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