Joyce Schulte’s receptionist table at the Ellinwood Museum can resemble a mini-display itself some days — especially during the weeks prior to the Museum’s annual season-opening day in April. There’s a fair bit of tweaking that needs to be done ahead of time, and the table is a good place for keeping the odds and ends needed for readying the Museum’s permanent and new exhibits. The Museum’s opening day this year is Thursday, April 20, at 10 a.m. It’s usually a low-key affair, as visitors come for coffee, see what’s new, and talk about Ellinwood’s older days. A typical season runs [...]

The Barton County Commission Wednesday morning plunged into round two of its poplar Facade Improvement Grant Program that provides assistance for business owners wanting to refresh their store fronts. Six grants were awarded. “This is near and dear to my heart,” said commission Chairman Shawn Hutchinson, District 3. “I’m excited to get this going.”... “In 2021, the commission dedicated $630,000 to the facade improvement project,” County Administrator Matt Patzner said. Funds spent on completed projects totaled $369,390.43 with extended projects estimated at $229,009.45, and there is $31,600 from the original funding remaining. Source: Great Bend Tribune

For a small town, Pawnee Rock holds a lot of history. Sadly, the years have taken a toll on the once -thriving community. But, with the help of a $50,000 infusion approved by the Barton County Commission Wednesday morning, the Pawnee Rock Revitalization Committee hopes to change that. There are plans to rejuvenate the city’s park and make it a nicer home for its growing younger population. “If you let a city go and you don’t care about it, you might have what Pawnee Rock kind of looks like today,” said Denise Penn, longtime Pawnee Rock resident and member of the [...]

While appreciating the plight of the threatened lesser prairie chicken, the Barton County Commission Wednesday morning approved participating in a Kansas Natural Resource Coalition lawsuit seeking to block a U.S. Fish and Wildlife rule protecting the bird. The LPC’s range covers much of southwest Kansas and nearby states, but it has yet to call Barton County home, commissioners noted. Source: Great Bend Tribune

The Barton County Historical Society will host Ellinwood native Robert Yarmer who will present “Early Ellinwood in Pictures” at 7 p.m., Monday, March 27, at the Barton County Historical Society, 85 S. U.S. 281, Great Bend. Admission is free for members of the society and $5 for others wishing to attend the program. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 7 p.m., light refreshments are provided. Yarmer has selected 140 photographs of Ellinwood history to discuss ... Source: Great Bend Tribune

When District 2 Barton County Commissioner Barb Esfeld floated an “outside-the-box” idea on lowering county property taxes at a meeting in Topeka Tuesday, mouths were agape as it soaked in for those present. The suggestion, first proposed by Barton County Administrator Matt Patzner, involves implementing a county-wide 1% sales tax solely dedicated to offsetting the strain on the mill levy. Sales taxes are paid by everyone who spends money in the county and many consider it a more fair tax. ... cities and counties are governed by different “home rule” guidelines. These cover the extent to which these units of government [...]

Barton County commissioners Wednesday morning hailed the resolution of Larry and Sheree Marshall’s conditional use permit and zoning requests to operate an auto salvage-towing business west of Great Bend as one of the county’s proudest moments from last year. “It was it was a tough year last year for all of us, everyone at the county level,” said Environmental Manager Judy Goreham of what was a long and emotional process. “And I really feel like this was a success story.” ... “This was one of the resolutions where we had a laundry list of conditions,” she said. In all, there were [...]

When plans for a proposed solar farm in south central Barton County emerged recently, along with the announcement came numerous questions from a curious public. Where will it be? How big will it be? What impact will it have on the nearby Cheyenne Bottoms? This is a project of Chicago-based Acciona Energy USA, an American subsidiary of Madrid, Spain-based Acciona Energy. They have developed solar and wind energy projects around the world, with over 2,000 assets across the United States. Source: Great Bend Tribune

Barton County may be able to receive additional funding for the $4.2 million courthouse renovation, Chairman Shawn Hutchinson announced Thursday when the Barton County Commission hosted a Great Bend Chamber of Commerce coffee. “There’s a potential we could get $1.2 million back in tax credits,” he said. That is possible due to Great Bend Economic Development Inc.’s efforts to have the downtown area declared a historic district. Source: Great Bend Tribune

With many dangling details remaining, issues surrounding a planned solar farm in central Barton County were the topic of a County Commission study session Wednesday morning. All county officials know for sure is that developer Acciona Energy USA will soon seek zoning permits for the project and hope to be well into construction within six months. Source: Great Bend Tribune