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The Garden City Telegram

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The Garden City Telegram is published by CherryRoad Media Division.© Monday through Friday, excluding major holidays.

18/08/2025

MEETING THE ADMINISTRATOR FINALISTS

Derek Ramos, center left, and Christopher Ford, center right, talk with local residents Sunday night during a meet-and-greet at Garden City Community College. The pair are the finalists for the Finney County Administrator position. The pair were each interviewed for the position on Monday with a decision on the new administrator possibly being announced Monday night. BRAD NADING/GARDEN CITY TELEGRAM

17/08/2025

VOLUNTEERING FOR FOOD DISTRIBUTION

Angel Michel places a food box into the trunk of a patron’s vehicle Thursday as he and other volunteers work the drive-thru food distribution lane in the 600 block of North 13th Street. The mobile food pantry by the Garden City center of the Kansas Food Bank, is held on the second and fourth Thursday afternoons of each month in front of the Community Church. Volunteers are always needed to help with the event according to officials. BRAD NADING/GARDEN CITY TELEGRAM

17/08/2025

INFORMATIONAL MEETING PLANNED AT GCHS FOR NYC TRIP

Garden City High School will hold a parent and student informational meeting on the New York City trip at 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 18, in the high school auditorium. The meeting will be for band, choir, orchestra, and theatre students that are enrolled in those classes for the 2025-26 school year.
The high school holds a performing arts trip every four years. This year the students and sponsors are planned to travel to New York City in May 2026.
There will be important information provided regarding the trip during the meeting. This will also be a time when students will have an opportunity to sign-up to be a part of the trip.

17/08/2025

WATKINS REPEATS AS SWKS PRO-AM OPEN CHAMPION
Rockwall, Texas, golfer wins by four strokes

BY BRAD NADING
Garden City Telegram

Garden City’s golf courses are a pleasure to play for Matthew Watkins.
The Rockwall, Texas, professional golfer repeated as the Southwest Kansas Pro-Am Open champion on Thursday at Southwind Golf and Dining.
Watkins’ bank account grew Thursday too, as he claimed the $30,000 first place prize. He won the tournament by four strokes at 13-under par.
The All Pro Tour golfers played Buffalo Dunes golf course and Southwind Golf and Dining two times each during the four day, 72-hole tournament.
Watkins played even-par on the final day for a total of 271 ove the four days.
On Monday, he posted a blistering 64, then a 70 on Tuesday, a 67 on Wednesday and a 70 on the final day.
Five golfers tied for second place, with each taking home $5, 430. They each shot a nine-under par for the tournament.
Second place finishers included: Carson Herron, Deephaven, Minn.; John Sand, Dallas, Texas; Joseph Abelia, Plano, Texas; Ryan Eshleman, Vestavia Hills, Ala.; and Kyle Hogan, Fort Worth, Texas.
Three players tied for seventh at eight-under par. They each took home $3, 067.
For more on this story, visit https://www.gctelegram.com/watkins-repeats-as-swks-pro-am-open-champion/

17/08/2025

K-STATE SWREC TO HOLD ANNUAL FIELD DAY PLUS

BY THE TELEGRAM STAFF

K-State’s Southwest Research-Extension Center will host their 2025 Field Day Plus on Aug. 21 starting at 8 a.m.
The Field Day includes morning research plot tours, industry booths and an afternoon groundwater panel discussion focused on the Ogallala Aquifer sustainability and farm management strategies.
Pat Geier, K-State W**d Science Extension Specialist, said the event’s an important opportunity for producers to engage with the research being conducted.
“It’s about seeing the research, talking with the scientists, and having real conversations about what works in our region,” they said. “We hope producers walk away with something they can use—this season and for years to come.”
The Field Day begins with registration and displays in the morning followed by two concurrent, 75-minute field tours.
The South Field tours will feature:
•W**d management in corn and grain sorghum, focusing on tackling herbicide resistant Palmer amaranth. Geier will lead.
•Long-term reduced and no-till wheat-sorghum-fallow systems, sharing yield data and sustainability insights from years of side-by-side comparisons. John Holman, K-State Cropping Systems Agronomist will lead.
•Warm season hay and silage trail, highlighting forage options which offer resilience and flexibility in dryland rotations. Holman will also lead this.
The Finnup Field tour will feature:
•Cotton growth and development under different management strategies. Logan Simon, K-State southwest area agronomist will lead.
•Recharging the Aquifer with KSU-TAPS featuring the 2025 TAPS Farm Management Competition and sustainable irrigation technology. Renee Tuttle, K-State TAPS Associate Director, will lead.
At 12:15 p.m., attendees will eat lunch and attend a groundwater panel discussion, which brings together farmers, researchers and local leaders to candidly discuss the future of water in the region.
For more on this story, visit https://www.gctelegram.com/k-state-swrec-to-hold-annual-field-day-plus/

17/08/2025

COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR FINALISTS TO MEET WITH PUBLIC

