Storytelling as his supplemental events. In Impromptu Speaking, Wasson broke into the first elimination round which placed him in the top 120 out of almost 400 competitors. In Storytelling he shared the imaginative story of Pecorino's First Concert and made it past the second elimination round and into the top 60 of 337 competitors. 

He noted that the moment “when the results finally came out for top 60 in storytelling and I saw my code was the most memorable of the whole tournament.”

“Isaiah and Malachi will be greatly missed,” shared Heath. “The most rewarding part of being their coach is seeing how they have grown over the last four years. In our program they each have developed grit, self-confidence and responsibility – all traits that will help them as they move on into college and life.”

Finally, during the Donus D. Roberts Diamond Assembly, Coach Kim Heath was awarded her 2nd diamond award from the National Speech and Debate Association. The two-diamond pin represents excellence and longevity with a minimum of ten years of speech and debate coaching and 30,000 student points. Each point represents hours of dedication, service and practice with her students.

Coach Heath also shared that her team will soon begin preparing for next season by analyzing the new debate topic. Next year’s debate resolution is focused on emerging technologies around the world, as well as the growing global geo-political crisis surrounding them. The official resolution reads as follows: The United States federal government should substantially increase its security cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in one or more of the following areas: artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cybersecurity. 

“Our future looks bright,” added Heath, “and I am excited to continue building on our success next year.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656001663448.jpeg" alt="Malachi Wasson, Alondra Alvarez, Kim Heath, Darcy Feist, Milena Carbajal and Isaiah Smith" />
 <figcaption>Malachi Wasson, Alondra Alvarez, Kim Heath, Darcy Feist, Milena Carbajal and Isaiah Smith</figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend’s Speech Team wrapped up its 2021-22 season with a strong showing at the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) Tournament held during the week of June 11-17. Five Panthers represented GBHS at the national tournament. This was the most students that Great Bend had qualified for the national tournament in several years. They joined nearly 5000 other competitors in Louisville, Kentucky, to debate current events, voice their views, and share their stories.Among the participants was freshman Darcy Feist in Original Oration. Her persuasive speech argued that competitive travel sports leagues can be very costly, place too much of a time commitment on families and cause burnout in young athletes. After she was eliminated from the oratory competition, Feist shared a prose interpretation entitled “Story on Page 6.” Feist was very excited about her nationals experience and said, “the competition gave me an opportunity to learn so many new things. Getting to hear people’s speeches from around the country gave me 10 minute insights into a lot of problems we are facing, and I saw a few amazing pieces I think I can try to find for next year in the prose category.” GBHS Forensics Coach, Kim Heath, commented that Darcy “earned her spot on the national team through consistent goal setting, hard work and improvement. I can’t wait to watch her grow and succeed during these next three years.”The Panthers entered two teams in Duo Interpretation. Sophomore Milena Carbajal and junior Alondra Alvarez performed a cutting from The House on Mango. The girls cut their selection from a series of vignettes to capture the theme of not letting the allure of growing up threaten true friendships. After they were eliminated from Duo Interpretation, Alvarez and Carbajal both entered the Original Spoken Word Poetry competition where they crafted emotional performances through the creative arrangement of words, rhythm and sound. Mrs. Heath described their performances as “absolutely beautiful” and praised Alondra and Milena’s commitment to their work. Alvarez added, “Nationals was one of the greatest experiences I’ve had throughout all of high school. Milena and I worked very hard on our piece with the help of Mr. and Mrs. Heath. I am so glad we were able to see how it would do against some of the greatest actors in our nation. Competition was tough but I met some extremely talented people. I had a blast hanging out with my team and being able to enjoy an amazing week in Louisville.”Recent 2022 graduates Isaiah Smith and Malachi Wasson presented a cutting from the play Columbinus to focus attention on the mental health crisis faced by America’s students and share their fear of violence following news of recent mass shootings. This was the pair's third time competing at nationals, but the first time they were able to experience it in person. Despite facing tough competition, including students who placed last year and others who went on to compete in late elimination rounds this year, Smith and Wasson still performed very well. They earned several first place rankings and just missed breaking in the top 60 of 225 duo interpretations. “The development of Columbinus was an excellent capstone performance for these young men representing hours of hard work and analysis,” said Coach Heath.Following elimination from Duo Interpretation, Smith entered extemporaneous debate where students debated in a one-on-one format with limited prep time to prepare for the topic they were to debate. Each round Smith debated a unique resolution and was given thirty minutes to prepare for the round. Smith was victorious in half of his debates. He explained that “the opportunity to meet new people from across the country all sharing the same passion and love for forensics as I do was the best part of nationals.”Wasson entered Impromptu Speaking and Storytelling as his supplemental events. In Impromptu Speaking, Wasson broke into the first elimination round which placed him in the top 120 out of almost 400 competitors. In Storytelling he shared the imaginative story of Pecorino's First Concert and made it past the second elimination round and into the top 60 of 337 competitors. He noted that the moment “when the results finally came out for top 60 in storytelling and I saw my code was the most memorable of the whole tournament.”“Isaiah and Malachi will be greatly missed,” shared Heath. “The most rewarding part of being their coach is seeing how they have grown over the last four years. In our program they each have developed grit, self-confidence and responsibility – all traits that will help them as they move on into college and life.”Finally, during the Donus D. Roberts Diamond Assembly, Coach Kim Heath was awarded her 2nd diamond award from the National Speech and Debate Association. The two-diamond pin represents excellence and longevity with a minimum of ten years of speech and debate coaching and 30,000 student points. Each point represents hours of dedication, service and practice with her students.Coach Heath also shared that her team will soon begin preparing for next season by analyzing the new debate topic. Next year’s debate resolution is focused on emerging technologies around the world, as well as the growing global geo-political crisis surrounding them. The official resolution reads as follows: The United States federal government should substantially increase its security cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in one or more of the following areas: artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cybersecurity. “Our future looks bright,” added Heath, “and I am excited to continue building on our success next year.”

Great Bend HS competes at National Speech and Debate Tournament

Hundreds of Midwest Energy customers have received scam calls claiming that Evergy, a large utility serving areas of eastern Kansas, has purchased the Hays-based cooperative and that their last payment didn’t go through. Another variation of this scam states the two companies merged, and customers need to provide their banking information so future payments are unaffected.

“There is nothing accurate about these calls,” said Jenna Zeman, Midwest’s Director of Customer Service. “Midwest Energy has not been purchased by Evergy, and these are just another attempt by scammers to separate people from their money.”

Zeman said this summer, scammers have been working extra hard in trying to con customers, often threatening immediate disconnection if the customer doesn’t make an immediate payment.

“They make dozens, sometimes hundreds of calls a day, using ‘spoofing’ software to make it appear that the call originates from the 785 or 620 area code,” Zeman said. “We believe it’s likely these calls are originating from overseas.”

· A customer receives a call from a scammer, who informs immediate payment is needed to avoid disconnection within the next 30 minutes.

· The scammer insists that payment can only be made by credit card, or by purchasing a gift card or prepaid debit card at a local store. The scammer directs the customer to a nearby retailer to purchase the card, and to scratch off the gift card’s number and read back the code. Once a person does this, that money is gone forever with little hope of recovery.

“Midwest Energy does not accept gift cards as a form of payment,” Zeman said. “If your account is delinquent, our first contact with you is always by a mailed letter, not an email or a phone call. And we never dictate a method of payment to the customer. How a customer chooses to pay is up to them,” she added.

Zeman said the simplest way to avoid falling victim to scams is to never provide payment information on a call that you didn’t initiate. “If someone calls claiming to be Midwest Energy, the safest thing to do is simply hang up and call us at 1-800-222-3121,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655922068448.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hundreds of Midwest Energy customers have received scam calls claiming that Evergy, a large utility serving areas of eastern Kansas, has purchased the Hays-based cooperative and that their last payment didn’t go through. Another variation of this scam states the two companies merged, and customers need to provide their banking information so future payments are unaffected.“There is nothing accurate about these calls,” said Jenna Zeman, Midwest’s Director of Customer Service. “Midwest Energy has not been purchased by Evergy, and these are just another attempt by scammers to separate people from their money.”Zeman said this summer, scammers have been working extra hard in trying to con customers, often threatening immediate disconnection if the customer doesn’t make an immediate payment.“They make dozens, sometimes hundreds of calls a day, using ‘spoofing’ software to make it appear that the call originates from the 785 or 620 area code,” Zeman said. “We believe it’s likely these calls are originating from overseas.”Here’s how the scams typically work:· A customer receives a call from a scammer, who informs immediate payment is needed to avoid disconnection within the next 30 minutes.· The scammer insists that payment can only be made by credit card, or by purchasing a gift card or prepaid debit card at a local store. The scammer directs the customer to a nearby retailer to purchase the card, and to scratch off the gift card’s number and read back the code. Once a person does this, that money is gone forever with little hope of recovery.“Midwest Energy does not accept gift cards as a form of payment,” Zeman said. “If your account is delinquent, our first contact with you is always by a mailed letter, not an email or a phone call. And we never dictate a method of payment to the customer. How a customer chooses to pay is up to them,” she added.Zeman said the simplest way to avoid falling victim to scams is to never provide payment information on a call that you didn’t initiate. “If someone calls claiming to be Midwest Energy, the safest thing to do is simply hang up and call us at 1-800-222-3121,” she said.

