Courthouse employees show off the large load of non perishable food they collected. The Stevens County Courthouse had a “Decorate Your Door” contest to help collect food items to donate to Project Hope. Pictured left to right are Eriel Lewis, Betty Rosel, Lori Rome, Ross Sullivan, Jayme Rich, Ciara Greenwood, Amy Rich and Jordan Waugh. Betty’s door won.
Beverly (Broaddus) Young holds up a Hugoton Hermes while visiting the West Indies.
The love of geography and maps is where my adventure began before I graduated Hugoton High School in 1970. In April 1973, I traveled to Wichita for an Interview with United Airlines. I was hired and have been traveling every since. I departed United and became a Certified Travel Counselor in 1985. I have traveled all seven continents, visited over a hundred countries, and lived in numerous places like Hawaii and Europe. This Year I celebrate fifty years of the best job ever!!! Mo and I cruised with Viking Ocean over Thanksgiving to the West Indies with the Hugoton Hermes to celebrate. My list is never complete and always have another trip being planned. Spring 2024 is the Viking River Voyage of the Grand European countries. We will cruise down the Danube, the Main and Rhine River between Budapest and Amsterdam. The highlight this trip is a Mozart & Strauss Concert in Vienna.
The High Plains Theatre will be showing Trolls Band Together Friday, December 15 and Saturday, December 16 at 7:00 p.m. The movie is sponsored by State Farm-Debbie Nordling. The first 25 kid trays will be free.
The Hugoton High School Show Choir will perform a Christmas Spectacular Sunday, December 17 at 4:00 p.m. at High Plains Theatre. The event is sponsored by State Farm Debbie Nordling. Come snag a photo with Santa. Free Will Donations are accepted to help with the New York Carnegie Hall performance in April. There will also be concessions.
Heritage Christian Academy wants to invite you to their annual Christmas Program. Join them Sunday, December 17 at 6:00 p.m. at the Hugoton Assembly of God. There will be cookies and hot cocoa following the program.
Heaven Came Down, and Glory Filled Our Souls! Moscow Christian Fellowship Church would like to invite you to an evening of song and fellowship Sunday, December 17 at 7:00 p.m. The congregation will be singing Christmas Hymns throughout the program. It is their desire to uplift the Name of Jesus. They would love to see you; won’t you join them? They will also be having a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service December 24 at 6:00 p.m.
The Hugoton High School Show Choir traveled to Branson, Mo. November 16 – 19 to perform for numerous crowds, with Branson On Stage Live.
They started their performances at the Dick Clark “Legends” Theatre Thursday night, and Saturday performed at Kings castle and the Clay Cooper theatre for the Haygoods. The Show Choir had a big fanclub of around 60 people, following them from Hugoton.
Members of the show choir are Jewels Noland, Jayden Burrows, Leleani Gerber, Faith Beesley, Chaney Poulsen, Morgan Anderson, Ella Beesley, Ava Vertrees, Bryan Montoya, Seth Mason, Taylan Hill, Marco Amador, Grant Neihues, Tobias Grubbs, Marquis Brown and Clayton Grubbs, directed by Renee Beesley.
If you haven’t seen their show you can watch their performance at their annual Christmas Concert December 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the HHS auditorium.
Kai Stewart was born in Liberal to Lorrie Stewart and Jack Schechter. Roger Willis is his stepdad. Kai spent his early years in Hugoton, attending grade school on and off for a total of eight years. Since 2010 he has been living full-time in Montana. There, he started wrestling at the tender age of four and dabbled in various kids’ sports, even playing football through middle school.
However, wrestling turned out to be his true calling. He wrestled year-round, participating in National wrestling tournaments across the northwest.
His dedication paid off, as he eventually became undefeated in middle school and achieved the impressive feat of becoming a four-time qualifier, three-time finalist, and one-time Montana State Wrestling Champion.
