March 2022

Vic and Kathy Hannan relocated to eastern Kiowa County nearly 20 years ago. Vic grew up near Wellsford and headed east for work upon completion of High School. Upon retirement, they decided to move back to Vic’s old stopping grounds to build a home and invest in the community. Today the Hannans own several buildings in Haviland and a car wash located on State Highway 400 near the City’s entrance. Their signature enterprise is Haviland Hardware and Grocery, located just north of the railroad tracks at 114 North Main Street.

On March 24, the St. John – Hudson USD 350 elementary students in 4th through 6th grades participated in their first ever hands-on career fair.

The Stafford County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Wednesday, March 23, 2022, in the Commission Room in the Annex. Chairman Wycoff called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. Present: Todd Wycoff, Bryce Garner and Clayton Grimmett.

It was standing room only, and then not much of that, for a grand opening reception of Wichita artist Charles Baughman’s splatterscape exhibit Friday at the Vernon Filley Art Museum in Pratt. Community art supporters, friends, family and area photographers (with their families) gathered to hear Baughman’s interpretations and see his colorful paintings created without the traditional use of paint brushes.

At its March 21 meeting, the Pratt City Commissioners approved the purchase of a Trojan System UV 3000 from the Ray Lindsey Company for $164,541. This system will replace the current UV disinfectant system at the plant. The UV process is the last thing done to the water before it exits the treatment plant. The system uses submerged fluorescent ultraviolet lights to kill fecal coliform bacteria, a very necessary feature in order to render the treated water safe. Pratt’s sewage treatment plant has two banks of UV treatment lights but at present only one is working. Furthermore, the system, which was purchased in 1998, is now old enough that some replacement parts are not available. The working bank has only been kept running by cannibalizing parts from the other bank.