Though the windy weather wasn't conducive to balloons flying, or glowing, the festival committee put together an amazing festival full of food, fun, and a sense of community pride. A gallery of activities from last weekend are included here.

Salina, Aurora, and Gunnison have Independence Day festivities planned for the upcoming weekend. Aurora is set to kick off its Independence Day festivities with a full slate of traditional and family-friendly activities beginning Thursday, July 3. “We’ll start our celebration the evening of the third with the firemen’s dinner, which typically runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.,” said event organizer Parker Vercimak. “They’ll be serving up their famous burgers and dogs, and we’ve got the ...

The Aurora City Council held a public meeting Monday to hear comments on the proposed budget, utility rates, sales tax, and employee compensation. City Recorder Clint Johnson explained the city’s financial standing and legal obligation to maintain a balanced budget. “We had a pretty decent year,” Johnson said. “We didn’t go into debt, and we’ve been pretty frugal in our spending. Our well, sewer, roads, and parks are all in good shape. We’ve got a ...