DC City Council postpones smoking ban vote

DODGE CITY, Kansas, September 3, 2008 – It look like, for now, you can still light up in bars and restaurants in Dodge City.

Tuesday night city commissioners voted to delay the city’s smoking ban. Officials say there are still wrinkles that need to be ironed out in some of the wording in the ordinance. Once fixed, they intend to pass the ban at their next meeting on September 15th.

New regulations include posting no smoking signs and for businesses that want to allow smoking, create designated smoking areas. Some restaurant owners say it’s not fair that government can dictate what people can or can’t do in their own place of business.

"You know there are people that don't think 65 mile per hour speed limit is fair, but at the same time we have to look at the safety and security of people,” said Dodge City Commissioner Jim She.

"Well, I'm going to probably have to go with non smoking completely, because if I go with an area of smoking in here, you know, I have tremendous costs to do that,” Kate’s owner Riley Skaggs.

If the ordinance passes, the new law will go into effect October 1st. Existing businesses will then have a grace period of six months to make proper renovations.

Dodge City to be represented at RNC

DODGE CITY, Kansas, September 3, 2008 – Dodge City will be represented at the Republican National Convention.

Commissioner Brian Weber will be among the Kansas delegates included in the roll call for the party’s pick for President and Vice President. He’s excited to be at such a historic event.

"You know, I hope to take away a better understanding of perhaps, the Republican Party of course at the national level, how that process is carried out,” Weber said.

Weber is blogging daily about his convention experience for the Hutchinson newspaper.

Kansas crops doing well

WICHITA, Kansas, September 3, 2008 – Fifteen percent of the Kansas crop is now mature according to the Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service.

The agency rates the crop as nine percent excellent, 42 percent good, 36 percent fair and the rest is rated poor or very poor. The state’s sorghum is also making progress with about three percent rated as mature. Nearly 90 percent of the crop is in fair condition or better. And 95 percent of soybeans are estimated to be in fair or better condition.