News

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Firefighters from three Texas County, Okla., communities responded to a fire Monday morning between Goodwell, Okla., and Guymon, Okla.

Along with those communities, firefighters from Texhoma, Okla., at 10:35 a.m. Monday, responded to the fire, and Guymon Fire Chief Grant Wadley said the fire located at 2433 Road Z was noticed by a passerby who noticed smoke coming from the residence.

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Recognizing the critical role housing plays in improving the lives of all residents and supporting economic growth, the Seward County Development Corporation, along with the Nebraska-based agency Five Rule Rural Planning (FRRP), recently completed a comprehensive housing study to understand the county’s most pressing housing needs.

FRRP owner Bobbi Pettit recently reviewed the study with community leaders, and she said she tried to gather and organize as much information on the local housing situation as possible to make it tangible for those in the audience.

Kansas Department of Transportation

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is warning about a new scam circulating via text message.

The texts falsely claim to be from KDOT and demand payment for outstanding traffic tickets.

KDOT does not collect money for traffic tickets and will never request or collect payments through text messages. These messages are not legitimate.

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

The Christmas holiday may still be six months away, but Liberal’s Baker Arts Center is already making some holiday plans with an upcoming exhibit.

Baker Arts Center staff is seeking 20 artists or more to take part in the exhibit “Journey to Bethlehem,” which will be opening in November. All mediums are welcome – painting, poetry, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and everything in between, and artists must create a work inspired by scripture and share their emotional, spiritual, or intellectual interpretation with the community. The exhibit will be open from Nov. 24 through the end of January 2026.

Baker Arts Center Director Brittyn Heronemus said it was not exactly a hard decision to have such an exhibit.