The Central-Burden High School baseball team is practicing for the state’s biggest stage this week.

After winning a regional tournament last Friday, Central-Burden will play in the class 2A-1A state baseball tournament on Friday and Saturday, May 27-28, in Emporia.

Central-Burden (16-7) is the sixth seed in the eight-team state tournament field and will play Valley Falls, the third seed at 16-3, in a 6:30 p.m., game Friday evening at Soden’s Grove in Emporia.

Should the Raiders defeat Valley Falls, then Central-Burden is guaranteed at least two more games and no less than a fourth-place finish. A Friday night win would advance Central-Burden to a semi-final round game against either Ell-Saline (21-2) or Jayhawk Linn (9-11) at 12:30 p.m., Saturday. The tournament championship game will be played at 5:30 p.m., while a consolation game will be held at 3 p.m. Read more

Central-Burden, Cedar Vale, Elk Valley and West Elk high schools are sending several track athletes to state track meets to be held in Wichita on Friday and Saturday, May 28-29.

The track athletes earned the berth to the state tournament after finishing among the top four spots in their respective events at a regional tournaments held last Friday.

West Elk and Central-Burden competed in the class 2A regional tournament hosted by Central-Burden last Friday while Cedar Vale and Elk Valley competed at a class 1A regional meet in Madison. Read more

The Sedan Area Chamber of Commerce, Sedan Area Economic Development Committee, and various Sedan merchants are busy preparing for the upcoming weekend Yellow Brick Road Festival.  The annual event will begin on Friday evening, May 28 and continue through Sunday, May 30.

A free block party will be held on Friday evening from 5-8 p.m. in downtown Sedan.  The public is encouraged to bring their lawn chairs, and enjoy the downtown merchants that will be open late that evening.  SAEDC will also have hamburgers and hot dogs available for sale that evening.

The Yellow Brick Road 5K Run/Walk will kick things off Saturday morning.  Those who wish to participate in the run/walk should register at 7:30 a.m., and the race will begin at 8 a.m.  The 5K course is challenging and fun for all who enter.  Cash prizes will be awarded to different age categories.  Entry on the day of the race will be $15.  This event is sponsored by the USD 286/Sedan Recreation Commission. Read more

The Sedan community has gained a new sight and sound in recent weeks that can be wrapped into one word: Bagpipes.

Anyone who drives up or down Main Street during the evenings no doubt has heard the strains of “Amazing Grace” or “Scotland the Brave” as John Conger slowly walks the sidewalk between the Prairie Star office and the Emmett Kelly Museum.

Conger works at Amazon.Com in Coffeyville and part-time for the Prairie Star in Sedan. And, in order to practice his bagpipes where the sound might not affect residential neighborhoods, he does his playing at the newspaper office in its off-hours. And if the weather is good, he makes a melodic stroll up the sidewalk.

He also uses a practice chanter to make things easier. The chanter resembles a small flute and can be played without neighbors hearing it.

“People are so kind,” he said. “First they slowly drive by, then come back and park along the curb and listen.” Read more

The Sedan Blue Devils baseball team closed their season Friday night in a 15-0 loss to St. Mary’s Colgan in the regional playoffs at Pittsburg.

Sedan ended its regular season with a flawless 18-0 record, bowing only to the powerful Colgan team at regionals.

Colgan (21-2) has played in the state tournament 14 years in a row.

The Sedan area will be alive with activity on the weekend of May 28-30 with three annual events, Yellow Brick Road Festival, Sedan Alumni Reunion, and the Chautauqua Hills Blues Fest, will all be in full swing.

On Friday, May 28, the weekend will begin with a block party and downtown merchant sidewalk sales, as well as a community cookout and bake sale.  Entertainment will be provided that evening by blues act, Donnie Miller and the Rude Awakening. Read more

Commencement exercises will be held this Saturday, May 22, to award diplomas to 31 graduating seniors from West Elk High School.  The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. at the West Elk High School Gymnasium.

The WEHS senior class colors are purple and lime green, class flower is the lilac, and the class motto is, “In our hands we hold today; in our dreams we hold tomorrow; in our hearts we hold forever.” Read more

The Central-Burden Class of 2010 is preparing for their high school graduation ceremony that will be held this Saturday, May 22, at the Central High School Gymnasium in Burden at 10 a.m.

Seniors should arrive for commencement at 8:30 a.m. for individual and group photos.  On Thursday, May 27, senior parent night for spring sports will be held at 6 p.m., with the high school academic awards following at 6:30 p.m. Read more

Missy and daughter Reese are shown inside the new Redford Ranch Style store which is located on the southeast corner of Chautauqua and Main in Sedan.

Missy has been unloading merchandise this week, following a trip to market in Abilene, Texas. “We are working hard to get everything ready for Saturday’s open house,” she said.

Redford said the new shop is a unique and trendy boutique that features women’s and girls’ clothing, jewelry, handbags, fun shoes, boots, raincoats for little girls, children’s flip-flops, gifts and much more. Read more

The seniors and staff of Sedan High School are eagerly preparing for the upcoming graduation ceremony that will be held this Saturday, May 15, at 10 a.m. at the Sedan High School Gymnasium.

The Sedan Class of 2010 will graduate 28 seniors.  Their class colors are camo and blaze orange, the class flower is a white rose, the class motto is “Live till we die,” and the class song is “Second Chance” by Shinedown.

