Good morning-it's Wednesday, January 15. Read on for news and events happening in the area.
Commissioners approve task force consultant position
The Seward County Board of Commissioners approved a temporary task force consultant/trainer position at its Jan. 8 meeting. Commissioners Bob Vrbka and Mike Mundhenke were absent.
The position, which is full-time and would last up to six months, would be under the Seward County Sheriff’s Department. No law enforcement credentials are required.
Such a person would be responsible for consulting with follow-up investigations of narcotic/seizure cases, prepare task force members for both state and federal court cases and instruct in-service training if necessary.
Request for approval was brought forward by Seward County Sheriff Mike Vance and human resources director Brea Ehmen.
Vance said if this position is filled, the sheriff’s department would no longer be hiring for a captain position.
“We’ve moved on this quicker than we normally would on this position,” commissioner Ken Schmieding said. “I am still not in favor.”
Schmieding was concerned the task force position was a waste of taxpayers money, but Vance said that is not the case.
“This is not an expense to the taxpayer. It is far less than what we are paying already,” Vance said.
During citizens forum, member of the public Darrell Zabrocki, spoke about his concern of the sheriff’s department being overloaded with positions and no need for another.
“The workings of the task force have nothing to do with the workings of the sheriff’s office,” Vance said.
The job description was approved 3-0. A pay grade of grade 14 and step 6 was also approved by the board. Read more at sewardindependent.com.
The Seward County Genealogical Society will meet tomorrow, Jan. 16 at 10:30 a.m. in the library of the Seward Civic Center. The library is open Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for those wishing to to search its resources.
The quarterly meeting for the diabetic support group will be next Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 5:30 p.m. in the Vahle Conference Room of Seward Memorial Hospital.
Learn the lingo on food labels with a presentation at the Seward Senior Center Jan. 22 at 12:30 p.m. Understanding labels is the key to a nutritious kitchen.
A Buddy Check for veterans will take place next week, Jan. 22, from 7-9 p.m. at Bottle Rocket Brewery. Buddy checks are an effort to prevent suicide by allowing veterans the opportunity to talk to others over pizza.
