Kiowa County/Greensburg November 8-14, 2009

KIOWA COUNTY
Public Information Update
Sunday, November 8, 2009–Saturday, November 14, 2009

COLD HANDS, WARM HEARTS
The weather is changing and the homeless are cold. We are collecting new or lightly used blankets, coats, scarves, hats and gloves for the homeless in Wichita. We will be delivering the items over Thanksgiving weekend. If you would like to donate any items, please call Stacy or Brandon Hosheit at 620-723-1028. Haviland residents can take their items to the City Office.

PRESCRIBED BURN WORKSHIP
Managing grasslands can be done in a variety of ways. One management tool that is available is prescribed burning management or the use of fire to manage the vegetation. This technique can be used on pastures, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres, and non-pasture grass areas. The goal of prescribed burning is to remove old vegetation allowing for increased desirable grass development. Several CRP contracts include burning management as part of their requirements.
Area producers can learn about using prescribed burning in a workshop to be held November 16, 2009, at the BTI Wind building in Greensburg. The Prescribed Burning Workshop is hosted by a coalition of local agencies including the K-State Research and Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Services Agency, Kansas Forest Service, Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Conservation Districts of Kiowa and Comanche Counties. The workshop is designed to give producers a better understanding of what is involved with conducting a prescribed burn.
Workshop topics to be covered include: CRP Maintenance and Management Practices; Burn Considerations: Why and When to Burn; Burn Notification and Local Regulations; Producer Panel; Using a Burn Contractor; Burn Terminology and Fire Behavior; Burning Techniques; Planning and Conducting a Burn; and Burn Equipment. The program will include a panel of local producers who have used burning as part of their management. Lunch is being provided by the Kiowa County Conservation District. The cost of the workshop is free as materials for the workshop are being covered by the Comanche County Conservation District. Pre-registration is requested by November 9, 2009, call the Conservation District Office at 620-723-2311.

COUNTY HISTORY BOOKS
County History Books have arrived! You can pick up your order at the Greensburg State Bank on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. This is a service to you. The books will not be delivered

Family photos that were submitted should also be picked up during this time.

There are still some books available, if you did not order a book but would like one. The books sell for $60.00. For more information, contact Nancy Davis at 620-659-2082.

FREE FAMILY PORTRAITS AND CANDIDS
A group called the Family Photo Project will be in Greensburg November 10 – 16 to take family portraits for those affected by the May 4th tornado.

Family Photo Project travels to areas hit by natural disaster (as well as some man made ones) and shoots new photographs for families. The photography will include portraits, but also more candid and fun stuff. The photography is totally free of charge. After shooting, the images will be processed and placed on line. The families will be able to view the photos and place an order for a package. The photos they select are free of charge as well.

The group will be making their first trip to Greensburg, but other trips are planned, so even though we will not be able to photograph everyone while we are there, we will come back. Hopefully we can photograph many families during our stay. In an effort to prioritize, we would like to make sure that we photograph families with the following first,
-family in the military
-young children
-elderly family members

Families can e-mail through the website (www.familyphotoproject.org) or call 803-351-0124 to sign up for a photo session.

H1N1 IN KIOWA COUNTY
As we suspected we do have H1N1 in the county and in our school systems. Please remind everyone,
1. STAY AT HOME, if they don’t feel good, if you wait until you have a fever, you have most likely exposed everyone the day before.
2. If you have family member home with fever, cough or sore throats, be very aware that family members can have symptoms as soon as 48 hrs. later.
3. Washing your hands is very important, so remember that just because your hands may come in contact with the virus, you are not exposed until you put your hand in your mouth. The virus has to get into the body. It can get into your body, if you are in close contact with someone that is coughing and therefore sheds the virus in the air and you breathe it in. It really doesn’t stay in the air that long, so again try to avoid close contact activities etc. in your workplace and at home.
4. Please be very sure that you are not having a player participate in sport until they have been free of fever for AT LEAST 24 HRS without medication. We just can not take a chance with our young people, most will recover and not be sick very long, but 10% of our students could have a very serious response to this virus.
5. Remember if your family and friends are sick, keep them well hydrated. Use medication to keep the fever down. If at any time you notice even the slightest change in their breathing that is the time to see an MD immediately. You can of course see your MD at anytime, but right now, sitting in a doctor’s clinic isn’t really the healthiest place to be.
Please call our office if you have any questions or concerns.
620-723-2136 and after hours, 620-388-4544
Mitzi Hesser,
Kiowa County Health Dept.

