GARDEN CITY, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 5, 2026--
Dream First Bank, a customer-centric bank with locations across western Kansas and Oklahoma, is proud to be recognized as one of America’s Top Extraordinary Banks in the United States by taking home six Banky Awards this year. Awards received were for Thought Leadership, Culture, Service, Money Smarts, Philanthropy as well as the Banky Award recognition.
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Chris Floyd, CEO of Dream First Bank states, “First and foremost, we want to thank our customers for trusting us to be a part of their financial decisions. We understand there are so many options when it comes to banking, but our customers trust us and we are committed to providing the best banking experience for each individual. We are truly honored to take home six awards this year and be recognized as a true industry leader.”
Banky Awards celebrates the crucial role community banks play and how they service small businesses and individuals while growing local economies. The six awards given to Dream First Bank this year include:
“Community banks recognize the aspirations, dreams, and silent hopes of small businesses and families,” said Roxanne Emmerich, Chair and Founder of The Institute for Extraordinary Banking. “The heart and soul of an extraordinary bank is its visionary blueprint for its community’s success—and its commitment to making that vision real. This year’s honorees, our Top 5 Percenters™, embody that standard of excellence.”
About the Institute for Extraordinary Banking
The Institute for Extraordinary Banking exists to highlight and celebrate the vital role community banks play in our nation’s economy. Through its annual Extraordinary Banking Awards, the Institute shines a spotlight on the best banks that are not only financial institutions but also engines of philanthropy, innovation, and community prosperity.
About Dream First:
Dream First has been serving communities across Southwest Kansas and Oklahoma for more than 100 years, with Kansas branches in Syracuse, Johnson, Garden City, Ulysses, Hugoton, Elkhart, Attica, and Lakin; and Oklahoma branches in Alva, Cherokee, Enid and Woodward. The bank’s roots are in agriculture, but Dream First provides a wide array of products and services to fit any dream. Visit dreamfirst.bank for additional information.
Members of Dream First Bank’s Management pictured with Roxanne Emmerich, Chair and Founder of The Institute for Extraordinary Banking™ at the Awards event in Atlanta, GA. From left-to-right: Chief Financial Officer Shane VerDught, Regional President Andrew German, Chief Lending Officer Matt Bennett, Roxanne Emmerich, CEO Chris Floyd, Elevate Vice President Tyler Newell and Regional President Caleb Sekavec.
LONDON (AP) — Former Prince Andrew has filed a legal action challenging the warrants that authorized searches at two of his homes earlier this year as British police investigated allegations related to his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A judicial spokesperson confirmed that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had filed a claim with the High Court in London, and a hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
The Daily Telegraph previously reported that Mountbatten-Windsor had asked the court to determine whether Thames Valley Police acted lawfully in searching the former prince's homes near Windsor Castle and on King Charles III's Sandringham estate.
If the court were to find in Mountbatten-Windsor's favor, it could prevent authorities from using evidence discovered during the searches in any prosecution of the former prince, attorney Mark Stephens said.
Stephens, of the Howard Kennedy firm in London, described the hearing as a preliminary skirmish in the broader legal battle.
“I think the most important thing to take away from this is it shows that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his lawyers are taking this search warrant and the potential for charges extremely seriously,” he told The Associated Press. “And I think that telegraphs that perhaps there’s more of this to come. And perhaps charges will be preferred down the road.”
The searches were conducted in February when Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, after allegations that the former prince shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as the U.K.’s trade envoy.
Police questioned Mountbatten-Windsor for 11 hours before releasing him under investigation, meaning he was neither charged nor exonerated.
It was the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was placed under arrest, underscoring how deference to the monarchy has eroded in recent years.
Thames Valley Police said Monday that its investigation was continuing, even as it confirmed that the department was involved in legal proceedings about the search warrants. A department spokesperson declined further comment while those proceedings are underway.
The allegations against Mountbatten-Windsor came to light when the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of documents from its investigation into sex trafficking by Epstein and his connections to a network of wealthy, powerful men around the world.
Mountbatten-Windsor's relationship with Epstein has been a source of embarrassment to the royal family for more than a decade and forced him to give up royal duties in 2019.
But as further revelations began to leak out of the U.S. investigation last year, the king moved to insulate the monarchy from the fallout by stripping his younger brother of his princely title.
After Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested, Charles departed from the “never complain, never explain” approach of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and took the unusual step of issuing a statement on the investigation.
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,’’ he said at the time. “As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.’’
FILE - Britain's Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
