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City of Leavenworth officials will soon celebrate the grand opening of outdoor pickleball courts and a basketball court at Buffalo Bill Cody Park.

Staff report Fire District 1 of Leavenworth County is staffed by nine full-time firefighters/EMTs and five volunteer firefighters.The primary duties are to serve and protect… Login to continue reading Login Sign up for complimentary access Sign Up Now Close

For those about to rock, native son Steven Todd Barnett is bringing his California rock band Pump5 USA tour on a stop to his hometown of Leavenworth for a concert Sept. 8 at the Leavenworth Local Hotel, 600 Shawnee St.After several more USA tour stops this fall, Pump5 kicks off its international tour in November in Tokyo, Japan. This marks the Deko Entertainment international release of the band’s “Paradise Place” and “Full Service” albums. Leavenworth concert goers will get to hear tracks from both albums at the September concert.Musician Steven Todd Barnett describes the band’s genre as “Southern California rock” with an emphasis on original music and lyrics. The band performs live with no tracks.“It’s all original,” Barnett said. “It’s active, it’s entertaining and the songs are really good. We have some people say, ‘That sounds like Southern rock.’ We all grew up in the 70s with Marshall Tucker, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kansas. Cheap Trick is a big influence of mine.” Barnett is a homegrown music talent who grew up surrounded by his Leavenworth music family in the 70s and 80s. He aspired from a young age to become a rock star. His story began on Lynn Street where his father, James Barnett, built a recording studio in the family home. A long line of Barnett family members, including uncles, were musicians playing in the early days with such greats as Buck Owens and Roy Clark. Steven Todd Barnett said that although his father was not a musician, he loved the production side of the business, even though it involved some sacrifices.“We didn’t always have three squares a day, but we had a recording studio,” Steven Todd Barnett said. “I thought everybody had a recording studio in their house. There were bands in there every week.” Steven Todd Barnett’s music performance journey began when he was 5 years old, playing neighborhood gigs and with other Leavenworth musicians. Barnett began working as a roadie while in junior high. The work was an opportunity to surround himself with talented touring musicians, such as Leavenworth natives Eric, Mark and Kevin Gassen and their band Ossian. Barnett said the 70s and 80s produced many great musicians out of Leavenworth.Barnett left high school early to pursue his dream in California, heading west in two cars with his other musician buddies. Once arriving in Hollywood, reality set in for the young hopefuls. Their journey included some couch surfing and working any jobs available that would also allow them to break away for gigs or short tours. Despite the early struggles, pursuing a music career was never a question. Several Barnett family members, including uncles, cousins and siblings, were musicians.“I didn’t really see (a music career) as a choice,” he said. “I was surrounded by it my whole life.”The youngest of Jim and Ruth Barnett’s five children, Steven Todd Barnett was inspired by his older brothers Stuart Barnett and Shawn Dale Barnett, who were also musicians. Shawn Dale Barnett became a successful professional drummer even though he was born 100% deaf. Pump5 was formed in 1995 with drummer Andre Bonter and bassist Andrew Cates. In recent years, talented guitarist Alex Kane joined the group. Steven Todd Barnett is the lead vocalist and guitarist.How the band got its name may reveal the passionate inner character of Steven Todd Barnett. The story:At a gas station near where Barnett lived in the 1990s in California, a dog lingered near a gas pump island. It appeared abandoned by its owner. The dog waited at the gas station pump 5 for his owner to return.“I tried to feed him, the gas station owner would leave him water, try get him away from there. It would not leave pump number 5," Steve Barnett said. “It stayed by the pump for months.”When the dog passed away, Barnett felt compelled to honor the loyal animal.“I called (the band) Pump5,” said Steve Barnett. “I said the least I could do is be human and pay tribute.”Steven Todd Barnett’s Leavenworth cousin is Dave Barnett, proprietor of Mighty Fine Music, 300 Shawnee St. Dave Barnett, described his cousin’s approach to music.“Steve’s a storyteller,” Dave Barnett said. “Some people have told him ‘Dude, you’re kind of Southern rock, you’re kinda country, right?’ I mean he tells a story. He’s felt the rough edges of life.”One example on the album “Paradise Place” is the song “Junk Man” which tells the story of Steven Todd Barnett’s uncle, Luther David Barnett, who, as a child, was suffering from a long illness, as his parents pleaded prayerfully for their child’s healing. The family was visited by a mysterious stranger, the “Junk Man.” The story concludes that no one ever saw the stranger come or go. His uncle believed he was visited by an angel who cured him. Pump5 headlines the Sunday Leavenworth concert. Leavenworth musician Josh Bounds is opening at 7 p.m., followed by the Southern rock blues sound of the Silas Dogan Band.Tickets to the event can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com/e/locals-the-local-tickets-928012629757 Merchandise, including T-shirts and records, will also be available for purchase at the event.

