There is a lot in Great Bend in the coming months, according to information from Community Coordinator Christina Hayes presented to the City Council Wednesday night.
Hayes is working with retail stores to create a Panther Pride Week to stay connected to the Great Bend High School Homecoming, which is set for Friday, Sept. 26. Stores included will give some sort of discount to those wearing the school colors red and black during the week of Homecoming.
Her staff will also go out and paint Panthers on the windows to help bring the community into school spirit as well.
In addition, the final movie night is at 9 p.m. this Friday at Jack Kilby Square. City along with Waters True Value will show “The Goonies” for free and will provide free popcorn, lemonade and snow cones.
Looking down the road, September and October will be busy.
 Other September events include Hot Rod Magazine Drag Week Sept. 11 at the Great Bend Drag Strip, Butterfly Festival Sept. 13 at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center, Big Bend Bike Rally and Supercross Shootout Sept. 20 at the Expo Complex and the Sunflower Rod and Custom Association Races and 409 Convention at the drag strip Sept. 26-28.
In October, the Run our Runway race is set for Oct. 3 at the Great Bend Airport, the Renaissance Festival for Oct. 4 at Brit Spaugh Park, the Rolling Sculpture car show for Oct. 11 at the Barton County Historical Society, Jungle Jack Hanna at Barton Community College Oct. 16, the Charity Chili Cookoff for Oct. 18 in downtown Great Bend, and Zoo Boo for Oct. 25 at the Great Bend Zoo.
The information about upcoming events was part of City Administrator Howard Partington’s departmental update delivered at the Wednesday night City Council meeting. He also mentioned:

Police
• Officer Jazmine Bell graduated from Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center.
• Hired Jacob Williamson as a police officer I.
• Police dog Kia and his handler, Officer Adam Hales, were able to track a suspect through a residential area and guide officers which lead to the apprehension of the suspect.

Public Works
• Flushing toe drains on levee.
• Repaired wash-out on east side of Stone Lake and cleaning the adjoining drainage ditch.
• Swept the down town area Friday night Aug. 29.
• Video surveyed 12,827 feet of sanitary sewer
• Sanitarian: 837 year to date complaints, 50 new complaints (18 by citizens and 32 by staff), 24 complaints completed by citizens, six abatement notices sent, three abatements and five vehicles brought into compliance.

Administration
• Mayor Mike Allison, Council member Vicki Berryman and Partington were guests of Jan Peters at Rotary last week when Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Mike King was the guest speaker. He addressed several upcoming road projects in the area.
• Allison and Partington met with St. Rose Ambulatory and Surgery Center’s Leanne Irsik and Mark Mingenback last week regarding their future plans.