News

Seward County Community College

The Seward County Community College Library is proud to host the Outside/Inside: Immigration, Migration, and Health Care in the United States, a six-panel exhibit on immigration and its influence on public health in United States.

The six-panel display highlights the early struggles of immigrants to access quality healthcare and showcases the work of pioneers who fought for inclusive medical services.

Plains Elementary School

The smell of freshly baked cookies and cupcakes surrounded Mustang Field Oct. 17 as a group of Plains Elementary fifth graders turned their compassion and their culinary skills into a heartwarming community effort.

The students hosted a bake sale to raise awareness and funds for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the results were nothing short of inspiring.

The idea began in Ann Swank’s fifth-grade classroom, where five students wanted to make a difference in honor of those affected by breast cancer.

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Prior to hearing from Wichita attorney Forrest Rhodes regarding what could be done to fix the adopted budget for Fiscal Year 2026, which contained an increase of more than 13 mills over the Revenue Neutral Rate, Seward County commissioners got feedback from constituents at Monday’s meeting.

Liberal resident Rick Madden, who also spoke at the Sept. 15 public hearing, said he is confused by budget information he has seen since then.

“One says come get it from the horse’s mouth, and the other one’s showing the horse’s mouth isn’t being truthful about it,” he said.

Madden asked how much of the 13 mills would be dedicated to paybacks to DCP National Helium and Conestoga Energy.

“If there is surplus in that 13 mills, I’d like to know what the mill surplus was and what the intended use of it is,” he said. “It seems it’s fallen under the cover of the DCP National Helium and Conestoga settlement.”

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Amendments could be coming soon to the adopted budget for Fiscal Year 2026 for Seward County, but most likely, those changes will have to wait until January 2026.

That from attorney Forrest Rhodes from the Wichita-based law firm Foulston Siefkin, who provided commissioners with an interpretation of Kansas statute K.S.A. 79-2229A, which governs amendments of budget’s such as the county’s.

Rhodes said the statute provides for two situations in which a taxing entity such as the county could amend a budget.