News

Special to the Leader & Times

Western Kansas Community Foundation (WKCF) is currently accepting board applications to fill vacancies for the next term starting January 2026. With a service area of 15 counties in Western Kansas, the Foundation is specifically welcoming applications from Finney, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Kearny, Lane, Meade, Morton, Scott, Seward, Stanton, Stevens and Wichita County. Board applications are collected online at wkcf.org and are due Sept. 1.

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

A Sublette man and a Dighton man suffered suspected minor injuries in an accident involving a semi and a pickup Tuesday afternoon in Lane County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, a 2004 Freightliner and a 2019 Ford F250 were traveling northbound on Kansas Highway 23 with the semi behind the pickup.

KHP said the pickup began to do a left turn onto Lane County Road 200, and while turning, the semi tried to pass on the left, causing it to crash into the pickup.

The Freightliner’s driver, 63-year-old Ben R. Fehr of Sublette, and the F250’s driver, Jesse R. Beesley of Dighton, 32, of Dighton, were taken to Lane County Hospital with suspected minor injuries. Both drivers were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.

Garden City Police Department

Fake check scams are not new, but the Garden City Police Department has learned of one targeting local contractors with convincing tactics and urgent requests. 

A local contractor was nearly conned by someone posing as an out-of-town homeowner claiming their property needed work. The scammer sent a fake check for more than the job quote and tried to rush payment to a third party. That, along with the entire exchange happening over text, tipped the contractor off, who then reported it to us and wants to help warn others. 

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Many changes were made to the aviation industry after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, and recently, some legislation was proposed to make some adjustments to one of those changes.

Wednesday, Sen. Jerry Moran, chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation, along with and Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced the Spending Aviation Fees for Equipment, Guaranteeing Upgraded and Advanced Risk Detection and Safety (SAFEGUARDS) Act to make certain revenue collected through the 9/11 Passenger Security Fee (PSF) is invested in bolstering aviation and airport security.