Seward County has hired an interim fire chief following this week’s announcement of the resignation of former Chief Andrew Barkley, who had also been recently serving as the county’s Emergency Management director.
The hiring and a local burn ban were discussed Tuesday in a special county commission meeting. The burn ban was added to the agenda upon the suggestion of Commissioner Clay Louderback.
“All of the surrounding counties, when we get into a dry spell like this, put a burn ban into effect,” he said. “I feel that would be important to the conditions we have right now and alleviate some accidents from happening.”
To comply with the request from the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals in returning Seward County to revenue neutral and refunding those who overpaid their taxes, the Seward County Commission added an amended budget to the agenda Feb. 19 the night of the meeting and voted to accept it.
State law requires any amended budgets to follow the same process as the original budget, which requires publication 10 days prior to a public hearing, and after the hearing the commission can adopt the budget.
A large part of the mission of Grace Place Pregnancy Care Center is to help pregnant women who are in need with their babies to be able to have a support system in the community.
With this in mind, Grace Place Youth Coordinator Mirella Buchman and Program Manager Maria Froese began thinking about helping girls with their life choices before they get pregnant.
Through thoughts and discussions, Buchman and Froese brought the 13-week class Love Notes to Grace Place.
Buchman said Love Notes is primarily about life skills and how to effectively communicate.
The new 2026-28 Official State Bicycle Map of Kansas is now available from the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Whether riding a few miles or cycling across the state, this edition offers a variety of information to help active transportation users plan a short trip or a long ride.
State bicycle maps and educational flyers with bicycle safety tips are free and can be ordered on KDOT’s Web site at www.ksdot.gov/KSBikeMap.
“Rail-Trails and the U.S. Bicycle Route System maps are included in the publication and showcase historic and unique places to visit along these routes,” said KDOT’s Active Transportation Manager Jenny Kramer. “We want residents and visitors alike to experience a few of the many venues and sights Kansas offers by bike while participating in active lifestyles.”
Seward County’s tax sale is in the process of being scheduled.
At last Thursday’s commission meeting, Treasurer Mary Rose said the necessary journal entries (JE) have been completed, and it is currently in circulation for approval for all counsels who have parties in this case.
“They have a drafted notice ready to go, and they’re waiting for the approval of the JE,” she said. “Then they should be able to finalize a date, set publication and move forward.”
“This is the journal entry to proceed with the upcoming tax sale,” she said. “They met in court for the deeds to be transferred in their names. That one’s moving forward as far as the writeoff you’re talking about.”
Hannah McCarter leads the pack down Lincoln Avenue toward the finish line of the International Pancake Race earlier today. McCarter won Liberal’s leg in her first attempt. L&T photo/Earl Watt
By EARL WATT
• Leader & Times
With wind gusts reaching as high as 65 miles per hour hitting right in the face of the women running the Liberal leg of the International Pancake Race, Hannah McCarter was able to maintain a pace ahead of the pack and earn the Liberal title.
While this was the 77th running of the International Pancake Race, a friendly competition between the women of Olney, England and Liberal, the real number of the day was three.
The Liberal City Commission has new yet familiar leadership after the commission selected a new mayor and vice mayor Tuesday evening.
Jeff Parsons and Janeth Vazquez were ultimately unanimously voted as mayor and vice mayor, respectively, and both said they are excited to get to work.
“I feel really good. The responsibilities of the mayor really aren’t too much different from a commissioner,” Parsons said. “I’m excited about being able to continue being part of this commission and working with everyone.”
“I absolutely agree with Jeff – yes, we have the official titles, but at the end of the day, I feel like each of us commissioners contributes in our own unique way,” Vazquez added. “I feel like we’re a really strong team all together, and we were able to accomplish a lot in 2025, so I’m looking forward to continuing the great work we have on the agenda for 2026. Our commission is definitely headed in the right direction.”
Immediately after His baptism, where the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and the Father spoke, Jesus was led by the same Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1). After forty days and nights of fasting, the tempter came. The next ten verses reveal Satan's strategy and Jesus' responses.
Far from a mere psychological struggle or inner conflict, this was a real confrontation between the Son of God and a personal adversary whose aim is and always has been to derail God’s redemptive plan. The temptations targeted Jesus’ identity as Son of God, challenging His mission and His dependence on the Father.
There’s a routine to spring calving season based on numbers. Once tiny hooves start hitting the cold ground, a rhythm takes over until the last mama cow has delivered her baby. Each day is different, but they’re all based on counting.
I can still picture being sandwiched in the middle of the bench seat between my grandparents as we made the rounds through pastures to check on the progress. My grandfather kept one hand on the steering wheel with a pair of binoculars ready in the other.
We would slowly roll through the field, stopping abruptly for my grandfather to take a closer look at a cow. He’d raise the binoculars and quickly read off the number on the ear tag as my grandmother dutifully recorded the information in a spiralbound notebook.
The old idiom “calm before the storm” could well have been applied to last week’s proceedings, as the anticipated halfway point or “turnaround turbulence” very much characterized Week 6 of the 2026 Legislative Session. The Senate only met for three days, but came close to setting some kind of record by voting on fully 50 bills on just one of those alone.
To keep it in perspective, we had debated or “worked” half of them the previous day; still, being called upon to quickly process that much information on a wide range of subjects is a challenge for even the most astute and learned among us, whoever they are.
Thankfully, we have highly competent professional staff, informed interest groups, knowledgeable hearing witnesses, and concerned constituents to assist us along the way. One thing you can always be sure of is that your senator is never acting completely alone on anything.
My husband, Peter, and I have landed in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and already the strange seems familiar again.
One of the things that impresses me every time I am here is the attention given to jobs that I don’t always think of as needing a lot of attention. Masonry work is meticulous and crafted to last centuries. Cloth is woven one thread at a time, creating utterly unique works. Gardening is done with such patience and consistency that there are blooms every month of the year. But this morning, I was noticing the street sweepers.
The street sweepers are legion. I have no idea what their actual numbers are, but in the center of the old town, where we stay, you cannot walk down a street from the first light of morning until well after dark without encountering a person dressed in red, with a homemade broom and a sturdy dustpan affixed to a stick. Litter does not stand a chance in this town. Stray leaves are corralled as they fall. And, to me, the most amazing thing is how they sweep up the confetti.
GUEST COLUMN, Shannon Francis, 125th District Representative
Thank you to all the firefighters, both full time and volunteer, that have responded to the massive fires we have suffered. Thanks also to the first responders, farmers and other community members that have responded with tractors, food, and aid. It’s been a statewide response with firefighters responding from over 17 fire departments from as far as the Kansas City and Wichita areas. The Kansas National Guard, Kansas Emergency Management, Fire Marshal’s Office, Forestry Service, Department of Transportation and other state agencies have provided equipment, personnel, and other support. At least 10 aircraft took part but their support had to be limited due to the high wind conditions. The Kansas Insurance Department is ready to help with insurance claims questions, disputes or claim delays. You can contact the Insurance Department at 800-432-2484. My prayers go out to all of you that have suffered property losses and injuries.
