Officials feel ready for Country Stampede

Topeka police and Shawnee County sheriff's officials say they feel confident they will be able to deal successfully with any challenges they might face as a result of the upcoming Kicker Country Stampede being moved to Topeka's Heartland Motorsports Park.

Meanwhile, plans regarding one road project and one highway project have been revised in a manner aimed at ensuring they don't conflict with the expected stampede of visitors.

Officials this week answered questions regarding the stampede that The Topeka Capital-Journal posed after one of its readers, Lyndon Johnson, submitted them through its reader engagement project, ”#TopCity What? You ask. We answer.”

Country Stampede officials announced May 31 that severe flooding and safety concerns at Manhattan's Tuttle Creek State Park were forcing them to arrange for the 24th annual Kicker Country Stampede to instead be held from June 20 to 22 at Heartland Motorsports Park, 7530 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

A map of the event grounds could be found Wednesday on the website for the event.

That map is being revised and the online version is "in no way the final version," said Adrienne Hayes, general manager for Country Stampede LLC, on Wednesday.

Johnson recently asked #TopCity What? whether local law enforcement had been contacted about the move in advance.

Officials with the Topeka Police Department and Shawnee County Sheriff's Office replied this week that they weren't contacted in advance and learned about the change in location when it was announced publicly.

Johnson asked what the event's impact would be on local law enforcement agencies in terms of overtime and extra duty to staff it.

Gretchen Koenen, public relations specialist for the Topeka Police Department, replied that the department — in partnership with other local and area agencies — feels fully equipped to ensure the public’s safety at the Kicker Country Stampede.

"We also feel fully equipped to ensure the safety of all citizens and visitors in the Topeka and Shawnee County community as a whole," Koenen said. "Heartland Park has been home to many large events in the past, and with plans already in place, we anticipate a safe and fun event."

Topeka police were working with event staff to address overtime concerns resulting from the event, Koenen added.

Sheriff's Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer said the sheriff's office was also working with event staff on personnel needed for staffing the event.

"These meetings continue to take place," Stallbaumer said. "We look forward to working with our area law enforcement partners to help ensure a safe event."

Koenen and Stallbaumer shared no further details.

Johnson also asked what would be done about planned projects regarding Interstate 470 and S.W. Gary Ormsby Drive, which could have potentially conflicted with the event.

Shawnee County public works director Curt Niehaus told county commissioners June 6 that the start of work had been postponed for four weeks, until July 8, on a planned project to rebuild S.W. Gary Ormsby Drive between S.W. Innovation Parkway and the on-ramp to northbound US-75 highway.

Kim Stich, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Transportation, said Wednesday that KDOT will proceed with plans to close off traffic on the bridge from westbound Interstate 470 to westbound Interstate 70 to allow for repairs to be made to it from 7 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Monday. 

Officials hope to complete that project by early Monday, but if that doesn't happen, any further work will be postponed until after the Kicker Country Stampede has ended, Stich said.