Midwest Energy reports scams claiming it was purchased by Evergy

According to the Barton County Sheriff’s Office booking activity, a
22-year-old in connection with an aggravated robbery in Great Bend was arrested
Wednesday. 
Horacio Carrasco was booked for aggravated robbery with a $100,000 bond. He was
also booked for felony interference with law enforcement, possession of marijuana
and drug paraphernalia. 
"He (Carrasco) was involved with fenagling his way into an apartment, threatened some folks at gunpoint and stole some items," said Great Bend Police Chief Steve Haulmark. 
A report was made that three subjects entered a residence at 2804 Williams
Street in Great Bend shortly before 1 a.m. on Tuesday. The occupant of the
house reported a gun was pointed at her. 
Along with Carrasco, there were multiple juveniles arrested for their part in the
incident.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655916713873.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend PostAccording to the Barton County Sheriff’s Office booking activity, a
22-year-old in connection with an aggravated robbery in Great Bend was arrested
Wednesday. 
Horacio Carrasco was booked for aggravated robbery with a $100,000 bond. He was
also booked for felony interference with law enforcement, possession of marijuana
and drug paraphernalia. 
"He (Carrasco) was involved with fenagling his way into an apartment, threatened some folks at gunpoint and stole some items," said Great Bend Police Chief Steve Haulmark. 
A report was made that three subjects entered a residence at 2804 Williams
Street in Great Bend shortly before 1 a.m. on Tuesday. The occupant of the
house reported a gun was pointed at her. 
Along with Carrasco, there were multiple juveniles arrested for their part in the
incident.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Great Bend aggravated robbery suspect located and arrested 

This is day 8 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association.

Scattered showers moved through Kansas on Tuesday night, pushing pause on the Kansas wheat harvest. Severe weather hit the eastern two-thirds of the state with gusty winds and a small, confirmed tornado in Ellsworth. Further west, rain totals didn’t amount to much, but the lower temperatures, high humidity and overcast conditions meant harvest was still under rain delay for many producers on Wednesday.

Ahead of the rain on Tuesday, Kansas Wheat staff stopped by the harvest field in Hamilton County. Jason Ochs, who farms near Syracuse, was cutting a field of hard white wheat that was coming in dry at nine percent moisture with a good test weight of 61.5 pounds per bushel.

Area yields are being reported at nine to 25 bushels per acre, but anything over 20 bushels per acre would be a stretch for this part of Kansas due to the extreme drought throughout the growing season. On the county line between Stafford and Reno counties, farmer Randy Fritzemeier was about halfway through wheat harvest before a quarter inch of rain shut down cutting on Tuesday night.

Yields are disappointing in the low 30s bushels per acre, but the wheat is some of the best quality he has cut with test weights at 61 to 64 pounds per bushel. Despite lower-than-average yields, Fritzemeier was surprised at how well the crop turned out. He had to replant fields due to significant rainfall during planting, but then the weather turned so dry that the windstorm on December 15 filled the house with dirt. This spring brought around 1.5 inches of rain during heading and another 4.5 inches while kernels were filling, helping finish off the crop.

He had planned for a custom-cutting crew to help him finish off the wheat harvest, but with delays from the crew, Fritzemeier said he’ll keep cutting until they arrive.

Farmers expect to climb back into the combine cab as soon as field conditions allow, likely following triple-digit temperatures on Thursday and Friday.&nbsp;

The 2022 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use&nbsp;#wheatharvest22. Tag us at @kansaswheat on&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ELEfzqBmti4_dseQPX88lKh0x3qX2egRsH_sqcbDakBCHOs_EwxgXMd-z9K_GvaQko_cBLR1lsuk_SJJbLvIdxF2eUDCnVd2XBkdjrImr2MnjIte68wy-L3m5b7fTmQCym5S_gANtbJuXmVAl8I6-GMZTPxWH9hx&amp;c=clLngWu6FuZqnalUeIE67UV0F3r0K0e4Ckm18Ohvn3ghmX-aNwPpXQ==&amp;ch=4x42i-pF4kB1orzy_dXNLEH2IV8rWN5JAAwfotFN6aTUUe2rz5r9og==" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ELEfzqBmti4_dseQPX88lKh0x3qX2egRsH_sqcbDakBCHOs_EwxgXK3mli-_YOWHdvmSp4lRkfTqjJzSULYWBcuUfw5pmY32d_cogyTkHDMlFYY3nMizv11Rv0MVdUSIM0GEAN_9GqpbjHID7tplX-yO54eOktPh&amp;c=clLngWu6FuZqnalUeIE67UV0F3r0K0e4Ckm18Ohvn3ghmX-aNwPpXQ==&amp;ch=4x42i-pF4kB1orzy_dXNLEH2IV8rWN5JAAwfotFN6aTUUe2rz5r9og==" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ELEfzqBmti4_dseQPX88lKh0x3qX2egRsH_sqcbDakBCHOs_EwxgXBwo0aAsNU6ochZqVU_6JFoukPqVonW7faDyeYgaswXOCfEIaBNV5ZNc9JUi9wk3wckoq18zLjnzv8YX229l7QG4pOGTyNmB48cZjuqHhSS1&amp;c=clLngWu6FuZqnalUeIE67UV0F3r0K0e4Ckm18Ohvn3ghmX-aNwPpXQ==&amp;ch=4x42i-pF4kB1orzy_dXNLEH2IV8rWN5JAAwfotFN6aTUUe2rz5r9og==" target="_blank">Twitter</a>to share your harvest story and photos. Written by Julia Debes for Kansas Wheat&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655993756441.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>This is day 8 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. Scattered showers moved through Kansas on Tuesday night, pushing pause on the Kansas wheat harvest. Severe weather hit the eastern two-thirds of the state with gusty winds and a small, confirmed tornado in Ellsworth. Further west, rain totals didn’t amount to much, but the lower temperatures, high humidity and overcast conditions meant harvest was still under rain delay for many producers on Wednesday. Ahead of the rain on Tuesday, Kansas Wheat staff stopped by the harvest field in Hamilton County. Jason Ochs, who farms near Syracuse, was cutting a field of hard white wheat that was coming in dry at nine percent moisture with a good test weight of 61.5 pounds per bushel. Area yields are being reported at nine to 25 bushels per acre, but anything over 20 bushels per acre would be a stretch for this part of Kansas due to the extreme drought throughout the growing season. On the county line between Stafford and Reno counties, farmer Randy Fritzemeier was about halfway through wheat harvest before a quarter inch of rain shut down cutting on Tuesday night. Yields are disappointing in the low 30s bushels per acre, but the wheat is some of the best quality he has cut with test weights at 61 to 64 pounds per bushel. Despite lower-than-average yields, Fritzemeier was surprised at how well the crop turned out. He had to replant fields due to significant rainfall during planting, but then the weather turned so dry that the windstorm on December 15 filled the house with dirt. This spring brought around 1.5 inches of rain during heading and another 4.5 inches while kernels were filling, helping finish off the crop. He had planned for a custom-cutting crew to help him finish off the wheat harvest, but with delays from the crew, Fritzemeier said he’ll keep cutting until they arrive. Farmers expect to climb back into the combine cab as soon as field conditions allow, likely following triple-digit temperatures on Thursday and Friday.&nbsp; The 2022 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use&nbsp;#wheatharvest22. Tag us at @kansaswheat on&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ELEfzqBmti4_dseQPX88lKh0x3qX2egRsH_sqcbDakBCHOs_EwxgXMd-z9K_GvaQko_cBLR1lsuk_SJJbLvIdxF2eUDCnVd2XBkdjrImr2MnjIte68wy-L3m5b7fTmQCym5S_gANtbJuXmVAl8I6-GMZTPxWH9hx&amp;c=clLngWu6FuZqnalUeIE67UV0F3r0K0e4Ckm18Ohvn3ghmX-aNwPpXQ==&amp;ch=4x42i-pF4kB1orzy_dXNLEH2IV8rWN5JAAwfotFN6aTUUe2rz5r9og==" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ELEfzqBmti4_dseQPX88lKh0x3qX2egRsH_sqcbDakBCHOs_EwxgXK3mli-_YOWHdvmSp4lRkfTqjJzSULYWBcuUfw5pmY32d_cogyTkHDMlFYY3nMizv11Rv0MVdUSIM0GEAN_9GqpbjHID7tplX-yO54eOktPh&amp;c=clLngWu6FuZqnalUeIE67UV0F3r0K0e4Ckm18Ohvn3ghmX-aNwPpXQ==&amp;ch=4x42i-pF4kB1orzy_dXNLEH2IV8rWN5JAAwfotFN6aTUUe2rz5r9og==" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ELEfzqBmti4_dseQPX88lKh0x3qX2egRsH_sqcbDakBCHOs_EwxgXBwo0aAsNU6ochZqVU_6JFoukPqVonW7faDyeYgaswXOCfEIaBNV5ZNc9JUi9wk3wckoq18zLjnzv8YX229l7QG4pOGTyNmB48cZjuqHhSS1&amp;c=clLngWu6FuZqnalUeIE67UV0F3r0K0e4Ckm18Ohvn3ghmX-aNwPpXQ==&amp;ch=4x42i-pF4kB1orzy_dXNLEH2IV8rWN5JAAwfotFN6aTUUe2rz5r9og==" target="_blank">Twitter</a>to share your harvest story and photos. Written by Julia Debes for Kansas Wheat&nbsp;&nbsp;

