February 11, 2014

Story and photo by Brandon Steinert

Amanda Moran-Jones is a beloved local celebrity. She can hardly go to the grocery store without getting hugged or inspiring shouts of excitement, "It's Miss Amanda!"

Of course, her fan base is primarily Barton County area children as the Children's Librarian at the Great Bend Public Library.

February 25, 2014

Story and photos by Joe Vinduska

February 3, 2014

Story and photos by Joe Vinduska

Life for Debbie Tomlinson was not easy growing up.  Her mother died of lung cancer when she was young and she moved to Kansas from California with her abusive, alcoholic father.  She was beaten often and at the age of 15 she was kicked out of her house.  She bounced around from home to home and eventually wound up married and pregnant at the age of 17.  The lack of her home life stability coupled with her pregnancy caused her to drop out of high school, a decision she immediately regretted.

February 18, 2014
Story and photo by Brandon Steinert

The primary goals driving most educational pursuits are to discover to a rewarding vocation and earn a respectable living wage.

A traditional bachelor’s degree requires four-years, or more, of commitment. Barton Community College has a smorgasbord of offerings in the medical field that will help students reach those goals in two years or less.