Members of the SHS class of 2010 include: Garrett Bane, Sarah Buck (Valedictorian), Trenton Buhler, Cassie Clark, Kristyn Farrice, Blake Ford, Alex Germann, Jacob Germann, Justin Harter, Bobbie Hartley, John Tyler Hill, Garrett Jones, Ryan Jones, Elizabeth Lampson, Kristi Loftin, Chris McCall, Lauren Miller, Scotty Mitchell, Jennifer Payne, Misti Powell, Becca Raffety, Jolene Reed (Salutorian), Daniel Schmidt, Bailey Smith, Casey Spurlock, Brandon Underwood, Chelsie Wade, and Clinton Williams.

Several years ago Elk County employees worked very hard to have a 911 system installed to better protect and respond to all citizens in the county.  The present 911 equipment gives us one place for anyone, within in the boundaries of the county, whether traveling through or living here, to call for help, report crimes, fires, bad weather or many other emergencies and disasters. This system enables all fire departments, EMS, law enforcement, rescue or haz-mat teams, storm spotters, emergency management or any other first responder to be dispatched simultaneously. This saves precious minutes by notifying everyone with one page or radio transmission. Read more

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 9, and that also means it is time for the Fun Fishing Day.  The event this year will be the 13th annual day of fun, fishing and eating, which will take place at Bob and Connie Rogers’ watershed lake near Sedan.

Eating and visiting will take place right across the road at the home of John and Pauline Doty.  Fishing will begin at 1 p.m., followed by dinner at 5 p.m.

No fishing license is required so anyone can come and enjoy the fun.   Everyone is asked to bring a covered dish that will feed your group plus one more.

To get to Bob and Connie’s take the Independence short cut from Sedan and head east.  When the pavement ends, take the first right hand turn and follow the signs.  The lake will be on your right.

Call the extension office in Sedan at 725-5890 for information.

Graduation ceremonies are set for this weekend, as the Elk Valley High School class of 2010 will award diplomas to 10 graduates. Commencement exercises will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 8 at the Elk Valley High School Gymnasium.

Baccalaureate will be held prior to commencement at 2 p.m., followed by a short break. The eighth grade graduation will also be held in conjunction with the senior graduation.

Those seniors graduating with the 2010 class at EVHS are Denise Beaumont, Dustin Fisher, Jakob Holley, Joey Englebrecht, Justin Wallace, Macel McDow (salutatorian), Michele Gilbert, Robert Walker, Tosha Wade (valedictorian), and Will Bennett.

Gregory Gregory doesn’t stutter when he says his name. It happens many times each day when he meets someone, flashes that big smile and offers a welcome handshake.

“Hi, my name is Gregory Gregory,” he will say, “but if you want to drop one of the Gregorys, that’s OK — I’ve got an extra one.”

The Somers Point, N.J. resident was in Sedan last week to unload a large trailer that was filled with fire-fighting equipment that he had collected from FDs in his home area. There were helmets, fire coats, boots, an exhaust fan, a commercial saw that cuts through metal and lots more — all previously used but still in excellent condition.

He also handed a check for $850 to J. Waller, president of the Sedan Chamber of Commerce for yellow bricks he had sold to his friends in New Jersey.

He had been to Sedan before, but this was the first time it was not a hunting trip. He has been a patron of Mark Jones and his Kansas Trophy Hunts guide service.

On a recent visit, he and his son became acquainted with Elroy Smith, Sedan fire chief who told Gregory that his department operates with a yearly budget of $8,000. That makes it difficult to buy new fire equipment, annual fuel costs consuming a large share of the annual budget.

That’s when Gregory who owns a bar/restaurant in Somers Point, and a frequent host on a local radio show, turned into an advocate for Sedan, Kansas.

He talked to firefighters he knew in the area and learned they had lots of surplus equipment stashed in their back rooms, so he talked them into loading bunches of it into his trailer. Then he and his wife, Patty, made the two-day drive to Sedan and unloaded it in the local fire barn.

Local folks were ecstatic.

The Sedan Chamber of Commerce and Sedan Area Economic Development Committee presented Gregory with certificates of appreciation and Sedan Mayor Tim HIlls gave the visitor a key to the city. Businesses up and down Main Street displayed handmade signs that proclaimed “Thank you, Gregory Gregory!”

RuthAnn Lovelady, activities director at Pleasant Valley Manor, presented Gregory with a “hobo pack” and a poem.

Gregory was astounded when he arrived at the fire barn. “I thought we were just going to meet the volunteer firefighters and unload the equipment,” he said. “This is amazing.”

But perhaps the biggest news was the announcement that Sedan is a finalist in national competition sponsored by E-Com, one of the world’s leading designers, manufacturers and marketers of fire rescue vehicles, to win a fire truck worth more than $170,000.

“I’m not connected with E-One and I’m not even a firefighter,” said Gregory. “But when I heard about this company and its firetruck give-away program, I immediately thought of Sedan. So I got in touch with Chief Smith and we worked together writing an essay. And now we’re one of seven finalists.”

More than 3,000 essays were submitted according to E-One’s website (E-One.com).

The winner will be chosen by on-line votes and there is a scramble among Sedan civic leaders to get everyone to visit the E-One.com website and cast a vote for Sedan.

Lest anyone think Sedan’s small size is a disadvantage, all seven of the finalists are extremely small in population:
• Sedan, Kansas.
• Leiters Ford, Ind.
• Luther, Okla.
• Owens Cross Road, Ala.
• Poverty Creek, N.M.
• Wetmore, Mich.