ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Monday, Seward County commissioners saw two young ladies receive scholarships from the county’s employee committee, met three new workers in the sheriff’s office and approved a change order for the county’s upcoming overlay project and a summer reading proclamation for the Kismet Public Library.
Adali Flores and Mykenzie Kolb took home two scholarships of $400 each for students who are children or grandchildren of Seward County employees.
Southwestern Heights graduate Flores, the daughter of Carmen Flores from the Seward County Attorney’s office, was the first to be recognized, and Administrator April Warden, who handed out the certificates, said Adali wants to be an interior designer.
“She wants to create spaces that are beautiful, yes, but also safe, comforting and emotionally engaging,” Warden said. “Adali believes every room holds a story, and she is passionate about sharing those stories that resonate with the people who experience them. Interior design for Adali is not simply color and furnishings. It’s crafting experiences that promote well-being and connection.”
Adali is a high achieving student, maintaining a 3.925 grade point average and finishing in the top 10 percent of her class. Warden said Adali likewise has challenged herself by taking rigorous high school and dual credit courses through Seward County Community College.
“Grades have been a primary focus for Adali throughout her high school career,” Warden said. “Not only has Adali focused on academics, but she is a true student athlete as well. She has played volleyball, basketball, track, softball and a power lifter.”
Adali is also involved in other extracurricular activities, including National Honor Society, KAY Club, Mustang Singers, band, choir, FCCLA, yearbook and KMEA, yet she has still found the time to become an entrepreneur as well.
“As impressive as Adali’s list of academic and extracurricular activities is, she also started her own business selling fresh squeezed flavored lemonades at farmers markets and other events,” Warden said.
Warden added Adali’s vision and work ethic are admirable
“Her personality and kindness to others is just as important,” she said. “She puts every effort into any endeavor she takes on.”
Warden also credited Adali’s parents for some of her success.
“It takes every parent behind her to do this as well,” she said.
Commissioner Presephoni Fuller praised Adali’s work ethic as well.
“She is an example of being in multiple things and still maintaining a grade point average,” she said. “That’s incredible. That’s very impressive. I applaud you. I applaud your parents.”
As for Kolb, the daughter of landfill employee Amanda Kolb, the recent Tyrone, Okla., graduate plans to attend SCCC, where she will complete her prerequisite classes before moving on to further her education as a respiratory therapist.
Warden, who is the leader of the 4-H group Mykenzie participates in, said from a young age, Mykenzie felt strongly pulled toward the health care industry due to her own personal health challenges.
“Mykenzie has struggled with respiration issues since a young age, and the team of health care professionals at Kansas City Children’s Mercy, through their compassion and skills, provided Mykenzie with a dream and passion to do the same for others,” Warden said.
Warden said those who know Mykenzie have watched her grow into a remarkable young lady.
“Mykenzie is very determined at everything she sets her mind to, setting her goals high and working hard to achieve them,” she said. “Mykenzie is a dedicated, intelligent individual with a warm and engaging personality. Her maturity, strong communication skills and thoughtful nature consistently set her apart.”
Warden said Mykenzie leads by example, never hesitating to take on challenges and always offering a helping hand to those in need.
“Her ability to step out of her comfort zone and grow through service and leadership makes her exceptionally well-suited for continued education and professional growth,” Warden said.
Warden said Mykenzie likewise has shown outstanding leadership skills by being involved in 4-H, AVID, community theater, YAHL and CYLC and as a student athlete participating in wrestling and softball.
“Mykenzie possesses the qualities and determination necessary to succeed in any endeavor she pursues, and we have no doubt she will make a lasting impact wherever she goes,” she said.
Earlier in the meeting, Sheriff Gene Ward, introduced three new employees from his office, the first being Detective Justin Klebba.
“Mr. Klebba comes to us with 10 years of law enforcement experience,” he said. “We hired him as a new detective. He has K-9 handling experience and police department experience in Pennsylvania.”
Ward’s second employee was Deputy AJ Hood.
“He is a brand new ready to go, excited young person for law enforcement,” he said. “We’re going to send him to the academy at the end of the month.”
The last of the new sheriff’s office employees was maintenance worker Carlos Campos, who will soon be replacing outgoing longtime employee Jim Darnell.
“Jim knows a lot of things, and he’s very well experienced in a lot of different things,” Ward said. “We hired Carlos. Carlos has to hang out with Jim for almost a year just to maintain whatever we have Jim teach him. Carlos is a very intelligent human, and he’ll catch on really quick. Carlos has two years’ experience in maintenance with the ADM elevators from Plains, and he was born here. AJ is from here also.”
After hearing from some of Seward County’s newest employees, Warden presented the commission with a proclamation for the Kismet Public Library’s summer reading program. Commissioners had approved a similar proclamation at the board’s May 19 meeting for Liberal Memorial Library, and Warden said the county is blessed to have two excellent libraries, adding KPL’s program was scheduled to kick off Tuesday and end July 17 with a wrap up party.
“I encourage you to go out and check out their Facebook page or their Web site, as they have a lot of details out there on all their summer programs they’re going to do,” she said.
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the proclamation.
Lastly, the county had its pre-construction kickoff last Friday, and an overlay project is scheduled to begin this week, weather permitting, and will take place in five different phases.
“They will be starting on the Satanta cutoff. As we were in those discussions Friday, we determined in the bidding when our engineer bid that out for us, they did not include the shoulder work or the striping,” Warden said.
Officials with the project’s contractor, J&R Constructors Group, met with countly leaders and were informed the county did not have the equipment nor the people qualified in building shoulders on the roads at this time.
“We’re undergoing a lot of training,” Warden said. “J&R asked if I would like them to do a change order to have them prepare the shoulder work as they go through this.”
Warden said she was asking the commission to look at the change order for shouldering.
“You do have before you the plans to complete all the shouldering on the project,” she said. “The cost estimate is proposed for $123,420. You guys did get a $6 million bond to do the overlay projects. Everything came in at $5,735,000, so you do have some money in there. Since Change Order No. 1, there was a reduction of $112,340. That can be applied to allow J&R to perform the shouldering work.”
Former Road and Bridge Supervisor Brock Theiner said J&R would use their own machines which will put the shoulders in place on local roads.
“It’s not that we couldn’t do it, but the only way we’d be able to do it is with a blade,” he said. “There’s no guarantee we’re not going to eat the side of that new asphalt up with that blade trying to put that shoulder down, and they’ll do it much quicker.”
Commissioners unanimously approved the hot mix asphalt overlay shouldering change order in the amount of $123,420 to be paid for from proceeds from the county’s recent bond sale.
