August 2022

Elkhart, Kan. (Aug. 15, 2022) – Students across the state logged on to their computers today for their first day at Kansas Connections Academy, a tuition free-online public school serving students in grades K-12, to begin the 2022-2023 school year. With ten years of experience operating in Kansas, the school currently serves roughly 1300 students from cities and towns across the state.

WASHINGTON – Universal Helicopters Inc. (UHI), a private helicopter flight instructor training company, and Dodge City Community College (DC3), which operates campuses in Dodge City, Kansas, and Chandler, Arizona, have agreed to pay $7.5 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by making false statements to the U.S.

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Commerce is seeking qualified organizations to administer Individual Development Account (IDA) programs in communities throughout the state. The Kansas IDA program allows administering organizations to provide qualified low-income Kansans the opportunity to achieve financial self-sufficiency via special savings accounts. The IDA savings account contributes up to a 3:1 match for deposits made by individuals that can be used for small business development, higher education, or the purchase of a first home.

GREAT BEND, KANSAS - The Great Bend Chamber of Commerce has announced a new partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) and Chamber of Commerce Executives of Kansas (CCEKS) earlier this year. This partnership stitches together 53 local Chambers of Commerce across Kansas to offer an Association Health Plan entitled Chamber Blue of Kansas. Pratt is included in that group.

Al Abbott won the Best of Ford Truck trophy at the 2022 City of Pratt Fire Department Car Show and Swap Meet on Saturday at Sixth Street Park in Pratt, a fun accomplishment to be sure, but that’s not what puts the smile on his face. Abbott, a retired Pratt businessman, is all smiles because he enjoys attending car shows on the weekends. He enjoys sitting under his shade canopy with good friends old and new, and trading car stories. Or in his case, special truck stories, because his go-to vehicle is his light-turquoiseblue ‘67 F100 pickup. It has been since his ride since 1979.

By Eric Killough Freelance reporter Special to the Tribune This Friday, August 19 any age children are invited to skate from 5-8 p.m. and teens and young adults only from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m, as part of a skating fundraiser event at the Rolla Rena Skate Center, 823 N.