News

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Millions of people will be traveling to see family and friends this coming holiday season, whether it is by plane, train or automobile.

For the Liberal Municipal Airport, last year’s holiday season  saw a large influx of travelers.

“We had really, really good numbers last year, and we hope to see that trend continue this year for the holidays. In fact, for 2025 so far, we've been doing really well and have even set some records, which we're really proud of,” Liberal Municipal Airport Manager Brian Fornwalt said. “In May alone, we had more than 1,000 travelers fly out of Liberal for the first time ever. 2025 has been a great year so far, so hopefully the holiday crowds will help keep that going. During the holidays, we do typically see a pretty significant increase, and we do get pretty busy since that's when everyone's doing some extra traveling. All the numbers we've seen this year are just a part of the reason we're looking at expanding the parking lot, because we do get pretty full. All of that starts in October, really picks up for Thanksgiving and Christmas and then tapers off around New Year's or so, and the Thanksgiving and Christmas travel are about the same.”

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Many in the community are looking for some food assistance, and multiple entities and groups are stepping in to help, including Rapid Fit Health Club.

Rapid Fit Health Club Owner Jonathan Eikenberry said he wanted to find a way to help people while times are rough for many.

“As everyone is probably aware, local food banks are facing challenges to meet that increased need from the community, so to help with that, Rapid Fit Health Club will have a food drive drop off spot at the gym at 100 S. Virginia Ave., and everyone is welcome to bring donations to support fellow residents,” Eikenberry said. “Donations will be collected from Dec. 1 through 12, and everyone who brings something in will be entered into our drawing for some prizes. We're looking for protein-rich items like canned chicken, canned tuna, canned salmon and items like soups and other non-perishable items, and we'll be talking this up on our social media pages in the coming weeks.”

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

The Thanksgiving holiday is right around the corner, and while the day can mean fun and good memories with family and friends, it also means making sure everyone remains safe, especially in the kitchen.

With that in mind, Liberal Fire Chief Kelly Kirk said there are some precautions that should be taken before cooking the big meal.

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

More than a decade ago, the name of what was then known as First Assemblies of God Church in Liberal was changed to New Beginnings Church.

The name of the church is somewhat appropriate considering there have been plenty of “new beginnings” for the church since then. Recently, another start took place, as NBC acquired the Plains Methodist Church (PMC).

That church is now New Beginnings Church of Plains, and NBC Senior Pastor Phillip Dow said PMC’s advisory council had approached leaders with the Liberal church about becoming a campus of the church.