Kiowa County Fire District Nearing Final Hurdle
The proposed Kiowa County Fire District continues to move forward. Initially, the County Clerk was required to file a Service Plan which was done by June 20. The town councils and Board of County Commissioners approved the Service Plan by June 30. In the past week three community meetings, one in each part of the county (Haswell, Eads, Sheridan Lake), were held and all three well-attended. The overall consensus was highly favorable with few major concerns. All three community meetings were attended by county officials who were able to answer the many and varied questions laid out by the public.
Democratic National Convention
Hillary Clinton made history becoming the first woman ever to accept the nomination from a major party for President of the United States during the closing day of the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Clinton has chosen as her Vice-Presidential running mate, Governor Tim Kaine from the state of Indiana.
The Highs and Lows of Wheat Harvest in Kiowa County
The wheat harvest for 2016 is all but in the books as county farmers have rapidly pulled in bushels and bushels of wheat over the past few weeks.
Republican National Convention
Last week the Grand Ole Party took center stage at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio and delegates chose the party’s nominees for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States. After the four-day convention, the presumptive candidate, Donald Trump officially accepted his party’s nomination; as did Vice-Presidential selectee, Governor Mike Pence, from the state of Indiana.
HUGO WATER DETERMINATION – NO THC PRESENT
“The mystery began when a company that had been testing its workers for drugs tried to test the town's water and found a positive THC result,” Lincoln County sheriff's Capt. Michael Yowell said. Authorities invalidated that result Saturday.
GREAT PLAINS OIL PROPERTY TO BE AUCTIONED OFF MONDAY, AUGUST 15
After a period of several years where the future of the property was unknown, the decision has been made by Kiowa County Growers, Inc to put up for auction the Great Plains Oil Company property. The auction, conducted by Civis and Johnson Auction Service, is slated for Monday, August 15 at 1pm with an opportunity to preview the property on Friday, August 5 from 4pm to 6pm.
Bear Sighting Near Eads
On Sunday, July 25, residents of Eads were shocked by a rare sighting of a black bear 4 miles west of town. Social media exploded when Artie Lane posted a video of the bear trotting through the prairie, with the Bartlett grain tower visible in the background.
American Dream Growing Distant in Kiowa County
As more than a few people might agree, trying to get a house built in Kiowa County can make pursuing the “American Dream” feel more like a nightmare. Without a doubt, there are clear benefits to building in the county, not the least of which are lower land prices and less restrictive building codes. But once prospective home builders actually begin the process of trying to get a new home construction loan, they can find themselves facing obstacles and restrictions that can be difficult, if not impossible, to work around.
Wheaties
The men with the Holland Harvesting, Inc. crew, also known as “Wheaties”, have just finished breakfast and are waiting for the go ahead from company owners, Rob and Sue Holland, who will signal when it’s time to leave for the fields.
LOVE’s is in the Air
After months of preparation and working behind the scenes with the mayor’s office, it seems that the landscape on the north side of Eads is about to change in a very significant way. Love’s is coming to Eads, and construction is set to begin in the spring, perhaps as early as March, with late summer slated for completion. One thing is known for certain: it will be no small arrival.
Murdock Project Receives Funds, Recognition from Govenor
Kiowa County Commissioner Cindy McLoud was in Denver last week attending a conference titled “Saving Places” and sponsored by Colorado Preservation Incorporated. While there, McLoud received a check on behalf of the county for $170,171.00 awarded by the Colorado State Historical Fund. The funds are earmarked for completing the last phase of restoring the exterior of the Murdock Building, located on Maine Street in Eads.
Scam Alert
The Kiowa County Sheriff’s Department reports having received numerous complaints of individuals attempting to “scam” residents of Kiowa County into sending them money. Although other scenarios may be used, the most common complaints involve people on Facebook receiving messages from individuals posing as friends--even writing from what looks like their friends’ Facebook pages—inviting them to participate in special deals where, if they send a money order for several thousand dollars to an address, they’ll receive 100 times that amount in return.
Broncos Win Superbowl - Bronco Super Fans in Eads
Peyton Manning just completed his 18th year in the NFL and if it was his last, he went out in a big way. The 39-year-old Bronco quarterback is the oldest to ever play in a Super Bowl.
The End of the Rialto
Rialto. It’s a name that has graced the fronts of hotels from Venice to Victoria, Barcelona to Warsaw, and, for a time, a hotel in Eads. Aside from referencing an ancient island in Venice, the word itself means “a place of trade or exchange, a theater district”. It’s difficult to believe that such a worldly, almost timeless name would be attached to the modest two story building on Maine Street. But what The Rialto is now is not what it once was when graceful porches looked down on the street below, and its halls were filled with the conversations of oil men and cowboys, lawyers and teachers and a variety of travelers caught by dust storms or snow storms or both.
Commissioners Rank Economic Development Top Priority, Recognize Challenges
For several years, there was a consensus among Kiowa County Commissioners that economic development is best left to the private sector. Decisions were guided by the principle that the role of county government is to reduce spending and free market principles should determine the local economy.
The End of an Era for Artists of the Plains
For the past 15 years, people traveling on Highway 287 north of Eads have passed the turquoise and yellow building on the east side of the road with a wooden, unassuming sign that reads Artists of the Plains. The name itself conjures up images of iconic scenes depicting windswept prairies, farmhouses, barns and windmills against broad blue skies captured on a canvas or through a photographer’s lens.