Kiowa County / Greensburg 1-21-08 to 1-23-08

KIOWA COUNTY/GREENSBURG
Public Information Update
Monday, January 21, 2008 – Wednesday, January 23, 2008

HONOR GREENSBURG WOMEN
Zonta International is a professional international women’s club advancing the status of women worldwide. Each year in March the organization honors outstanding women in their communities. In the past, the Topeka Zonta Club has honored outstanding news anchors, state senators and representatives, directors of non-profit agencies, and others who have contributed so much to Topeka and the State of Kansas.

This year, Zonta Club of Topeka voted unanimously to honor the outstanding women of Greensburg. On March 12, 2008, Topeka Zontians will travel to Greensburg to recognize the outstanding efforts of Greensburg area women with a rose presentation and reception from 1 to 2:20 p.m.. To nominate an outstanding women pick up an application at the Kiowa County Health Department and the Kiowa County Extension Office.

THINKING ABOUT BUILDING IN GREENSBURG?
Contact the Building and Codes Department at 723-4109 for information about permits, contractors, and building in Greensburg.

KIOWA COUNTY GOVERNMENT
· County Offices are located on the square. Hours are Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
· Court Services and County Attorney are located in the beige trailers located to the north of the courthouse. Hours are Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
· County Commission meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays and the last working day of the month at 9:00 a.m. in the Kiowa County Meeting trailer located directly west of the courthouse square.
· South Landfill hours are Monday – Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The landfill is now charging $3.50 per cubic yard for debris.
· North Landfill will only accept clean concrete. If the concrete has any metal or other debris mixed then it must go to the South Landfill.

CONTRACTOR/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.
· 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.

HOUSE NEAR COMPLETION? READY TO MOVE IN?
Be sure to stop by city hall to have the utilities hooked up at your location. Office hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

GREENSBURG CITY GOVERNMENT
· City Hall Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday. City Hall will be closed on Monday, January 21st to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
· City Hall Phone Number is 620-723-2751. Please call if you have questions. City website is www.greensburgks.org check out the website for city services, photos, news and the latest information.
· City Council meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month. Council work sessions will be held on the Wednesday prior to Council meetings. The meetings and work sessions will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be held in the Kiowa County Meeting trailer, located directly west of the courthouse square. The City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 22nd because of the holiday on Monday.
· Greensburg Planning Commission meetings are held Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in the Kiowa County Meeting trailer, located directly west of the courthouse square.
· Greensburg Trash Routes are running. North/South streets are picked up on Mondays and East/West streets are picked up on Fridays.
· Moving out of Keller Estates? Notify city hall so utilities can be shut off. Without notification, the City will continue to bill for water.
· Big Well Gift Shop hours are Tuesday-Friday 11-4, Saturday 10-4, Sunday 1-4

CHURCH SERVICES
· Lighthouse Worship Center is meeting in their temporary facility located at 804 W. Wisconsin. Sunday School starts at 9:30 a.m. Worship and Children’s Church starts at 10:45 a.m.
· First United Methodist Church is meeting in their temporary facility located at 600 W. Lincoln. Worship at 9:30 a.m. and Sunday School at 10:30 a.m. Contact Pastor Mayhew at 620-723-3338 with questions or concerns.
· 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 ½ mile east, ½ mile north and ¼ mile east of Greensburg. Church begins at 10:50 a.m.
· Peace Lutheran Church is meeting in their temporary trailer at 321 S. Walnut at 11 a.m. For more information, call 620-388-4952 or 620-672-8380 or 620-548-2249.
· First Christian Church is meeting at the SCKTRO Village at 10:30 a.m.
· Faith Tabernacle is meeting at the temporary Kiowa County Memorial Hospital each Sunday at 10 a.m.
· Greensburg Mennonite Church is meeting at the Mullinville High School Auditorium at 10 a.m.
· Bible Baptist Church is meeting at 605 S. Elm Dr. Sunday School begins at 10 a.m. and Church begins at 11 a.m. For more information, Wesley Carlton at 620-723-2834.

