🇺🇸 COURTESY POST — Kearny County Essay Contest 🇺🇸 Calling all Kearny County students in 7th–12th grade! ✍️ In celebration of America’s 250th Birthday, students are invited to participate in the essay contest: “What Does America’s 250th Birthday Mean To You?” Students must: ✅ Be in 7th–12th grade in Kearny County ✅ Interview two veterans and include quotes from them in the essay ✅ Submit an essay of at least 250 words ✅ Include student and veteran contact information ❌ Essay cannot be AI generated 💰 Prizes: 🥇 1st Place — $250 🥈 2nd Place — $150 🥉 3rd Place — $100 🎁 Bonus: All participants will receive a $20 gift card from Flashbacks Diner! 📅 Deadline: June 24, 2026 📍 Turn in essays to: The Lakin Independent 118 N. Main St., Lakin This is a great opportunity for students to reflect on what America means to them while hearing firsthand perspectives from local veterans. 🇺🇸 Please see flyer for full details.

🚧 Main Street Construction Begins June 15 — We’re Still Here to Serve You! 🚧

As Main Street construction begins, we want to remind residents that the Lakin Administrative Center remains OPEN and fully operational during construction.

While access may look a little different for a while, we are still here to assist you with utility payments, questions, permits, and all City services.

📍 Parking will be available on the side streets
🚗 Our drive-thru window will remain open as always
📬 Our drop box at the window is available for after-hours payments
🕖 Office Hours: Monday–Friday | 7:00 AM–5:00 PM
📞 Questions? Give us a call at 620-355-6252

We appreciate your patience and understanding as these important Main Street improvements move forward. Please continue supporting our downtown businesses during construction — they’re still open and ready to serve you too! 💜💛

#CityOfLakin #LakinKS #MainStreetConstruction #SupportLocal #WeAreOpen

With the approaching bad weather and the high winds we will not open for our 7-9 night swim.

𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐒 & 𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃

The City of Lakin is currently looking for food trucks, vendors, and community booths to be part of our 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝟐𝟓𝟎: 𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 on Saturday, July 4, 2026! ✨

This community-wide celebration will bring families together for a fun-filled Independence Day in Lakin, and we would love to have you be part of it!

📍 Location: Beymer Aquatic Center Parking Lot
📅 Saturday, July 4, 2026

Interested in setting up? Contact Travis or Kaiya:
📞 620-355-6252 (7a–4p)
📧 kaiya@lakinkansas.org

Please help us spread the word!✨

TOMORROW:: City of Lakin to Host Community Open House on Comprehensive Plan Update The City of Lakin invites residents to attend a Community Open House on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Veteran’s Memorial Building as part of the continued development of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. This meeting serves as a follow-up to the February 5, 2026 Community Open House, where residents were introduced to the planning process, reviewed existing conditions, and provided initial input regarding Lakin’s future growth and priorities. The City’s Comprehensive Plan serves as a long-term guide for growth, development, and decision-making related to topics such as land use, transportation, parks and recreation, economic development, and infrastructure. The June 9 open house will focus on proposed future alternatives and concepts developed through the planning process and community feedback received to date. Residents will have the opportunity to review ideas, ask questions, and provide additional input to help shape the future vision for Lakin. The evening will begin with a 20–25 minute presentation reviewing project progress and introducing proposed future alternatives. Following the presentation, attendees will have an opportunity for questions and answers. The remainder of the evening will feature an open-house format with informational boards organized by topic, allowing attendees to review materials, speak directly with project representatives, and provide feedback at their own pace. Community input remains a vital part of the process, and residents are encouraged to attend and help shape the future of the City of Lakin. For updates and additional information, follow the City of Lakin on social media, through the City app, or visit the City website.

