Special to the Leader & Times

Gov. Laura Kelly has issued a proclamation declaring April as Kansas Safe Digging Month. The proclamation, in concurrence with National Safe Digging Month, reminds Kansans to call 811 before starting any outdoor digging projects.

The Kansas Corporation Commission, Kansas 811, Kansas utilities and Gov. Kelly are encouraging excavators and homeowners to call 811 before they begin digging projects to prevent injuries, property damage, and inconvenient outages. Nationwide, 24 percent of damages reported are caused by the failure of the professional excavator or homeowner to call 811 before digging. In Kansas, the percentage is below the national average at 11% which is attributed to increased public awareness of 811.

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Athletes at Southwestern Heights High School will now have a new tool to help them with performance and recovery.

Wednesday, the school received a custom-branded, glass-front refrigerator and a $2,500 chocolate milk grant from the Dairy MAX program, Fueled by Farmers, which supports local schools and student athletes with milk cooler grants.

The cooler is designed to keep milk stocked and cold, ready to use for athlete performance and recovery, providing a science-backed combination of carbohydrates and high-quality  protein to help refuel muscles after competition.

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

After being closed for a few months for remodel, Liberal’s Stepping Stone Shelter recently reopened with a ribbon cutting hosted by the Chamber of Commerce.

SSS Board President Ty Lewick said the renovations were made possible from a one-time allocation from the State of Kansas for much needed infrastructure upgrades.

Lewick said Development Director Lindsay Bennett, Board Treasurer Scarlette Diseker and Liberal Area Coalition for Families Director Sarah Mersdorf-Foreman in 2025 went to Topeka to lobby for a line item in the state’s budget, and this resulted in just more than $600,000 for Stepping Stone.

Special to the Leader & Times

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will host the 30th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at nearly 4,200 locations nationwide, including 70 sites across the St. Louis Field Division which includes Kansas, Missouri and Southern Illinois.

Twice a year, DEA joins forces with local law enforcement and community groups to host DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, giving the public a safe and anonymous way to dispose of expired and unused prescription medications. By getting rid of unnecessary medications in the home, families can help prevent prescription drug misuse and reduce the potential for accidental poisonings.