The new year always brings changes to the Barton County Commission which includes the board voting for a new chairman and chairman pro tem. On most elected boards, the chairmanship is shared between board members who all get a turn at having the gavel in their hand to run meetings. But that hasn’t been the case for the Barton County Commission where Alicia Straub has been passed over for the Chairman’s job since she was first elected in 2014. Monday she didn’t take any chances on that happening again as she nominated herself.

Alicia Straub Audio

Kenny Schremmer seconded the motion and the board voted 5-0 to appoint Straub to Chairman and Jennifer Schartz as Chairman Pro tem.

Also Monday, Straub, Schremmer and Shartz were all sworn in for another term on the board after all three picked up election victories in November.

BOOKED: Herbert Reed of Tulsa, OK on BTDC warrant for failure to appear, no bond.

BOOKED: Jaime Ayala on Barton County District Court case for probation violation, serve sentence.

BOOKED: Melbra Orr of Great Bend on GBMC case for domestic battery with a bond set in the amount of $1,000 C/S or 48-hour OR.

RELEASED: Chandra Day of Great Bend on Denver, CO Sheriff’s Office warrant for probation violation.

RELEASED: Neal Baxter to probation on BCDC warrant.

RELEASED: Deborah Carrasco of Great Bend on BTDC case for probation violation for time served.

RELEASED: Daniel Bartonek to probation on case.

RELEASED: Eugene Merica on CKCC case for a serve sentence in full.

On November 16, 2018, Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir was found not guilty by a six-member jury on misdemeanor charges of mistreating a prisoner in custody. That jury needed only 15 minutes to find the Sheriff not guilty of the charges that had been filed by then Barton County Attorney Amy Mellor, who appointed a Special Prosecutor to try the case. We now know how much it cost the county to prosecute the case.

A bill received in late December by Barton County from Special Prosecutor William Halvorsen totaled $8,837.77 for 93.2 hours billed at a rate of $80 per hour. There was also a charge of $701 for mileage to and from Great Bend from Halvorsen’s office in Cottonwood Falls, a trip that Halvorsen indicated he took six times. There were also $608.70 in motel expenses for Halvorsen and a trial assistant.

The long drawn out process lasted from the time of the alleged incident on August 10, 2017 to the not guilty verdict in November of 2018.

As one of 17 Subtitle D landfills in Kansas, the Barton County Landfill is inspected twice a year by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The last inspection took place on Monday, January 7 and once again the Barton County facility had no problems. That’s according to Barton County Administrator Phil Hathcock who also serves as Landfill Manager.

Phil Hathcock Audio

Although most counties in the western part of Kansas have their own landfill, in larger populated areas there is more stormwater run-off and a few large specially constructed landfills that serve large regions like the one in Barton County. Hathcock was present for the inspection last week and talks about what those inspectors are looking for when they make one of their unannounced visits.

Phil Hathcock Audio

The Barton County facility handles trash from not only Barton County but other counties as well and operates on funds that are generated from its operation and does not use taxpayer dollars.

The Barton County facility is permitted to accept all municipal solid waste, construction and demolition materials, wood, trees and special waste permitted through KDHE.

The City of Hoisington is moving forward with completing the fencing project along the west side of the city cemetery along North Cedar Street.

Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell says the Hoisington City Council voted to retain the services from Eldridge Fencing to finish the already started project.

Jonathan Mitchell Audio

The $26,000 project will finish the fencing along the west side of the cemetery with new gates.

Mitchell says there is not a lot fencing needed for the cemetery along K-4 Highway because of the tree rows that border in the majority of the boundary.

Rise and shine once a month and join a Clara Barton Hospital professional for a walk and talk. In an informal setting, a provider will share thoughts, add insights on a health topic, and answer questions from participants.

Karla Crissman, Assistant Clinic Administrator for Clara Barton, says the program started after the hospital received a Pathways Grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Karla Crissman Audio

The “Providers Guide It, Walkers Stride It” takes place every third Wednesday of the month, starting at 6:45 a.m. Crissman says the event’s popularity is starting to grow.

Karla Crissman Audio

The program has been going since last October and the next walk is Wednesday, January 16. The hospital has seen anywhere between 20 and 25 participants show up each time.

Crissman says all participants can meet at the Turnbull Safe Room at Clara Barton in Hoisington. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to the Hoisington Activity Center.

1/11

BOOKED: Corey Detter of Great Bend on BTDC warrant for distribution with a bond set at $100,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Daniel Bartonek of Great Bend on BTDC case for failure to appear, no bond.

