Greeley County Republican

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P.O. Box 610 • Tribune, Kansas 67879 • 620-376-4264 —10 Pages— Wednesday, November 13, 2019, Vol. 153. No. 46

Our vision is a vibrant, friendly, innovative, unified community with your family, health and happiness in mind.

Jan & Dan

Gov. Laura Kelly and Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz announced the 22 projects selected across the state as part of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s new Cost Share Program. These projects total nearly $74 million in state, local, federal and private investment in transportation improvements statewide.

Tribune, Kansas, was selected for a concrete street pavement project at the Greeley County Hospital.

“These projects demonstrate communities’ commitments to improve the quality of life for their citizens and to do so in a practical manner,” said Gov. Kelly. “This program also demonstrates the great things that happen when communities and the state work together.”

Nearly 100 applications were submitted in the first round of the program from across Kansas.

“There is pent up demand for transportation investments across our state,” Secretary Lorenz said. “I am

excited to provide resources to help build safer, healthier and livelier communities that Kansans – young and old – want to make their forever homes.”

The program will provide funding to local entities for transportation projects that improve safety, support job retention and growth, improve access or mobility, relieve congestion and help areas across the state improve the transportation system.

Funding for the $39 million in grant awards is part of the $216 million authorized by the Legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly to remain in the state highway fund in fiscal year 2020. In addition to the Cost Share Program, those funds are being used to increase highway preservation, help complete delayed T-WORKS projects, improve safety and provide new funding opportunities for cities and counties.

The next call for applications for the second round of projects will be announced next year.

Tribune project selected for Cost Share Program

The second annual Very Merry Market will welcome residents and visitors to the CYAT Center on Black Friday, November 29, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. MT.

Area vendors and boutique owners will be bringing in a variety of products, inviting customers to escape the crowds and frenzy of Black Friday and shop small on the day after Thanksgiving.

This unique shopping experience features jewelry, handmade soaps, home décor, hand-painted signs, holiday graphic tees, boutique clothing, Christmas décor, wooden signs, Christmas photography mini-sessions,

and much more!Local businesses can

also join in the on fun, participating in a punch card game where four $25 Greeley County Bucks winners will be selected from those visiting the participating locations on that Friday, November 29. Please call Christy Hopkins at Greeley County Community Development at (620) 376-2548 if your business would like to participate in the punch card promotional giveaway.

Make plans now to attend and to bring your Thanksgiving guests along.

This Black Friday, Fill Your Day with Cheer at the Very Merry Market

Join your friends and neighbors next Friday, November 22, for Tribune’s Christmas Open House. A full slate of festive, free activities is scheduled, sure to delight children and adults alike. Downtown stores will be open late for holiday shopping, the first clue for the Christmas Medallion hunt will be posted, and Christmas cheer will fill the air as community members enjoy free horse-drawn carriage rides, visits with Santa, a free children’s movie, and much more.

Activities include:Christmas Gift Making

for Kids, a Table Setting Contest, a Book Sale, and Refreshments. The Greeley County Library will host a gift making activity for kids from 5 – 6:30 p.m. The Library will also have a book sale and refreshments available. Note: Santa has moved across the street to First Farm Bank.

Free Horse-drawn Carriage Rides & Visits with Santa. Santa will visit with children from 5-7 p.m. and

carriage rides will run from 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. departing from First Farm Bank, which is graciously sponsoring the carriage rides.

Free Children’s Movie. Tribune’s Star Theater will show a free children’s movie at 6:30 p.m. and will provide a free pop and popcorn to all who attend. TBK Bank is graciously sponsoring the movie and snacks. Greeley County Schools National Honor Society (NHS) and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) will operate the theater that evening.

VFW Soup & Pie Supper. VFW Post 7521 and the Ladies Auxiliary will host a soup and pie supper from 4:30 – 7 p.m. for a free-will donation.

VFW Craft Fair. Hosted by the VFW Auxiliary, the Christmas Fair invites crafters, merchants, and other displays to set up booths in the north half of the VFW. Booths are available and can be arranged by contacting

Tribune’s Christmas Open House, Friday, November 22

(See Christamas Open House.... Page 3)

Firefighters from Tribune, Leoti and Syracuse responded to the smoldering fire at the CHS elevator in Tribune on Thursday night.

