Coats, KS

It’s not everyday a business makes it over 100 years in small town Kansas. Pratt is proud to boast two businesses reaching milestones this year and providing much needed services to the community. City Manager Bruce Pinkall joined us to celebrate and thank The People’s Bank who has reached...

WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - As the 4th of July draws near, Ellis and Trude Mayfield are doing what they know best: selling fireworks. The couple has run their stand, Mayfield Fireworks, in Medicine Lodge for 53 years. It’s across the street from their house. “When the people come in,...

PRATT, Kan. – Many beautifully manicured lawns and gardens become victims of a devastating pest every year. This pest is called the bagworm. Bagworms are normally found in shrubs, cedar, pine and spruce trees. Even though most young larvae hatch and emerge during mid- to late-May, it is common to see damage in late-July to early-August. However it is difficult to control bagworms that are that size, “They are much easier to kill while small,” Upham says.

Pratt High School wrestling leader Tate Thompson quietly won a national award for coaching at the end of May 2022. Along with several other outstanding high school wrestling awards garnered by Greenback associates, Thomson was named the National Girls Wrestling Coach of the Year by the NWCA. “This is an...

Midway through a busy summer season, members of the Pratt Swim Team are showing drastic improvements, according to head coach Tonja Harrison. Harrison, in her 15th year as head swim team coach, said 58 swimmers have already competed in several meets so far this year. “Overall, I think they’ve done great. I’m super proud of them,” she said.

Positive news came from several sources at the June 20 City of Pratt Commission meeting. During the open agenda portion of the meeting, resident Tom Frazier thanked the commission for work done by city employees on a storage building at the corner of 9th and Hamilton streets. “It’s a big...

The Kiowa County Senior Center in Greensburg will host Kansas Quilt Speaker Deborah Divine on Friday, July 1 at 1 p.m. for a special presentation. Divine, who is the President at the Quilters Hall of Fame in Marion, Indiana, will present Sharing Patterns, Sharing Lives and spend the afternoon highlighting some of the most important and influential works from a variety of artists.

A solo exhibit by Andi Burnam has opened at the 5.4.7. Arts Center in Greensburg featuring her “Pieces of Home” collection, now available to the public until August 26. Burnam is a paper mosaic artist and illustrator. She collects colored pages of magazines, most of them donated to her by friends, and sorts them into envelopes of like colors. Then she sketches a picture, pulls out the proper colored papers and tears them into tiny pieces, each coated with the proper amount of glue, and formulates them into a mosaic picture, which is then coated with protective epoxy sealant. She loves cows, dogs, cats and other animals so most of her finished pictures are detailed portraits of those subjects.

Gary Louis Stauffer, 87, of Chandler, Ariz., passed away peacefully on April 13 of this year. Gary was born in Omaha, Neb., to Frank L and Cleota Grace (Correll) Funk. After his parent’s divorce, he moved with his mom and two sisters, Betty (Funk) Hilleren and Jean (Funk) Keller, to St. John, Kan., where Cleo married Emmett Stauffer. They added three more children, Michael Stauffer, Byron Stauffer and Sharon (Stauffer) Bowman to the family.

At the Greensburg City Council meeting Monday, June 20, property usage was a main topic of discussion. After an opening word of prayer, agenda approval and tourism board appointment (Whitney Kreiger), council members considered an application for carriage house renovation and use. This application was brought forth by Brian Gutzenburger...

A house fire at Sixth and Ninnescah streets turned up the heat on an already hot afternoon Sunday, June 19 in Pratt. With temperatures soaring near 100 degrees, many firefighters from the City of Pratt Fire Department responded to a call out for the house fire late afternoon on Father’s Day.

Haviland – Samuel Jay Bucher’s love of life didn’t come to an end with his death. Sam went home to the Lord on June 16, 2022, at the age of 79, surrounded by loved ones who will continue to honor his legacy by living life to the fullest. Son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather were roles he fulfilled with love and laughter. Sam was a true friend and could always bring laughter and a smile to any situation with an unexpected sarcastic comment or observation. He kept us on our toes.

The Board of Education of Unified School District No. 422, State of Kansas, Kiowa County, met for their June 13 meeting at the school district office, 710 S. Main Street in Greensburg. The meeting was called to order by President Ki Gamble at 8:03 p.m. Members present included Ki Gamble,...

Turon – Curtis Clyde Lofton, 67, passed away Thursday, June 16, 2022 at his home in Turon. He was born on August 13, 1954 in Yakima, Washington to Nina L (Barrett) and William L. Lofton. Curtis married Gladys (Page) Lofton . They were married for years 50 years. They lived in Turon for 13 years after moving from New Mexico. He worked as a paint and Body Service technician. He is survived by his wife, Gladys; sons, Clayton (Heather) Lofton of Turon, Roscoe Lee Lofton of Montrose, Colorado, Clyde Lofton of West Virginia and Lawrence Lofton of Salina; daughters, Susan (Verny) Wood of Turon and Theresa Lofton of Pratt; 16 grandchildren; and 4 great-grandchildren.