Day 8, Kansas Wheat Harvest Report

Barton County Sheriff’s
Office Incident Log (6/22) 
 
Animal Complaint 
 
At 2:13 a.m. an animal complaint was reported at Cleveland &amp; Main. 
 
Cattle Out 
 
At 6:54 a.m. a report of cattle out was made at NW 70 Avenue &amp; NW 190 Road. 
 
Non-Injury Accident 
 
At 8 a.m. an accident was reported at Railroad &amp; SW 5 Avenue. 
 
Traffic Arrest 
 
At 9:09 a.m. a traffic arrest was made at NW 190 Road &amp; Susank Road. 
 
Battery 
 
At 3:33 p.m. a report of batter was made at 2501 Railroad Avenue. 
 
Injury Accident 
 
At 4:13 p.m. an accident was reported at 242 N. US 281 Highway. 
 
Driving / Driver Complaint 
 
At 6:05 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at 204 NE 60 Road. 
 
At 7:30 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at NE 20 Avenue &amp; NE 30 Road. 
 
At 9:56 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at 333 Marla Street. 
 
At 10:30 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at NE 80 Road and N. US 281
Highway in Hoisington.

Great Bend Police Department Incident Log (6/22)

At 12:51 a.m. K-9 Menta was used on a traffic stop at Coolidge &amp; Lakin.

At 2:06 a.m. a report of a bay door open on the business was made at 1820 Main Street.

At 3:47 a.m. a report of hearing noises in her ceiling was made at 5102 17th Street Ter.

At 4:06 a.m. K-9 Menta was used on a traffic stop in the 100 block of N. US 281 Highway.

At 6:38 a.m. EMS assistance was needed at 1707 Heizer.

At 10:55 a.m. Shawn Saunders reported an accident at 1820 Main Street with a semi and street light.

At 12:04 p.m. a vicious dog was reported at 809 Main Street.

At 12:28 p.m. Brent Zimmerman reported theft of fuel at 2010 10th Street.

At 1:56 p.m. Jonny Howard reported theft of a vehicle at 3417 1/2 18th Street.

At 2:26 p.m. a commercial fire alarm was reported at 2500 19th Street. False alarm.

At 3:33 p.m. a report of battery was reported at 2501 Railroad Avenue.

At 4:33 p.m. a report of possible location for wanted subject was made on Heizer Street. A search warrant was conducted and Horacio Carrasco and Aliyson Horniman were arrested.

At 4:41 p.m. a request for traffic control was reported at 1215 Polk Street.

At 6:14 p.m. K-9 Menta was utilized for a search warrant at 1919 Heizer Street.

At 6:45 p.m. a narcotics violation was reported at 1919 Heizer Street.

At 9:06 p.m. a theft of a firearm from her vehicle was reported at 1424 11th Street.

At 9:48 p.m. a report of someone entering into her residence and taking her gun was made at 1424 11th Street.

At 9:55 p.m. a report of someone inside her residence while she was gone was made at 1612 Morphy.

At 10:14 p.m. a report of a subject knocking on her door with a gun on his waist was made at 2201 29th Street.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592405093656.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Barton County Sheriff’s
Office Incident Log (6/22) 
 
Animal Complaint 
 
At 2:13 a.m. an animal complaint was reported at Cleveland &amp; Main. 
 
Cattle Out 
 
At 6:54 a.m. a report of cattle out was made at NW 70 Avenue &amp; NW 190 Road. 
 
Non-Injury Accident 
 
At 8 a.m. an accident was reported at Railroad &amp; SW 5 Avenue. 
 
Traffic Arrest 
 
At 9:09 a.m. a traffic arrest was made at NW 190 Road &amp; Susank Road. 
 
Battery 
 
At 3:33 p.m. a report of batter was made at 2501 Railroad Avenue. 
 
Injury Accident 
 
At 4:13 p.m. an accident was reported at 242 N. US 281 Highway. 
 
Driving / Driver Complaint 
 
At 6:05 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at 204 NE 60 Road. 
 
At 7:30 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at NE 20 Avenue &amp; NE 30 Road. 
 
At 9:56 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at 333 Marla Street. 
 
At 10:30 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at NE 80 Road and N. US 281
Highway in Hoisington.Great Bend Police Department Incident Log (6/22)K-9 Use / Call OutAt 12:51 a.m. K-9 Menta was used on a traffic stop at Coolidge &amp; Lakin.Open Door / WindowAt 2:06 a.m. a report of a bay door open on the business was made at 1820 Main Street.ProwlerAt 3:47 a.m. a report of hearing noises in her ceiling was made at 5102 17th Street Ter.K-9 Use / Call OutAt 4:06 a.m. K-9 Menta was used on a traffic stop in the 100 block of N. US 281 Highway.Traumatic InjuriesAt 6:38 a.m. EMS assistance was needed at 1707 Heizer.Non-Injury AccidentAt 10:55 a.m. Shawn Saunders reported an accident at 1820 Main Street with a semi and street light.Animal ComplaintAt 12:04 p.m. a vicious dog was reported at 809 Main Street.TheftAt 12:28 p.m. Brent Zimmerman reported theft of fuel at 2010 10th Street.At 1:56 p.m. Jonny Howard reported theft of a vehicle at 3417 1/2 18th Street.Structure FireAt 2:26 p.m. a commercial fire alarm was reported at 2500 19th Street. False alarm.BatteryAt 3:33 p.m. a report of battery was reported at 2501 Railroad Avenue.Check SubjectAt 4:33 p.m. a report of possible location for wanted subject was made on Heizer Street. A search warrant was conducted and Horacio Carrasco and Aliyson Horniman were arrested.Animal ComplaintAt 4:41 p.m. a request for traffic control was reported at 1215 Polk Street.K-9 Use / Call OutAt 6:14 p.m. K-9 Menta was utilized for a search warrant at 1919 Heizer Street.Narcotics ViolationAt 6:45 p.m. a narcotics violation was reported at 1919 Heizer Street.Burglary / Not in ProgressAt 9:06 p.m. a theft of a firearm from her vehicle was reported at 1424 11th Street.At 9:48 p.m. a report of someone entering into her residence and taking her gun was made at 1424 11th Street.Trespassing / CriminalAt 9:55 p.m. a report of someone inside her residence while she was gone was made at 1612 Morphy.Armed SubjectAt 10:14 p.m. a report of a subject knocking on her door with a gun on his waist was made at 2201 29th Street.

Cop Shop (6/22)

BOOKED: Dianne Gibson on Barton County District Court case
for DUI and child endangerment, bond set at $2,500 C/S. 
 
