Special to the Leader & Times

Beginning soon and continuing until late July, residents of Southwest Kansas may see a low-flying helicopter towing a large hexagonal frame. This aerial arrangement is part of a project to map groundwater conditions in the Ogallala aquifer in Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District (GMD) 3.

GMD 3 and the Kansas Geological Survey, working with Aqua Geo Frameworks LLC of Fort Laramie, Wyo., have planned the helicopter flights to develop a better understanding of the Ogallala Aquifer. Similar airborne electromagnetic surveys covered 2,500 miles of Northwest Kansas GMD 4 in 2024 and 2,900 miles of Western Kansas GMD 1 in 2025. The project receives funding from the Governor’s Office, Kansas Legislature and Kansas Water Office.

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

In late April, county commissioners met with Seward County Health Department Director Brie Greeson regarding issues with the health department.

The meeting was not livestreamed, and the Leader & Times later spoke with Greeson about the meeting. She said the work session came about after prior commissioners had asked for an update on the health department.

“I thought it would be very beneficial for the new commissioners who came on after the first of the year to have a little overview,” she said.

Greeson said among the issues discussed was the commission’s role as the county’s health board, vaccines and the impact schedule changes and community access considerations would have on vaccines in the county.

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

The Liberal City Commission will have multiple projects to look at for its next meeting this evening starting at 5:30. This evening’s meeting will be in the commission chambers at the Liberal Recreation Center at 950 S. Grant Ave.

Up first for consideration will be an agreement with the Seward County Development Corporation (SCDC).

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

The race for one of Kansas’ U.S. Senate seats is filling up rapidly, and one of the names on that list is Adam Hamilton.

Like many of the other candidates, Hamilton’s roots in the Sunflower State run deep.

“My family are fifth generation Kansans – my great-great-grandparents originally came from Pennsylvania and settled in Dickinson County in a town called Hope, so we've been in Kansas a long time,” Hamilton said. “I grew up in the Kansas City area, and I have been a United Methodist pastor for the past 38 years. I love my job and love the people. I started with a dream of building a church that reached lots of people in order to make a difference in our community, in our world, and what we've always tried to do at the church is encourage people to live out their faith in the world. We've been very involved in our community, especially at schools where there are low-income children, and doing what we could to help support them. Throughout the past 36 years, our congregation has given more than $100 million to causes outside the walls of our church to make a difference. It's been a just a really big part of who we are, and we're always asking the question, how does our faith connect with daily life?”