Wellington Officer Wins Statewide DARE Award; City Prepares for School Year

WELLINGTON, Kan. — A Wellington police officer has been named DARE Officer of the Year for Kansas, while the city continues infrastructure improvements ahead of the new school year.

School Resource Officer Leslie Allen received the statewide honor after taking charge of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in 2023. The recognition highlights Allen's rapid success in leading the prevention program for Wellington students.

The award comes as Wellington prepares for increased back-to-school traffic with several infrastructure projects. The city's Electric Distribution department recently completed new signal lights at Woodlawn and Crusader Drive, funded by a Kansas Corporation Commission Block Grant to enhance energy efficiency and safety for pedestrians and motorists.

The Street Department has been repainting highway striping, including skip lines and double yellow lines, and will soon begin repainting crosswalks for the school year. Motorists should expect cones in intersections over the next few weeks to allow paint to dry.

City Manager Jeff Porter emphasized the importance of driver caution as school begins, noting increased activity from buses, children on bicycles and busy drop-off lines.

The city also closed a section of 12th Street between "B" and "C" streets Tuesday for repairs, with the roadway expected to reopen Thursday morning. The Street Department can be reached at (620) 326-7831 for additional information.

Wellington's aquatic center has closed for the season after successful pipe replacement that eliminated previous water loss issues. Contractors are progressing on a new splash pad, with completion expected by Labor Day.

At Wellington Lake, 88 utility camping spots remain available as the season winds down. Staff continues repairing docks, piers and roads damaged during recent heavy rains and flooding, though boat ramps remain open.

The city's water department treated 10.4 million gallons during the week of July 31 through Aug. 6, with the lake level 2 inches low and river flow at 88.7 cubic feet per second.

Upcoming city meetings include the Airport Advisory Board on Aug. 18 at 7 p.m., City Council on Aug. 19 at 6:30 p.m., Library Board on Aug. 20 at 6 p.m., and a City Council work session Aug. 21 at 6:30 p.m. The Aug. 11 Park Board meeting was cancelled.

City departments continue catching up on mowing and trimming throughout the community while balancing other essential duties.