Bennett said he’ll have more next week on two other politicians linked to the video attack, state Rep. Michael Capps and Wichita City Council member James Clendenin. Sedgwick County commissioners will hold a special meeting at 4 p.m. Monday to discuss whether to institute a stay-at-home order or take other actions in response to coronavirus. Senior Journalist Dion Lefler has been providing award-winning coverage of local government, politics and business in Wichita for 20 years. Thank you to my parents and family, friends, colleagues, and supporters for your love, guidance, and support. The Sedgwick County Health Department has actively vaccinated health care associated workers since December 23. Clendenin is the only official set to remain in office in 2021. While the Sedgwick County Commission does have the authority to get involved on township road maintenance at present under K.S.A. Tom Shine is the director of news and public affairs. General COVID-19 Vaccine Information with Assistant County Manager, Tim … Watch commission meetings and other recent videos. We’ll be praying for him.”. Money for the political smear was funneled through a Capps-operated nonprofit sports charity and the ad itself was launched from behind the shield of an anonymous New Mexico shell company called “Protect Wichita’s Girls, LLC.”. In his first hours as president, Joe Biden on Wednesday will aim to strike at the heart of President Donald Trump’s policy legacy. He is trailing Democrat Sarah Lopez by a narrow margin of 125 votes in his re-election bid, with the final outcome to be announced Monday. Residents may be sampled (saliva PCR, NP PCR, and oral PCR) Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 4 p.m. No appointment is required to be sampled for COVID-19. During a special meeting on Wednesday, the Sedgwick County Commission addressed the ongoing civil lawsuit involving sitting commissioner Michael O’Donnell. The Kansas Insurance Department Wants To Know, 89.1 Wichita Public Radio | 121 N. Mead, Ste. Follow him on Twitter @thomaspshine. Congressman Ron Estes called for all three officials involved in the video to resign. Regular meeting agendas are prepared by the County Manager’s Office. To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org. That includes many of the bars in the Old Town entertainment district. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell resigned from his seat on the Sedgwick County Commission Friday at 5 p.m. The Sedgwick County Commission, Sedgwick County Republican Party and U.S. 36,628 talking about this. Sedgwick County’s health officer Dr. Garold Minns issued the restrictions Wednesday in response to a surge of coronavirus infections. The audio recording captured O’Donnell plotting with Capps and Clendenin to cover up their role in the false attack ad and instead frame Dalton Glasscock, then the chairman of the Sedgwick County Republican Party. “I am proud and humbled by how much we have accomplished, even in unprecedented times, for this region, county, and my district. The campaign ad at the heart of the controversy, a video promoted on Facebook and YouTube, was designed to benefit then-Mayor Jeff Longwell by smearing his opponent, then-state Rep. Brandon Whipple. Whipple won the mayoral race and filed a lawsuit to find out who was behind the attack video ad, which falsely alleged he’d sexually harassed college-age interns at the Capitol. The emergency public health order he signed replaces the one issued on July 9. Jim Howell and Michael O'Donnell voted no, saying the order punishes businesses that are following the rules. Embattled Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell resigned Friday evening, after the district attorney decided there was sufficient evidence to pursue his removal for his role in a scandal over a false 2019 campaign ad attacking Wichita’s mayor. This information is furnished as a public service. Sedgwick County’s YouTube channel holds archived meetings since January 2015. Commissioner Jim Howell said the resignation came as a surprise to him. (Sedgwick County, Kan.) – The Board of Sedgwick County Commissioners will hold a special meeting related to the WSU Lab Contract at 8:30 a.m., Friday, October 16. Capps lost his seat in the Republican primary in August and will not serve in next year’s legislative session. On Monday afternoon, the Sedgwick County Commission released a statement related to the lawsuit, saying: “The Board of County Commissioners is aware of the recording related to a … O’Donnell, Capps and Clendenin are currently defendants in a civil defamation lawsuit brought by Whipple, primarily to uncover who had attacked him in the ad. O’Donnell had already announced that he would not serve a second term if re-elected. The meeting will be live-streamed on Sedgwick County Government’s YouTube Live and Facebook Live platforms. A recording will be added to the County’s website following the meeting. Sedgwick County YouTube. Clendenin’s own district advisory board later admonished him with a vote of “no confidence.”