Local governments will be faced with decisions in the coming months about how to spend thousands of dollars in opioid settlement payments paid by pharmaceutical companies and retailers for their role in the prescription-drug epidemic. So far, Harvey County has received $6,413, but it is expected to receive an additional $71,807, according to County Administrator Anthony Swartzendruber. Newton has received about $4,000 and is expected to receive an additional $40,000. Sedgwick has received $6,413.
Source: Harvey County Now

Burrton Police Chief David Odle, who officially took over the position after Dave Becker retired on Dec. 23, 2022, realizes he has some work to do for the community to get to know him. He’s served part-time with the Burrton Police Department since 2020 but he’s an outsider trying to get the community to trust him. He said he is here to help and that Burrton is his responsibility. “I’m a new face,” Odle said. “I’m not a Burrton guy. I wasn’t born here. I wasn’t raised here. Burrton only knows me from me running around.”
Source: Harvey County Now

USD-373’s enrollment has dropped by 441 students, or 13 percent, from September 2015 to December of this school year. Superintendent Fred Van Ranken provided the numbers in a presentation to the Newton Board of Education at its Monday meeting. “We need to start having difficult discussions on where we’re going to land next year and start down the road after that,” Van Ranken said. Van Ranken noted that the statistics represent the number of students in the building, not actual full-time enrollment numbers, and the numbers weren’t audited.
Source: Harvey County Now