Great Bend
GOVERNMENT
Numbers down, Great Bend considering ending June Jaunt
When last year’s attendance numbers were down for Great Bend’s June Jaunt festival, the rain and storms had an impact on the outdoor event at Jack Kilby Square. When numbers were again down this year with good weather forecasts, city officials began reconsidering the efforts to host the festival.
Parr challenging Krom-Craven in contested Great Bend council race
For the Great Bend City Council, there is one contested race that will be decided in the election this fall. Incumbents Kevyn Soupiset, Davis Jimenez and Tina Mingenback are all running uncontested races. In Ward 1, incumbent Lindsey Krom-Craven has a challenger in Gary Parr. Parr virtually attended last week’s...
Great Bend’s Niedens recognized at Royals game for Vietnam service
Mike Niedens had to experience combat during the Vietnam War. As a small sign of appreciation for his service, the Great Bend resident for the past four decades was able to experience a recognition that few will receive. In front of a crowd of more than 27,000, Niedens was recognized for his service at Saturday’s Kansas City Royals game at Kauffman Stadium.
Barton Co. Health Dept. asking public to complete mental health survey
One goal of the Barton County Health Department is determining the needs of county residents and assessing whether or not those needs are being met by area healthcare providers. Mental health remains one of the largest problem areas. Katelyn Sigler, public health educator at the health department, said that's less about resources and more about the public not knowing about those resources. A new suicide prevention survey is aimed at raising awareness about those resources.
Barton Co. approves $18K for bulk mailing of revenue neutral notices
Three years ago, the Kansas legislature passed its revenue-neutral laws to increase transparency regarding property taxes and tax rates. Unfortunately, the legislation has carried a price tag. Each taxing entity that announces an intent to exceed revenue neutral, or collect more tax dollars than it did the year before, must notify the public. At Tuesday's Barton County Commission meeting, County Clerk Bev Schmeidler sought approval on a bid to mail out those notices at a cost exceeding $17,000.
Barton County Clerk candidates answer questions at political forum
Early voting has already started for the Aug. 6 primary election. Thursday evening, several local candidates attended a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters - Barton County at the Great Bend Senior Center. Two candidates are vying for the Barton County Clerk position. Candidates were given two questions ahead of the forum. The second question for clerk candidates pertained to how their office reaches out to new voters. Incumbent Bev Schmeidler listed the various locations in Barton County where citizens can register to vote and said Great Bend High School classes and the DMV can also be helpful.
Barton Register of Deeds candidates attend League of Women Voters forum
A few political candidates who were invited to attend Thursday's League of Women Voters - Barton County forum at the Great Bend Senior Center were unable to attend in person. That was not the case for the Barton County Register of Deeds office as candidates Glennda French and Susan Williams were both present to answer two questions each. The second question pertained to how the office can make records accessible to the public. The incumbent French answered first.
Barton County Commission meeting agenda (7/23)
The Commission meeting will be live-streamed through Microsoft Teams. Citizens may view the meeting through their own sign in or by signing in “anonymously”. Please follow this link: https://bit.ly/47VSHPY. If you wish to participate in the discussion of any item, please call (620) 793-1800 for instructions. BOARD OF...
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