BOOKED: Brandon Leon on BTDC case for burglary, criminal damage, bond set at
$20,000 C/S. BTDC case for burglary, criminal damage with bond set at $20,000
C/S. 
 
BOOKED: Horacio Carrasco on Barton County District Court case for aggravated
robbery with $100,000 C/S. BCDC case for felony interference with LEO,
possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and no drug tax stamp, held in lieu
of $10,000 C/S. 
 
BOOKED: Aliyson Horniman on Barton County District Court case for interference
with LEO, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and no drug
tax stamp with $10,000 C/S. 
 
RELEASED: Michael Christopher Brohaugh on Barton County District Court warrant,
transported to treatment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651581305265.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BOOKED: Dianne Gibson on Barton County District Court case
for DUI and child endangerment, bond set at $2,500 C/S. 
 
BOOKED: Brandon Leon on BTDC case for burglary, criminal damage, bond set at
$20,000 C/S. BTDC case for burglary, criminal damage with bond set at $20,000
C/S. 
 
BOOKED: Horacio Carrasco on Barton County District Court case for aggravated
robbery with $100,000 C/S. BCDC case for felony interference with LEO,
possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and no drug tax stamp, held in lieu
of $10,000 C/S. 
 
BOOKED: Aliyson Horniman on Barton County District Court case for interference
with LEO, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and no drug
tax stamp with $10,000 C/S. 
 
RELEASED: Michael Christopher Brohaugh on Barton County District Court warrant,
transported to treatment.

Barton County Sheriff's Booking Activity (6/22)

Great Bend Community Coordinator Christina Hayes refers to employees at
gas stations, hotels, stores and restaurants as “frontline workers”. These are
the men and women that are often welcoming and interacting with visitors from
out of town. Hayes stresses the importance of these workers in the community. 
Represented at a travel show in Denver this spring, Great Bend representatives
promoted the city to draw more visitors. Because of the travel show, a family
from Denver decided to make the trip to Great Bend to participate in bird
watching. Hayes found out the “frontline workers” responded to the visitors
that they did not know what they were talking about. 
"That is like a rip to the heart when we're working so hard and giving up our weekends to promote Great Bend," said Hayes. "The people in the frontlines need to know what we have going on and what we have available. At the bare minimum, we have an amazing zoo." 
Hayes is moving forward with the “Be Our Guest in Great Bend Academy” that
offers businesses an online training program to educate staff on Great Bend’s
attractions. 
"The training will give employees the insight to all of our attractions," said Hayes. "Businesses will sign up and then know something about Great Bend. That word travels fast. When we're working hard to promote our community, we want the frontlines to do the same thing." 
Great Bend hopes to have the “Be Our Guest” program available by January 2023.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589988418787.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostGreat Bend Community Coordinator Christina Hayes refers to employees at
gas stations, hotels, stores and restaurants as “frontline workers”. These are
the men and women that are often welcoming and interacting with visitors from
out of town. Hayes stresses the importance of these workers in the community. 
Represented at a travel show in Denver this spring, Great Bend representatives
promoted the city to draw more visitors. Because of the travel show, a family
from Denver decided to make the trip to Great Bend to participate in bird
watching. Hayes found out the “frontline workers” responded to the visitors
that they did not know what they were talking about. 
"That is like a rip to the heart when we're working so hard and giving up our weekends to promote Great Bend," said Hayes. "The people in the frontlines need to know what we have going on and what we have available. At the bare minimum, we have an amazing zoo." 
Hayes is moving forward with the “Be Our Guest in Great Bend Academy” that
offers businesses an online training program to educate staff on Great Bend’s
attractions. 
"The training will give employees the insight to all of our attractions," said Hayes. "Businesses will sign up and then know something about Great Bend. That word travels fast. When we're working hard to promote our community, we want the frontlines to do the same thing." 
Great Bend hopes to have the “Be Our Guest” program available by January 2023.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

‘Be Our Guest’ program to help Great Bend tourism

Thursday A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 95. South southeast wind 7 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Friday Sunny and hot, with a high near 103. South southwest wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Friday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.

Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.

Saturday Night A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.

Sunday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76.

Sunday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.

Monday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75.

Monday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.

Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.

Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 64.

Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 90.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Thursday A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 95. South southeast wind 7 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.Thursday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.Friday Sunny and hot, with a high near 103. South southwest wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.Friday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.Saturday Night A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.Sunday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76.Sunday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.Monday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75.Monday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 64.Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 90.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Thursday's Weather

Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Coffee and Ribbon Cutting

Doors open at 9 a.m. and the program starts at 9:30 a.m. – Join in-person or watch virtually on Facebook LIVE &amp; YouTube.

Nex-Tech Wireless’ mission is to provide an unrivaled customer experience by bringing trusted technology and superior service to their hometowns. They care about their communities because they live here too! Nex-Tech Wireless has the latest devices and plans for everyone, visit them at 2827 10th St in Great Bend.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592426026608.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Thursday, June 23Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Coffee and Ribbon CuttingDoors open at 9 a.m. and the program starts at 9:30 a.m. – Join in-person or watch virtually on Facebook LIVE &amp; YouTube.Nex-Tech Wireless 2827 10th St.Nex-Tech Wireless’ mission is to provide an unrivaled customer experience by bringing trusted technology and superior service to their hometowns. They care about their communities because they live here too! Nex-Tech Wireless has the latest devices and plans for everyone, visit them at 2827 10th St in Great Bend.

Great Bend Chamber coffee hour (6/23)

The property owner plans to demolish the house soon, but the Great Bend
City Council went ahead Monday night during a public hearing to approve a
resolution finding the structure at 814 Monroe Street unsafe and dangerous. 
The property owner returned from Texas to find out the property was condemned
and also rezoned. The city council scheduled the public hearing in May. 
Great Bend Building Official Logan Burns said a new zoning map for the city was
released in 2004, and the property, just a couple blocks away from 10th
Street was rezoned to commercial. 
"To the end of the that block all the way up to 10th Street, all that area is zoned C-2 (commercial) now," said Burns. "It's zoned R-3 (residential) was you get closer to Washington. All that area, for the reason of expanding the commercial businesses, has been zoned to C-2." 
The house would be “grandfathered” in for the commercial zone if it was in good
standing as a nonconforming structure in a commercial zone. Now that the house
needs to be demolished, the property would have to rezoned to residential if the
owner wants to build a new house. 
Many of the sides of the structure at 814 Monroe have begun to settle. Windows
are broken out, the foundation has cracks, siding is deteriorated and the roof
is damaged. 
The owner plans to raze the structure this week.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655838490178.jpeg" alt="814 Monroe Street" />
 <figcaption>814 Monroe Street</figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostThe property owner plans to demolish the house soon, but the Great Bend
City Council went ahead Monday night during a public hearing to approve a
resolution finding the structure at 814 Monroe Street unsafe and dangerous. 
The property owner returned from Texas to find out the property was condemned
and also rezoned. The city council scheduled the public hearing in May. 
Great Bend Building Official Logan Burns said a new zoning map for the city was
released in 2004, and the property, just a couple blocks away from 10th
Street was rezoned to commercial. 
"To the end of the that block all the way up to 10th Street, all that area is zoned C-2 (commercial) now," said Burns. "It's zoned R-3 (residential) was you get closer to Washington. All that area, for the reason of expanding the commercial businesses, has been zoned to C-2." 
The house would be “grandfathered” in for the commercial zone if it was in good
standing as a nonconforming structure in a commercial zone. Now that the house
needs to be demolished, the property would have to rezoned to residential if the
owner wants to build a new house. 
Many of the sides of the structure at 814 Monroe have begun to settle. Windows
are broken out, the foundation has cracks, siding is deteriorated and the roof
is damaged. 
The owner plans to raze the structure this week.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Unsafe house on Monroe expected to be demolished

Barton Community College has reestablished a once-popular resource utilized by civic groups, local conferences and more – the Barton Speakers’ Bureau.

The bureau is a collection of presentations on myriad topics prepared and presented by experts at the college. Options range from motivational topics like perseverance and leadership, informative speeches on social support and mental wellness, to more lighthearted and interesting presentations on history and the importance of art. There is no charge for this service.

Vice-President of Instruction Elaine Simmons said she remembers the original Speaker’s Bureau and how well-utilized it was.

“It was a popular option for the community and I’m excited for its return,” she said. “We are thankful for the nudge from community leadership to revive this resource and look forward to other opportunities to interact and respond to community needs.”