Course will be closed all day Sunday to host the tournament

🚧 Main Street Improvements: How We Got Here & What’s Ahead 🚧 Beginning June 15, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) will begin a roadway improvement project on K-25/Main Street between the railroad crossing and Washington Avenue. As construction approaches, the City of Lakin wanted to share some background on how this project came to be, what this phase includes, and the long-term vision for Main Street improvements. Several years ago, the City began pursuing funding through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s City Connecting Links Improvement Program (CCLIP) — a competitive grant program designed to help Kansas communities improve state highways that run through their cities, including Lakin’s Main Street corridor. Through this process, the City secured funding for the current phase of improvements, which will convert the roadway to concrete from the railroad crossing north to Washington Avenue. Concrete was selected to provide a stronger, longer-lasting roadway designed to better withstand heavy traffic and serve residents, businesses, and visitors for years to come. The total project cost is approximately $1.72 million, with the City’s required cost-share portion totaling $31,000. Through the CCLIP program, the City has been able to leverage a significant infrastructure investment into Main Street improvements while minimizing the impact on local taxpayers. This project is part of a larger long-term vision for Main Street. The City knows another round of CCLIP funding will be available and plans to apply for funding to continue concrete improvements from Washington Avenue to Kingman Street. If awarded, that phase is anticipated to take place in 2028. Looking farther ahead, the City hopes funding opportunities remain available in future years, with the long-term goal of eventually extending Main Street concrete improvements from Kingman Street to US-50. Projects of this scale take years of planning, engineering, and competitive grant funding. While construction may bring temporary inconveniences, these improvements represent a long-term investment in the safety, durability, and future of one of Lakin’s most traveled corridors. Important Construction Information: 🛑 K-25/Main Street will be closed between Santa Fe Avenue and Washington Avenue during construction. 🗓️ Construction begins June 15 and is currently expected to be completed by the end of August, weather permitting. 🚗 A signed detour route will be in place utilizing Bopp Boulevard, W. Railroad Avenue, and S. Bridge Street. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued support as these improvements move forward. Additional updates will be shared throughout the construction process.

Due to weather no night swim. No water aerobics

🌻🛍️ COURTESY SHARE 🛍️🌻 The Community-Wide Garage Sale is happening this Saturday, June 6th, starting at 7:00 AM throughout Lakin! Stop by and see what treasures you can find all around town. 📍 Garage sale maps will be available at Cottonwood Coffeehouse, courtesy of Lakin Community Empowerment Group (LCEG). Grab a coffee and your map before heading out for the morning! ☕🗺️ Interested in being included on the map? Be sure to sign up at the Kearny County Library by NOON on Friday, June 5th. This community event is proudly brought to you by Lakin Community Empowerment Group (LCEG)! 🌻 Happy treasure hunting, Lakin! 🩵 #CityOfLakin #CourtesyShare #ShopLocal #CommunityGarageSale #LCEG

With the cool temperatures and chance for rain we will not open the outdoor pool. Indoor swimming will be 1-5

Courtesy Share::

We’ve had several people ask, “So… what’s the point of KCCF Community Table?” and honestly, fair question. 😊

So let us explain:

KCCF Community Table is NOT a fundraiser.
🎟 Ticket sales simply cover the cost of the meal.

The purpose of this evening is simple:

🩵 Bring people together
🍽 Share a great meal
🤝 Build community connections
🏡 Help more people learn about the Kearny County Community Foundation (KCCF) and the impact it can have right here in Kearny County

Think of it as dinner with purpose — a relaxed, family-friendly evening to gather, connect, and learn more about how we can continue strengthening our communities together.

We hope you’ll pull up a seat at the table with us. 🤍

📅 Friday, June 12, 2026
⏰ 6:00 PM
📍 Kearny County Fair Building

#KCCFCommunityTable #KCCF #KearnyCounty #CommunityStrong

City of Lakin to Host Community Open House on Comprehensive Plan Update

The City of Lakin invites residents to attend a Community Open House on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Veteran’s Memorial Building as part of the continued development of the City’s Comprehensive Plan.

This meeting serves as a follow-up to the February 5, 2026 Community Open House, where residents were introduced to the planning process, reviewed existing conditions, and provided initial input regarding Lakin’s future growth and priorities.

The City’s Comprehensive Plan serves as a long-term guide for growth, development, and decision-making related to topics such as land use, transportation, parks and recreation, economic development, and infrastructure.

The June 9 open house will focus on proposed future alternatives and concepts developed through the planning process and community feedback received to date. Residents will have the opportunity to review ideas, ask questions, and provide additional input to help shape the future vision for Lakin.

The evening will begin with a 20–25 minute presentation reviewing project progress and introducing proposed future alternatives. Following the presentation, attendees will have an opportunity for questions and answers.

The remainder of the evening will feature an open-house format with informational boards organized by topic, allowing attendees to review materials, speak directly with project representatives, and provide feedback at their own pace.

Community input remains a vital part of the process, and residents are encouraged to attend and help shape the future of the City of Lakin.

For updates and additional information, follow the City of Lakin on social media, through the City app, or visit the City website.

Due to lightning and weather we will not open for night swim

Due to low temperatures and rain we will only open the indoor pool today from 1-5.

We are moving water aerobics from this evening to Friday at 5pm

Due to temperatures and lightning we will not open the pool today

All clear!! We will open for 7-9 swim!!!

We have closed the pool due to lightning. We will try to reopen for the 7-9 open swim

Happy Memorial Day

Today we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.

City of Lakin offices will be closed in observance of Memorial Day.

We are forever grateful for their sacrifice and the freedoms we enjoy because of it. Please take a moment today to reflect and remember.