KIOWA COUNTY GOVERNMENT
· All County Offices including the Landfill will be closed on November 11th to observe Veteran’s Day.
· All Office’s Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
· County Offices are located on the square, 211 E. Florida Ave, Greensburg..
· 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 Commissioner’s Meeting Room located on the lower level of the courthouse.
· South Landfill hours are Monday – Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The landfill is now charging $5.00 per cubic yard for C/D and $20.00 per cubic yard for concrete.
· Recycle Center hours are Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 1st and 3rd Saturday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

HAVILAND CITY GOVERNMENT
· City Hall will be closed November 11th to observe Veteran’s Day.
· City Hall hours are Monday – Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
· City Hall phone number is 620-862-5317. Please call if you have questions.
· City Council meetings are held the first Monday of the month. At 7 p.m. in the community room.
· Trash service is provided by the county. The West side of town is picked up on Tuesdays. The East side of town is picked up on Fridays. Businesses are on Tuesday and Fridays. Please have your trash at the curb by 8 a.m.

MULLINVILLE CITY GOVERNMENT
· City Hall will be closed on November 11th to observe Veteran’s Day.
· City Hall hours are Monday – Friday 7 to 8 a.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
· City Hall phone number is 620-548-2539. Please call if you have questions.
· City Council meetings are held third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. in City hall.
· Trash service is provided by the county. West side of town on Tuesdays and East side of town on Fridays.

GREENSBURG CITY GOVERNMENT
· City Hall will be closed on November 11th to observe Veteran’s Day.
· City Hall Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday.
· City Hall Phone Number is 620-723-2751.
· 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. The meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be held in the Business Incubator Building, located at 100 S. Main.
· Greensburg Planning Commission meetings are held on Wednesdays on a fluctuating schedule at 6:30 p.m. Check with Christy at 620-723-4109 for the next date.
· Greensburg Trash Routes are running as North/South streets on Mondays and East/West streets on Fridays. Trash must be out by 8 a.m. or it will not be picked up.
· Big Well Gift Shop hours are Monday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. The phone number for the gift shop is 620-723-4102.

CHURCH SERVICES
· Lighthouse Worship Center is meeting in their new 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. Wednesday Bible Study begins at 7 p.m. Contact Pastor Christa Zapfe at 620-723-3028 for more information.
· First United Methodist Church is meeting in their New Life Center located at 600 W. Lincoln. Worship at 9:30 a.m. and Sunday School at 10:45 a.m. Contact Pastor Mayhew at 620-723-3338 with questions or concerns.
· St. Joseph Catholic Church is meeting in their new Church building located at 820 S. Walnut. Services are held on the first and third weekends of the month at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday evening. On the 2nd, 4th, and 5th weekends, Mass is at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Contact Ellen Peters, Parish Life Coordinator at 620-255-3636 with questions and concerns.
· First Baptist Church is meeting in their new facility located at 200 W. Kansas,Greensburg. Church begins at 10:50 a.m. For more information, call Pastor Marvin George at 723-2747.
· Peace Lutheran Church is meeting in their temporary trailer at 321 S. Walnut at 11 a.m. For more information, call Pastor Merlyn Lohkre, 620-298-2762.
· Greensburg Christian Church is meeting at their new building, 1200 S. Main St. Service begins at 10:30 a.m. Call T.J. Lawson for more information at 620-770-6026.
· Faith Tabernacle is meeting at the new church 611 W. Illinois St. each Sunday at 10 a.m. Call Rev. Willard Olinger at 723-2745 for more details.
· Greensburg Mennonite Church meets in their new facility located at 310 West Pennsylvania. Sunday School begins at 9:30, ages nursery to senior adults. Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. Call Pastor Jeff Blackburn at 620-723-2620 for more information.
· 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.