The Leavenworth Police Department is committed to working in partnership with our community to improve the quality of life in our city. Our mission is to provide police services in a fair, courteous and efficient manner.We are charged with upholding the laws of the city of Leavenworth, state of Kansas and tenets of the Constitution and will do so with integrity and honesty. Everyone we come in contact with will be treated with compassion and respect without bias. We will be accountable for our actions and acknowledge our mistakes.Our effectiveness will be measured by the absence of fear in our neighborhoods and our ability to work in partnership with our community.We value adherence to the rule of law, to the Constitutions of Kansas and the United States to the utmost honesty.We value providing equally to all people fair, courteous, responsive and efficient service which observes each individual's dignity and worth. We value employees, who through their individual and collective actions, demonstrate the highest degree of ethical conduct, who seek and apply knowledge to better perform their duties, who are dedicated to service as demonstrated in their self-motivation to act and accountability for their actions. We value and respect individuals for their personal accomplishments. We also recognize that organizational success is dependent on the collective strength of individuals who adapt to changing situations and who communicate and support each other and the community. We value personal and organizational accountability to the public and each other in all things we do. We will assure accountability through self-examination and investigation of employees from citizen complaints. We will explain our actions and admit our errors in an open and candid fashion.The Police Department is comprised of three divisions: Police Operations, Investigations and Support Services.The Operations Division provides comprehensive police service to the community. It is comprised of patrol officers, traffic officers, the SWAT Team and K-9.The Investigations Division consists of our Detective and Narcotic Units. The detectives specialize in general areas of crime such as property crimes, person crimes and child crimes.The Support Services Division enhances the scope of services provided to the community. Support services include our dispatchers, Animal Control, Records, Court and Evidence staff.The Police Department conducts internal investigations of misconduct or violations of the law. Thorough investigations are conducted without regard to their personal or professional relationship to those being investigated. Confidentiality is maintained throughout. Contact Interim Deputy Chief of Police Dan Nicodemus for more information at dnicodemus@firstcity.org

Emergency management is a managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to threats/hazards and cope with disasters. But in Leavenworth County, it’s much more than that. We strive to be a support team for our partnering response agencies. We work as a resource for our first responders. We are called to several truck/semi vehicular accidents where we make sure all the “bad stuff” gets cleaned up and prevent it from polluting any nearby areas. We are also fortunate to be a part of several community outreach events. We have a passion for educating people of all ages how they can be more prepared. Our conversations with the community help us work toward the goals of making all of Leavenworth County more resilient in disasters. Our department is most known for giving fast and accurate severe weather information to the public and our partnering agencies. We have an incredible team of volunteers that set up throughout the Leavenworth County area to give us a real time picture of what the weather is doing so we can report it. We strive to make sure Leavenworth County is informed and ready to react when the storms start rolling in. Leavenworth County Director of Emergency Management Chuck Magaha leads the department. Chuck has been in managing the county for over 30 years and continues to keep his seven cities and 11 townships safe and prepared. He also leads several emergency management teams and committees, teaches various emergency management classes and holds several positions in the Kansas emergency management world. Deputy Director Zach Phillips also wears several hats as he came from the deputy side of the Sheriff’s Office. Zach is a part of the Tag Team, Honor Guard and just achieved his Kansas Certified Emergency Management certification. When Chuck is not in the office, Zach steps up to take the role.Emergency Planner/Exercise Coordinator Rachael Schuette joined our team in January. She loves working on community outreach. From going to different clubs, schools or fairs, she has a passion for getting the county more prepared.

The Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office has 120 employees. Their daily work entails the running of our county jail, patrol duties, investigations, communications and emergency management, security and support services. We patrol 744 miles of roadways, 340 miles of paved road and 386 miles of gravel roads and 16 miles of minimum maintenance roadways. We police over 82,000 citizens in one of the largest counties in the state of Kansas based on population. Our jail is constitutionally run and houses an average daily population of 145 persons for the purpose of pretrial detention. Our office is also statutorily mandated to serve civil process. Our communications division serves as a police answering point for the Sheriff’s Office, Lansing Police Department, Basehor Police Department and Tonganoxie Police Department, Kansas Highway Patrol as needed and Kansas Wildlife and Parks as needed, and dispatch all rural fire departments as well as Leavenworth County EMS calls in the county. In an average year, they handle 55,000 calls for service.Our investigations division handles narcotics investigations, burglary investigations and other felony casework all the way up to murder investigations. Our agency works to assist all law enforcement in investigative work cooperatively. Our Emergency Management division oversees numerous aspects of safety concerns from thunderstorm advisories, tornado watches and warnings, boil orders or debris removal in the wake of tornadic activity. Additionally, they offer a mass notification service via an app on your phone to alert you of issues of civil concerns/safety.The men and women of this office take great pride in the work they do to safeguard their community. As an elected official, Sheriff Andy Dedeke has the responsibility to answer to each of those 82,000 plus citizens as their elected sheriff. Each of these 120 employees is representative of the sheriff as they conduct their daily duties.

In Tonganoxie, small-town policing often presents unique opportunities and challenges compared to urban law enforcement. My staff is comprised of not just law enforcement officers but work to foster public safety and trust. They know many residents by name, making personal connections that transcend the typical police-citizen relationship. Our officers don’t just serve; they ensure that our small, Leavenworth County corner remains a safe and nurturing place. Our goal is to create a sense of trust and cooperation that is pivotal for effective policing. We foster this through proactive engagement, collaborative problem-solving and leveraging the benefits of our smaller population. We were proud of our high ranking among Kansas’ safest cities and owe our citizens the credit for this great achievement. Prominent examples of our community policing philosophy include proactively participating in local festivals, school functions and our town’s special events. These venues allow our officers to build rapport with residents, while understanding and addressing specific community concerns. Examples include Snow Cone with a Cop, periodic citizen academy venues, using our MILO use-of-force simulator, grade school Lead to Read and Pizza with a Policeman, officers passing out candy at Halloween celebrations, Secret Santa and many more. These opportunities allow us to engage personally and effectively with the Tonganoxie community. I am proud of the men and women at the Tonganoxie Police Department and feel privileged to lead our organization.

The mission of the Lansing Police Department is to establish, promote and build positive relationships within the community for the advancement of the safety and security for all citizens within the community.Our mission is to provide quality public service based on high ethical and professional standards. It is critical that all members understand, accept and be aligned with the responsibilities established by this mission. It is these responsibilities that provide the foundation upon which all operational decisions and organizational directives will be based. Directives include rules, regulations, operating policies, procedures and practices.This mission represents the commitment of the Lansing Police Department to the concepts of quality performance management. Members are expected to work consistently in a quality and productive manner in the daily performance of those duties, job responsibilities and work tasks associated with this mission.Lansing Police Department personnel are expected to provide quality service which complies with the performance standards established for this agency. Performance standards include, but are not limited to, code of ethics, department rules, policies, procedures, directives, general and supervisory order and work productivity and performance behavior.The Lansing Police Department consists of 19 full-time officers, two part-time officers, two reserve officers, one full-time police records clerk and one part-time animal control officer.Police Chief Steven Wayman can be reached at 913-727-3000 x6890 or swayman@lansingks.org