Following an Emergency Medical Service departmental audit during the middle of 2012, it was suggested that Hoisington’s EMS department employ two part-time technicians and do away with the position of full-time assistant director. Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell says that at their Council meeting, the governing body voted to move forward with this recommendation.

From here, Mitchell says that the City will begin trying to fill these positions, giving preference to paramedics and advanced EMT’s, with the underlying idea of providing a greater level of service to citizens.

Unfortunately, due inclement weather, the Shrimp Boil that was scheduled to take place at Grumpy’s Steakhouse and Bar in Larned has been canceled.

As we all know, 2013 kicks off Monday, and for many people, with a New Year comes the opportunity to make a New Year’s resolution. To see what locals plan on doing once the clock strikes twelve, individuals outside of the Great Bend Walmart were surveyed, and many say they won’t take part in the tradition.

On the flip-side, other members of the public did share their plans for the coming year, citing objectives ranging from losing weight, to doing better in school.

With the wide range of beliefs and goals for 2013, it is safe to say that everyone hopes to simply take advantage of another New Year, making it one to remember in the community.

In what has become a big and popular event for the area, the bi-annual Wings N Wetlands Festival is a 3-day birding extravaganza that draws 200 or more visitors from all over the country to take part in the jam-packed weekend. However, due drought conditions, the 2013 Festival has been suspended. Despite this announcement, Site Manager for the Kansas Wetlands Education Center, Curtis Wolf says that plans are in the making for a smaller-scale event.

In typical Festival years, approximately 200 participants from all over the U.S. come to the area and typically document around 180 species of birds during the WnW Festival weekend. Wolf says that with much of the Festival planning being done so early, and the current conditions being as they are, it was hard to justify the time and resources to offer the quality experience expected from the Festival. The tentative date for the smaller-scale event is April 27th of 2013.