Smoldering fire at local elevator There was a smoldering fire at the CHS elevator A in Tribune on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 7. Levi Evans, a member of the Greeley County Sheriffs Department and the Greeley County Fire Department, said that the Greeley County Fire and Rescue department members received a page at 3:45 p.m. “Smoke was coming out of the roof of the elevator. We had to use a thermal camera from the Wallace County Fire Department to determine which bin was hot.” Bin 34 on the southeast corner of the elevator was identified as the source of the smoldering grain. Greeley County Fire Chief Dustyn Smith said that they sent sections of hose up the elevator man-lift. The hose was secured at the top and run down the outside ladder where it was secured in several places on the 130-foot drop to the bottom. “It took about 1 hour to rig up the hose,” remarked Evans. “There was smoldering wheat in the bin but no visible flames. Just smoke. It there would have been flames we would have had to evacuate. “We used a fog pattern on the nozzle so that it wouldn’t stir up dust.” Two 3-man teams took turns manning the hoses that were putting water on the smoldering wheat. Multiple teams took part in the effort. The team members would be checked out by Greeley County EMTs when they came out of the fire. It took a little more than an hour to get the smoldering fire under control. The Greeley County Sheriffs Office evacuated homes one block in each direction from the elevator. Residents were provided temporary shelter by the health department at the 4-H building and at the Senior Center. Residents were allowed back in their homes at around 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. after the smoldering fire was under control. It was 11:00 p.m. before everything was cleaned up at the elevator site. A few hot spots were identified on Friday morning and fire crews were called back for more water. “We are just making sure it doesn’t rekindle,” remarked Evans. “We will be checking the temperature until they get the grain out of the bin.”

The Leoti Fire Department sent two trucks and nine firefighters and Syracuse sent two trucks and six firefighters to help with the fire on Thursday. The Wallace County Fire Department provided the heat sensitive camera that was used to locate the source of the fire. Dustyn remarked that the Fire Department has taken an annual tour of the elevator so the fire fighters were familiar with the facilities. “I’m just glad it wasn’t worse than it was,” remarked Evans. “It was pretty tense for a little bit,” added Smith. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. Smith and Evans said that it could

have been wet grain that fermented and got hot or it could have been from a lightning strike. The south side of the elevator was hit by lightning in a storm on Tuesday, August 13. Greeley County Fire Department members who took part in the operation were Dustyn Smith, Levi Evans, Don Walter, Joe Wilcox, Alex Douglas, Blake Lankford, Dorsey Smith, Andy Albers, Luis Rascon, Justin Phillips, Martin Villalobos, Dylan Steele, Mitch Wilcox, Josh Helpingstine, Tyler Preeo, Mike Curtis, and Geni Wilcox. EMT personnel were Dennis Lehman, Malinda Lehman, Sara Albers, and Amber Preeo.

Firefighters take a break after their team had taken its turn fighting the fire at the top of the elevator.

Firefighters Mike Curtis (left) and Blake Lankford were part of the crew on Friday morning who were handling hot spots.

J — We are so very grateful for our Greeley County Firefighters, EMTs, and law enforcement personnel. Their response to the smoldering fire in the CHS elevator last week kept what could have been a disaster to a difficult situation for a few hours. We are also grateful to emergency personnel in our neighboring counties who came to help and share their equipment.

In this season of thanksgiving, we are especially thankful for those who are willing to volunteer their time to deal with potentially difficult and dangerous incidents in our small, rural communities and farms. I was interested to hear that the firefighters tour the elevators annually to become familiar with them. This, and other training, is in addition to the actual runs they go on, and represents a commitment of more of their time away from jobs and family.

And…it’s one thing to do a job on the ground. It’s a whole other thing to do it on the top of a grain elevator! So kudos and thanks to all the emergency personnel and others who helped with the incident last Thursday and Friday. We appreciate you all so much!!

****J – There will be some

added attractions this year at the Community Christmas Open House. One will be the lighting of the big evergreen on Broadway, with singing by students. We haven’t done this in a while, and it is a beautiful tree. Also, Santa is moving from the library to First FarmBank. The carriage rides will begin from there, also. The library will have a Christmas Gift Making project for kids and a table setting contest.

****J — We had some birds

back at our yard over the weekend. We had some dark-eyed juncos, sparrows, doves, bluejays, robins, and grackles. We’ve been sadly lacking in bird visitations for a couple months, so we were glad to have some!

****D — It was an impressive performance by the volunteer fire departments. The smoldering fire at the local elevator could have ended in tragedy, but the fire fighters identified where the fire was and took care of the problem. Going 130 feet to the top of an elevator puts a whole new perspective on fighting a fire. The efficiency, professionalism and cooperation of the firefighters, EMT and law enforcement personnel from multiple communities were simply spectacular. It was a real-life demonstration of what is right with rural America, Western Kansas, and Greeley County. Thanks.

****D — The Tribune Jr. High basketball teams got off to a rough start in their games with Sharon Springs. The cycles were not in our favor. Sharon is tall and we are not. I thought our kids played well and they should get better with experience. We are in a tough league this year and hopefully the kids can keep their joy of playing while continuing to improve.

****D — Time is not constant. Scientifically it changes with speed, but practically it changes with time or at least with age. The transition to the “holiday” season has always been difficult for me. Sports seasons change and then all of a sudden there are all of these holidays. I’m never prepared and it seems to just get worse with age. But there are local events coming up. A Christmas Open House will be held November 22 and a Very Merry Market on November 29. And sometime in there we will have Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m always behind, but it’s a good time of the year.