It was a two-for-one deal for the city last week when the Great Bend Police Department served a search warrant for drugs on a residence in the 400 block of Walnut. Police Chief Cliff Couch said officers discovered the house was hooked up to numerous illegal utilities, and was also in violation of numerous codes and sanitarian-type issues. The house was ultimately red-tagged by the for code violations.
“If the abatement and condemnation process go through on this house, the neighbors will no longer have to deal with the activity there,” Couch said. “This is a great example of how the Police Department wants to think outside the box and work with other city departments to help clean up the city.”
This was part of Partington’s departmental update given during the City Council meeting Tuesday night. Other highlights included:
Public Works
• Because of heavy rains on Monday August 29, several Public Works employees monitored street flooding, Madison ditch drainage and cleaned several plugged catch basin inlets throughout the city.
• Focused on the flood control levee routine maintenance to get ready for an annual inspection.
• Replaced the sidewalk at Rock Bridge, bridge on the west side that was taken out to repair the water line.
• Handicap approach at 23rd and McKinley was replaced.
• Finished the six manhole rehabilitation project west of Second Street and Kiowa to Third.
• The shifts have started reworking the yard at Fire Station 1. This will include replacing the tree on the south side, removing several inches of dirt, reworking the sprinkler system and planting new grass.
• Participated in the Touch a Truck event at Hoisington which was part of their Labor Day celebration.
Administration
• The Great Bend High School Reunion Music Festival was very well attended. Over 150 GBHS grads from the classes of 1991 and 1996 were at the Barton County Courthouse Square on Saturday evening. Both class organizers gave a big thank you to City Council and staff for their assistance.
• The Panther Pride promotion will be kicking off here in the next week or so. This is a social media promotion that links the city to the school to the stores to support education.
• This weekend is the GTO Pontiac Uprising Event at the Events Center Friday night and the Sunflower Rod and Custom Association dragstrip on Saturday. They are expected to have lots of cars from all over the state for this race and car show weekend.
• The second-annual Wine in the Wild is at the Zoo this Saturday. Tickets are still on sale if you are interested in getting one you can pick them up at the zoo.
• Community Coordinator Christina Hayes and Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Emily Goad will be representing South Central Kansas Tourism and Great Bend at the State Fair on Tuesday the 13th.
• Mark your calendar for these upcoming events:
– Sept. 17: Kansas Wetlands Education Center Butterfly Festival
– Sept. 23: Great Bend High School homecoming
– Sept. 24 and 25: Hans Brothers Supercross Shootout and Series
– Oct. 8: F&E Collector Auto Auction
– Oct. 29: Zoo Boo
• The CVB electronic newsletter is sent out every month on the first, To get on the list one can add their email on the website at visitgreatbend.com.