Those interested in booking a speaker should reach out to the college by sending an email to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:speakers@bartonccc.edu" target="_blank">speakers@bartonccc.edu</a>&nbsp;or calling (620) 792-9324. A complete list of speakers and presentations can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://bartonccc.edu/speakers-bureau" target="_blank">speakers.bartonccc.edu</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655738446864.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Story by Brandon SteinertBarton Community College has reestablished a once-popular resource utilized by civic groups, local conferences and more – the Barton Speakers’ Bureau.The bureau is a collection of presentations on myriad topics prepared and presented by experts at the college. Options range from motivational topics like perseverance and leadership, informative speeches on social support and mental wellness, to more lighthearted and interesting presentations on history and the importance of art. There is no charge for this service.Vice-President of Instruction Elaine Simmons said she remembers the original Speaker’s Bureau and how well-utilized it was.“It was a popular option for the community and I’m excited for its return,” she said. “We are thankful for the nudge from community leadership to revive this resource and look forward to other opportunities to interact and respond to community needs.”Those interested in booking a speaker should reach out to the college by sending an email to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:speakers@bartonccc.edu" target="_blank">speakers@bartonccc.edu</a>&nbsp;or calling (620) 792-9324. A complete list of speakers and presentations can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://bartonccc.edu/speakers-bureau" target="_blank">speakers.bartonccc.edu</a>.

Speakers’ Bureau resource now offered by Barton Community College

The Great Bend Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in
locating a 22-year-old that is wanted for aggravated robbery. 
According to the law enforcement media log from Tuesday, a report was made of
three subjects entering a residence a 2804 Williams at 12:52 a.m. An occupant of the house
reported a gun was pointed at her and a PlayStation was taken. 
There were juveniles arrested Tuesday for aggravated robbery in connection to
the case, but local police are still searching for Horacio Carrasco-Olivas.

Great
Bend Police Chief Steve Haulmark said the Hispanic male could be in possession of
a handgun and should be considered armed and dangerous. 
"He's known to the police department," said Haulmark. "We're going to follow up on some information. We're also looking for assistance from the community." 
If anyone has information on the whereabouts of Carrasco-Olivas, contact 911 or
call the police department at 620-792-1300.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655930798060.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostThe Great Bend Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in
locating a 22-year-old that is wanted for aggravated robbery. 
According to the law enforcement media log from Tuesday, a report was made of
three subjects entering a residence a 2804 Williams at 12:52 a.m. An occupant of the house
reported a gun was pointed at her and a PlayStation was taken. 
There were juveniles arrested Tuesday for aggravated robbery in connection to
the case, but local police are still searching for Horacio Carrasco-Olivas. Great
Bend Police Chief Steve Haulmark said the Hispanic male could be in possession of
a handgun and should be considered armed and dangerous. 
"He's known to the police department," said Haulmark. "We're going to follow up on some information. We're also looking for assistance from the community." 
If anyone has information on the whereabouts of Carrasco-Olivas, contact 911 or
call the police department at 620-792-1300.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655916713873.jpeg" alt="Law enforcement is searching for Horacio Carrasco-Olivas." />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement is searching for Horacio Carrasco-Olivas.</figcaption>
 </figure>

Occupants threatened at gunpoint in Great Bend robbery

This is day 7 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association.

With an eye to the sky, Kansas producers are maintaining the rapid pace of the 2022 wheat harvest. In the weekly Crop Progress and Condition report, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service noted that 27 percent of the wheat crop was harvested as of June 19, ahead of 11 percent last year and 18 percent for the five-year average. Statewide, the agency rated the wheat crop’s condition at 27 percent good to excellent, 33 percent fair and 40 percent poor to very poor.

Harvest is more than two-thirds complete in Cowley County, where the sun has been shining — keeping moisture levels low and combines moving quickly. Yields in the area are at 80 to 85 percent of the five-year average, according to Kevin Kelly, general manager of Two Rivers Coop in Arkansas City. Quality is decent, with test weights running close to normal at 60 to 61 pounds per bushel.

This growing season ping-ponged between adequate moisture in the fall, a dry spell in late winter and then almost too much rain starting in late March before drying off just in time for wheat harvest.

“We’re very thankful for what we’ve received,” he said.

Moisture received dried quickly, meaning no disease pressure in the area, but farmers looking to double-plant soybeans or with corn tasseling in the fields are watching the forecast for the next showers to arrive. The crop mixture in Cowley County has switched in the last few years, resulting in Two Rivers Coop taking in more soybeans than wheat. The dry weather means they can hold onto this year’s wheat harvest a bit longer than normal before cleaning out the bins to make way for the fall harvest.

Further north and west, harvest kicked off quickly in Ellis County late last week. Daren Fischer, general manager of Golden Belt Coop Association in Ellis, reported the wheat harvest is about a third complete, having taken in 350,000 to 400,000 bushels since the first load last Friday.

While the wheat is plenty dry — moisture between nine and 10 percent — and test weights good, Fischer is seeing a mix of poor wheat and better-than-expected wheat. Yields range from 20 bushels per acre to 50 bushels per acre, depending on variety, farming practices and whether or not folks caught spotty rains.

“The wheat has been pretty surprising because of the lack of rain,” Fischer said. “We just had some timely rains and wet snow that saved us. It’s just a luck thing.”

Not all farmers have been so lucky. The great white combine — hail — took out a substantial portion of the draw area for Coop Grain &amp; Supply in Bazine, according to general manager Michael Kempke. The coop pulls from about a 10-mile radius, and the last two hailstorms affected almost 5,000 acres in that zone.

Despite the storms that zero’d out some fields, Kempke reported harvest is better than expected for such a dry year. Continuous wheat fields are yielding between 25 to 35 bushels per acre, whereas summer fallow fields are yielding around 45 bushels per acre. Test weights are good at 62 pounds per bushel and protein is averaging 11.3 percent.

Harvest is progressing rapidly, about 40 percent complete after starting around June 13. Kempke noted the first few fields caught folks off guard by being so dry; moisture is averaging 10.8 percent. Harvest moves in the area from the southwest to the northeast, so he expects combines to run for another week as the more eastern fields continue to dry down.

Acres were already down in the area with producers rotating to more sorghum, driven by international demand. Kempke expects that trend to correct this fall with more folks returning to their normal crop rotations.