In 2019, just two weeks after his high school graduation, Kai took his first MMA (mixed martial arts) fight on short notice. Although he lost by split decision, he fell in love with the sport and built an amateur record of 7-3. In 2021 he secured his first MMA championship belt in Salt Lake City. Then, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) came to Great Falls, Montana, and Kai quickly made a name for himself in the pro circuit, winning his first three pro bouts. This earned him a shot at the inaugural 145# World Championship belt, which he clinched in front of his many friends, fans, and family to the resounding words, “And New.” This win made him the youngest BKFC champion in company history (22).
Kai is a well-rounded individual. He’s currently studying business at the University of Providence in Great Falls and operates his own business called “Catch Uh High” on Etsy.
Additionally, he coaches wrestling at Central Catholic High School and mentors a kids’ wrestling team. His active involvement in the community and support for others led to a product being named after him, “Cracked Skull Pepper” by Alpine Touch.
In his free time, Kai enjoys unwinding by fishing and guiding. Kai reflects on his journey, saying, “As I stand on the precipice of superstardom, I can’t help but reflect on the path that brought me here. I am Kai Stewart, a name that is starting to resonate in the world of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. With an undefeated record of 4-0, I’ve made a mark in a sport that demands not only physical prowess but also unwavering determination to succeed.”
Kai’s journey through BKFC has been one of grit and resilience, conquering every challenge that came his way with the unwavering support of his team, family, fans, and both communities of Hugoton and Great Falls. He’s ready to prove his mettle once again December 2, showcasing why he’s a force to be reckoned with in the world of bare knuckle fighting. He takes immense pride in carrying the spirit of Hugoton into the ring.
For ticket information or how to watch online with his code, don’t hesitate to reach out to Kai. Watch parties are encouraged, and be sure to share your pictures on social media. Sponsorship opportunities are also available on this grand platform. You can connect with Kai on any social media platform using the following handles: – Kai “Hefty Bag” Stewart – Kai Stewart – kaihb145 on Instagram – Email: (kai_stewart@ icloud.com) Get ready to join Kai on his journey to greatness!
November 18, Miss Stacey read the 2023 Kansas Reads to Preschoolers selection “My Heart Fills With Happiness” by Monique Gray Smith to local families. Family Storytime is a great way to get every family member involved and it’s a fabulous
opportunity to work on crafts, something that isn’t possible at regular Circle Time Storytimes. There is still time to register your birth to 5 year old in the Kansas Reads to Preschoolers drawing at the Stevens County Library.
Stevens County 4-H member Channing Dillinger has earned a trip to the National 4-H Congress this November in Atlanta, Georgia.
Channing will be attending National Congress representing Kansas as the State winner in the 4-H Meat Goat project due to her 4-H project work and record keeping. Highlights of Channing’s 4-H work include serving as the county 4-H goat project leader; taking a leading role in organizing a livestock show for children with special needs; presenting a goat showmanship clinic to young 4-H members in Russell County; and raising and selling show-quality meat goats.
National 4-H Congress is a gathering of approximately 800 youth and adult chaperones from across the nation representing the highest achieving 4-H members from the past year. Activities at congress include a “Morning of Service” where the attendees perform community service projects as teams in the Atlanta schools, city parks, and other community locations. Events will also include leadership workshops, motivational speakers and tours around the city of Atlanta.
Channing is a junior at Hugoton High School and the daughter of Derek and Stacy Dillinger.
Guys and Dolls” is the big entertainment event for this weekend at the Hugoton High School Auditorium. Hugoton’s highly
talented students will be putting thier unique skills on display for you Saturday and Sunday. Get out and check out what
talented kids Hugoton has. Photos courtesy of Sarah Kitzke.
Takoda and Amber Eckert are honored at a recent NextGenUnder 30 Awards Ceremony. They are the first-ever husband and wife couple to be recognized for their own individual
accomplishments.
Friday, October 20, 2023, during the recent Next GenUnder 30 Awards Ceremony, the first-ever husband and wife couple were recognized for their own individual accomplishments. Winners were Kansas Mason Brother Takoda Eckert, with Archer Daniels Midland and his wife Amber Eckert, with UtMost Ag Services, LLC.
