The Harvey County Fair continues this weekend with the carnival, Market in the Park, parade, concert, Bulls & Barrels, and demolition derby.

With the railroad crossing closed at Main Street, First Street may have extra traffic, so fairgoers should be cautious while crossing First between the carnival/rodeo grounds and fairgrounds. Drivers, please slow down in the area and keep an eye out for pedestrians. 

The City was pleased to be a gold-star sponsor for the Newton Area Chamber of Commerce's annual New Teacher Breakfast to welcome all the new staff to Newton Public Schools.

Our Assistant HR Director Megan Kershner, who serves as Chamber president, helped congratulate and welcome all the new teachers, principals, and other staff who play such a vital role in the vitality of our community. 

The recent and tragic loss of Firefighter Ty Voth, who died in the line of duty, is a stark reminder of the dangers our first responders face every day in their faithful service to our community. Our heartfelt condolences to Firefighter Voth’s family, friends, and Wichita Fire Department colleagues at this difficult time.

While dangerous, Fire/EMS is one of the most noble and rewarding professions. Firefighters are ready to respond first in emergencies, stepping into dangerous situations to save people’s lives and homes. Throughout the years, the image of firefighters idly passing time at the firehouse has shifted. Our Fire/EMS department operates as a diverse public service agency, shouldering a wider range of responsibilities. They are expected to possess and continually uphold expertise in a wide range of areas, including emergency medical care, hazardous materials, technology, public education, fire protection systems, operation and maintenance of apparatus and equipment, public administration, public relations, and, of course, firefighting. The services they provide today are primarily built upon the traditional role of combating fires. It was not until the late 1990s that those services were expanded in Newton with the incorporation of EMS, hazardous materials response, search and rescue, and community risk reduction. From the perspective of the fire service's history, these were significant and rapid changes for our Fire/EMS Department. Nonetheless, these changes have allowed our City to deliver exceptional and comprehensive public safety and emergency services for our entire community. Most importantly, they have allowed us to grow into a fine Fire/EMS Department with dedicated, passionate, and driven firefighters who provide a lifesaving service every single day.

With the utmost respect and sincerity, thank you, Newton Fire/EMS, for your service and commitment to Newton. We rest easy knowing you are here protecting our community.

– Daniela Lujano Rivas, City Manager

This week, our staff:

• Collected data related to the water conservation plan, including static well testing of all City and Public Wholesale Water Supply District locations. At left, Josh Chastain checks water levels at PWWSD well 18. 
• Painted school crosswalks and installed new solar-powered school speed signals on Old 81 for Northridge Elementary School.
• Delivered barricades for the County Fair parade.
• Prepared for five cemetery services this week, one for Saturday and one for Monday.

Junk at the curb

Our inspector tagged 22 locations July 29-Aug. 2. Six requested a bulky-item pickup and were charged the $10 fee, eight were charged the $20 fee, one was forwarded to the environmental control officer, and seven were taken care of by the resident.

July Sanitation stats

• Bulky-item pickup orders: 371
• Roll-off Dumpster orders: 16
• Landfill coupons distributed: 239
• Landfill coupons redeemed: 204
• Trash collected: 665 tons