By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Fundraising continues for Barton Community College to match a one-to-one grant totaling $1.8 million to construct an agriculture, farm machinery and transportation technology complex. At Tuesday’s Barton Board of Trustees meeting, Foundation Executive Director Lindsey Bogner said the college has raised $825,000 for their portion of the matching grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce.
Construction delays have pushed completion goals of the $3.6 million facility back to tentatively early February.
"We'll have a series of socials in the current Case New Holland shop," said Bogner. "We'll be inviting members of the public that are attached to ag in some way. We want to talk to them, give them a tour and continue donor conversations."
The Trustees approved the naming of the facility as the Glenn and Elaine Mull Agriculture Center, thanks to a donation. Also approved was the naming of the Merlin and Nelva Grimes Memorial Corrals, for outdoor corrals benefiting the animal science program.
"We're really excited about this," said Bogner. "The Glenn and Elaine Mull naming is the entire wing, which is a great opportunity to recognize that family. They have been a wonderful supporter for a long time, as has the Grimes family."
The 14,000-square-foot facility will house a Top Tech Program to provide training to become Case New Holland technicians. The building will also have space for the CDL program, crop protection and animal science programs.