ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Since 1976, there has been at least one McDonald’s in Liberal, and also since that time, Fran Graves has been part of the local franchise.

Liberal’s original McDonald’s was built on East Pancake Boulevard and replaced a few years ago with a more modern look. A few years prior to that, a second location was added on North Kansas Avenue.

As one of the first employees hired at the local McDonald’s, Graves said much of what has kept her working in the restaurant are the customers themselves.

“I just love the people coming in,” she said. “You get to know people. You have regular customers. The people is the thing.”

Special to the Leader & Times

Residents affected by wildfires in Seward County should contact the Kansas Department of Insurance if they have an issue with an insurance claim. The department has been in contact with local authorities in Clark County and is coordinating with the Kansas Division of Emergency Management.

“If you have an issue with insurance, we want to know about it,” said Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. “Our department stands ready to help Kansans navigate the recovery process, file insurance claims, and work through any insurance issues. If you or someone you know is having trouble with an insurance claim, please contact the Kansas Department of Insurance’s Consumer Assistance Division for any claims-related questions or concerns by phone at (785) 296-3071; by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; or visit the department online at insurance.kansas.gov.”

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

One of the many offices up for grabs in this year’s election cycle is the Kansas Secretary of State, and Samuel Lane is one of the names in that hat.

As Lane tells it, he is not a typical politician.

“I currently work in construction materials testing, and for a long time, I worked in a wide variety of what some would consider 'low-end' jobs because I graduated college not too long before the 2008 economic situation happened and that whole 'go to college and you'll get a great job' didn't end up happening for me,” Lane said. “I got into politics because I've always been interested in activism and I've been rather politically-minded for a lot of my life, but I had to focus more on making ends meet and supporting myself, so I stayed out of that sector for the most part. But I ended up not being a fan of the direction the country was going, so I decided I wanted to do something about that. I did some research to learn about what offices would be up for election and what work would be entailed with those positions, and I ultimately decided on the secretary of state's office because protecting voting rights is really fundamental to everything else – if we don't have a proper democracy, we can't function the way we're supposed to.”

L&T staff report

Efforts to combat a wildfire in Meade County have proven successful, according to a report from the National Weather Service.

“Dry thunderstorms on the afternoon of May 14 sparked multiple wildfires across Southwest Kansas, and a significant cluster of wildfires continued through the night across Meade County into Clark County,” the report said. “The city of Meade was briefly evacuated overnight as the Meade State Park fire continued north toward the south part of the city. As of 5 a.m., Friday, firefighting efforts contained the fire enough to lift the evacuation order.”