BOOKED: Steven Herren of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Ryan Mead on Barton County District warrant for aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, aggravated battery DV, bond set at $75,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Matthew Kibler of Great Bend on GBMC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Melissa Slack of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Jennifer Wilson of Great Bend on CKCC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Ouray Gray of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Eugene Merica on CKCC case for a serve sentence.

BOOKED: Timothy Charles Chism on Barton County District Court case for aggravated battery, bond set at $20,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Wade Wagner of El Dorado on BTDC warrant for probation violation, no bond.

BOOKED: Aaron Pohlman of Ellinwood on BTDC case for serve sentence.

BOOKED: Randy Baker of Claflin on GBMC warrant for failure to appear, bond is set at $702.50 cash only or 30 days to be served.

RELEASED: Jaynie Brazda of Hays on BCDC serve sentence for time served. Released on Hoisington Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear after posting $303 cash only bond.

1/12

BOOKED: Curtis Rosas of Great Bend on GBMC warrant for contempt of court with a bond set at $316.38 cash only. Contempt of court with a bond set at $807.50 cash only. Contempt of court with a bond set at $712.50 cash only. Contempt of court with a bond set at $569.50 cash only. Case with a bond set at $596.50 cash only. Contempt of court with a bond set at $644.50. Warrant for failure to appear with a bond set at $2,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Mary Katherine Tush on Great Bend Municipal Court case for DUI and criminal trespass with a bond of $1,000 C/S.

RELEASED: Ryan Mead on BCDC warrant for aggravated burglary, aggravated assault, aggravated battery DV, $75,000 bond posted through Ace Bail Bonding. Posted $5,000 bond through Ace Bail Bonding for BCDC warrant for criminal threat x2, violation of protective order, harassment telecommunication device.

RELEASED: Matthew Kibler of Great Bend after his served sentence.

RELEASED: Mary Katherine Tush on GBMC case with a $1,000 surety bond through Ace Bail Bonding.

1/13

BOOKED: Matthew Grandclair of Great Bend on Great Bend Municipal Court warrant for failure to appear, bond set at $1,000 C/S. GBMC warrant for contempt of court, bond set at $512.50 cash only. Hoisington Municipal Court for failure to appear, no bond.

RELEASED:: Aaron Pohlman of Ellinwood on BTDC case for serve sentence.

RELEASED: Steven Herren of Great Bend on BTDC case for serve sentence.

RELEASED: Melissa Slack of Great Bend on BTDC case for partial serve sentence.

RELEASED: Jennifer Wilson of Great Bend on CKCC case for serve sentence.

RELEASED: Ouray Gray of Great Bend on BTDC case for partial serve sentence.

Last week we discussed what normal is regarding precipitation and climate here in Kansas as well as what a drought is.  This week’s column discusses where water in the state is used and where does it come from.  First, something happened this week regarding water occurred.  As one of his final acts, Governor Colyer rescinded the emergency declaration regarding drought in the state citing improved moisture conditions and the fact that Kansas has been out of any drought conditions for over a month.  Good news indeed heading into 2019.

Where is our water used as a state?  Remember this isn’t counting rainfall directly but from aquifers, reservoirs, etc.  As a state, approximately eighty-five percent is used for irrigation, nine percent municipal, three percent industrial, and one percent each for recreation, stock water, and other uses.  However, that doesn’t tell the whole story.  Looking at it by region, especially county presents a different picture.  With the exception of a few counties such as Ford, Finney, Reno, and Barton, essentially one-hundred percent of the water used is for irrigation in the western two-thirds of the state.  Barton County is interesting as it is the only county in the west where recreational water usage is significant and that is water going to Cheyenne Bottoms.  The eastern third paints a different picture with several counties almost entirely municipal water usage and with a few exceptions, relative little or no irrigation.  And there are several counties such as Coffey and Linn more than half industrial.  This is breakdown is logical given state demographics One other item of interest is the total amount of water used.

With the exception of urban areas such as Wichita and the K.C. Metro, the most water used yearly focuses on Southwest Kansas and part of the northwest corner.  Naturally, water usage is highest where population centers are and where irrigated crop acreage allocations are highest.  Where does this water come from?

In much of Western Kansas where the irrigation is, it’s the Ogallala aquifer.  Some of it is surface waters like the Republican River and some from reservoirs such as Cheney Lake and Kannapolis. The source of that water varies.  For aquifers it’s percolating rainfall.  For reservoirs it’s stream flow into them.  For rivers like the Arkansas and Republican it’s tributaries feeding them.  Much of the Arkansas River water starts as snowfall in the mountains of Colorado.

This is terribly brief but sets up next week’s column on the water challenges the state is facing.