News

Liberal Animal Shelter opens new play area

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

The staff of the Liberal Animal Shelter has long lobbied for a special area at the shelter where its furry residents can spend some time running around and playing and late last week, that wish finally came true.

Last Friday afternoon, the Liberal Animal Shelter staff and the Liberal Rotary Club officially cut the ribbon on a new dog park area at the shelter. Liberal Rotary Club President Evangeline Penner and Liberal Animal Shelter Director Tara Logan said they were very excited to see the project come to fruition.

Governor Kelly joins multi-state lawsuit challenging Trump Administration’s attempts to terminate critical federal funding to states

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

The Trump Administration has faced heavy criticism lately regarding disbursement of needed federal funds and late last week, the state of Kansas joined that criticism.

Last Friday, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Kansas joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general and governors for the commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Kentucky in suing the Trump Administration over its unprecedented and unlawful attempts to invoke a single provision buried in the federal regulations to strip away billions of dollars in critical federal funding for states and other grantees.

Melton graduates from Treatment Court

ROBERT PIERCE

• Leader & Times

Josh Melton moved from Wichita to Liberal with his then wife, who had health problems at the time, and working full time, Melton was not able to help her.

The wife’s family, however, lived in Liberal and was able to help her, and working seven days a week eventually proved to be too much for Melton.

“I couldn’t do it anymore,” he said.

Kappelmann makes move to manage district recruitment

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

As someone who grew up in Liberal, Ashley Kappelmann has spent a lot of time at Liberal High School, not only as a student (and later graduate), but also as a teacher and later administrator.

“In my time with USD 480, I've only been at Liberal High School, and I've been here 25 years. I started in 2000 as a teacher, right after I graduated from Kansas State University, and I taught English and journalism and also did some team leadership,” Kappelmann said. “I later became an instructional coach and did that for four years, then I was an assistant principal for few years, and then I just finished my eighth year as the LHS principal. I also graduated from LHS, so I've spent A LOT of time in this building.”