Fire/EMS
During the first quarter of 2023, Newton Fire/EMS received 1,390 total calls. 1,195 for EMS and 195 for fire. As reported in the Fire/EMS quarterly newsletter, approximately 40% of the department’s total responses occur north of the BNSF Railway, or in Station 1’s district. These responses typically utilize 25-30% of the department’s personnel resources.
In addition to increased service demands north of the railway, the department is seeing an increase in two or more incidents occurring at the same time. The department is exploring options to better meet the demands being placed on the system. Newer national guidelines for structural fire response is making it more difficult for us to get an effective response force to the scene in an effective response time. For now, the solution is through aggressive utilization of mutual aid agreements with surrounding agencies; however, this is not a sustainable long-term solution. Many of these agencies rely heavily on volunteers, having staffing challenges of their own, and have service obligations to their own communities. We are actively exploring staffing models and options to adequately provide resources to the city’s north side.
Housing Development Updates
-
Fox Meadows Apartments (W. 12th Street): Demolition has begun on portions of Fox Meadows Apartments following a structure fire last September.
-
Harvest Pointe Addition (First and Boyd): Received final Certificate of Occupancy on their existing structures.
-
Autumn Glen 3rd Addition (south of 24th Street): Two new single-family homes are underway on Autumn Ridge.
Meridian Center
The Meridian Center was honored to host Hesston High School Prom for the first time Saturday. Attendees were treated to valet parking before being introduced and walking the promenade line in front of friends and family. They then went inside to enjoy snacks, cornhole, a photo booth, and dancing the night away to the music of DJ Bearfoot. The event was a great success, and Hesston has asked to secure the facility for next year.
The center also hosted the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Pathways to a Healthy Kansas three-day event. From their website, “The Pathways initiative, known as Pathways to a Healthy Kansas, is the largest community grant initiative ever funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. It combines community-wide, evidence-based solutions and practices to help Kansas communities improve active living, healthy eating, and tobacco prevention. The initiative provides community coalitions with the tools and resources needed to engage their communities and remove barriers to healthy living.”
National Police Week and Peace Officers’ Memorial Day
May 14-20 is National Police Week and May 15 is national Peace Officers’ Memorial Day. National Police Week offers honor, remembrance, and peer support, while allowing law enforcement, survivors, and citizens to gather and pay homage to those who gave their lives in the line of duty.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. Currently, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, DC to participate in a number of planned events which honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
|
 Arbor Day
Last week Park staff celebrated Arbor Day with third-graders at Northridge Elementary by planting a tree and giving each student a seedling. This has become a fun annual tradition for both the students and our staff team!
Sales Tax
April 2023 sales tax revenues increased 14.92% over April 2022, and revenues have increased 10.92% year to date over the same period in 2022. Some of this increase is attributed to new retail and commercial shopping opportunities in the community. This is great news as we continue to try to diversify the City’s revenue streams away from a dependence on property tax.
Upcoming Meetings & Reminders
10th Annual Vince Garcia Golf Tournament: We hope you will join us for Newton Fire/EMS Retiree Coffee and help kick off the 10th Annual Vince Garcia Golf Tournament at Hesston Golf Course on Saturday, May 6. Coffee begins at 7:30 a.m., with a 9 a.m. shotgun start to the tournament.
Learning Session on Emergency Preparedness: Choose Newton (Community Development Commission) and the Newton Area Chamber of Commerce are teaming up to offer a one-night workshop on emergency preparedness and response geared toward businesses and their employees as well as event organizers and volunteers. Representatives from Harvey County Emergency Management, Newton Fire/EMS, and the Newton Police Department will lead the presentation.
The workshop will take place beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Prairy Mezzanine and will last approximately 90 minutes. The goal will be providing information for those locations or events where the health and safety of multiple people/customers has to be considered in an emergency.
Other upcoming special events:
- Midtown Arboretum Fun & Wellness Event, May 13.
- Annual Wheat State Antique Truck Show, May 13 at Chisholm Trail Center.
- NJCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship, May 16-19 at Sand Creek Station Golf Course.
- Biking Across Kansas, arrival June 13 at Newton High School campus. Departure on June 14.
-
Cookie Daze 5K, June 17, beginning at Athletic Park.
-
Mexican-American Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament, June 30-July 2.
-
Sand Creek Summer Daze, July 7-8.
-
Women Artists of the West, show opens July 22 at Carriage Factory Art Gallery.
- Kansas Main Street Economic Vitality Workshop, July 25-26. (GROUP with 100 people expected)
-
Harvey County Free Fair, August 3-7.
See all of the upcoming events at our Community Events listing on Choose-Newton.com.
Upcoming meetings:
- 7 p.m. May 9 – City Commission meeting
- 7:30 a.m. May 17 – City Commission agenda review
- 7 p.m. May 23 – City Commission meeting
- May 29 – City offices closed for Memorial Day
- 7:30 a.m. June 1 – City Commission agenda review
|
