Get your motor runnin’ this Saturday, August 22, as the Gas Capital Car Club will present their Twenty-fourth Annual Gas Capital Car, Truck & Bike Show.

The Hugoton City Park will be filled with enough cars, trucks and motorcycles to satisfy any gearhead! The show will start at 8:00 a.m. and will end around 4:00 p.m.

The Gas Capital Car Club gives out many awards during the show, including recognition for “Best of Show”, “Mayor’s Choice” – chosen by Hugoton Mayor Jack Rowden, “Club Choice”, “Best Bike”, “Longest Distance” and “Top Ten”.

Be sure to stop by the City Park Saturday morning or afternoon – or stay all day – and check out all the cool rides from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.!

Larry Brady was inducted into the Oklahoma Ag Teacher Hall of Fame August 4, 2015. His family had kept this award a secret from him for several months, and the whole gang was there to celebrate with him during this special and well-deserved day. Larry served in Balko, Ok. as an Ag teacher from 1961 until 1994 for a total of 33 years. While serving the Balko students he received his Honorary State FFA Degree as well as an Honorary American FFA Degree, and 62 of his students were recipients of a State FFA Degree. Larry was as effective in the show ring as he was in the classroom. Possibly his most prized story is that of Arnold, a runt that he sold for two sacks of feed. Many in the area know that Arnold went on to win the Grand Champion at the Oklahoma City Spring Stock Show. There Arnold sold for $24,000. From there, Larry went on to have his hogs win Tulsa as well as Kansas State Fairs. Although this story is one for the ages, Larry’s best accomplishment didn’t come in the show ring. Rather it came with the many lives that he touched and changed in the community of Balko.

The Stevens County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session Monday, August 3 with Pat Hall and Joe D. Thompson present. Also present were County Clerk Pam Bensel, County Counselor Paul Kitzke and RoGlenda Coulter from The Hugoton Hermes. Dave Bozone was ill, but was able to come in at 10:00 a.m. for the meeting with Jack Rowden and the City Council.

The following is just an agenda for the morning with a few of the unofficial highlights. Official minutes may be published at a later date.

When this reporter arrived, the bills had been looked over and Vernon Anderson had stopped in. Motion was made to accept and pay the bills and to approve the minutes. Read More →

The Stevens County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) met at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 21, 2015 at the Hugoton Fire Station / EOC at 110 West Fifth for their regular working lunch. It took awhile but the room slowly filled with a nice room full of members.

The 17 members present were  RoGlenda Coulter, Bailey Esarey, Richard Everett, Brittany Fitzgerald, Joshua Grubbs, Pat Hall, Kathy Haynes, Cathy Hernandez, Debbie Hickson, Brent Inkelaar, Rodney Kelling, Courtney Leslie, Joy Lewis, John Moser, Paula Rowden,   Susan Schulte and Phillip Thompson. Guests signing in were Terry Pierson and Josh Slawski. Read More →

It’s Fair time again! Stevens County’s annual Fair will begin in earnest Thursday, July 23, with the 4-H Fashion Revue beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Memorial Hall. Friday evening, several Stevens County girls will compete for the crown beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Sorghum Queen contest in the Middle School Auditorium.
Saturday morning, get out to the Fairgrounds for the horse show at 8:30 a.m. The 4-H classes will go first, followed by open class entries. Timed events will be last. Later Saturday evening, head out to Dirtona for some dirt track action and the United Rebel Sprint Series! Pits open at 4:00 p.m., and the races will start at 7:00 p.m.
This year, for even more community spirit, each day of Fair Week will be extra fun as residents wear special clothing items! Monday, fairgoers are requested to wear red, while camo apparel is the order of the day for Tuesday. Wednesday will definitely be fun with Crazy Hat Day! Thursday’s request for “Wear Shorts Day” should be easy to accomodate, if the usual July heat is prevalent. For Friday, all fairgoers – men and women, boys and girls, young and old – are instructed to wear pink! Read More →

