Planet Green is now in Greensburg filming 6 new episodes on how the town is
coming along in their effort to be the first green town in America.

They also went on the trip to China for the EcoPartnership with a town hit by the
earthquakes. There were 4 guys from Greensburg that went on that trip. The new mayor
(Bob Dixon) the City Administrator (Steve Hewitt) the Superintendent (Darin Headrick)
and the President of the Chamber (Steve Kirk).

Greensburg was one of seven governmental or business entities of this country signing
separate cooperative agreements with corresponding Chinese agencies as part of the
American-Sino affair. Greensburg’s agreement was a three-year cooperative partnership
with the Chinese city of Mianzhu, a part of Sichuan Province, where a devastating
earthquake last May 12 killed nearly 100,000 Chinese, including around 10,000 school (more…)

May 2008

The new city council is meeting for the first time.  Mayor Dixson asked Steve
Hewitt to give the administration update.  Steve lets the council know that
the business incubator is fully funded.  Kim Alderfer, Recovery Coordinator,
and Steve visit the business incubator site only to find that 3 days of rain
has slowed all activity.

Tyler Schmidt is running for student body president.  Shane Engelken is also
running for student body president.  They put their flyers together, hung
them in the most unique areas and are getting their speeches ready. (more…)

April 29, 2008
One year after the tornado

Farrell Allison’s house is being invaded by CBS news.  Greensburg is getting
ready for the 1 year anniversary.  They are going to break ground on the business
incubator, a memorial service for those that died due to the tornado, and
re-dedicate the new water tower.   The seniors will be graduating, and the
President will be in town.

Dealing with the news media gives them exposure to hopefully extra monies to (more…)

End of March

Marilyn Brown signed a contract on July 7, 2007 with Alfred Soleck, a Oklahoma
contractor from her mother’s church, to build her home.  After starting the build
and needing more and more of the money up front, he left them high and dry. Mr.
Soleck was arrested in Oklahoma on federal charges that included 6 criminal counts
of home repair fraud.  Volunteers have been helping the Browns in building the
house and when the volunteers have to leave, well, its one day at a time. (more…)

March 2008

What’s left of Greensburg State Bank built in 1989 is getting demolished.
Dee Corns, employee and wife of the Bank President tells of rebuilding the
bank in the same location.  They will build green using eco-block (icf).
There was a lot of material reclaimed from the bank before the demo
started.

Robert Mitchum, city council member, discusses who might be mayor. (more…)

Episode #7 – “The Primary”

February, 2008

The Big Well and the water tower are a big part of the tradition of Greensburg.
Built in 1887, it’s known as the largest hand dug well, 109 feet deep, 32 feet
in diameter. The Big Well is the town’s tourist attraction and the location of
the water tower prior to the storm which, as with everything else, took it out.
The decision was to put the new water tower back in the same location to keep
their tradition going. The old tower held 55,000 gallons, the new one will
be taller and hold 100,000 gallons. About 80 percent bigger than the old one.

Currently, one well is supplying the city and without a water tower means (more…)

Studio 804 arrives at the defunct Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant, 285 miles from
Greensburg, to dismantle one of the abandoned buildings and reuse the structural
wood and materials for the skin of the new Arts Center. They stage the new building
construction in a warehouse in Lawrence.

January 9,2008, Stacy Barnes, President of the Arts Center Board, holds the first
meeting of the board, now renamed the 5.4.7 Arts Center, the date of the tornado.
Her mother and father have purchased some land for the Arts Center and will donate
it at the appropriate time. She tells the board that Studio 804 has offered to (more…)