Neighborhood revitalization plan renewal tabled

Jail medical bills prompt scrutiny before warrant approval

Cellular tower application approved

Joint city-county meeting rescheduled and relocated

Emergency management details atypical landspout

Spring storms repeat on exact dates for third consecutive year

Drought conditions return to Harvey County

Fall severe weather season highlighted

1. Neighborhood revitalization plan renewal tabled

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — The Harvey County Board of Commissioners tabled a vote to renew an interlocal agreement for a Neighborhood Revitalization Plan after the commission requested maps and additional data regarding the affected areas. The program incentivizes property owners to rehabilitate blighted areas by offering property tax rebates on the increased value of the property, with the county retaining a 5 percent administrative fee. The commission expressed a need to fully understand the scope of the 22 existing properties currently in the program to ensure the local tax burden remains equitable before authorizing the renewal.

2. Jail medical bills prompt scrutiny before warrant approval

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — The Harvey County Board of Commissioners temporarily paused the approval of $157,533.82 in county warrants to question a high number of medical bills originating from Newton Medical Center for county jail inmates. Following a quick inquiry during the meeting, Harvey County Sheriff Chad Gay reportedly stated the items were standard, expected medical expenses for seven incarcerated individuals treated under the county's medical provider system, prompting the board to unanimously approve the expenditures.

3. Cellular tower application approved

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — The Harvey County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a conditional use permit for a new STC Towers LLC cellular tower located at 4427 NW 36th in Newton, pending final approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission. Harvey County Planning and Zoning reported that the application met all criteria and structural setbacks. Despite a protest filed by a competing cellular company, zoning officials noted that state law prohibits the county from denying the permit based on market competition or health concerns, nor can the county force companies to collocate on existing towers.

4. Joint city-county meeting rescheduled and relocated

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — An upcoming joint meeting between Newton city and Harvey County officials slated for June 9 has been slightly shifted, with the new start time scheduled for 5 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m. The meeting, which will conclude at 6:45 p.m., will be held in the Harvey County Courthouse Community Room, as the initially proposed location at the Newton Public Library is unavailable due to scheduling conflicts.

5. Emergency management details atypical landspout

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — Harvey County Emergency Management Director Mike Anderson briefed the commission on a recent, atypical weather event that occurred on April 23 and was classified by the National Weather Service as a landspout. Anderson explained that the storm caused no reported damage, but exhibited non-traditional behavior by back-building from the northeast while simultaneously being pushed south by a cold front, leading to the rare occurrence of tornado sirens sounding while residents could still see blue skies in parts of the county.

6. Spring storms repeat on exact dates for third consecutive year

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — A severe wind and rain storm last week generated 27 storm-impact reports and 29 reports of downed power lines, mostly in Newton, marking a bizarre meteorological anniversary for the region. Emergency management reported that Harvey County has now been struck by severe storms on the exact dates of May 18 and May 19 for three consecutive years. This includes the recent 2026 storms, a severe weather outbreak on May 18-19, 2025, and a highly destructive derecho on May 19, 2024, that brought 90 mph straight-line winds and caused widespread structural damage in Newton, Halstead, and Burrton.

7. Drought conditions return to Harvey County

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — Dry weather has pushed 75 percent of Harvey County into abnormally dry conditions, with the remaining 25 percent now classified as experiencing a moderate drought. While recent rains provided marginal relief from worse conditions the week prior, emergency officials warned that a lack of sustained, heavy precipitation will quickly plunge the region back into more severe drought categories.

8. Fall severe weather season highlighted

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — Emergency management reminded residents that Harvey County faces a secondary severe weather season each fall. While tornadoes are approximately 10 times more likely in the spring due to the location of the jet stream, wind and hail events driven by strong atmospheric inflows can produce significant damage from early September through mid-October, prompting officials to urge residents to maintain their emergency kits year-round.

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