The holiday season is already in full swing! This Friday, December 4 will be the annual PEO Cookie Sale at the Citizens State Bank Annex at 601 S. Main in Hugoton. Fill up a box with delicious homemade baked goods from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.! Santa Claus is making the rounds again this year, and Hugoton looks to be his next stop. The jolly guy will be in town at Flatlanders Saturday, December 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to take pictures with your favorite furry friends. You can even dress your pets in costumes, or choose from their selection! Then he’ll go over to the Stevens County Activity Center to greet area children from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. There will also be games and face painting at the Activity Center, so be sure to stop by and see Santa this Saturday, December 5. Read More →

Thanksgiving is upon the nation, and with it, the official start of the holiday season. Namely, the intense Christmas shopping push including such savings events as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, in all the stress of preparing for the season, you might have forgotten about Small Business Saturday, November 28 and Giving Tuesday, December 2. Instead of heading over to Guymon or Liberal to spend your dollars in another county, stay right here in Hugoton and enjoy some great deals at local shops.

Contrary to popular belief, Black Friday initially referred to the day after Thanksgiving when employers would receive countless calls from workers claiming illness to gain a four-day weekend. Philadelphia, Pa. police officers began using the term “Black Friday” in 1961 to refer to the awful traffic conditions due to off-duty workers beginning their Christmas shopping. This year, be thankful you live in a rural community where traffic jams are extremely uncommon. Avoid the crowds and head to Flatlanders Farm & Home for countless specials on cookbooks, kitchen accessories, tools, and even furniture – the Real Tree Camo Relaxer Chair and patio table and chair set are the definition of “steals”! The store also offers ten percent off all guns and boots. Doors open at 7:00 a.m. for Black Friday. You can also stop at the Dollar General store on Eleventh Street where you can find discounts for everything from electronics and kitchen gadgets to bedding and clothes. And if you haven’t put up your Christmas tree yet, Dollar General offers half-price trees, ornaments and tree toppers. Hugoton’s Dollar General will be open Thanksgiving Day, November 26, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Black Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Read More →

Whether you’re ready for it or not, Thanksgiving is next week! In recognition, several businesses have announced special hours. The restaurants closing for Thanksgiving Day are as follows: McDonald’s, Subway, Pizza Hut, Ranchito Tex Mex, Antlers and Barb’s Den. These restaurants will resume regular business hours Friday, November 27. Sonic will be open Thanksgiving Day from 6:00 to 11:00 a.m. China will be open November 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, The Steakhouse will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The gas stations in town will remain open, with regular business hours both Thursday and Friday. The Store, in Moscow, will be closed Thursday, but will be open Friday. The Corner Stop in Rolla, will also close for Thanksgiving Day, but will reopen Friday.

If you are needing any last minute items for your Thanksgiving dinner, White’s Foodliner will be open Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Thrifty King will also be open Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Dollar General will be open Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Read More →

Monday, November 9, the State Finance Council provided “extraordinary needs” funding of $4,242,794 for 27 Kansas school districts. Funding was related to increased enrollment, refugee resettlement and reduced oil and gas valuations for Kansas schools. Hugoton’s USD 210 received 77 percent of their requested $563,606, while Moscow’s USD 209 received 90 percent of their requested $131,351. Both Stevens County districts requested extraordinary need funds from the state due to the county’s decreased valuation. Since 2013, Stevens County’s valuation has gone down approximately 25 percent. A higher mill levy has made up some of the difference, but the districts recognized the need for more money. Local schools have been cutting their budgets, but the funds from the state are still desperately needed. Until natural gas prices go back up, the county schools will continue to require state funding. USD 210 Superintendent Adrian Howie reported the money from the state will go toward next year’s budget and should help offset this year’s mill levy increase. Read More →

Schedules are busy this time of year with Thanksgiving right around the corner. While you’re busy planning what will be served this Turkey Day, keep in mind the activities happening this weekend in Hugoton. Pheasant Heaven’s annual Calf Fry, Beef Feed and Pig Roast will be at Great Plains Gas Compression located at 210 East First Street Friday, November 13 at 4:00 p.m. Please note the starting time has been moved up an hour to accomodate for the Eagle football game at 6:00 p.m. The varsity Eagles will battled the Andale Indians starting at 6:00 p.m. in conference play. Read More →

This is the first year that it was not a surprise when the sorority Beta Sigma Phi picked the Woman of the Year. Donice Medina was selected 2015 Woman of the Year. However, she stated she did not plan to attend this event, so she had to be informed she was the recipient of the award. Read More →

The Hugoton High School Cross Country teams traveled to Hays High Saturday to participate in the Regional qualifying meet. The top three teams and the top ten individual runners automatically qualified to the State meet that will be next weekend in Wamego. Saturday both the boys and girls teams from Hugoton came away with the Regional championships. “This was the third time this has happened since I have been coach and the first since 2003. Regional championships do not come easily. Heading into the meet we thought that the boys were the team to beat so we expected to win the Region. The girls was unexpected. We thought Clay Center was the team to beat. They have been running well all year and placed well back at the Wamego Invitational,” said Coach Nick Rodriguez.  Read More →

Believe it or not, Halloween is right around the corner! Several activities have been planned for Hugoton’s kids to enjoy.

First up is the HES Halloween Carnival Saturday, October 24 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the HES Gym. Proceeds will benefit Relay for Life. Find out more on page 5 of this week’s Hermes.

Next Friday, October 30, Main Street businesses will be handing out candy to kids during the annual Spook Parade Friday, October 30 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Make sure to stop by the Library and Pioneer Manor after you make your way down Main Street!

Saturday, October 31 will be the UMC Trunk or Treat event from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the parking lot, and Assembly of God will also host their Trunk or Treat at the Turnaround from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Saturday is also the day to Trick or Treat around town!

Have a very happy and SAFE Halloween!

Even though Corey Mirabal had only lived in Hugoton since 2006, he had made many, many friends. Better known as “Pepsi Man”, he later worked for John Deere, 7-Up and Sara Lee. Corey was always helping everyone, and he didn’t know a stranger! Because of that, after he passed in 2008, the Mirabal family decided to begin a Scholarship Fund in his memory so everyone could remember Corey and his big heart. Read More →

Winners of two Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day statewide contests have been announced as part of the national safety campaign Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day. For the poster contest – Kendall Rogers of Cunningham, Kayleigh Flores of Moscow and Reagan de Koning of Axtell are the statewide winners. Each student was first selected as a regional winner and received a bicycle and a helmet donated by Safe Kids Kansas at presentations at their schools.

Kayleigh Flores is a student at Heritage Christian Academy in Hugoton in the eight to ten year old division. She was awarded her prize of a shiny new bicycle and bike helmet at HCA Friday, October 9. Read More →