News

State introduces new license plates

ROBERT PIERCE

• Leader & Times

Earlier this year, the Kansas Department of Revenue began to replace all standard embossed license plates, and more recently, KDOR revealed the next design of the Kansas personalized license plate.

The new standard design features the Kansas Statehouse dome within a cutout of the state with a yellow, white and blue gradient background. Paying tribute to the state’s motto, “Ad Astra per Aspera,” the phrase “To the Stars” is inscribed across the bottom of the design.

LPD reminds drivers to be aware of school zones

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

The 2024-25 school year has been in session for a little more than a month, and with traffic now being busier in the mornings and afternoons, the Liberal Police Department would like to remind the community to be alert when driving around school zones.

“In 2022, 273 children under the age of 15 were killed as a pedestrian, and 16,157 were injured as a passenger in a vehicle, nationwide, in traffic crashes, according to the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office,” LPD Lt. Brandt Helsel said. “There are an average of five deaths a week in the United States contributed to school zones, and we don’t want that to happen around our schools. With school being back in session for a relatively short time, we wanted to do a public service announcement reminding the public to be vigilant in school zones after the summer break as students are returning to school.”

Buskirk discusses issues in Big First

EARL WATT

• Leader & Times

Big First Democratic candidate Paul Buskirk visited Liberal during the Liberal Chamber of Commerce Duck Race, and in his journeys across Western Kansas, he is learning more about what the people want in a representative.

“The conversations I have are affirming,” he said. “We sat out in February, and now that I look back, my own messaging and identity as a public servant is in formation. I now have such clarity about what is important. I’ve been asking the same questions across the 60-county district — it is massive. To say there is one voice is a facade. Claiming there is one voice for any community is unfair. It’s just a chorus of voices. And not always in agreement. The question I ask is, ‘What are the needs of the communities?’ There are lots of unique answers and common ground. There are concerns specifically about access to health care, access to higher education.”

City approves 3.8 mill reduction for 2025 budget

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

The Liberal City Commission kept things short and sweet during its most recent meeting Tuesday evening.

To begin, Mayor Jose Lara read a proclamation for Fire Prevention Week 2024 before presenting it to Sparky the Fire Dog.

Rep. Tracey Mann named Friend of Farm Bureau

Special to the Leader & Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01) was named a Friend of Farm Bureau for the 118th Congress by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) awards the Friend of Farm Bureau award to members of Congress who have supported Farm Bureau’s position on policy issues, as demonstrated by their voting records, and who were nominated by their respective state Farm Bureaus and approved by the AFBF Board of Directors.