The 2022 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use&nbsp;#wheatharvest22. Tag us at @kansaswheat on&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Nsm_1qBSHPGBdnppKDlOyXUMf0SQW67y_pBn-xC7BVEdD7CTnu7CPO2GcJod0k-3fyzZoqIu8MY8-QXZFtvooRIWpnKGJ6DhSqIuRBGBHFxl62uxJt-t7GIdlCCvp1r3L9NaHGQtIccdY9l0Whza_WYKbfsTQSro&amp;c=v4HqEPpFRTkvSi0kO3iaY5nNv2KEoB519ZHv34QxjHLEJg5IDVM5tg==&amp;ch=Gsl4V3Vd1svlaAFGLvs72ukebcP9lWr4v0ImgU9uhslHZBxJVHha7Q==" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Nsm_1qBSHPGBdnppKDlOyXUMf0SQW67y_pBn-xC7BVEdD7CTnu7CPJTGY-EqSmhj9lQGLX3uqiYV8iHqDaYWXimIX1DHAk5JfG_ElhRmWYJ-eINMMXsjXoB3aaomzHBuajOhQrie_LO8pWOf2fUXSiEh5RiPNjKT&amp;c=v4HqEPpFRTkvSi0kO3iaY5nNv2KEoB519ZHv34QxjHLEJg5IDVM5tg==&amp;ch=Gsl4V3Vd1svlaAFGLvs72ukebcP9lWr4v0ImgU9uhslHZBxJVHha7Q==" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Nsm_1qBSHPGBdnppKDlOyXUMf0SQW67y_pBn-xC7BVEdD7CTnu7CPJdI8P16pOwhTM53lhbiuy2rAZv6fQ2d3XwnXXA0OqDtSSzEhb4T1h9SU_JHcqCFXRr7LkPWCLAM87JgZY0wAy2GKY5u9l9bDYRFLmFs0vii&amp;c=v4HqEPpFRTkvSi0kO3iaY5nNv2KEoB519ZHv34QxjHLEJg5IDVM5tg==&amp;ch=Gsl4V3Vd1svlaAFGLvs72ukebcP9lWr4v0ImgU9uhslHZBxJVHha7Q==" target="_blank">Twitter</a>to share your harvest story and photos. Written by Julia Debes for Kansas Wheat&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655905542844.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>This is day 7 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. With an eye to the sky, Kansas producers are maintaining the rapid pace of the 2022 wheat harvest. In the weekly Crop Progress and Condition report, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service noted that 27 percent of the wheat crop was harvested as of June 19, ahead of 11 percent last year and 18 percent for the five-year average. Statewide, the agency rated the wheat crop’s condition at 27 percent good to excellent, 33 percent fair and 40 percent poor to very poor. Harvest is more than two-thirds complete in Cowley County, where the sun has been shining — keeping moisture levels low and combines moving quickly. Yields in the area are at 80 to 85 percent of the five-year average, according to Kevin Kelly, general manager of Two Rivers Coop in Arkansas City. Quality is decent, with test weights running close to normal at 60 to 61 pounds per bushel. This growing season ping-ponged between adequate moisture in the fall, a dry spell in late winter and then almost too much rain starting in late March before drying off just in time for wheat harvest. “We’re very thankful for what we’ve received,” he said. Moisture received dried quickly, meaning no disease pressure in the area, but farmers looking to double-plant soybeans or with corn tasseling in the fields are watching the forecast for the next showers to arrive. The crop mixture in Cowley County has switched in the last few years, resulting in Two Rivers Coop taking in more soybeans than wheat. The dry weather means they can hold onto this year’s wheat harvest a bit longer than normal before cleaning out the bins to make way for the fall harvest. Further north and west, harvest kicked off quickly in Ellis County late last week. Daren Fischer, general manager of Golden Belt Coop Association in Ellis, reported the wheat harvest is about a third complete, having taken in 350,000 to 400,000 bushels since the first load last Friday. While the wheat is plenty dry — moisture between nine and 10 percent — and test weights good, Fischer is seeing a mix of poor wheat and better-than-expected wheat. Yields range from 20 bushels per acre to 50 bushels per acre, depending on variety, farming practices and whether or not folks caught spotty rains. “The wheat has been pretty surprising because of the lack of rain,” Fischer said. “We just had some timely rains and wet snow that saved us. It’s just a luck thing.” Not all farmers have been so lucky. The great white combine — hail — took out a substantial portion of the draw area for Coop Grain &amp; Supply in Bazine, according to general manager Michael Kempke. The coop pulls from about a 10-mile radius, and the last two hailstorms affected almost 5,000 acres in that zone. Despite the storms that zero’d out some fields, Kempke reported harvest is better than expected for such a dry year. Continuous wheat fields are yielding between 25 to 35 bushels per acre, whereas summer fallow fields are yielding around 45 bushels per acre. Test weights are good at 62 pounds per bushel and protein is averaging 11.3 percent. Harvest is progressing rapidly, about 40 percent complete after starting around June 13. Kempke noted the first few fields caught folks off guard by being so dry; moisture is averaging 10.8 percent. Harvest moves in the area from the southwest to the northeast, so he expects combines to run for another week as the more eastern fields continue to dry down. Acres were already down in the area with producers rotating to more sorghum, driven by international demand. Kempke expects that trend to correct this fall with more folks returning to their normal crop rotations. The 2022 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use&nbsp;#wheatharvest22. Tag us at @kansaswheat on&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Nsm_1qBSHPGBdnppKDlOyXUMf0SQW67y_pBn-xC7BVEdD7CTnu7CPO2GcJod0k-3fyzZoqIu8MY8-QXZFtvooRIWpnKGJ6DhSqIuRBGBHFxl62uxJt-t7GIdlCCvp1r3L9NaHGQtIccdY9l0Whza_WYKbfsTQSro&amp;c=v4HqEPpFRTkvSi0kO3iaY5nNv2KEoB519ZHv34QxjHLEJg5IDVM5tg==&amp;ch=Gsl4V3Vd1svlaAFGLvs72ukebcP9lWr4v0ImgU9uhslHZBxJVHha7Q==" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Nsm_1qBSHPGBdnppKDlOyXUMf0SQW67y_pBn-xC7BVEdD7CTnu7CPJTGY-EqSmhj9lQGLX3uqiYV8iHqDaYWXimIX1DHAk5JfG_ElhRmWYJ-eINMMXsjXoB3aaomzHBuajOhQrie_LO8pWOf2fUXSiEh5RiPNjKT&amp;c=v4HqEPpFRTkvSi0kO3iaY5nNv2KEoB519ZHv34QxjHLEJg5IDVM5tg==&amp;ch=Gsl4V3Vd1svlaAFGLvs72ukebcP9lWr4v0ImgU9uhslHZBxJVHha7Q==" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Nsm_1qBSHPGBdnppKDlOyXUMf0SQW67y_pBn-xC7BVEdD7CTnu7CPJdI8P16pOwhTM53lhbiuy2rAZv6fQ2d3XwnXXA0OqDtSSzEhb4T1h9SU_JHcqCFXRr7LkPWCLAM87JgZY0wAy2GKY5u9l9bDYRFLmFs0vii&amp;c=v4HqEPpFRTkvSi0kO3iaY5nNv2KEoB519ZHv34QxjHLEJg5IDVM5tg==&amp;ch=Gsl4V3Vd1svlaAFGLvs72ukebcP9lWr4v0ImgU9uhslHZBxJVHha7Q==" target="_blank">Twitter</a>to share your harvest story and photos. Written by Julia Debes for Kansas Wheat&nbsp;&nbsp;

Day 7, Kansas Wheat Harvest Report

Action from the June 22, 2022, Barton County Commission meeting:

APPROVAL OF APPROPRIATIONS:   -An Accounts Payable Register was approved for the period of June 8, 2022, and ending June 22, 2022.  

NEW BUSINESS - COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE:  Cereal Malt Beverage License Application:  -Bev Schmeidler, County Clerk, will provide details.  Per K.S.A. 41-2702, no retailer shall sell any cereal malt beverage without having secured a license for that business.  The cereal malt beverage license was approved for Corinthians Hills LLC.  

EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION AWARD:  Amy Ferguson, Community Liaison, Health Department:   -Bailey Rankin, ERC President, provided details.  The Commission recognized Amy Ferguson, Community Liaison, Barton County Health Department.   Ms. Ferguson was nominated, in part, for her support of those recovering from substance misuse, trauma and mental illness as a liaison for local services.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT:  Digital Signage:  -Karen Winkelman, Health Director, provided details.  Using Vendor Registry, the Health Department solicited a Request for Proposals for the acquisition and installation of new LED digital signage for their 1300 Kansas, Great Bend, location.  This was to include a professional LED display monitor, digital signage software and all necessary cabling and wire runs.  Bids were accepted until 1:00 p.m., May 27, 2022.  The Commission approved the bid from Mark’s Custom Signs for a total of $51,096.00 and authorized the release of a second RFP relative to needed electrical work.  

HEARTLAND STRUCTURE, LLC:   Damage to the Salt Shed at the South Washington Sand Pit:   -Darren Williams, County Works Director, provided details.  The salt shed at the South Washington Sand Pit was damaged during the December, 2021, wind storm.  Heartland Structures, LLC has estimated repair at $34,254.00.  Amy Miller, Emergency Risk Manager, submitted the bill to insurance and received payment in February, 2022.  The Commission authorized the repair.   

BOARD APPOINTMENT:  The Center for Counseling and Consultation:  -Matt Patzner, Director of Operations, provided details.  The County solicited applicants for The Center for Counseling and Consultation Governing Board.  This Board reviews and makes recommendations on mental health services in Barton County and the surrounding area.  Kathleen McGinnis was appointed to the unexpired position that terms December 31, 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619186644580.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Action from the June 22, 2022, Barton County Commission meeting:APPROVAL OF APPROPRIATIONS: -An Accounts Payable Register was approved for the period of June 8, 2022, and ending June 22, 2022. NEW BUSINESS - COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE: Cereal Malt Beverage License Application: -Bev Schmeidler, County Clerk, will provide details. Per K.S.A. 41-2702, no retailer shall sell any cereal malt beverage without having secured a license for that business. The cereal malt beverage license was approved for Corinthians Hills LLC. EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION AWARD: Amy Ferguson, Community Liaison, Health Department: -Bailey Rankin, ERC President, provided details. The Commission recognized Amy Ferguson, Community Liaison, Barton County Health Department. Ms. Ferguson was nominated, in part, for her support of those recovering from substance misuse, trauma and mental illness as a liaison for local services.HEALTH DEPARTMENT: Digital Signage: -Karen Winkelman, Health Director, provided details. Using Vendor Registry, the Health Department solicited a Request for Proposals for the acquisition and installation of new LED digital signage for their 1300 Kansas, Great Bend, location. This was to include a professional LED display monitor, digital signage software and all necessary cabling and wire runs. Bids were accepted until 1:00 p.m., May 27, 2022. The Commission approved the bid from Mark’s Custom Signs for a total of $51,096.00 and authorized the release of a second RFP relative to needed electrical work. HEARTLAND STRUCTURE, LLC: Damage to the Salt Shed at the South Washington Sand Pit: -Darren Williams, County Works Director, provided details. The salt shed at the South Washington Sand Pit was damaged during the December, 2021, wind storm. Heartland Structures, LLC has estimated repair at $34,254.00. Amy Miller, Emergency Risk Manager, submitted the bill to insurance and received payment in February, 2022. The Commission authorized the repair. BOARD APPOINTMENT: The Center for Counseling and Consultation: -Matt Patzner, Director of Operations, provided details. The County solicited applicants for The Center for Counseling and Consultation Governing Board. This Board reviews and makes recommendations on mental health services in Barton County and the surrounding area. Kathleen McGinnis was appointed to the unexpired position that terms December 31, 2024.

