 Altered trash for next week
City offices will be closed Monday, October 12th, for a staff training day. The trash schedule is as follows:
Monday’s trash route will be picked up Tuesday. Tuesday’s trash route will be picked up Wednesday
Quick tips:
- Set it out the night before if you can- 5 p.m. or after and by 7 a.m. the day of
- Face cart toward the street
- Leave 3 feet between carts and other objects
- Remove from the curb within 24 hours after pickup
- Help inform us of issues by reporting a concern: www.newtonkansas.com/report
Following these guidelines helps ensure timely pickup, and thank you for your help.
Walk and Roll to School Day participants enjoying a walk and roll to school party.
Walking and rolling toward safer routes to school
South Breeze Elementary students started their morning with some fresh air and activity as they walked, biked, scooted and rolled to school for National Walk & Roll to School Day this past Wednesday.
The City of Newton teamed up with the Healthy Harvey Coalition and Harvey County Health Department to encourage students to choose an active way to get to school while learning more about the Safe Routes to School initiative. The morning included music, community partners, giveaways, photo opportunities and plenty of time to connect with classmates and community members.
Students picked up goodies, including bike helmets and stickers, and learned more about the Safe Routes to School survey. Newton Police Department, NPD Spider-Man and Sparky from Newton Fire/EMS also stopped by to help make the morning extra fun.
Couldn’t make it to the event? You can still help shape the future of walking, biking and rolling in our community by completing the Safe Routes to School survey and sharing your input on school routes and safety.
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South Breeze students and families walking and rolling to school with SRO's.
 New City payment platform coming Oct. 21
Beginning Oct. 21, 2026, the City of Newton is moving to a new online payment platform designed to provide an improved customer experience and more options for managing and paying your City bills.
What You Need to Know
Your next steps depend on how you currently pay your utility bill:
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Pay online: You will need to create a new online account after Oct. 21 at www.newtonkansas.com/pay.
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Auto pay with a credit or debit card: You will need to set up your auto payment again through the new system at
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www.newtonkansas.com/pay.
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Auto pay by bank draft (ACH): No action is needed. Your automatic bank drafts will continue.
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Pay by cash or check: No changes are necessary. Continue paying your bill as you normally do.
New Payment Options & Features
The new platform will offer several new features, including:
- Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Payment reminders
- Immediate payment notifications
- The ability to pay multiple utility accounts in one transaction
- The option to add an additional email recipient for receipts
- Auto-authentication for returning users
Changes to Fees
The previous $1 online convenience fee is being eliminated. However, processing fees will apply to certain payment methods:
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Credit/debit card: 3.2% processing fee for payments, whether online or in the office
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Digital wallets: 3.2% processing fee for Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay
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eCheck: $0.95 fee for one-time payments
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Phone payments: $0.95 fee when paying through the secure phone system
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Auto pay: No fee for monthly auto pay by bank draft
For complete information and to access the new payment platform beginning Oct. 21, visit www.newtonkansas.com/pay.
Reminder: If you receive your utility bill by mail, allow extra time for delivery. Mail delivery times have been slower than normal, so please plan ahead when sending payments by mail.
Questions? Please contact Utility Billing at 316-284-6007.
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Help make it safer to get to and from school with your input
We’ve already received more than 140 responses to our Safe Routes to School survey, and that’s great! But with the survey closing next week, we need more community input to help shape the next steps.
Have a concern, idea or suggestion? Take a few minutes to complete the survey or share your thoughts on the interactive webpage. Your input helps us identify needs, gather important data and plan for safer routes to school in our community.
A Utility Billing refresher: hours, payments and more
With the City’s new utility payment platform launching October 21, this is a good time for a quick Utility Billing refresher.
Need to stop by City Hall with a question, make a payment or take care of something in person? Our Utility Billing team has convenient hours to help work around your schedule:
Monday–Thursday: 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m.–noon
If you can’t make it to City Hall, you have several other options for taking care of your utility bill, including online and phone payments, automatic bank draft, mail and our drop box.
For more information about the new payment system, utility rates, starting or stopping service, payment assistance and other resources, visit the City’s Utility Billing webpage.
Utility Billing: 201 E. 6th St. | 316-284-6007
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Fire/EMS staff showing students the Fire Prevention Week skit focused on safe charging habits.
Charging into Fire Prevention Week
This week, Newton Fire/EMS visited six Newton schools and reached more than 1,000 students during Fire Prevention Week, focusing this year on safe charging habits and ways to reduce the risk of lithium-ion battery fires.
The team brought the lesson to life with a skit featuring Sparky and a dangerous situation involving an electric scooter and a blanket that accidentally caught fire while someone was sleeping. Students watched as Sparky made it to his family’s meeting place, called 911, and firefighters arrived to put out the fire and help Grandpa get out safely.
Along the way, students learned about charging electronics safely, keeping devices away from things that can catch fire, knowing their family’s meeting place and knowing how to call 911.
