By DALE HOGG
Barton County Media Consultant
The Barton County Commissioners continued their successful Travel 389 initiative on Tuesday afternoon, stopping in Ellinwood. They visited: RMACs Truck and Equipment and Tri Ag; Joiner Construction, where they had lunch; Ellinwood Packing Plant; 10-39 Café; Kansas Earth and Sky Candle Co.; Sauer Chiropractic and Sports Clinic, St. John Child Development Center; and the Ellinwood City Office.
The program allows the commission to meet with residents and businesses along the county's 389 miles of blacktop roads. It started two weeks ago and has included trips to Hoisington and Claflin.
Those who would like to participate in Travel 389 by having the Commission stop by their business, call 620-793-1800 or email [email protected].
The commission also adopted Resolution 2025-15 to designate Casey Hubbard, the newly hired assistant administrator/human resource director, as Barton County’s official Kansas Public Employees Retirement System Agent.
County Administrator Matt Patzner provided details on the need to update the agent following Hubbard’s hiring. Under the Kansas Public Employees Retirement Act, the designated agent is the individual through whom system transactions and communications are directed and who acts as a local contact for employees.
Resolution 2025-15 officially named Hubbard as the KPERS agent, with Patzner remaining as an additional signer to act in Hubbard’s absence.