September 2021
Letter from Commissioner Dennis:
My District 3 Citizen’s Advisory Board meeting will be held virtually on Oct. 4 at 7:00 p.m. There will be a presentation on redistricting the five county commission districts. The commissioners have received updated census data on each of the districts, shown in the following list. 
  • District 1: 105,567
  • District 2: 99,804
  • District 3: 104,204
  • District 4: 109,341
  • District 5: 104,908

You can see that three of the districts will require minor changes; however, the largest changes will need to be made in Districts 2 and 4. The entire commission will be working through the redistricting process in the very near future.

Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita both signed a letter of intent to FEMA for a possible grant to correct the flooding problem in West Wichita that was most evident during the Halloween 1998 flood. The cost of the project, if the City and County can apply is approximately $40 million and that will require a local match of $10 million split between the City and County. This is just the first step in finding a solution to that flooding issue.

Another important update is our participation in the “Local Consult” meeting with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). There was very good support during the meetings for the Northwest Bypass project. The meetings were held virtually; however, KDOT did a great job of involving all of the stake holders. In addition, we provided support for improvements to K-254 highway and the Ark-95 projects in the region along with passenger train projects.

Please mark your calendars for the Viet Nam Moving Wall to be displayed in Valley Center Lions Park from Oct. 21-25. In addition, please keep Saturday, Nov. 6 at 11:00 a.m. open on your calendar for the Veteran’s Day Parade in Wichita.

As always, it is an honor to serve District 3.
COVID-19 Report for August 29, 2021
Comparing case counts from Monday to Wednesday:

  • The United States of America case count increased from 42,980,449 to 43,287,096 (+.71 percent).
  • The State of Kansas case count increased from 406,453 to 408,934 (+.61 percent). 
  • In Sedgwick County, case counts increased from 62,937 to 63,293 (+.57 percent).

The Sedgwick County Health Department no-cost testing site will relocate to 4115 E. Harry St. starting Monday, October 4.The current COVID-19 testing site at Sunflower Shelter will be open through September 30. The county will not offer testing on October 1 in order to move locations. Testing hours at the new location will remain the same as the current site.

The current no-cost testing at Sunflower Shelter at Sedgwick County Park, 6501 W. 21st Street hours of operation are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Please enter off 13th Street.

Text "SC COVID TEST" to 316-215-8313 to get in line for a COVID-19 test through the Sedgwick County Health Department. You will receive a message notifying you of a wait time or to come inside immediately. If the Q-line is full you will receive a message stating "The testing line is full for the rest of the day." There are additional no-cost testing sites in Wichita for residents to utilize. Find more information here. 

The Health Department takes a nasal, oral, or saliva sample to send to a lab for COVID-19 PCR testing. Results are generally available by the afternoon of the next weekday. The results of the virus test show whether a person has a current infection. This is not an antibody test.
 
Visit www.sedgwickcounty.org/covid-19 to learn more about the County’s response to COVID-19. 
COVID-19 Vaccination Update
The Sedgwick County Health Department is now offering no-cost Pfizer COVID-19 booster vaccines at 223 S. Main. People should bring documentation of their first and second doses to the vaccine site. SCHD mobile clinics will not provide booster doses as this time.

People who can receive the booster dose have to meet all three of the criteria below:
  1. Received two doses of Pfizer vaccine
  2. Received the second Pfizer dose six months before the booster
  3. Fall into one or more of the following groups:
  • Age 65 years and older
  • Age 18 years and older with one or more underlying conditions
  • Age 18 years and older with increased risk of COVID-19 because of workplace or institutional setting
For more information on booster eligibility requirements, visit https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/covid-19/vaccine/additional-dose-information/

Sedgwick County Health Department offers the Comirnaty (Pfizer) and Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine at multiple locations across Sedgwick County at no-cost. The Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine is available to people age 12 and older; the J&J vaccine is available to people age 18 or older.

