There is something strange going on in a small town smack dab in the middle of Kansas. The unusual activity hinges on a little-known collection that the town had kept secret for over forty years. On July 6, the third annual Kansas UFO Day celebrates flying saucers, aliens, and all things outer space at the Geneseo City Museum in Rice County. The legendary images of Gort and Klaatu from the 1951 movie “The Day the Earth Stood Still” are coming to the museum. Gort will be installed on the grounds at a full height of 8 feet, accompanied by “photo op” statue [...]

A stolen truck out of Wichita showed up on Great Bend’s license plate reader cameras last Tuesday, June 11... On Thursday, police tracked the truck down and then were able to track down a camper that was in La Crosse. ... “So, the license plate cameras work very well.” Source: Great Bend Tribune

The Great Bend City Council will consider an ordinance permitting and regulating the use of golf carts, micro-utility trucks and work-site utility vehicles on certain streets in town when it meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 20, at City Hall, 1209 Williams St. The meeting in the Council Chambers is open to the public and will also be livestreamed for the public to view on the City Council Facebook page. According to agenda materials, the current Standard Traffic Ordinances adopted by the city prohibit the use of these vehicles on city streets. However, by separate ordinance, the use of micro-utility trucks [...]

They all came for different reasons and from different sources of inspiration, but the end goal was the same — to help people with broken noses, bacterial infections and any other number of medical maladies. As the inaugural cohort of Kansas State University’s physician assistant studies program finishes 27 months of intensive classroom and clinical training, its students are excited to make a difference in treating acute and chronic illnesses and injuries, especially in areas that face health care shortages. “Our first cohort set the standard for the program,” said Gwen Ferdinand-Jacob, director of the program and a physician assistant herself. “They helped [...]

There’s a building boom in the Golden Belt, and Stafford County Economic Development isn’t going to be left behind. “We are building nine houses, with five in St. John and four in Stafford,” noted Ryan Russell, SCEDC executive director. The 18-month building project is through the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, through its Middle Income Housing offering. Source: Great Bend Tribune

Three newly-hired apprentices at two companies say the chance to earn money while they learn more about their jobs was one of the main reasons they considered positions created through Kansas Farm Bureau’s (KFB) award-winning Rural Kansas Apprenticeship Program (RKAP). South Bend Industrial Hemp used the program to hire Joseph Rogers and Kaidence Sanchez as hemp processing facility operators at the Great Bend-based company. “I think it’s really cool the apprenticeship comes with some educational opportunities,” Rogers says. Sanchez says he’s never seen anything like the apprenticeship program and believes “it’s an exciting way to learn more and earn more money.” Camron Hicks is [...]

The space available in city utility right of ways is limited. Because more utility providers are requiring space in city right of ways, a new ordinance to manage that space was adopted by the Great Bend City Council on March 18. The city’s utility ROWs are becoming occupied by more utility providers and the space is becoming more crowded... Source: Great Bend Tribune

The Great Bend City Council and staff extend an invitation to the public for the dedication ceremony of the Robert G. Suelter Courtroom at the Great Bend Municipal Court. ... The dedication ceremony honors the esteemed legacy of Suelter, retired City Attorney whose contributions have significantly impacted the legal landscape of our community. The newly built courtroom stands as a testament to his dedication and service. Source: Great Bend Tribune

Thursday evening, Feb. 29, the Barton County Planning Commission held a public discussion meeting at Barton Community College campus. The Barton County Planning Commission will hold another meeting Monday, March 4, to begin working through the feedback that has been received on the DRAFT changes to the “Current” Barton County Zoning Regulations – Version II as they pertain to Solar Energy Conversion Systems (SECS) and the future development of Large Scale Non-Commercial SECS or Commercial Scale SECS in Barton County. This meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Upstairs Meeting Room at the Hoisington Activity Center at 1200 Susank Road, [...]

Tourism is a big deal for Barton County, an excited Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Christina Hayes told the City Council Monday night. She had received the most recent Tourism Economic Impact Report from Kansas Tourism, and it contained promising information and helped solidify the importance of promoting the community to lure more visitors. “We paid for this as Barton county because Great Bend accounts for 95% of the tourism in Barton County,” she said. The report was costly enough, so by doing this, it saved the CVB about $3-4,000. Hayes said they don’t buy this report every year because it [...]