Bugs be gone
The Great Bend Public Works Department wants residents to know it is still spraying for mosquitoes and will be out again Thursday night, as well as Thursday, June 25.
Also the week of July 4, crews will spray four nights in a row with the hope of making the Fourth of July a good evening to be out, said Mike Crawford, street superintendent. Those four nights will be June 29 and 30, and July 1 and 2.
Spraying each night will be from 8 p.m. to midnight. If it’s a light sprinkle, they will still spray, but if it’s raining they won’t, Crawford said.
The Great Bend Police Department has added four new officers.
They include Officers Mason Paden, David Simmons, Ethan Thomas and Lucas Herl. All graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center near Hutchinson June 12.
Great Bend Police Chief Cliff Couch, Capt. Bob Robinson, Sgt. Bill Paden and Lt. Bill Browne also attended the ceremony, City Administrator Howard Partington said. The department is proud to welcome them to our ranks.”
The training course at KLTC last 14 weeks.
Established by the Kansas Legislature in 1968, KLETC serves as the central law enforcement training facility for Kansas and as headquarters for all law enforcement training in Kansas. A unit of the University of Kansas Continuing Education, KLETC is located at the former naval air station, near Yoder (12 miles southeast of Hutchinson).
The report on the KLTC was included in Partington’s departmental update. Other items were:
Public Works
• Participated in Youth Academy.
• Poured concrete intersection at 8th and Morton.
• Esfeld construction is replacing Sewer Manhole on Kiowa Road between Third and Fourth streets.
• Sanitarian: 478 year to date complaints, 35 new complaints (19 by citizens and 16 by staff), 50 complaints completed by citizens, four abatement notices sent, five abatements performed, seven vehicles brought into compliance and 12 overgrown vegetation abatement notices sent. Gregg assisted with Youth Academy.
Fire/EMS/Inspection
• The Fire Department participated in Youth Academy.
• Requets for proposals have been sent to license demolition contractors for the demolition of the structure at Second and Fry. It has also been published in the Great Bend Tribune. Bid opening is June 29.
• A shift assisted with the Great Bend Recreation Commission’s baby sitter class.
Police
• On Wednesday, June 3, the Police Department participated in the Law Enforcement Torch Run. In this event, law enforcement officers champion the cause of the mentally handicapped by raising awareness and money for the Special Olympics. Partington said the Department would like to thank Detective Heather Smith (who organized the event), as well as the Barton County Sheriff’s Office (who also participated).
• The Police Department, along with other city departments, participated in the Great Bend Youth Academy on June 5 and June 12. The Department would like to thank School Liaison Officer Jefferson Davis, who organized both events. This program is extremely valuable, but it takes an enormous amount of time and behind-the-scenes work to put on.
• The Police Department participated in the Council’s annual facilities tour on June 12.
Administration
• The fourth-annual June Jaunt is complete and was successful, even with the rescheduling of the Sunday events at Veterans Memorial Park, noted Community Coordinator Christina Hayes.
• Hayes is working on promotions of upcoming retail events, 2015 Airfest (Sept 18-20) and promotions of summer activities in Great Bend. Party in the Park will take place on Aug. 8 at Vets Park.
• The City Council goals session is set for 6 p.m. next Monday at City Hall.