. Commissioner David Dennis said they’ll get by. A county commissioner should be vigorously dedicated to the democratic ideals of honesty, openness, and accountability in all public matters involving county government. Special Board of Sedgwick County Commissioners MTG - YouTube At a special meeting on Friday, commissioners put back in place a requirement that restaurants that sell alcohol must close at midnight. Starting tomorrow, the drive-through sampling site will close and no cost COVID-19 walk-in sampling will be available at the Sedgwick County Extension Office, 7001 W. 21st St., Wichita, 67205. Sedgwick County commissioners will hold a special meeting at 4 p.m. Monday to discuss whether to institute a stay-at-home order or take other actions in response to coronavirus. Principle 2. Commissioner Lacey Cruse, who frequently sparred with O’Donnell at the commission bench, said replacing him for a couple of months will be “yet another distraction that is taking away from the attention we should be giving to reducing the spread of COVID-19 in our community.”. The Wichita City Council condemned their actions in a formal censure, although they stopped short of calling for Clendenin to step down. About Commission Meetings. “The District Attorney notified legal counsel for Commissioner O’Donnell that the District Attorney intended to initiate a legal proceeding for forfeiture of public office through ouster proceedings the week of Monday, November 16, 2020,” Bennett said in a statement. Sedgwick County Zoo; Sedgwick County Park Shelter Reservations; Contact. The people in … WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – While the race is still close for the Sedgwick County Commission District 2 seat, possible candidates for the Republican Party are emerging as incumbent Michael O’… Minns has linked a rise in COVID-19 cases, especially among younger people, to activity at bars and nightclubs. A special newsletter from our D.C. Bureau focused on transition to the Biden administration. If he wins, the seat will be filled until the next general election by someone selected by about two dozen Republican precinct committee men and women in his 2nd Commission District. Public Safety and County Administration Space Needs. I look forward to this next journey in my life.”. “ In response to this communication, Commissioner O’Donnell, through counsel, indicated his intent to resign from his position prior to 5:00 p.m. (Friday), effectively terminating the need for official ouster proceedings. The Sedgwick County Commission has reinstated part of an emergency public health order, two days after removing it. But most of the bars in Wichita, more than 350, don’t fall into that category because they generate 30 percent of their revenue selling food. Results from the Nov. 3 general election for Sedgwick County Commission 2 show challenger Sarah Lopez with a slight lead (125 votes) as the county … The Monarch in Delano is one of the more than 350 restaurants that also sell alcohol that will be affected under the new public health order. Minns says the mandatory mask policy is working, but now it’s time to pull back on community activity. Sedgwick County offers citizens the opportunity to subscribe to receive Board of County Commission Meeting reminders and agendas via e-mail. A new public health order in Sedgwick County shuts down bars and nightclubs, and further limits the size of gatherings. Mayor Brandon Whipple had criticized the county’s move, saying on Twitter it made the order "almost useless." Commission Chairman Pete Meitzner could not be reached for comment. The SedgwickCountyKS channel is the official channel of Sedgwick County government. O’Donnell didn’t return a phone call from The Eagle. “As long as we have three people, we can govern,” he said. In that same order, Minns ordered all bars and nightclubs closed through Aug. 21, which affects 74 businesses. 68-124, County Counselor Mike Pepoon stated that is a “nuclear option.” Pepoon did say, though, that having a policy in place makes the county’s position more defensible from a legal standpoint. Sedgwick County Commission Code of Ethics Sedgwick County Commission Code of Ethics Principle 1. Regular meeting minutes are prepared by the Clerk’s Office. Chance Swaim, a George Polk Award winning investigative reporter, has been with The Eagle since 2018. restaurants that sell alcohol must close at midnight, Sedgwick County Closes Bars, Limits Gathering Size In Response To COVID-19 Surge, Billed Wrongly For A Covid-19 Test? In his latest address to the Sedgwick County Commission, health officer Dr. Gerald Minns sounded downright apologetic. “We are trying to take care the best we can of our area, based on our hospitals, our economy, based on the data that is available today,” he said. Sedgwick County Republican Party announces Dalton Glasscock as O’Donnell’s replacement On Nov. 16, Sarah Lopez was declared the winner of the Sedgwick County Commission … Commissioners; County Directory; County Manager; District Attorney; District Court; Webmaster; Connect. The meeting will be streamed live online via YouTube Live and Sedgwick County Government’s Facebook page. Welcome to the official Sedgwick County Government Facebook page. Meitzner said reinstating the order is about taking care of the community. Dion hails from Los Angeles, where he worked for the LA Daily News, the Pasadena Star-News and other papers. These are the majors that could be eliminated, Man lived in O’Hare airport for months because he was afraid to go home, officials say, Kansas coronavirus trends continue to improve as Sedgwick County’s worsen, data show, ‘He’s got to fix it’: Biden must deliver swift results or risk backlash, allies say, Music stars slam UK’s ‘shameful’ failure on EU touring rules, China labels Pompeo ‘doomsday clown’ over genocide claims, NC, local gov’t offices in Raleigh closed on US inauguration, 5 charged after authorities seize 151 pounds of