NextGen Under 30 recognizes and encourages the next generation of innovative, creative, and inspiring individuals who push the boundaries in various categories of endeavor. The couple resides in Fowler.
Congratulations to both of these young people for their outstanding leadership in their careers and service to their community!
Takoda is the son of Emily Peterson and Marcus Eckert both of Hugoton. He is the grandson of Connie Kerbow and Dave Eckert, both of Hugoton.
Karen Vines, the county’s health insurance advisor, addresses the Stevens County Commissioners Monday morning with bad news. Looking over the figures, from left to right, are County Attorney Paul Kitzke, Commissioner Tron Stegman, Commissioner Pat Hall, Commissioner Joe D. Thompson, County Clerk Amy Jo Tharp and Karen Vines.
The Board of Stevens County Commissioners met in regular session Monday, October 23. All members, Tron Stegman, Pat Hall and Joe D. Thompson were present. Also present were, County Clerk Amy Jo Tharp, County Attorney Paul Kitzke and RoGlenda Coulter from The Hugoton Hermes.
Agenda: 8:30 – Bills; 8:45 – Tony Martin; 9:00 – Karen Vines; 10:15 – David Geist – SWKAA; 10:30 – Nex-Tech discussion; 11:00 – Cammie Heaton; 11:10 – Ross Sullivan.
The meeting was called to order. Bills were gone over. A few questions were asked and discussed. Motion was made and passed to approve the county vouchers and the minutes.
Tony Martin came in for Public Works. Tony and the Commissioners discussed the matter of tires at the Landfill. Tony said Waste Managementpicks up the tires approximately every three months. They are loaded into a semi, weighed and hauled off. The landfill is then billed for them.
They discussed the future wind/solar farms. Tony is to meet with the Ford County Attorney Tuesday, October 24. He will then share the meeting details with the Stevens County Zoning Board. Tony told the Commissioners they were doing random drug testing at the county departments. They talked about a complaint of various trucks pulling out of intersections.
Karen Vines was next on the agenda. She represents HUB and is the health insurance advisor for the county. She brought all the details for Blue Cross and Blue Shield for the county employees. It was not good news. There will be an increase in the cost per employee. There is an option of raising the deductible to keep the price down. This created a complicated dilemma for the Commissioners. Also Ms. Vines advised that all Blue Cross users will be getting a letter in the mail concerning drug details. Do Not Throw Away These Letters!!! They require a form to be filled out and sent back! It’s very important that these letters be addressed and will possibly be to the customers’ benefit.
After Ms. Vines left, the Commissioners continued to discuss the changes in health insurance. The options may include: deduct the difference between the single coverage and the family coverage from salary each month (approximately $150 to $200); drop all family coverage and pay just the single coverage for each employee; take the option of the much higher deductible; or take the high price and not give a cost of living raise later. These were just a few of the ideas the Commissioners were discussing. It’s a very hard decision.
David Geist from the Southwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging (SWKAAA) came in to update the Commissioners. His department covers 28 area counties. They offer: help with keeping elderly in their home as long as possible; health counseling; legal services; and possible employment prospects, just to name a few. Mr. Geist advised that they need representatives from Stevens County. This is a voluntary three year term. They meet every three months and pay for the road trip. Stevens County also is in need of a Silver Hair representative. Rusty Tuman was asked to come in and offer advice on the county’s Nex-Tech programs. Amy Jo also had a representative from Nex-Tech on speaker phone. Rusty had some good advice for the Commissioners. He also had advice of how to save a lot of money and still keep the security in check. Cammie Heaton came in with some updates for the Health Department. Courthouse Facilities Supervisor Ross Sullivan stopped in with updates and requests. Meeting adjourned.
Hats in the Air!!! And its a Wrap!!! The Hugoton High School Class of 2024 celebrates their
graduation Saturday morning, May 11. Photo courtesy of Levi Foreman.
The Community Guide 2022-2023
