ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Two of the citizen comments heard at last Monday’s Seward County Commission meeting concerned the county’s Rural Fire District.

The first heard firefighter Morgan West advocating for Interim Fire Chief Braden Steckel to become the permanent head of the department with applications for the position closing last Friday.

“For the last several months, we as a department have had to go day to day not knowing what the future of our department is,” West said. “Due to the state of not knowing or having clear answers, we’ve had to put several things on hold. As a department, we have rallied together and supported the county.”

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

The Liberal City Commission will have a rather busy evening ahead for its next meeting starting at 5:30. This evening’s meeting will be in the commission chambers at the Liberal Recreation Center at 950 S. Grant Ave.

After discussing a partnership with the Seward County Development Corporation and a resolution regarding vehicle abatements, the commission will move on to discussion of Resolution No. 2455 concerning the demolition of property at 110 S. Grant Ave.

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

The First Congressional District of Kansas is one of many offices up for election this coming fall, and Lauren Reinhold is one of the candidates looking to replace Tracey Mann in that office.

As Reinhold tells it, working with the federal government is not entirely new to her.

“This is the first time I've run for office, but I was a federal employee for 16 years. I've been in Kansas since 1993 when I came at age 22 and attended the University of Kansas for law school. So I've lived here most of my life now and still live in Lawrence,” Reinhold said. “I'm a lawyer and I’ve practiced immigration law and legal aid law and other similar jobs after graduating from law school. I rejoined the government in 2010 with the government as an attorney advisor at the Social Security Administration (SSA) in their disability division. During that time, I was also a union officer and worked my way up to being a human resources specialist. I also had a short stint at the National Labor Relations Board, which regulates the collective bargaining process, but I wasn't there very long. I got lured back to another leadership position at SSA, and I was there until early 2025 when DOGE came in and made it clear that everything was going to be different, and I reluctantly took the buyout and chose to fight for our federal services outside of the executive branch, and that's what led me to run for office – my experience of understanding government, knowing how it should work, and then watching the disruption that’s been going on.”

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Saturdays in the summer in Southwest Kansas find many people outdoors enjoying warmer weather and fun activities.

For more than a decade in Liberal, summertime Saturday mornings have found shoppers of all ages, and some of the four-legged kind, taking advantage of the Farmers Market.

This year’s market starts Saturday, May 2, at The Plaza in north Liberal, and Manager Debra Huddleston said this year’s market will feature some old and new vendors, as well some fun, including a scavenger hunt and kids day.