SAFETY:
· Curfew Hours remain in effect. For youth under 16 years of age, 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. For youth 16 – 18 years of age, 12 a.m. to 5 a.m.
· Treat ALL power lines as if they are live. Call 911 if you observe an arcing power line.
· 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.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
· JOBS IN GREENSBURG: Greensburg residents are being considered for employment. Those interested can visit the KansasWorks office at 123 E. Wisconsin, FEMA trailer E, or by calling Amber or Christina at 620-723-2030 or 620-388-4993. Hours are Monday –Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Health benefits are provided.
· Sonshine and Rainbows Discovery Center is looking to hire a child care provider. You must be at 18 years old and love working with infants, toddlers and older children. Please call (620) 723-3324 or pick up an application at the temporary trailer located at 600 W. Lincoln, Greensburg.

DISASTER ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE
· Salvation Army warehouse has closed. Vouchers are still available. Contact Deb Folkerts at 620-388-4684.
· USDA Rural Development – Greensburg office is located in the FEMA trailer E, located just southwest of the courthouse square. 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.
· Contact U.S. Representative Jerry Moran for assistance with the federal government at 620-665-6138.
· Kansas Housing Resources Corporation is offering several housing reconstruction assistance programs. Call 785-296-5865 or log on to www.kshousingcorp.org.
· Kansas Assisting Recovery Efforts (KARE) is a grant funded outreach project serving the counties of Kiowa, Edwards, Comanche, Pratt and Stafford. Call 785-313-6123 or 1-866-327-6578 or e-mail kare1_project@yahoo.com with questions.
· 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 Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Come sign-up for volunteer assistance with clean-up and repair or reconstruction. For more information, call 620-862-5422.
· Hudson Oil Company, H.B. Hudson, founder will provide every family rebuilding or remodeling within the city limits of Greensburg $700. See Tom Corns at the Greensburg State Bank to pick up the application.

SOIL CONSERVATION ANNUAL MEETING
The Kiowa County Conservation District will hold their annual meeting on Monday, February 4, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. at Broadhurst Student Center, Barclay College in Haviland. A business meeting will be conducted. During the meeting the district will give a report of district activities and hold an election to fill two supervisor positions. These positions are for a three year term. Any U.S. citizen that is a Kiowa County resident and is 18 years or older is eligible to vote in this election.

Also during the meeting, the Kansas Bankers Awards for Soil Conservation and Windbreaks will be given out along with the County Conservation District’s Grassland Award. Winners for the soil conservation poster and limerick contest will also be recognized.

Please make plans to join us for this annual event. The meal is free, compliments of the banks of Kiowa County.
Reservations need to be made by Monday, January 28, 2008.
Please make your reservations by calling the USDA Service Center at 620-723-2146, ext 3.

EQIP FUNDING AVAILABLE
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced Friday, February 8, 2008, as the cutoff date for producers in a Quick Response Area (QRA) to submit Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Ground and Surface Water Conservation (GSWC) applications to be considered for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 funding.

According to Astor F. Boozer, Acting State Conservationist for Kansas, the national NRCS office has provided funding for EQIP GSWC. In Kansas, this funding is only available for water quantity resource concerns in the identified Quick Response Areas (QRAs).

Producers in QRAs, who have a water quantity resource concern, may apply for financial assistance through the GSWC provisions of EQIP. “QRAs, or Quick Response Areas, were introduced for EQIP funding two years ago and are available again this year to improve the effectiveness of EQIP Ground and Surface Water Conservation funds,” said Troy J. Munsch, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, Salina. “The QRAs have changed a little from those last year. These areas were identified by the four western Kansas Groundwater Management Districts and the Kansas Division of Water Resources.” (Map attached.)

The NRCS will provide EQIP financial assistance for approved applications located within the QRAs where producers convert irrigated cropland to nonirrigated cropland or grassland.
For more information contact the NRCS office at 620-723-2146 ext. 3.