The goal was to help students understand that while electronics are an important part of everyday life, they can also pose serious fire risks when not used safely.
Thank you to all six schools for welcoming Newton Fire/EMS and helping us Charge Into Fire Safety!
School students giving Sparky the Fire Pup a high five!
 Making sanitation service a little easier with walk-up service
For residents who need a little extra help getting their sanitation containers to the curb, the City of Newton offers a voluntary walk-up service for an additional monthly fee.
With walk-up service, sanitation staff will come to your residence, move your containers to the curb, empty them and return them to your home.
Residents who are physically unable to move their containers to the curb and do not have an able-bodied person living in the household may also qualify to have the additional walk-up service fee waived. A physician’s statement is required to qualify for the fee waiver.
Walk-up service is an optional service and is not required for sanitation customers.
For more information about walk-up service, eligibility requirements and the fee waiver, visit the City of Newton’s sanitation webpage.
Tee up for First Responder Holiday Helpers
Sand Creek Station Golf Course is hosting a golf tournament on Oct. 18, with proceeds benefiting the Harvey County First Responder Holiday Helpers initiative.
Holiday Helpers brings together local first responders and community partners to help make the holiday season a little brighter for local families who may be facing financial challenges. Through community donations and support, the program helps provide holiday assistance to families in need.
Join us for a morning on the course while supporting this local effort!
Tournament information:
- Oct. 18 at Sand Creek Station Golf Course
- Registration: 7:30 a.m.
- Shotgun start: 8:30 a.m.
- $500 per team of 4
Gather your team, enjoy a round of golf and help make a difference for local families this holiday season. Get signed up today!
 Know your options when someone comes knocking
Unexpected visitors at your door? Whether you choose to answer or not, it’s important to know your options when someone is selling goods or services.
You are not required to answer the door or make a purchase. If you do answer, you can ask to see the individual’s City of Newton peddler’s license. Under City code, peddlers, solicitors and other itinerant businesses are required to carry their license and present it when requested by a Newton resident.
If you’re not interested, a simple “No, thank you” is all you need to say. If you have questions about who is at your door, you can ask to see their license before continuing the conversation.
If someone refuses to show a license when requested or something about the interaction makes you uncomfortable, you can end the conversation. If you believe there is an immediate safety concern or emergency, call 911.
For more information about peddlers, solicitors and applicable City requirements, visit the City of Newton’s code information online.
 First responders build connections beyond the call
Community engagement often happens in the moments that take place outside of an emergency call. At South Breeze Elementary’s Walk & Roll to School Day, Newton Fire/EMS and Newton Police Department had an opportunity to connect with students in a fun, informal setting.
Sparky from Newton Fire/EMS and Spider-Man from NPD teamed up to greet students and join in the morning activities, while School Resource Officers and firefighters were also on hand to interact with students and families.
These kinds of opportunities help strengthen relationships between young people and the first responders who serve them. Whether it’s a school visit, community event or a simple conversation, creating positive connections helps students see local first responders as familiar, approachable members of their community.
It was a great example of how Newton departments can work together to engage with residents and build community connections beyond their day-to-day roles.
2026 Holiday Helpers fundraising underway
The Holiday Helpers tradition brings local first responders together each year to help make the holiday season a little brighter for families across Harvey County. From packing boxes to delivering food, the program is made possible through teamwork, generosity and community support.
Holiday Helpers is working toward supporting 250 local families, and community donations are an important part of making that goal possible.
Donations can be made at the Newton Police Department or Harvey County Sheriff’s Office, 120 E. Seventh St., Newton. Checks should be made payable to First Responder Holiday Helpers.
Every donation makes a difference, and sharing information about the program helps spread the word. Together, we can help make the holidays a little brighter for families in our community.
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Upcoming Events
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Newton Fiesta, 1-8 p.m. Oct. 11, Athletic Park band shell. Free event for all ages including arts and crafts, food and craft vendors, musical performances, and community organizations.
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Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra Fall Classics Concert "Rising", 4-5:30 p.m. Oct. 11, Bethel College Memorial Hall. Carlos Simon Tales: A Folk Symphony with selections from Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite featuring the Newton High School Orchestra.
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Taste of Newton, 6-9 p.m. Oct. 15, downtown Newton. Enjoy the many flavors that our community has to offer!
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ARToberfest, 5:30-8 p.m., Oct. 24 at Carriage Factory Art Gallery. Live music, live artist throwdown, food, and fun!
See all of the upcoming events on our Community Events calendar on Choose-Newton.com.
Meetings & Reminders:
- Oct. 12 – City offices closed for in-house training
- 7 p.m. Oct. 13 –City Commission meeting
- 11 a.m. Oct. 15 – Choose Newton meeting
- 7:30 a.m. Oct. 22– City Commission agenda review
- 7 p.m. Oct. 27 – City Commission meeting
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