News

Sheriff’s office warns area drivers to look out for deer

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

The fall season is well under way, which means drivers on local roads could soon see an uptick in deer crossings during their travels.

With that in mind, Seward County Undersheriff Ryan Roehr said there are precautions drivers can take.

“The first thing I'd say is be watchful at dawn and dusk since deer are more active and they seldom travel alone – as the old saying goes, if you see one deer, there are probably more behind it. I would also say if you do see a deer on the road, do not swerve, because that can cause you to veer into oncoming traffic, run off the road, hit objects or overturn, and we obviously don't want anyone to get injured,” Roehr said. “You're better off either hitting the brakes slowly and as smoothly as possible and wait for it to cross or just hitting it if it's unavoidable. If you see a deer crossing sign, they’re there for a reason, so be more careful and watchful in those areas, and be especially alert and reduce speeds near wooded areas and near water sources, because that's where deer prefer to congregate. Vehicle-deer collisions can happen on any rural or urban roadway – the signs show areas where high numbers have occurred in the past. And if you're driving either in the early morning or in the evening, be sure and use bright headlights when there is no oncoming traffic – the deer’s eyes often reflect, so they'll be easier to see. In our neck of the woods, the river areas are one of the main areas where deer congregate, as well as parts of U.S. Hwy. 54 and U.S. Hwy. 83 around the bridges. We also have some areas east of town that seem to see a lot of deer, such as around Bluebell Road and Meade Lake Road. Deer season is going on right now – October is when it starts, and the peak time is about the middle of November, that’s when the peak of rut season happens and it’s when deer seem to move around a lot. Deer season typically fades down around the new year. But I would say around now through November is when people should keep their heads on a bit of a swivel and be on the lookout for deer being out and about.”

Massive county increase not in line with SCCC mill levy

EARL WATT

• Leader & Times

During recent public meetings, Seward County leaders – including Chair Scott Carr – have claimed the reason for the recent 13.4 mill rate increase was inflation.

However, local school districts and the City of Liberal have not made any significant changes to their budgets.

Comparing the City of Liberal and Seward County would not be a fair comparison because the City of Liberal only taxes property within the city limits and Seward County taxes all property in the county. The same with USD No. 480 or USD No. 483 since they do not encompass the entire county.

Proctor seeking to serve as Kansas Secretary of State

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

The 2026 election season will be here before everyone knows it, and there will be many candidates for many offices on the ballot.

One of the candidates for Kansas Secretary of State is Pat Proctor, who has been serving in the Kansas Legislature for multiple years.

“I currently serve the people of Ft. Leavenworth in the Kansas House, and I'm the chairman of the House Elections Committee and Kansas Security Committee. Politics was not my life plan – I spent 25 years in the U.S. Army and retired in 2019 and during that time, I went to Iraq twice and Afghanistan once,” Proctor said. “My life plan was to teach – and I do, I'm a professor at Wichita State University in the Homeland Security program. And I figured my wife would fill in the rest because we have two restaurants in Ft. Leavenworth and Manhattan, so I figured I would spend time working for her. But as the old saying goes, 'If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans,' and here I am serving in the Kansas Legislature and running for Kansas Secretary of State because I think our chief election officer needs to know something about elections.”

City to discuss equipment needs

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

The Liberal City Commission will look to have an easy meeting this evening starting at 5:30. This evening’s meeting will be in the commission chambers at the Liberal Recreation Center at 950 S. Grant Ave.

Up first for the commission will be discussion of the purchase of a backhoe for the Water Department.

“The Water Department is seeking approval to purchase a 2026 Cat Backhoe. The one we currently use is a 2006. The old one will be handed down to the Wastewater Department, as they are in need of one,” the agenda information noted. “We received two quotes from Bobcat and Foley Equipment. This is the first Bobcat backhoe they've released, so it's essentially their prototype. Staff recommends going with the quote from Foley Equipment for an amount not to exceed $115,000 to be funded from the Water Department Equipment Reserve.”

Eatmon shares breast cancer battle experience

ROBERT PIERCE

• Leader & Times

Many breast cancer survival stories involve years of battle with the disease before victory comes.

For Angie Eatmon, the story has been considerably shorter, but it still involved many hospital visits before she overcame her cancer.

A lifelong resident of Liberal, Eatmon’s cancer journey began with a diagnosis in the summer of 2020

“In July, I did my biopsy,” she said. “I actually discovered the lump myself. It was funny how I discovered it. I was eating a snack and as I was cleaning up the crumbs, I felt something, and I remember thinking ‘That’s weird.’ I never had felt it before that day. I thought that was kind of strange.”