BY TELEGRAM STAFF

The public can meet the two finalists for the Finney County Administrator position on Sunday.
An open house for people to meet and interact with the finalists will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Aug. 17 at the Garden City Community College Omar D. Angeles Endowment Room, located at 801 Campus Dr.
The two finalists are Christoper Ford and Derek Ramos.
They will participate in interviews on Monday, Aug. 18.
Ford has over 29 years of experience in the public and private sectors. For the past two years he’s served as the Assistant City Manager for Liberal. Prior to that, he served as the Liberal Director of Finance for 20 years.
Ford holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the DeVry Institute of Technology in Phoenix, Ariz., as well as an associate’s degree in business from Steward County Community College.
He’s also a Certified Public Manager and a member of the League of Kansas Municipalities, the Government Finance Officers Association and the Kansas Government Finance Officers Association.
Ramos as over 12 years of experience from the public sector and five years of experience from the private sector. He’s served as the Assistant City Manager for the city of Garden City since 2022.
Prior to his tenure as Assistant City Manager, for nine years he was the Dean of Physical Planning and Facilities Management at Garden City Community College.
Ramos holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the National American University in Rapid City, S.D., and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University.
He currently serves as the chair on the Kansas Hispanic/Latino American Affairs Commission and as the Board Chair on the Finney County Childcare Early Learning Network.

17/08/2025

BY ANNA KAMINSKIKansas Reflector TOPEKA — Judith Deedy said there’s been a disconnect for a decade in Kansas’ student assessment scores. Her oldest child once… Login to continue reading Login Sign up for complimentary access Sign Up Now Close

15/08/2025

SCHOOL BOARD GETS UPDATE ON NON-TRADITIONAL TEACHER PROGRAMS

BY MEGHAN FLYNN
Garden City Telegram

The USD 457 Board of Education received an update on their programs for non-traditional teachers at its regular meeting on Monday.
Drew Thon, Interim Deputy Superintendent, said they continue to see people in the Transition to Teach program.
“That’s really what we’re looking for, those non-traditional folks that can fill in gaps, especially in CT classrooms like Ag., Culinary Arts, Welding, those sorts of things,” he said.
A new program they’re participating in this year is RTAP, Thon said. It assists students in the Transition to Teach program.
“It’ll help those Transition to Teach students get some reimbursement from the state of Kansas to go into education through a grant from the state of Kansas,” he said.
Thon also discussed the district’s Apprentice Program, which was approved by the Board in the spring.
The program captures high school graduates, who are in college, where the district brings them in similar to a para, and they shadow a “very good” teacher in the classroom, growing with that “master teacher” up through their program until they graduate and are on-boarded with the district, Thon said.
For more on this story, visit https://www.gctelegram.com/school-board-gets-update-on-non-traditional-teacher-programs/

15/08/2025

DCRP, GC AIRPORT RACEWAY RAISE FUNDS FOR JUNIOR RACER AUG. 16

BY WHITNEY HODGIN
Dodge City Globe

Minneola’s Tazen Brunson, a local junior spring driver at Dodge City Raceway Park and Garden City Airport Raceway, was involved in a severe bicycle accident early August that left the seven-year-old with collapsed lungs and an injured voice box.
The lad requires multiple surgeries and a lengthy hospital stay due to the severity of the impact of the handlebars on his three-foot tall frame.
Tazen’s road to recovery is going to be a long one, dad Tanner Brunson said. Currently, he is receiving excellent care in Oklahoma. Family members and fans are asking for donations to help with medical expenses and travel expenses so his dad Tanner can stay with him.
“I really appreciate all the support and prayers we’ve received,” Tanner said. “You have no idea how much it means to me. Tazen’s spirits are high and ornery.”
While he is still unable to speak aloud, Tazen keeps giving staff the thumbs up and “hang-10” sign.
Dodge City Raceway Park Director Kyler Fetters invites race fans to show their support at the Saturday, Aug. 16 races by participating in a 50/50 raffle. The same initiative will be taking place at Airport Raceway in Garden City that night.
BS Trailer Sales kicked off the drawing with a $200 donation.
BS Trailer Sales, 1900 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., and ACE Hardware Dodge City, 229 4th Ave., will accept donations directly from folks who can’t make it to the races.
“Tazen is such an energetic and focused little driver we can’t wait for him to get back to the racetrack,” Fetters said.

15/08/2025

USD 363 HOLCOMB MEAL MENU
August 2025

15/08/2025

GCHS CHORALE SELECTED TO PERFORM AT KMEA IN-SERVICE

The Garden City High School Music Department received word that the GCHS Chorale has been selected to perform during the 2026 Kansas Music Educators Association in-service weekend.
The choir will spend the year preparing a program of music to perform in February 2026 at the Century II Convention Center in Wichita.
The GCHS Chorale is the only choir to be chosen from southwest Kansas to perform at the association’s in-service.
Students for the Chorale are selected by the top auditioned Mixed choir, which is comprised of sophomore-senior students.
The Kansas Music Educators Association supports music educators by fostering leadership, providing professional development, and promoting the advocacy of music learning in schools and communities.
A link to a list of groups across Kansas that have been selected to perform at the 2026 KMEA in-service workshop can be found at https://ksmea.org/perf/selected-groups/

15/08/2025

MAKING OFF WITH A SNACK

A squirrel fills its mouth with an acorn Saturday as it dodges golfers and golf balls while making its way across the No. 18 fairway at Buffalo Dunes golf course during the Southwest Kansas Pro-Am. BRAD NADING/GARDEN CITY TELEGRAM

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