Kiowa County/Greensburg Update 08-02-07 to 08-05-07

KIOWA COUNTY/GREENSBURG
Public Information Update
Thursday, August 2 – Sunday, August 5, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG WELL!
The 120th birthday celebration including the rededication of the Big Well will be held on Saturday, August 4th and will begin at 3 p.m. at the Big Well Park. Other activities will be held in Davis Park beginning at 3:30 p.m. A free meal will be served at 6 p.m. The celebration is being sponsored by the Big Well Tourism and Greensburg Chamber of Commerce.

AT&T SERVICE AT KELLER ESTATES
Greensburg residents can call AT&T at 1-866-490-0499 to get your phone service reconnected. High Speed DSL service is also available. If no one answers, please leave a message and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.

TOWN HALL MEETING
There will be a town hall meeting to discuss the long term planning of Greensburg on Thursday, August 2nd at the yellow and blue tent in Davis Park. There will be a meal provided at 5:30 p.m. and is being coordinated by Famous Dave’s BBQ. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with a presentation of the draft long term plan. After the presentation, the public is asked to provide feedback on the plan.

COMMUNITY CHURCH SERVICE
The Kiowa County Ministerial Alliance will be sponsoring a community-wide, all faiths church service on Sunday, August 5th. The service will be held in Davis Park under the blue and yellow tent. The service will begin at 10:30 a.m.

KIOWA COUNTY GOVERNMENT
· County Offices are located on the square. Hours are Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
· County Commission meetings are held on Mondays at 9:00 a.m. in the gray trailers directly west of the courthouse.
· South Landfill hours are Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The landfill will begin charging for debris September 1st. The cost for debris will be $3.50 per cubic yard.

GREENSBURG CITY HALL
· City Hall Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday.
· Lost and Found Station has been set up at City Hall. New items are arriving daily.
· City Council meetings will begin meeting on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month starting on August 6th. The meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be held in the yellow and white tent on the square.
· Greensburg Planning Commission meetings are held Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in the yellow and white tent on the square.

VOLUNTEER NUMBERS
To date 7,590 registered volunteers have contributed 57,598 hours of service to help in the recovery efforts of Greensburg.

CAMP NOAH
The Kiowa County Ministerial Alliance will be hosting a vacation bible school program called “CAMP NOAH” August 6th – 10th for children, kindergarten through 6th grade, who survived the tornado. There will be lots of games and toys, disaster related counselors, arts and crafts, therapeutic dogs, and much more at the program.

The bible school program will be held at Barclay College from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Transportation will be provided by the Ranger Activity Bus. Pick-up will be at 8:30 a.m. and drop-off will be at 3:20 p.m. at the tent in Davis Park. Contact Julie Hillshaffer at 620-388-3760 to register by August 4th.

Ten more volunteers are needed to help with the program. Contact Julie Hillshaffer at 620-388-3760 to sign up to be a volunteer.

CHURCH SERVICES
· Lighthouse Worship Center is meeting in their temporary facility located at 804 W. Wisconsin. Church starts at 10 a.m.
· First United Methodist Church of Greensburg is meeting in their temporary facility at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, 12th.
· Catholic Church is meeting in their temporary facility located at 215 W. Morton at 10:45 a.m.
· First Baptist Church is meeting in their temporary facility located at Kyle’s farm just east and north of Greensburg. Church begins at 10:50 a.m.
· Peace Lutheran Church is meeting at 803 S. Spruce, Greensburg at 11 a.m. For more information, call Pastor Henning at 620-388-0518.

BUSINESS RESTORATION PROGRAM AND PROJECT SALES TAX EXEMPTION
Applications are available at Brown Auction and BTI-Greensburg. If you have questions call (785) 296-3070 or www.ksrevenue.org. Applications are due to the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) by July 31st for the first round of assistance. The final deadline for any remaining assistance will be August 31st.

FRAUD TASK FORCE
The Greensburg Fraud Task Force will investigate and prosecute any thefts of federal disaster relief funds. Call
1-800-KS-CRIME with tips.

