Seward County EMS officials have estimated the department will receive a new ambulance by mid-January 2025.
Monday, county commissioners unanimously approved cutting a check for $50,654.75 to cover the cost of a power load and cot for that ambulance.
The project was started in 2022 at the county’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget hearings, and EMS Director John Ralston said the county has taken the fastest path to purchasing a new ambulance.
Citizens may have noticed crews working throughout the city on various projects and Tuesday, the community got to hear about some of those projects currently in progress.
Former Liberal City Manager Rusty Varnado was in custody at the Seward County jail Wednesday after being arrested and charged with three criminal counts.
Varnado served as the city manager for Liberal from April 12, 2022 until Sept. 27, 2024.
After an initial vote to terminate Varnado unanimously passed the commission, a negotiated settlement was later reached in October on a 3-2 vote.
According to the complaint, Varnado is accused of one count of rape, one count of sexual battery, and one count of lewd and lascivious behavior.
In the complaint, Varnado is accused of raping a woman on or between March 13 and March 14, 2024. The penalty ranges from 147 months to 653 months in prison and/or a fine up to $300,000 and 36 months of post-release supervision.
Varnado is also accused of unlawfully touching a separate woman on or about Aug. 2. That charge of sexual battery carries a punishment of up to one year in the county jail and a fine up to $2,500.
Also on Aug. 2, Varnado is accused of unlawfully and publicly exposing a sex organ in that woman’s presence. The penalty for such an act includes up to six months in the county jail and a fine up to $1,000.
Varnado made his first appearance Wednesday and entered a plea of not guilty to all three charges. Varnado is being defended by Derek Miller.
District Magistrate Judge Ethan Harder approved a reduction in bond from $250,000 to $100,000 with the stipulation that the defendant “shall have no contact with the victim in this matter,” and “The Defendant cannot reside or be in Seward County, KS, unless he is meeting with his attorney or attending court.”
A scheduling conference for the case will take place at 9 a.m. Dec. 2.
Defendants accused of crimes are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Pregnancy and parenthood bring multiple challenges to new parents, and soon, a national campaign to help with just that will be launched.
Last Thursday, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced a new nationwide campaign to raise public awareness of the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-TLC-MAMA). The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline is a cornerstone of broader efforts to improve maternal health and supports HRSA’s ongoing initiative to reduce maternal mortality and health disparities, according to a release from HHS.
Oklahoma Panhandle State University has once again earned national recognition for its excellence in higher education, securing multiple rankings in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Colleges list.
OPSU was ranked 13th in Top Public Schools – Regional Colleges West, 32nd in Top Performers on Social Mobility – Regional Colleges West, and 36th overall in the Regional Colleges West category. The rankings, which serve as a resource for students searching for the best educational fit, highlight schools that excel in classroom resources, graduation rates, and the overall return on investment for graduates.
