News

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

In an effort to better understand how communities think and feel and to provide a better picture of their wants and needs, in 2024, the Western Kansas Community Foundation launched the “”Our Community Our Future”” benchmark initiative in four Southwest Kansa communities, including Liberal.

WKCF Program and Marketing Director Stacie Hahn said the goal of the initiative is to learn what residents in each community view as their highest needs.

As part of “Our Community Our Future”, Hahn said an assessment survey is conducted, and after results are obtained, the hope of WKCF officials is to better help provide funding to address community needs.

The initiative is currently in its second year of implementation, and in addition to Liberal, forums recently took place in Lakin, Hugoton and Cimarron to allow residents in those towns to see hat the survey results were.

EARL WATT

   • Leader & Times

A major focus of the recent budget controversy has been the way Seward County has paid back taxpayers who challenged valuations and received refunds or credits.

During the Sept. 15 required Revenue Neutral Rate hearing, taxpayer Justin Alexander spoke to the commission about options on repaying Arkalon Ethanol after a proposal was made to raise property taxes by a proposed 25.868 mills with 21 of those to be placed into an account based on what Seward County Administrator April Warden described as a “worst case scenario” in a case with Arkalon Ethanol, LLC.

That tax hike was later adjusted to 13.4 mills when the district court handling the case ruled that it would only make a decision on years 2018, 2019 and 2020.

L&T staff report

Advance voting begins Monday for local elections.

Several items will be on the ballot including Liberal City Commission, Kismet City Council, USD No. 480 Liberal, USD No. 483 Kismet/Southwestern Heights, Seward County Community College Board of Trustees and a proposed county-wide half-cent sales tax for 10 years to finance costs of roadway and bridge construction, maintenance and improvement.

Early voting will be available at the Seward County Administration Building from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday Oct. 20 through noon Monday, Nov. 3.

The election will take place Nov. 4 at the Seward County Activity Center as well as the polling place in Kismet.

KSN-TV

WICHITA (KSNW) — A woman accused of killing two Kansas mothers pleaded no contest Tuesday to several charges.

Tifany Adams has been found guilty in Texas County, Okla., of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of unlawful removal of a dead body and two counts of unlawful desecration of a human corpse.

On March 30, 2024, Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley disappeared on a trip from Hugoton to Oklahoma. They were going to pick up Butler’s children.

Two weeks later, their bodies were found in a chest freezer, which was buried in a field. Both women had been stabbed to death, authorities said.

Court denies suspect’s third appeal to replace judge in murdered Kansas moms case

Four other people have been charged in their deaths: Tad Cullum, Cora Twombly, Cole Twombly and Paul Grice.

Adams’ sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 28.