Action from the Barton County Commission meeting (6/22)

The Great Bend Police Department has asked the public's assistance in locating Horacio Carrasco-Olivas.

The 22-year-old, Hispanic male, is wanted for aggravated robbery that occurred in Great Bend Tuesday, June 21 at approximately 12:45 a.m.

Law enforcement said Carrasco-Olivas could possibly be in possession of a black handgun and is considered armed and dangerous. He could be in a passenger car, unknown make or model.

If Carrasco-Olivas is seen, the Great Bend Police Department states not to approach him but call 911, 620-792-1300 or go to p3tips.com.

Carrasco-Olivas is said to be 5'8", 130 pounds with black hair.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655916713873.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Great Bend Police Department has asked the public's assistance in locating Horacio Carrasco-Olivas.The 22-year-old, Hispanic male, is wanted for aggravated robbery that occurred in Great Bend Tuesday, June 21 at approximately 12:45 a.m.Law enforcement said Carrasco-Olivas could possibly be in possession of a black handgun and is considered armed and dangerous. He could be in a passenger car, unknown make or model.If Carrasco-Olivas is seen, the Great Bend Police Department states not to approach him but call 911, 620-792-1300 or go to p3tips.com.Carrasco-Olivas is said to be 5'8", 130 pounds with black hair.

Great Bend police searching for aggravated robbery suspect

Amy Ferguson was recognized Wednesday at the Barton County Commission
meeting as the recipient of the 2022 first quarter employee recognition award.


Ferguson serves as the county’s resource coordinator and community liaison with
the health department. She was nominated, in part, for her support of those
recovering from substance misuse, trauma and mental illness as a liaison for
local services. 
"I'm not just somebody that has a passion for this work, I lived this experience," said Ferguson. "I had many years of substance use. There is a need in that community. They're sad and broken. The county continues to hire people that have experience like that. We get opportunities to get awards like this...it gives hope." 
Bailey Rankin, Employee Relations Committee president, said Ferguson interacts
with community partners and agencies to share new programs that are available
to residents. 
"Beyond her tasks, Amy is a positive influence to everyone around her," said Rankin. "I have witnessed, firsthand, her lighting up a room. Who Amy is as a person and what she does for this community is vital." 
Commissioners congratulated Ferguson and shared stories of her value to the
county.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655911163351.jpeg" alt="Barton County Commissioners joined Amy Ferguson (2nd from the left) as she received a certificate from ERC President Bailey Rankin Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Ferguson was given the employee recognition award." />
 <figcaption>Barton County Commissioners joined Amy Ferguson (2nd from the left) as she received a certificate from ERC President Bailey Rankin Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Ferguson was given the employee recognition award.</figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostAmy Ferguson was recognized Wednesday at the Barton County Commission
meeting as the recipient of the 2022 first quarter employee recognition award.
Ferguson serves as the county’s resource coordinator and community liaison with
the health department. She was nominated, in part, for her support of those
recovering from substance misuse, trauma and mental illness as a liaison for
local services. 
"I'm not just somebody that has a passion for this work, I lived this experience," said Ferguson. "I had many years of substance use. There is a need in that community. They're sad and broken. The county continues to hire people that have experience like that. We get opportunities to get awards like this...it gives hope." 
Bailey Rankin, Employee Relations Committee president, said Ferguson interacts
with community partners and agencies to share new programs that are available
to residents. 
"Beyond her tasks, Amy is a positive influence to everyone around her," said Rankin. "I have witnessed, firsthand, her lighting up a room. Who Amy is as a person and what she does for this community is vital." 
Commissioners congratulated Ferguson and shared stories of her value to the
county.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Ferguson named Barton Co. employee of the quarter

The City of Great Bend is a participant in the Great Kansas Fishing
Derby, and there are still prizes remaining for those that catch a fish at Veterans
Lake.&nbsp; 
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has 500 specially tagged fish in
public waterbodies across the state. 
Great Bend Community Coordinator Christina Hayes said if anglers catch a tagged
fish they should return the tag to City Hall. 
"The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is working with the city," said Hayes. "We've only given away three prizes and there are 15 total. If you catch one of the prize fish, you can turn in your tag number and win a prize." 
Fishermen can win concert tickets, gift cards, fishing tackle, cabin stays and
cash. Every angler who catches and redeems a valid derby tag will be entered
into a drawing to win a lifetime hunting and fishing license.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655842619090.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostThe City of Great Bend is a participant in the Great Kansas Fishing
Derby, and there are still prizes remaining for those that catch a fish at Veterans
Lake.&nbsp; 
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has 500 specially tagged fish in
public waterbodies across the state. 
Great Bend Community Coordinator Christina Hayes said if anglers catch a tagged
fish they should return the tag to City Hall. 
"The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is working with the city," said Hayes. "We've only given away three prizes and there are 15 total. If you catch one of the prize fish, you can turn in your tag number and win a prize." 
Fishermen can win concert tickets, gift cards, fishing tackle, cabin stays and
cash. Every angler who catches and redeems a valid derby tag will be entered
into a drawing to win a lifetime hunting and fishing license.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Prizes remain for catching tagged fish at Great Bend lake

Barton County Sheriff’s
Office Incident Log (6/21) 
 
Animal Complaint 
 
At 7:39 a.m. an animal complaint was reported at 3709 8th Street. 
 
Utility Problems 
 
At 9:47 a.m. utility problems were reported at 846 NW 40 Road. 
 
Controlled Burn 
 
At 10:37 a.m. a controlled burn was reported at 344 NW 70 Road in Hoisington. 
 
At 11:47 a.m. a controlled burn was reported at 1845 NE 130 Avenue in Claflin. 
 
Battery 
 
At 11:52 a.m. a report of battery was made at NE K-156 Highway. 
 
Controlled Burn 
 
At 12:58 p.m. a controlled burn was reported at 1266 NW 100 Road in Olmitz. 
 
Driving / Driver Complaint 
 
At 6:24 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at W. US 56 Highway at MM 193. 
 
K-9 Use / Call Out 
 
At 7:38 p.m. the K-9 was called out to the 1700 block of Hubbard Street. 
 
At 9:15 p.m. the K-9 was called out to NE K-156 Highway at MM 134. 
 
At 11:47 p.m. the K-9 was called out to the 100 block of SW 10 Avenue. 
 
Great Bend Police Department Incident
Log (6/21) 
 
K-9 Use / Call Out 
 
At 12:14 a.m. K-9 Menta assisted on a felony warrant arrest at 5210 10th
Street 9. 
 
Armed Subject 
 
At 12:52 a.m. a report of three subjects entering the residence at 2804
Williams, pointing a gun at her and taking a Playstation was made. 
 
K-9 Use / Call Out 
 
At 1:54 a.m. K-9 Menta was used on a traffic stop at 24th &amp; K-96
Highway. 
 
Battery 
 
At 11:52 a.m. a battery case was reported at NE K-156 Highway. 
 
Driving / Driver Complaint 
 
At 11:54 a.m. BTSO assisted for traffic control at NE K-156 Highway &amp; NE 30
Road. 
 
Traumatic Injuries 
 
At 1:06 p.m. traumatic injuries were reported at 2501 Cheyenne Dr. 
 
Theft 
 
At 1:22 p.m. a wallet was found and returned to the owner at 5210 10th
Street 9. 
 
