Advanced voting for the April 7 City/School/Extension District General Election will begin in the Elk County Courthouse on Monday, March 23. The Courthouse is open from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

Advanced ballots are available through the mail by calling 374-2490 or 877-504-2490 toll free. The voter will need to fill out the application and mail it to the Elk County Clerk at PO Box 606, Howard, KS, 67349.

No ballots will be mailed out after April 2 and they must be returned by April 7 at 5:30 p.m.

The Elk County Community and Education Foundation will sponsor their fourth annual tablesetting on March 28 at Elk Valley High School in Longton. The proceeds will benefit the ongoing work of Elk Konnected.

The event will focus on 34 beautifully decorated tables by folks in all six Elk Konnected communities and beyond. Several Elk Konnected Action Teams will have tables highlighting their efforts and future goals for our area. Viewing will begin at 4:30 p.m. and seating will be at 6 p.m. Dinner will be served by a variety of talented volunteers.

The entertainment for the evening will be a fashion show presented by Traci’s Trends of Howard. Youth from the Elk Konnected area will be modeling the new trends. Traci Smith recently opened a new shop with bridal and prom dress resale. She also offers tuxedo rental, tanning, alterations, candles and has many fashionable accessories and gifts.

The menu will feature prime rib. The dinner tickets are already sold out, but viewing, which starts at 4:30 p.m., is available for $5. Tickets for viewing may be purchased at the door.

Some of the table decorating ideas from years past include beautiful Christmas scenes, wild life scenes, gardening extravaganzas and birthday party ideas. This year everyone is anticipating more new ideas from local decorators, a delicious menu and modeling to entertain and highlight the evening.

The Kansas Department of Transportation has installed new signs in the area to promote the entrance to the Flint Hills. The theme “Experience the Flint Hills” is a theme now being promoted across the southern, central and north-central parts of Kansas. This particular sign is located near Niotaze in Chautauqua County.

Anita Diener, a native of Sedan who graduated with the Sedan High School class of 1977, was in her hometown last week to autograph her new book, “Our Journey to Forever.”
Diener, daughter of Virgil and Willa Bea Shull who reside south of Sedan, co-authored the book with Lori Oden.
The two women met through the adoption of biological sisters. Through the years, the bond between mothers grew, creating the friendship they have today. While speaking at workshops and training other foster/adoptive parents they realized a need existed to tell their story. They chose to write “Our Journey to Forever … Had Potholes Along the Way” so others might learn from their struggles and successes.
You can learn read more about them at: www.ourjourneytoforever.com.

Events for Memorial Day weekend are shaping up in Sedan where the Chamber of Commerce will hosts its annual Yellow Brick Festival on Saturday, May 23, and the Chautauqua Hills Blues Festival will be staged during the entire weekend.

Details about the Sedan festival and Sedan High School alumni activities will be announced closer to the actual date.

Greg Wilkerson, director of the blues festival, said a full line-up of musicians will be featured at this year’s event which will be held northeast of Sedan in a rural setting.

“We love making new blues fans and we always guarantee a great show,” Wilkerson said. “The experience and sound of the CQ Bluesfest cannot be matched.”

Some of the artists will include Tommy Castro who was the BB King Artist and nominee for Album of the Year, Moreland and Arbuckle, 2004 IBC finalists, Trampled Under Foot who were 2008 IBC winners, The Insomniacs who were 2008 Best New Artist nominees, RKO who won the Wichita Blues Challenge, Lil’ Joe and the Big Three Trio who won the Tulsa blues Challenge, Rachelle Coba, Dustin Pittsley with Jesse Aycock, Jim Adam, Melovias and others will be added later.

The blues festival will be held both Saturday and Sunday, March 23-24 and tickets are being sold throughout the region.

Visit www.cqbluesfest.com for information.