Hoisington, KS

BUSHTON, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a buffalo charged and seriously injured a Kansas sheriff’s deputy one day before the animal’s owner was found gored to death. Ellsworth County Sheriff Murray Marston said in a news release that the buffalo had wandered onto a state highway and the deputy was trying to get the animal back in a pasture when it charged.

A charging buffalo was put down after seriously injuring a sheriff's deputy early Sunday evening in Ellsworth County in central Kansas, said Sheriff Murray Marston. The buffalo's owner — Scott Schroeder, 56, of rural Bushton — was then found dead Monday morning, apparently having been gored by the same buffalo. ...

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/Gray News) - Authorities in Kansas say the owner of a bison was found gored to death the day after a sheriff’s deputy was injured by the animal. KWCH reports that Ellsworth County 911 received a call around 9 a.m. Monday from the aunt of 56-year-old Scott Schroeder, of Bushton, who found her nephew dead in a pen. She said she thought that a bison had killed him.

Joyce Deanne (Phillips) Essmiller, 96, passed away August 7, 2022, at HaysMed, Hays, Kansas, after a short illness. She was born February 11, 1926, in Hoisington, Kansas to Mark Paul and Ida Marie (Willcutt) Phillips. She spent her early years in Hoisington before moving to Great Bend. She graduated from Great Bend High School and married her high school sweetheart, Arnold Essmiller, Jr. on January 19, 1944. They celebrated almost 74 years of marriage before his passing on November 21, 2017.

Sherry Eyvonne Smolik, 61, passed away August 4, 2022, at the University Of Kansas Health System - Great Bend Campus, Great Bend, Kan. She was born October 20, 1960, in Heizer to Manuel and Claudia (Piland) Biles. Sherry married Tom Smolik in 1978 in Great Bend. They later divorced, but maintained their friendship.

The Tuff Enuff Obstacle Run has been canceled for this Saturday's Party in the Park in Great Bend. City staff said there were not enough pre-registrations and the city will move the mud run to every five years, returning in 2025. This was the only portion that was canceled. The...

GREAT BEND, Kan. (KWCH) - Summer break is quickly ending for students across Kansas, with only days left before the 2022-23 school year starts. In many districts, teachers are already back and laying the groundwork for the next nine to 10 months of learning. Heading into the school year, districts across the state have been trying to hire at a time when the Kansas Department of Education predicts the worst teacher shortage the state’s ever seen.

A Kansas man was likely gored by a bison and an Ellsworth County deputy was seriously injured after an attack, officials say.

Lyman L. Kruckenberg, age 95 years, of Lyons, Kansas and formerly of Great Bend, Kansas, passed away early on Friday morning, July 22, 2022 at the Rice County Hospital in Lyons, Kansas. Lyman was born on November 19, 1926 at rural Great Bend, Kansas to Emil F. and Sophie J. (Soeken) Kruckenberg. He graduated from Great Bend High School in 1943, and served in the U.S. Coast Guard and the Merchant Marines for a total of 3 years in both the Atlantic Theater and Pacific Theater during World War II. Lyman was united in marriage to Esther E. Keil on December 15, 1946 at Larned, Kansas. He owned and operated Kruckenberg Construction in Great Bend for nearly 40 years, and estimated that he had erected over 2,000 steel buildings in the area over that span of time. Lyman and Esther loved traveling and camping with their RV, and Lyman particularly loved fishing, hunting, woodworking, and baseball – having played and coached both slow & fast-pitch softball in his younger years. Lyman was a longtime member of Trinity Lutheran Church and American Legion Post #180, both of Great Bend.

As the official day for the start of school is approaching for several schools in Great Bend, the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce is ready to welcome teachers and educational staff back to school. The 7th annual Great Bend Business Showcase, a teacher appreciation event, will take place Monday, Aug....

Ellsworth County officials said a bison killed a man in an area northwest of Bushton on Sunday, and the animal also injured a sheriff’s deputy. The deputy was injured Sunday night in an area near K-4 Highway and 5th Road. He was trying to get a bison from the highway back onto a pasture when the bison charged him. He was in stable condition after surgery at Salina Regional Health Center. Officials said a Rice County deputy arrived at the scene and shot the bison as it was getting ready to attack the Ellsworth County deputy a second time.

The Central Kansas Community Choir (CKCC) is recruiting singers for the fall 2022 season. Rehearsals will be held from 7-9 p.m. Monday evenings starting Sept. 12 at the First United Methodist Church in Great Bend. The CKCC is sponsored by Barton Community College and strives to provide challenging performances of...

The University of Kansas Health System in Great Bend welcomes Anna Dagg, MD, and Thomas Dagg, MD, who will begin seeing patients Sept. 12. Both board-certified family medicine physicians will practice at St. Rose Medical Pavilion. Dr. Anna Dagg brings her experience to our growing obstetrics and gynecology team, providing...

The new school year is just around the corner, and all the students are ready to show off their new school clothes. The schools want to look nice as well. Jefferson Elementary School in Great Bend is currently seeking donations to replace the sign in front of its facility. "The...

Know of somebody currently not living in Barton County but would be great for a job in the county? Great Bend Economic Development is still rewarding citizens able to successfully recruit friends and family members outside of Barton County to fill advertised positions. Economic Development Director Sara Hayden said the...

ELLSWORTH COUNTY — Authorities in Ellsworth County are investigating after a man was found dead on Monday and a deputy injured on Sunday by a charging buffalo. At 9 a.m. Monday, a woman called Ellsworth County 911 to report she needed an ambulance because she found her nephew, identified as 56-year-old Scott Schroeder of rural Bushton, dead in a pen and thought a buffalo killed him, according to Sheriff Murray Marston.