Fire Destroys Kansas Town’s Gathering Spot

Residents of a small northeast Kansas town are rallying to help the owners of the town’s favorite watering hole.

The 5th Street Pub was a central gathering spot in Herington until it was destroyed by fire last week. No one was injured. But the owners, Ray Perez and Becky Mowat, say they lost everything and don’t have insurance. Perez estimates the loss at $20,000.

The town is planning a benefit for Saturday to help the rebuilding effort. The Salina Journal reports that the bar was in a wooden structure that dated to the 1940s. It had been a military facility, roller skating rink, grocery store and several restaurants and bars.

A cause of the fire has not been determined, but fire officials say arson is not suspected.