News

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

After graduating from high school in 2012, Arline Lizarraga went on to get her associate’s degree in criminal justice in California, and in 2018, she made her way to Southwest Kansas and was hired by the Seward County Sheriff’s office.

“I started working in the jail in 2020. I was a corrections officer for 10 months, and I became a deputy for the Seward County Sheriff’s office,” she said.

Lizarraga worked for about a year and a half as a deputy before being selected for sheriff’s office’s Critical Response Team. She would later work as a training officer for about a year and a half before applying for the position of sergeant.

Now, she is the first female sergeant in the history of the Seward County Sheriff’s office.

ROBERT PIERCE

  • Leader & Times

Community members continue to question the recent double digit hike in Seward County’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

County leaders and one community member talked about the situation at the Nov. 3 commission meeting. Liberal resident Rick Madden, who had spoken at previous meetings, including the Sept. 15 Revenue Neutral Rate public hearing, said he is continuing to look for answers to questions he has had for some time.

“Your silence in not answering these questions shows me one, you’re incompetent to address the questions, or two, you’re ashamed to answer questions by diverting to a different topic of how hard it is to make these decisions when I’m a taxpayer too,” he said in the citizens comments portion of the meeting. “The more you stall, this public is learning about the misuse of public funds and who’s actually running the county.”

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

The Liberal City Commission will be taking on a variety of topics at its next 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.

After hearing some updates to zoning amendments, the commission will then be discussing Resolution No. 2443 concerning the authorization of a Kansas Department of Transportation grant.

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Jurors in the trial of a man accused of killing two individuals in April 2019 in Seward County began deliberations Friday afternoon, and shortly before 3:30 p.m. Monday, they returned with a verdict of not guilty on all counts.

Pablo Ramon Ramirez was charged with multiple counts, including first-degree murder, in the deaths of Timothy J. Martin and Erick G. Salas.

Ramon Ramirez also faced two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated robbery, one count of aggravated burglary, one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and one count of criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied building.