Salina Family Healthcare Center will be hosting a free COVID-19 community testing drive-thru event in coordination with Salina’s Salvation Army, NAACP and North Salina Community Development from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Salvation Army, 1137 N. Santa Fe Ave. in Salina.
There will be 400 tests available, and the first 50 community members who get tested will receive a $20 voucher for Prairieland Market food.
This weekend the NAACP and North Salina Community Development will be passing out 400 goodie bags with information about the event. The bags also will contain hand sanitizer, sanitizer wipes, paper towels, sanitizing spray, granola bars and a face mask for community members who live in north Salina.
Throughout the past year Salina had orange cones with construction and signs of growth almost everywhere. There also was something else growing for a banking business that calls Salina its home.
Sunflower Bank was honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration for having the highest total amount of SBA 7(a) loans by a bank lender in the Kansas District in fiscal year 2020.
Sunflower Bank was established in 1892 in Salina with the name of The Farmers National Bank of Salina. Throughout the 129 years of the institution the names changed and more locations were added throughout the state of Kansas, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Missouri. In 2017 the bank merged with First National 1870, Guardian Mortgage, and in four years the bank received notice of having a record-setting year in multiple markets. The bank is currently a $5 billion bank and growing with over 60 branches.
Three weeks after medical professionals received their COVID-19 vaccinations in Salina, some senior living residents and staff members who are most at risk were able to get their vaccination on Thursday. Several senior living residents in Salina will be getting the vaccine next week.
“There’s no doubt the senior population has been hit hard by the virus, along with the health care workers who’ve treated them,” said Christian Gilbert, executive director at Salina Presbyterian Manor in a release. “We couldn’t be happier to know there’s finally a bit of light at the end of such a difficult year.”