meth, Vice President Harris: A new chapter opens in US politics. Like Us on Facebook; Follow Us on Twitter; View Open Meetings; Watch Us on YouTube; Read News Releases; Subscribe to Commission Meeting Agendas; Pay. The resignation was handled quietly, in an e-mail to commissioners, just minutes before District Attorney Marc Bennett announced the findings of his investigation. They plan to continue vaccinating members of this community as more vaccine doses are received and we are given the directive to move on to the next phase. He said many restaurants serve food earlier in the day and become essentially nightclubs later in the evening. He was quoted in the written statement issued by the county, but did not address the reasons for his abrupt departure from office, “It has been an honor and privilege to serve in the greatest community and work for the wonderful people of Sedgwick County these last four years,” O’Donnell said in the county statement. The video that was O’Donnell’s downfall featured paid actresses, shown in dark silhouette, reading from a script of accusations that the video producer, Matthew Colborn, has said were provided by O’Donnell. Sedgwick County makes every effort to produce and publish the most current and accurate information possible. Commissioners Pete Meitzner, Lacy Cruse and David Dennis supported the move, which takes effect Saturday. Late Friday, Bennett announced he had found sufficient grounds to pursue ouster against O’Donnell. It seems the County Commission gut Dr. Minns #Covid19 public health order by limiting it to bars earning "less than 30%" of income from food, making it almost useless, The majority of bars, especially in old town, who we received most our violation complaints remain open as usual pic.twitter.com/1tXQ4572a6, — Dr. Brandon Whipple (@BWhippleKS) July 22, 2020. The accusations were lifted from a Kansas City Star/Wichita Eagle story about harassment allegations against Republican members of the state Senate, not Whipple, who was a Democratic member of the House of Representatives. Ouster proceedings and numerous calls for O’Donnell’s resignation came after a secretly made audio recording was released by Colborn’s lawyer 11 days before the election. The county has seen a significant increase in cases over the past few weeks, with the number of active cases now topping 2,000. Voters elected Democrat Sarah Lopez to a four-year term on the Sedgwick County Commission. Before the county’s move Friday, Whipple said he was exploring a city ordinance that would set a curfew for liquor sales. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Watch the Sedgwick County Commission meeting online for Sept. 2, 2020. "This vote today is going to put a lot of people in our community out of work.". He is trailing Democratic opponent Sarah Lopez in a race for reelection. On Day One, Biden to undo Trump policies on climate, virus, Law firm to move headquarters within Wichita and open western Kansas office, Kansas universities need to save money. “The Office of the District Attorney received confirmation that the Commissioner tendered his resignation before 5:00 p.m. (Friday).”. But it was quickly explained when … The Sedgwick County Commission has reinstated part of an emergency public health order, two days after removing it. “I got a note from staff that said he is resigning as of 5 o’clock this afternoon,” Howell said minutes before 5. Associated Press. Cases on the rise. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. 200 | Wichita, KS 67202 | (316) 978-6789. He’s a father of twins, director of lay servant ministries in the United Methodist Church and plays second base for the Old Cowtown vintage baseball team. The lawsuit claims O’Donnell, along with Wichita City Council Member James Clendenin and Representative for Kansas District 85 Michael Capps, attempted to defame Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple by creating a false attack ad … YouTube; Pinterest; 33 ° Mostly Cloudy ... During a special meeting last week, the Sedgwick County Commission addressed the rising COVID-19 numbers in terms of hospitalizations, infection rates and more – and how enhanced emergency health orders could potentially help. Former Sedgwick County Republican Party Chairman Dalton Glasscock will serve on the county commission for the remainder of the current term. He was selected to replace former Commission … You may contact him at 316-269-6752 and cswaim@wichitaeagle.com. Stay Connected to Your County Commissioners. "My heart does break for these people because so many are good actors, and we’re punishing the good actors," O’Donnell said. That was part of the original order issued earlier this week by county health officer Dr. Garold Minns, but commissioners removed the restriction at their meeting Wednesday. Regarding recent reports from local hospitals, County Manager Tom Stolz said COVID-19 … Although the entire commission had requested O’Donnell’s resignation, Dennis said “I wish Michael well. Sedgwick County commissioners formally asked their colleague Michael O’Donnell to resign immediately due to his actions involving a negative campaign video last year. Sedgwick County commissioners said the abrupt resignation of Commissioner Michael O’Donnell Friday came as a surprise to them. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell has admitted that it is his voice on a secretly recorded audio file that was made public last week. 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