Non-Injury Accident 
 
At 2:58 p.m. an accident was reported at 12th &amp; Jackson. 
 
Fight 
 
At 4:14 p.m. Joel Shelor and Michael Stevenson were served NTAs for disorderly
conduct at 1906 Main Street. 
 
Theft 
 
At 4:24 p.m. theft of prescription medications was reported at 1401 Cherry Ln. 
 
Driving / Driver Complaint 
 
At 4:37 p.m. a report of a silver pickup driving in the wrong lane at 24th
&amp; Harrison. 
 
Trespassing / Criminal 
 
At 4:49 p.m. a trespassing case was reported at 8th &amp;
Washington. 
 
Driving / Driver Complaint 
 
At 4:58 p.m. a report of an erratic driver was made at 4209 10th
Street. 
 
Trespassing / Criminal 
 
At 5:11 p.m. a trespassing case was reported at 5501 9th Street 14. 
 
Non-Injury Accident 
 
At 5:22 p.m. an accident was reported at Forest &amp; McKinley. 
 
Theft 
 
At 5:30 p.m. theft of electronics was reported at 5501 9th Street
14. 
 
Driving / Driver Complaint 
 
At 6:24 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at W. US 56 Highway at MM 193 in
Pawnee Rock. 
 
Breathing Problems 
 
At 9:02 p.m. EMS assistance was needed at 2541 7th Street. 
 
K-9 Use / Call Out 
 
At 10:04 p.m. K-9 Menta was used on a traffic stop at 4010 10th
Street. 
 
Chase All Units 
 
At 10:28 p.m. an officer attempted to stop a motorcycle for reckless driving at
2nd &amp; Main. The rider fled south of town. Pursuit was later
terminated. 
 
Traumatic Injuries 
 
At 10:34 p.m. EMS assistance was needed at 1442 16th Street.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592405093656.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Barton County Sheriff’s
Office Incident Log (6/21) 
 
Animal Complaint 
 
At 7:39 a.m. an animal complaint was reported at 3709 8th Street. 
 
Utility Problems 
 
At 9:47 a.m. utility problems were reported at 846 NW 40 Road. 
 
Controlled Burn 
 
At 10:37 a.m. a controlled burn was reported at 344 NW 70 Road in Hoisington. 
 
At 11:47 a.m. a controlled burn was reported at 1845 NE 130 Avenue in Claflin. 
 
Battery 
 
At 11:52 a.m. a report of battery was made at NE K-156 Highway. 
 
Controlled Burn 
 
At 12:58 p.m. a controlled burn was reported at 1266 NW 100 Road in Olmitz. 
 
Driving / Driver Complaint 
 
At 6:24 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at W. US 56 Highway at MM 193. 
 
K-9 Use / Call Out 
 
At 7:38 p.m. the K-9 was called out to the 1700 block of Hubbard Street. 
 
At 9:15 p.m. the K-9 was called out to NE K-156 Highway at MM 134. 
 
At 11:47 p.m. the K-9 was called out to the 100 block of SW 10 Avenue. 
 
Great Bend Police Department Incident
Log (6/21) 
 
K-9 Use / Call Out 
 
At 12:14 a.m. K-9 Menta assisted on a felony warrant arrest at 5210 10th
Street 9. 
 
Armed Subject 
 
At 12:52 a.m. a report of three subjects entering the residence at 2804
Williams, pointing a gun at her and taking a Playstation was made. 
 
K-9 Use / Call Out 
 
At 1:54 a.m. K-9 Menta was used on a traffic stop at 24th &amp; K-96
Highway. 
 
Battery 
 
At 11:52 a.m. a battery case was reported at NE K-156 Highway. 
 
Driving / Driver Complaint 
 
At 11:54 a.m. BTSO assisted for traffic control at NE K-156 Highway &amp; NE 30
Road. 
 
Traumatic Injuries 
 
At 1:06 p.m. traumatic injuries were reported at 2501 Cheyenne Dr. 
 
Theft 
 
At 1:22 p.m. a wallet was found and returned to the owner at 5210 10th
Street 9. 
 
Non-Injury Accident 
 
At 2:58 p.m. an accident was reported at 12th &amp; Jackson. 
 
Fight 
 
At 4:14 p.m. Joel Shelor and Michael Stevenson were served NTAs for disorderly
conduct at 1906 Main Street. 
 
Theft 
 
At 4:24 p.m. theft of prescription medications was reported at 1401 Cherry Ln. 
 
Driving / Driver Complaint 
 
At 4:37 p.m. a report of a silver pickup driving in the wrong lane at 24th
&amp; Harrison. 
 
Trespassing / Criminal 
 
At 4:49 p.m. a trespassing case was reported at 8th &amp;
Washington. 
 
Driving / Driver Complaint 
 
At 4:58 p.m. a report of an erratic driver was made at 4209 10th
Street. 
 
Trespassing / Criminal 
 
At 5:11 p.m. a trespassing case was reported at 5501 9th Street 14. 
 
Non-Injury Accident 
 
At 5:22 p.m. an accident was reported at Forest &amp; McKinley. 
 
Theft 
 
At 5:30 p.m. theft of electronics was reported at 5501 9th Street
14. 
 
Driving / Driver Complaint 
 
At 6:24 p.m. a driving complaint was reported at W. US 56 Highway at MM 193 in
Pawnee Rock. 
 
Breathing Problems 
 
At 9:02 p.m. EMS assistance was needed at 2541 7th Street. 
 
K-9 Use / Call Out 
 
At 10:04 p.m. K-9 Menta was used on a traffic stop at 4010 10th
Street. 
 
Chase All Units 
 
At 10:28 p.m. an officer attempted to stop a motorcycle for reckless driving at
2nd &amp; Main. The rider fled south of town. Pursuit was later
terminated. 
 
Traumatic Injuries 
 
At 10:34 p.m. EMS assistance was needed at 1442 16th Street.

Cop Shop (6/21)

BOOKED: Chris Carton on Barton County District Court warrant
for probation violation with a $100,000 C/S. BCDC warrant for probation
violation with a $10,000 C/S. 
 
BOOKES: Sara Alexander on Great Bend Municipal Court case for serve sentence,
no bond. 
 
BOOKED: Richard Fletcher Jr. on Barton County District Court case for probation
violation, no bond. 
 
BOOKED: Juvenile on Barton County District Court case for aggravated robbery
and felony interference with LEO, no bond. 
 
BOOKED: Juvenile on Barton County District Court case for aggravated robbery,
no bond. 
 
BOOKED: Juvenile on Barton County District Court case for aggravated robbery,
no bond. 
 
BOOKED: Sasha Kirksey on McPherson Municipal Court warrant for failure to
appear with a bond of $1,000 C/S. 
 
RELEASED: Joel Davis on BCDC warrant for probation violation x2, released to
Rice County. 
 
RELEASED: Juvenile on BCDC case for aggravated robbery and felony interference
with LEO to JJA. 
 
RELEASED: Juvenile on BCDC case for aggravated robbery to JJA. 
 
RELEASED: Juvenile on BCDC case for aggravated robbery to JJA. 
 
RELEASED: Sasha Kirksey on McPherson Municipal Court warrant with a $1,000
surety bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651581305265.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BOOKED: Chris Carton on Barton County District Court warrant
for probation violation with a $100,000 C/S. BCDC warrant for probation
violation with a $10,000 C/S. 
 
BOOKES: Sara Alexander on Great Bend Municipal Court case for serve sentence,
no bond. 
 
BOOKED: Richard Fletcher Jr. on Barton County District Court case for probation
violation, no bond. 
 
BOOKED: Juvenile on Barton County District Court case for aggravated robbery
and felony interference with LEO, no bond. 
 
BOOKED: Juvenile on Barton County District Court case for aggravated robbery,
no bond. 
 
BOOKED: Juvenile on Barton County District Court case for aggravated robbery,
no bond. 
 
BOOKED: Sasha Kirksey on McPherson Municipal Court warrant for failure to
appear with a bond of $1,000 C/S. 
 
RELEASED: Joel Davis on BCDC warrant for probation violation x2, released to
Rice County. 
 
RELEASED: Juvenile on BCDC case for aggravated robbery and felony interference
with LEO to JJA. 
 
RELEASED: Juvenile on BCDC case for aggravated robbery to JJA. 
 
RELEASED: Juvenile on BCDC case for aggravated robbery to JJA. 
 
RELEASED: Sasha Kirksey on McPherson Municipal Court warrant with a $1,000
surety bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

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