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Local groups mobilize to provide fire relief
ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The wildfires that raged through the area last Tuesday have affected many individuals and families in the area, and multiple entities are stepping up to help.
One of those partnerships was between Trinity Faith Church and Convoy of Hope, which Trinity Faith Church Pastor Aaron Koehn said came about very quickly.
15th Street Family Care Center welcomes new nurse practitioner
Southwest Medical Center
15th Street Family Care Center is proud to welcome LaSasha Rosales, APRN, FNP-C, as a bilingual nurse practitioner providing comprehensive family medicine services to the Liberal community.
Rosales is a Liberal native who has lived and worked in the community throughout her life. She is a 2006 graduate of Liberal High School and earned her associate’s degree in nursing from Seward County Community College in 2012. She later obtained her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Oklahoma Panhandle State University and went on to earn her Master of Science in nursing from Walden University, becoming a family nurse practitioner.
TOPEKA – Residents affected by wildfires in Seward County should contact the Kansas Department of Insurance if they have an issue with an insurance claim.
The department has been in contact with local authorities in Seward County and is coordinating with the Kansas Division of Emergency Management.
“If you have an issue with insurance, we want to know about it,” said Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. “The department stands ready to help Kansans navigate the recovery process, file insurance claims, and work through any insurance issues.”
If you or someone you know is having trouble with an insurance claim, please contact the Kansas Department of Insurance’s Consumer Assistance Division for any claims-related questions or concerns by phone: 785-296-3071; by email at KDOI.complaints@ks.gov; or visit the Department online at insurance.kansas.gov.
Wine pairing workshop coming to Baker Arts Center
ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
The end of February will bring an evening of tasting and discovery at Liberal’s Baker Arts Center.
Friday, the center is hosting a Wine Pairing Workshop where participants will be guided through the art of pairing wine with cheese and chocolate.
The event will take place in Baker Arts’ kitchen, and Vanessa Keating will offer a variety of wines, and wines for the event have also been donated from a local liquor store.
Baker Director Misty Martin said the workshop’s curriculum is actually based on a degree study area from Washington State University that deals with wine pairing.
Wildfires fueled by high winds and dry conditions roared through the area Tuesday, ultimately destroying livestock, property and farmland.
Many emergency response agencies were on hand to help battle the blazes, including the Liberal Fire Department throughout the situation. As Liberal Fire Chief Kelly Kirk tells it, preparation for potential response began last Monday.
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.”
OPINION – 2025 data is in: Four straight years of unaffordable assessed valuation hikes. Where’s the relief?
GUEST OPINION COLUMN
Assessed valuation changes for 2025, released this morning, reiterate the need for a constitutional amendment to limit the increases.
The average increase for existing residential property (not counting new construction) of 5.9 percent is more than double the inflation rate, and that’s not the worst of the story. Homeowners in a dozen counties had double-digit increases – Barton, Cheyenne, Coffey, Jewell, Kingman, Lane, Linn, Marshall, Ness, Rush, Smith, and Wallace. All but one (Linn) has been losing population, so it’s hard to imagine that the valuation hikes are driven by demand.
OPINION – Leading through change
GUEST COLUMN, Nathan Mentzer, Kansas Farm Bureau
Change of seasons, change of crops, the progress of technology or even physical changes as we watch our families grow and age. Change is inevitable. But when faced with it, we have two choices. We can ignore it and seek comfort on our farm and hope it goes away or adapt and grow with it, becoming stronger and more resilient with each new step we take.
My wife and I farm near Iola, and I am privileged to represent the third Casten Fellows cohort. I am always amazed at the talent Kansas Farm Bureau brings to the table and my cohort represented a wide and diverse cross section of agriculture in Kansas. We also have a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences.
The opportunity to build relationships with such amazing leaders throughout the state and gain insight into how they tackled issues is what originally attracted me to the Casten Fellows program.
OPINION – An American outbreak: Measles, influenza, RSV, COVID, and stupidity
GUEST COLUMN, J. Basil Dannebohm
Last week, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made more than $600 million in cuts to public health grants in Minnesota, California, Illinois, and Colorado. Meanwhile, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz pleaded with the American public to get vaccinated against the measles.
“Not all illnesses are equally dangerous, and not all people are equally susceptible to those illnesses,” Oz told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “But measles is one you should get your vaccine.”
OPINION – Turnaround focuses on tax bills, budget and more
GUEST COLUMN, Shannon Francis, 125th District Representative
Liberal Tourism Director, Sally Fuller, and other tourism directors from across Southwest Kansas stopped by to talk about their priorities for this session. One focused on possible losses in funding from state sports gaming revenues. Sally is wonderful asset for our community. Thanks for all you do, Sally.
Liberal’s Municipal Court Judge, Jason Maxwell, was in Topeka advocating for a bill that would allow successful graduates of municipal specialty drug courts to apply for expungements on the same basis as those going through District Court Drug Courts. Jason is a national pioneer and leader in bringing specialty courts to rural communities and municipal courts. The earlier we can intervene for those with substance abuse issues the more successful treatment is. Municipal court is often their first interaction with the court system. Thanks, Jason, for your commitment.
Southwest Guidance Director, Marshall Lewis, stopped by and we visited workforce issues in rural Kansas and the success of online counseling to help with the issue in rural areas.
OPINION – Compromise is the only way forward on immigration issues
L&T Publisher Earl Watt
Communities like Liberal cannot ignore the important conversations surrounding immigration issues. We know better than most how to work together to function with a large number of first-generation immigrants.
That doesn’t mean we all agree on immigration policy.
We don’t.
But the hyperbolic claims that everyone who illegally enters the country is a dangerous criminal and anyone who wants a secure border is a racist won’t get us anywhere.
That’s the way Washington, D.C., has been addressing the issue, and neither party has been able to come up with a solution.
The clearest example was Democratic President Joe Biden allowing 12-plus million illegal entries, and Republican President Donald Trump shutting the border down.
