New docs

At the bottom of this story, the hospital mentions that it recruited two doctors to come to Ark City. One is a family doctor at Ark City Clinic, the other will be an OBGYN housed at the hospital. This is great news, especially the OB, which I've been told Ark City hasn't had for decades, perhaps even ever. A real feather in the new hospital's cap. I can think of so many women who go to Winfield or Ponca for these services, who will now have another local option.

Welfare drug testing

Kasha Kelley is trying to get this bill through again. But doesn't random drug testing of welfare recipients feels a little too Big Brother?

Kasha is big on individual rights, so why should this end with people who are receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, as the program is now called. It's not your grandmother's welfare - you can't stay on it forever and you have to be working or looking/training for work to receive TANIF. There are exceptions for hard cases, I believe.

If the reasoning is to hold accountable those people receiving government assistance, don't we have to extend that to business owners receiving tax breaks, or direct subsidies, or individuals receiving income tax credits?

Perhaps welfare recipients are a subgroup that merits more suspicion because they are not producing anything in return for their assistance. But then again, they are required to join the workforce and get off assistance, which could make them more productive.

The new era

I've had several conversations recently about how city politics have tamed over the past year.

The elected officials on the Ark City Commission seem to get along fairly well. And while there have been differences, its been amicable and not personal. You don't have the bigger personalities you once did, with Kuhn, Smith and Snell, for instance.

The new city manager (can we still call him new?) seems to have fit in quite well. He rather quietly took care of some lingering issues that festered on the old commission — software replacement, dirty water pipes, that seemed to vex the old City Hall and create controversy at the commission level.

Having hired Hernandez, this commission wants to see him succeed. I would say things are working pretty well from a "getting things done" and getting along standpoint.

Wilson v. McDonald

This will be an interesting race, if it does indeed come down to incumbent Gary Wilson versus City Commissioner Patrick McDonald.

It's kind of the rural guy (Wilson) versus the city guy (McDonald) although it's never that simple. I can tell you the main point of division goes back to that 2007 argument over tax increment financing for big box retail store (Lowes). McDonald was one of its biggest cheerleaders, while Wilson is dead set against such tax incentives for retail.

There has been a lot of water under that bridge since, but the division lingers in Ark City. And imagine if it came up again before the election ...

The relentless rivalry

There've been a few issues that have highlighted the Winfield-Ark City rivalry in recent weeks. You have the new push to reopen and car tag and tax office in Ark City, which was closed about 10 years ago. You have a recommendation from a citizen's task force to move Cowley First from Strother Field to Winfield, to save money. You have the countywide 911 consolidation plan, which includes a decision on where to put the emergency dispatch center. The task force recommended a location north of Strother Field, which would be geographically neutral. All these things remind us that we live in a county with two cities of the same size that compete for business and services, to some degree. Boundary politics can influence government decisions. There's no avoiding that. Having lived in both Winfield and now Ark City, I do have a perspective from both places. Ark City does feel like it needs to wave its hands to get attention sometimes, because Winfield is the county seat. But, as one reader from Ark City pointed out to me recently, geography and playing to the rivalry should not be the driving factor in these kinds of decisions. It would be neat if we could get to the place where people felt like residents of Cowley County as much as they do the individual towns, although that's probably like asking to change tribes.

Vandals

What is wrong with people?

First the city removed the gazebo from Ben Givens park downtown due to vandalism, now they have removed the wooden statue of the train conductor in front of the Park Park engine. Makes you want scream! Next, we'll have to use roll down metal gates in front of stores.

More seriously, what can be done from a city/law enforcement approach toward vandalism preventing-punishment to slow this stuff down?

Rubbermaid jobs coming?

This story is reminiscent of back in 2006 when a Rubbermaid plant in Iowa closed and moved some jobs to Winfield. There was a concerted effort to recruit the employees from Iowa and help them locate and find housing here. I believe Cowley First was involved.