As Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir awaits the pretrial for his Class-A misdemeanor case that is set for July 12, the biggest ramification from the trial may not be the outcome of the trial itself.

Bellendir has served as Sheriff since 2013, but whether or not he is charged with “ill-treating a man in handcuffs,” his certification as an officer and ability to keep serving in the role of Sheriff is in jeopardy.

The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (C-POST), among other things, reviews misconduct cases on all officers throughout the state. Gary Steed is the Executive Director of C-POST and says following a district court case, C-POST will subpoena the case files from the agency that conducted the investigation to begin their own study.

Gary Sneed Audio

Barton County Attorney Amy Mellor, who sent the case on to Special Prosecutor Bill Halvorsen, is a member of the 12-person C-POST Commission.

An investigative committee, which consists of three commissioners, will conduct their own investigation. If the investigative team decides pulling an officer’s certification is warranted, the officer will have a chance to appeal the decision. The case is then forwarded to the hearing committee, consisting of three different Commissioners, where a trial is conducted.  Steed noted the rules for the C-POST’s trial are laxer than district court; for instance, hearsay (rumors, or unverified information) is allowed in the hearing.

Steed, who served as Sedgwick County Sheriff for eight years, has been C-POST Director since 2012. Steed notes even if there is no conviction, C-POST can come after an officer’s certification based on 58 administrative regulations through the agency including dishonesty, fraud, and integrity.

Gary Sneed Audio

Prior to 2012, C-POST only came after officers’ certifications for felony cases. Steed noted many officers would simply plead down to a misdemeanor and keep their certification. The changes to the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Act now allow C-POST to take action on misdemeanor violations.

Bellendir is accused of speaking to a man in handcuffs, Nathan Manley, in a vulgar, insulting, rude or angry manner while serving an arrest warrant on August 10^th, 2017 in Great Bend. Bellendir is also accused of striking Manley on the side of his head.

Following the pre-trial, a three-day trial is scheduled to begin July 16. There will be 100 people summoned and screened before a jury is selected.

written by:  Rip Winkel – Horticulture Agent, Cottonwood Extension District

Sometimes we think that bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and other soil microbes are pests to be illuminated, like the fungus infecting your tomatoes for example. But these microorganisms are not all bad, and they all have their own role in the soil food web. In fact, beneficial bacteria and fungi help to decompose many nutrients that would otherwise be unavailable for plants to use. Some bacteria and fungi even have specialized interactions with certain plant roots, where they exchange nutrients to help one another grow. For example, mycorrhizae (pronounced My-cor-rye-zay) refers to a group of fungi which form a symbiotic relationship with many plants. These fungi grow either inside of a plant’s roots or attach to the surface of a root. The fungi benefits from the plant’s food and nutrients and in turn grow out into the surrounding soil to absorb nutrients and water. So, mycorrhizae actually enhance a plant’s ability to take up nutrients and water.

Soil is mostly made up of non-plant parasites, although some fungi, bacteria, and nematodes infect plant roots. These plant parasitic organisms can cause damage to plants, but the soil ecosystem is highly diverse and complex where plant parasites are not the only parasites living in the soil. Nematodes are an example of this. They are a non-segmented worm typically 1/500 of an inch (50 µm) in diameter and 1/20 of an inch (1 mm) in length. Though a few nematode species are responsible for plant diseases, the majority of them are fungal and bacterial feeders.

Microorganisms decompose organic matter in the soil and nutrients are also released as ions. This decomposed organic matter is where much of the nutrients plants need come from. We need microorganisms in our soil and without them plant life would not be able to exist.

BUSINESS NEWS

The Great Bend Recreation Commission and the Kansas Wetlands Education Center (KWEC) have teamed up to offer an Aquatic Camp.  Participants will discover a whole new world under the water’s surface, as we find fantastic small creatures that live in Cheyenne Bottom’s watery depths.  Students will collect specimens, vertebrates and invertebrates, identify them and learn interesting facts about their findings.  Participants will be taking part in outdoor activities and will be walking in mud and/or shallow water around the Education Center.  Your child will get wet and muddy during this class!  Students will also enjoy other activities and snacks in this fun filled camp.  This camp will be held from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Friday, June 22^nd, for children ages 6 – 12.  Children will be dropped off at the GBRC Activity Center (2715 18^th St.) and then bused out to the KWEC by USD 428.  The entry fee is $15.00 for this camp and is due by Tuesday, June 19^th, at 5:00 pm.  Enroll at the Great Bend Recreation Commission office located at 1214 Stone Street or for more information contact the Recreation Commission office at 793-3755 ext. 110.

BOOKED: Dustin Mead of Lewis on GBPD case for DUI, fail to maintain lane, and refusing of blood test, bond set in lieu of $1,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Brent Bretz of Great Bend on a Barton County District Court warrant for failure to appear, bond set at $2,500 C/S.

BOOKED: Travis Watkins of Great Bend on Barton County District Court warrant for probation violation, bond set in lieu of $979 cash only.

BOOKED: Melody Simpson of Great Bend on Barton County District Court warrant for aid and abet, burglary of vehicle, and aid and abet theft, bond set at $5,000 C/S.

BOOKED: Kirk Sander of Great Bend on KDOC case for parole violation, no bond.

BOOKED: Roberto Gallegos of Garden City on a KDOC hold for outside agency.

RELEASED: Dustin Mead of Lewis on GBPD case for DUI, fail to maintain lane, and refusing of blood test, posted $1,000 bond through Dyn-O-Mite.

RELEASED: Brent Bretz of Great Bend on a Barton County District Court warrant for failure to appear after posting a $2,500 surety bond.

RELEASED: Justin Pilgrim of Great Bend to Harvey County Sheriff’s Office.

RELEASED: Matthew Cooley of Great Bend on BCDC warrant for failure to appear, bond of $500 cash only paid by defendant.

RELEASED: Cierra Most of Ellinwood on BTDC case for possession of methamphetamine.

RELEASED: Larry Carpenter of Ellinwood received a $10,000 OR bond on BTDC case for possession of methamphetamine and possession of paraphernalia.

Students will not report back to school until August 22, but for USD 428 staff and administration, the 2018-2019 school year begins July 1. The Great Bend school district personnel is getting procedures, policies, and hires in place for the upcoming year and announced hardly any fee increases.

USD 428 Superintendent Khris Thexton says all the enrollment fees will stay the same as last year.

Khris Thexton Audio

Kindergarten and ECSE Preschool enrollment will be $40. Grades 1-6 will cost $55. Great Bend Middle School students will have a $60 enrollment fee and Great Bend High School students will be assessed a $95 fee.

The student lunch prices all stayed the same with an elementary school lunch costing $1.85 and a high school lunch coming in at $2.20.

USD 428 pays mileage reimbursement to qualified parents for transporting students to and from their assigned attendance center. Students must reside 2.5 miles or more from the school and live outside city limits, but within the boundaries of the district. The Board of Education approved the per-mile rate of 34 cents.