Special to the Leader & Times

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is now accepting applications for state funding to support cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training and the purchase and maintenance of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

The funding, authorized through House Bill 2513, is available to eligible public and non-public school districts, as well as religious or charitable associations, libraries and tribal entities that have a registered and approved Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP) with KDHE.

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Early 2026 saw the resignation of former Seward County Fire Chief Andrew Barkley.

The resignation came amidst videos in which Seward County Commission Chairman Steve Helm and Vice Chairman Todd Stanton in phone conversations with Barkley on his way to help fight several area fires in regards to the potential need for Administrator April Warden to have a radio in the event of such emergencies.

Following Barkley’s resignation, the commission temporarily hired firefighter Braden Steckel to be the interim fire chief until a full-time replacement was hired.

Recently, commissioners voted to replace Steckel with a familiar face who comes to the job with much experience.

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

There are a couple new faces in the Liberal High School athletics office, and Cynthia Bell is one of them in the role of the athletics department administrative assistant.

Bell is no stranger to LHS or the athletics department.

“I worked here about three years ago as the attendance secretary, and then I left and did administrative assistant at Spectrum Pinning,” Bell said. “I saw this job was open, and I wanted to take the opportunity to apply because I've done coaching for about eight years in and out of the district. I've helped with club volleyball, and I've played volleyball also, so I've done both sides, and I wanted to jump on the other side and get behind the scenes and help out the coaches and the students and make sure everything aligns properly for them and take care of everything that I can for them.”

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Missionaries are often seen working in Third World countries across the globe, and this summer, a group of youth from Kansas, including one young lady from Liberal, got to do some mission work in the South American country of Peru.

Zoe Martin was just one of the teens from the Sunflower State who were part of the Assemblies of God of Kansas’s (AGK) 2026 Iquitos Aim Trip, and along with the young people, the group was joined by adults who preach at different churches in the state.

“We met up in the Wichita airport,” she said. “We went on a couple flights. We went to Lima, and we met up with a missionary who lives in the area of Peru area we were going to.”