Hoisington Dispatch

02/21/2025

John D. Binder, 82, died February 11, 2025. He was born March 6, 1942, in Hays, Kansas, the son of Paul and Helen (Hawks) Binder.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Janis Binder of Rose Hill; a brother, Jerry Binder of Eugene, Oregon and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Jim Binder, and a sister, Gladys R. Gardner.
Funeral service will be 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home Chapel, with Pastor Diana Webster presiding. Burial will follow in Hoisington Cemetery with military honors conducted by the United States Navy Honor Guard.
Memorials may be made to the Kansas Humane Society, in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, KS 67544.

02/19/2025

The Friendship Meals, Trolley and Meals on Wheels will not be running tomorrow (Wednesday) due to the weather.

Please help to .

02/18/2025

02/17/2025

02/17/2025

The Friendship Meals, Trolley and Meals on Wheels will not be running tomorrow due to the weather.

Please help to .

02/14/2025

Subscribe TODAY for the latest news in Hoisington.

To order, call:
620-603-1669

02/14/2025

UWCK improves lives in Barton County
By: K. Baldyga

The Hoisington Chamber of Commerce is back to weekly Chamber Coffees. United Way of Central Kansas (UWCK) hosted on Thursday, January 23rd at First Kansas Bank. Charell Owings, Executive Director, and board member, Eric Schoendaler were present to update the community with programs that are currently taking place.

Charell spoke about the Box of Love program, which is "little goodie bags for homebound seniors. They are sent to the recipients of Meals on Wheels in Barton and Pawnee counties, along with the Friendship House, nursing homes, and anyone that receives elder care in home services." She went on to state "if you know of someone that doesn't get those services but would like to have one sent to them, let United Way know." Owings described what is included in the Box of Love: "playing cards, chocolates, homemade Valentine's Day cards, pens, notebooks and little things for seniors that are beneficial to them." The most important item is the homemade card that is made by kiddos in childcare services and local schools.

On Wednesday, January 29th, Reality U will be hosted by the Hoisington Middle School for students from Otis Bison, Central Plains, Hoisington, Ellinwood, Chase and St. Joseph Catholic school. The event teaches students what life will be like after school, in the "real world". Students take a short online test with questions about their GPA, what they hope to do, whether they plan to marry, and if they want to have children. These questions help the Reality U program determine how much the students would be earning and their life situation at age 26. Then reality strikes and it is time to go shopping for the necessities in life. Throughout the day students go to each of the 12 booths which include insurance, childcare, utilities, housing, transportation, and utilities. At each of these booths, they have decisions to make about how much of their money they will spend and what they need. If they go over budget, they must figure out where they can cut expenses to make sure that they are within their budget. Owings stated a few kids learned that buying a Tesla might not fall within their budget and had to rethink it after they learned the cost of insurance.

The cost of the program is $2,500, which is why UWCK consolidates the schools and has one event instead of different ones at each location. Sponsors for the event are First Kansas Bank, Town and Country Supermarket, Dairy Queen, Landmark National Bank, Wilson State Bank, Clara Barton Medical Center, and Sunflower Bank.

Another program is Laundry Love where UWCK partners with local laundromats to welcome low-income or no-income families/individuals the opportunity to wash their clothing for free on the third Saturday of the month in Great Bend at Discount Laundry from 10am to 2pm. Charell was pleased that they had their largest event in December by completing 201 loads of laundry in four hours. According to her, they have done "4600 loads of laundry for over 600 families and over 1400 individuals." She went on to state "this program has expanded to 13 other communities across Kansas through different coalitions and different United Way agencies. It is a nationwide program, so we're not the first by any stretch, but we have helped to facilitate it to grow across the state. Now Wichita is looking to start it there, which is weird to think that a large city is copying a program that a small town started."

Other programs that UWCK have are:

Bank On – a new program, to assist individuals previously unable to open a bank account, build a relationship with a financial institution that will assist them with financing a vehicle or a house and hopefully avoid high interest payday loans.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library - children under the age of five can receive free books monthly until their 5th birthday.

Lastly they provide funding for the Hoisington Food Bank, trolley, Historical Society, GPS Kids Club, and many other groups in Barton County.

02/13/2025

Dairy Queen Donates $5K for new C-Arm
By: K. Baldyga

In the late 1940’s, Ike Walter was a medical equipment salesperson who sold x-ray equipment. Ike not only sold the equipment but would also install it as well. As a result, he found his way to Hoisington Lutheran Hospital, as was known back then, and spent some quality time with the staff and in the community.

Around this time, the hospital needed an Administrator and Ike was approached for the position. He sold his wife on the idea by stating they would only move to Hoisington for a “short time” according to his daughter Becky Steiner. Walter served as the first Administrator for six years 1951-1956 and after that was on the Board of Directors, serving as the Chairman and assisted in the creation of the Clara Barton Foundation. In the end, he and his family stayed in the community and invested in other businesses, Town & Country Supermarkets and Dairy Queen. Ike once said, "My heart has been with the hospital ever since my arrival in Hoisington in 1951."

When Clara Barton Foundation approached the Dairy Queen owners, Becky and Leon, about partnering to fund a new C-Arm, they knew this would be a perfect way to carry on her dad’s legacy. Foundation Director, Michelle Moshier explains, “the replacement of the hospital’s 23-year-old C-Arm was the top priority for the 2024-2025 membership drive. This advanced imaging system is crucial for real-time, high-resolution X-ray visualization during surgical and interventional procedures. With its enhanced imaging capabilities, the new C-Arm will allow surgeons to perform more precise procedures, expand treatment options for local patients, and improve overall safety and comfort.”

The month of November 2024, Dairy Queen ran the “Crave for a Cause” promotion in which a percentage of C-named items such as Cheeseburger, Cones, Chicken Strips, Cookie-Flavored Blizzards on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays would be donated to fund the C-Arm. The community came out to support it and ultimately, Becky and her daughter, Amber Crawford presented Michelle Moshier with a check for $5,000. Moshier remarked, “This donation is a powerful testament to how generosity and community support can shape healthcare advancements. It is incredibly meaningful to see this family’s legacy come full circle—having once played a pivotal role in our hospital’s early days, they are now helping to bring the latest medical technology to our community. Their kindness will directly impact patient care and surgical precision for years to come.”

01/06/2025

Ellinwood Leader

01/06/2025

Due to the icy conditions we have decided to POSTPONE the Advance Directive Educational Session scheduled for tomorrow evening, Tuesday, January 7th. Please watch our page in the coming weeks for the new rescheduled date. We appreciate your understanding and hope you all stay safe and warm!