RESEARCHERS SEEKING GREENSBURG FAMILIES
Researchers at the University of California – Santa Barbara are interested in the interactions that took place between parents and their children before, during and after the tornado of May 4th. In return for your participation, you family will receive compensation. Interviews will be scheduled for your convenience. Confidentiality is guaranteed. If you are interested or have questions, contact Dr. Walid Afifi at 805-893-7105 or by e-mail at w-afifi@comm.ucsb.edu.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
· JOBS IN GREENSBURG: Greensburg residents are being considered for employment. Those interested can visit the KansasWorks Mobile Center on the square, or by calling Kandy or Christine at 620-723-2030 or 620-388-4993. Hours are Monday –Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9a.m. to 1 p.m. Health benefits are provided.
· FEMA positions remain open to residents living within 50 miles of Greensburg and within 50 miles of Wichita. Specialty positions for planning and geographical information systems (GIS) are needed. More information about the open positions, call 620-723-4423 or 601-818-7515 or www.kansasjoblink.com .
· Looking for Work? Needing employees? Log onto www.kansasjoblink.com . All types of positions are currently available. We can also post your job listing. Stop by the KansasWorks Mobile Unit, located on the square, or call Vicky at 620-723-2030 or 620-255-3705.
· State of Kansas is looking to hire a Driver License Examiner in Pratt. Applications will be accepted through August 6th. To apply log onto www.jobs.ks.gov or call 785-296-6442.

SAFETY UPDATE:
· Curfew Hours remain in effect from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m.
· Treat ALL power lines as if they are live. Call 911 if you observe an arcing power line.
· Leave room for emergency and military vehicles when parking.
· Take frequent breaks and drink plenty of water. Seek immediate medical attention if you feel dizzy, nauseated or experience vomiting.
· Never handle damaged or leaking containers that might be hazardous. Call KDHE at 785-296-2679 or call 911.
· Respiratory protection is recommended for all workers. Dust masks and safety glasses are available at the Health Department on the square.
· Burning is prohibited in the Greensburg city limits. In rural areas, follow county ordinances. Burning is strongly discouraged in high winds.
· Protect yourself with gloves, hard-soled shoes or boots. If you have a cut or scratch that does not heal normally, seek necessary medical attention.
· Businesses needing to dispose of hazardous materials must call KDHE at 785-296-2679.

CONCTRACTOR/RECONSTRUCTION INFO
· All contractors must register at City Hall between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. Contract work is prohibited without registration and/or license. Contractors are responsible for hauling jobsite debris and must plug any sewer lines.
· Asbestos abatement contractors must be KDHE licensed. Call Scott at 785-296-1689 with questions.
· A structural engineer inspection is required before obtaining a building permit to rebuild a home or business. Call the Building and Codes Office at 620-723-4109 with questions.
· Building Permit Applications are available at the Building and Codes office on the square. Hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday. Call 620-723-4109 for information about required documentation and information.

SALVATION ARMY
The Salvation Army continues to provide assistance to those affected by the tornado at two locations.
· Pratt Warehouse: The warehouse is located at 201 S. Jackson St. Hours are Tuesday – Friday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Stop by to pick up food, household items, cleaning supplies and other house wares.
For more information, contact Billie Taylor at 620-388-4685. No appointments are necessary. Please stop by.

DISASTER ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE
· Greensburg Disaster Recovery Center is located on the square. FEMA and SBA hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. FEMA can be reached at 1-800-621-FEMA or www.fema.gov. Registration deadline is August 4th. The Disaster Recovery Center will be closing August 18th.
· Contact U.S. Representative Jerry Moran for assistance with the federal government at 620-665-6138.
· Kansas Housing Resources Corporation is offering a housing reconstruction assistance program. Call 785-296-5865 or log on to www.kshousingcorp.org.
· Kansas All Hazards Behavioral Health is offering crisis counseling, please call 1-800-575-2038 to schedule an appointment.
· USDA Rural Development has grants, low interest loans, and renewable energy assistance available for rebuilding. Office hours are 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Friday, night appointments upon request. Please call 785-628-3081 ext. 4 or 1-800-338-5546 for more information. The office location is on the square.
· South Central Kansas Tornado Recovery Organization is providing repair and rebuilding assistance, volunteer labor, donated goods and spiritual and psychological referrals for individuals and families. For more information, call 620-862-5882 or stop by at 201 N. Main St., Haviland.
· United Methodist Recovery Center is located at 322 N. Main in Haviland. Hours are Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Come sign up for volunteer assistance with clean-up, repair, or reconstruction. Items such as food, clothing, and bedding are also available.

PRATT BUSINESS CENTER
The minor explosion at the Pratt Business Center was a battery on the floor cleaner. Damages sustained were to the floor cleaner itself.

MEALS FOR SALE
· Cannonball Catering and WB’s Bulk Food is selling lunches just east of Davis Park Monday through Friday.
· Kansan Restaurant is serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
· JD’s BBQ will be serving meals on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week at the intersection of Bay and Hwy 54. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner will be served from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.