County Commissioners Randy Hague, Ron Krehbiel and Chip Westfall rejected the advice of both the health department director and the county health officer and exempted Harvey County from a public mask requirement previously issued by Gov. Laura Kelly. The governor issued the order following a growing spike in COVID-19 cases in Kansas after the state’s re-opening. Nationally, the United States had the highest total of new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, surpassing 50,000. “I said I’m going to make a lot of people mad today,” Hague said of his decision. “It’s just the way it is. It’s one of those controversial decisions, and hopefully things work out.”
(Read more: Harvey County Now)

There was a time when Halstead Hospital was known as the Little Mayo Clinic of the Great Plains. It boasted a rich tradition of excellence in health care and medicine, dating back a hundred years to the days of Dr. Arthur Herztler. Those days are long gone, however, overshadowed by a vacant building looming in the center of town that serves as a painful reminder to many residents every time they pass by. This week, the Independent takes a look at what the closure of Halstead Hospital has meant for the local economy in the 18 years since it closed in 2002.
(Read more: Harvey County Now)

The city of Sedgwick is landlocked and underwater. Well, not literally. But when it comes to building new houses, Sedgwick doesn’t have many options outside of the town’s vacant lots. The town is nestled against the Little Arkansas River, which borders Sedgwick on the west and on the north. The presence of the river also means that part of the town sits in a floodplain and would require additional work and expense to build. The town is also landlocked by agricultural farmland, the bread and butter for the country but not for local housing developers. The last two housing developments in Sedgwick were the Highlands, started in January, 1996, and the Reserves, which began in 2005.
(Read more: Harvey County Now)