Lights! Camera! Action! Twenty-six beautiful girls from Stevens County will compete in the Sixty-Third Sorghum Queen Contest this Friday evening. They will meet July 24, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the Hugoton Middle School auditorium.
Candidates will be judged by their attire, poise, overall appearance, personality and punctuality on responsibilities.
The twenty-six candidates who have signed up for the Sorghum Queen contest are listed. Read More →

From 1999-2003, there were 3,442 deaths reported nationwide caused by exposure to extreme heat, an annual average of 688. Of those for whom age information was available, seven percent were younger than 15, 53 percent were between 15-64 years old, and 40 percent were 65 years or older.
With current weather forecasts indicating temperatures in the mid-90s and higher accompanied by high heat indexes, the Kansas Division of Emergency Management is urging Kansans to use caution and common sense when venturing outside. Similar in nature to the winter wind chill factor, the heat index, given in degrees Fahrenheit, is an accurate measurement of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is added to the actual air temperature. A heat index of 105 to 130 degrees means prolonged exposure or physical activity may result in sunstroke, heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heatstroke. Read More →

Turtle Races (sponsored by Southwest Kansas Friends of the Arts and the Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce) 3- to 5-year-olds 1st – Skylar Mason 2nd – Quintin & Benjamin Martin 3rd – Ashley Coats 6- to 8-year-olds 1st – Ella Beesley 2nd – Madison Coats 3rd – Brynlee Williams 9- to 12-year-olds 1st – Gabrielle Bolin 2nd – Rustin Pearcy 3rd – Storm Heger Giant Turtle Races 1st – Layla Duncan Frog Jump (sponsored by the HHS 2016 Senior Class and the Hugoton Area Chamber of Commerce) Overall Winner: Rustin Pearcy 3- to 5-year-olds 1st – Fynn Reinerio 2nd – Gracie Creed 3rd – Jaxx Woodington 6- to 8-year-olds 1st – Ethan 2nd – Brynli 3rd – Gavin Pearcy 9- to 12-year-olds 1st – Rustin Pearcy 2nd – Rylin 3rd – Caprice Egg Toss (sponsored by Wolters Construction) 7- to 10-years-olds 1st – Carson and Adams 2nd – Ryland and Jaxon 3rd – Danny and Henry 11- to 17-years-olds 1st – Sawyer and Jace 2nd – Ethan and Ryland 18-year-olds and up 1st – Daniel and Tina 2nd – Alredo and Daniel 3rd – Alfredo and Tina Parent and child 1st – Michael and Cami 2nd – Michael and Alexa 3rd – Jamie and Brynlee Read More →

David Smith, Veterans Service Representative of the Kansas Commission on Veterans’ Affairs in Fort Dodge, will be in Hugoton at the Stevens County Library Thursday, July 9 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The Kansas Commission on Veterans’ Affairs assists Veterans, their dependents and relatives with information, advice and assistance in filing claims for Veteran benefits. He will be able to furnish information in the fields of education, health, burial and memorials, VA pensions, and many other programs furnished by the Veterans Administration.

Submitted by the Kansas Commission on Veterans’ Affairs, Fort Dodge.

Hugoton’s annual Park Day is always a great opportunity to show off the community and have a lot of fun with the whole family! This year is no exception, as the Chamber has pulled out all the stops to ensure 2015’s Park Day is one to remember!

Starting the day off will be the Park Day Opening Ceremony on the east side of the park at 8:45 a.m. It will be followed by the Little Miss and Little Mister Hugoton Contest at 9:00 a.m. Contestants from birth to age three are encouraged to participate. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. Make sure your little cutie is outfitted in their most patriotic red, white and blue outfit for a chance to win! This year Little Misses and Misters do not have to be Stevens County residents. The contest is sponsored by Dillco Fluid Service. Read More →