The Health Department offers the following no-cost vaccine clinic options:

  • Main Vaccine Clinic at the former Wichita Public Library | 223 S. Main, Wichita, KS 67202
  • Mobile Clinics are offered by SCHD staff
  • Partner Clinics are offered by community partners and assisted by SCHD staff. Appointments preferred but walk-ins are welcome
  • Event Clinics are where SCHD offers vaccine during an event. Businesses planning events can contact SCHD by email at SCHDCovidVaccine@sedgwick.gov

People can visit sedgwickcounty.org/covid19vaccine to schedule an appointment for the Main Vaccine Clinic. 

For a full list of mobile, partner, and event clinics and information regarding COVID-19 vaccinations in Sedgwick County, please visit www.sedgwickcounty.org/covid-19/vaccine.
2021 General Election Early Voting Available October 18 - November 1
Voting by Mail? Drop Off Your Ballot
The Sedgwick County Election Office has 14 drop boxes to make it easier for voters to vote by mail in the November election.

These boxes will be installed in cities surrounding Sedgwick County for voters to drop-off mail-in-ballots leading up to and on Election Day, specifically in areas where purchasing a postage stamp may be a barrier to voting by mail. Ballot boxes will be installed 20 days prior to Election Day and in use through 7 p.m. Election night, November 2. Election staff will visit the boxes daily to remove the ballots and boxes will be able to receive ballots until 7 p.m. on Election night.

Find resources related to the General Election here: www.sedgwickcounty.org/vote.
Spirit AeroSystems Global Digital Logistics Center (GDLC) Open House
Commissioners and other state and local leaders attended the celebration and successful operation of the Global Digital Logistics Center (GDLC) on Spirit AeroSystems campus Thursday, September 2. The center became operational in March 2020 and holds the largest and most advanced shuttle system in the world, with the capacity to move over 120,000 parts per day. The automated storage system allows employees to inventory, store, retrieve, and kit parts for delivery to factory floor.

We are proud to partner with Spirit and City of Wichita, and are thrilled to see this facility come to fruition.
National Preparedness Month
National Preparedness Month - recognized each September - raises awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. This year’s theme is “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.” Make a plan with your family so everyone knows what to do in an emergency.
National Suicide Prevention Month
The month of September is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month - a month spent raising awareness and providing available resources to those who may be seeking help in our community.
  • Every 11 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies by suicide.
  • Right here in Sedgwick County, every 3.4 days someone dies by suicide.
  • It's the 10th leading cause of death in America, and 2nd leading cause of death among people ages 10-34.   
  • After cancer and heart disease, suicide accounts for more years of life lost than any other cause of death.
While these statistics are staggering, it's important to know that help is available to those in need. The Community Crisis Center (CCC) is a 24-hour, confidential resource center for mental health assistance and suicide prevention.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, take it seriously and get help. Call the CCC today at (316) 660-7500.
2021 Direct Support Professional Recognition Week
September 12-18, 2021, was National Direct Support Professional Week - a week to highlight the dedicated, innovative direct support professionals who are the heart and soul of helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities feel, and be, included in the community!

If you’re interested in a career of caring, please visit CareerOfCaring.org to find places in Sedgwick County that are hiring Direct Support Professionals.
Pandemic Response and Safety Grant Program
The Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant Program provides grants to food processors, distributors, farmers markets, and producers to respond to coronavirus, including for measures to protect workers against COVID–19. The US Dept. of Agriculture opened an application portal on Sept. 23, 2021 for food/agriculture producers, distributors, farmers markets, including small businesses and non-profits who may request between $1,500-20,000 to support health safety of workers and business environments during COVID-19 pandemic. Funds can cover the COVID-19 related expenses back to Jan. 20, 2020 through Dec. 31, 2021. To learn more about the program and to apply, visit https://usda-prs.grantsolutions.gov/usda. 
Goddard Public Schools Welcome Home Alumni Weekend
Godard Public Schools Alumni Association is hosting their inaugural Goddard Public Schools Welcome Home Alumni Weekend October 1-2, 2021.The celebration starts off Friday night at the Eisenhower vs. Goddard football game, continues into Saturday morning with the family-friendly Fall Festival parade and a casual meet and greet exclusively for alumni Saturday afternoon. For tickets and more information, visit https://www.goddardef.org.
Contact Commissioner David Dennis
316-660-9300
525 N. Main, Ste 320, Wichita, KS 67203