News

Hammond seeks to serve those in need with Agape Asia

ROBERT PIERCE

• Leader & Times

For years, Chayli Hammond worked with the area Christian radio station KJIL and as the area coordinator of the Operation Christmas Child team.

Later, Hammond would work with the faith-based non-profit Teen Reach, and after adopting an international child, she has now taken her works to the Third World in the continent of Asia.

The Southwest Kansas native’s efforts are now being focused on the not-for-profit Agape Asia, which Hammond said serves and changes the lives of vulnerable children across the continent, empowers communities and offers discipleship through its partners.

“It’s amazing to see the changes of kids,” she said.

Trojan Phlyers to entertain at AirFair Oct. 4

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

The Liberal AirFair is right around the corner, and the Trojan Phlyers will be part of this year’s high-flying entertainment.

As current member Chip Lamb tells it, the Phlyers are no stranger to air shows.

“The Trojan Phlyers group was formed in 1996, and I've been with the group for the past 25 years of that, and we've been flying air shows since about 1999. Originally, the group raced at Reno in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and ultimate took gold and bronze medals from those events,” Lamb said. “But the Reno air races decided they didn't want to have a T-28 racing class, so they did away with that. When I joined the group in 2000, that's what I was hoping to do, I had been looking forward to racing at Reno, but it didn't happen. We ended up deciding to participate in various air shows, so we started doing those locally in Texas and over time, we've done shows in New Jersey, California, Mexico and South Dakota, among other places. But the truth is, we really like performing closer to home in Texas and Oklahoma and Kansas and our more immediate area because it's much easier for us in terms of travel, and the majority of the shows we do are in our more immediate area.”

LMA to host block party Saturday

L&T staff report

Saturday at 4 p.m., the Liberal Ministerial Alliance and the Youth Hangout are sponsoring a block party at Light Park at 11th Street and Kansas Avenue in Liberal.

Activities will run from 4 to 8 p.m., including food trucks, motorcycle rides, archery, kettle korn, cotton candy, inflatables and a petting zoo.

At 8 p.m., Jake Hamilton and Band will perform at the Light Park pavilion with music and a relevant message for today’s youth.. Harbingers Motorcycle Club will accept toys for tots with new toys at a $10 value.

Activities also include bounce houses, face painting and sno cones. Everyone is welcome, including families, all adults, youth, children, youth groups, churches and community organizations.

Enjoy one of the last days of summer in Liberal at Light Park with an event focused on one of the community’s most important resources – its youth. For more information, text or call Cory Barnett at 620-624-4201.

Fellowship Baptist Academy adds playground

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

An anonymous donor recently made an important project happen for the students of Fellowship Baptist Academy in the form of a new playground area.

As Fellowship Baptist Church Pastor Tyler Prater tells it, the project had been on the minds of many for a long time.

“Our church has had Fellowship Baptist Academy for more than 40 years now. Just a few years ago, our student body was only about 25 children, and since then, we've experienced some rapid growth in our school as we've done some revitalizing and restructuring, and today, we have nearly 200 students,” Tyler said. “We had a playground already built for the school grounds, but when you experience that type of growth, a bigger space is needed. That was already on our radar, and then about a year ago, one of our church members came to me with a donation check and told me to use it for the children and the school. After talking to our trustees and Sid [Prater], this came to the top of the list, and that's what we chose to do.”

New tax proposal outpaces inflation

EARL WATT

• Leader & Times

After proposing a 29 mill increase to Seward County taxes, the Seward County Commission during a recent budget discussion has now floated a balloon of a 13-mill increase after receiving information about the tax protest case between Seward County and Arkalon Ethanol.

A recent decision by the district court handling the case said that any decision would only be reflected on the three years under consideration by the court, and the county revised its “worst case scenario” estimate down since fewer years would be affected by any ruling by the court.