Allen County attorney submits resignation

Allen County attorney Wade Bowie submitted his resignation Tuesday to the county commission, effective Dec. 31 of this year. 
Bowie graduated from the Washburn School of Law in 2004 and arrived in Iola the following year to serve as Assistant Allen County Attorney. In 2011, following the departure of Jerry Hathaway, Bowie assumed the position he holds to date. In 2012 he took over as municipal court prosecutor of Iola.
Bowie thanked the commissioners for their support over the years. “It’s been a pleasure working with each and every one of you.
“It’s a very bittersweet time for me. It’s going to be tough to leave. I’ve been here over nine years. I feel like I’ve done a lot of good things since I’ve been here. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve grown a lot.”
Commissioner Tom Williams was quick to point out a few of those good things.
“He was instrumental in making sure the Child Advocacy Center became a reality. He’s been a great supporter of the Hope Unlimited project.”
The former sheriff was keen to highlight a specific initiative that Bowie spearheaded four years ago. According to Williams, it was Bowie’s idea to have body cameras placed on each and every police officer in the county – a move President Obama, in a series of White House meetings only the day before, was urging police departments across the country to take up in the wake of the recent unrest in Ferguson, Mo.
“Wouldn’t it be nice,” Williams said, “if every place had those, because here they’ve paid for themselves over and over again.”
“We were one of the first places in Kansas to have that,” Bowie confirmed.
The commissioners offered unmixed praise for the job Bowie has done over the last nine years.
“Sitting in this seat,” said outgoing commissioner Dick Works, “I’ve always appreciated your professionalism, and the fact that you’ve been here for almost 10 years and I can’t remember a single controversy –  I appreciate that very much. It sure makes my job easier.”
 “It’s been a tough decision to make,” said Bowie. “I’m leaving behind, especially downstairs (in the County Attorney’s office), what I consider a family. They spend more time with me than they do their own families. They’re very loyal to me. I’m very loyal to them. I can only hope that whoever ends up in that position continues to be loyal to them – that’s very important to me.”
Bowie recently won the Kansas Prosecutors Foundation’s Community Service Award, which “recognizes a Kansas prosecutor who has rendered outstanding service to his or her community in addition to the performance of the duties required by the position of a prosecutor.”
“It’s well-deserved,” noted Williams. “You have been a huge asset to the people of Allen County. You’ve been an advocate to victims. You’ve been a friend to law enforcement. I can’t thank you enough for the things you’ve done for the citizens of Allen County. I don’t think general citizens always know what a county attorney does. I can assure all of them that you have earned every penny of the little-bit of salary that we give you. Thank you so much. It was an honor to work with you, and I hope for you the very best.”
 IN OTHER NEWS, at what was a comparatively brief meeting, commissioners:
— Were asked to consider Gary McIntosh’s request to install an electric car station at Allen County Community College, so that drivers passing through town in their low-energy cars can charge their vehicles overnight.
— Approved the reappointment of John McRae to the board of Tri-Valley Developmental Services.
— Approved a motion to pay $7,500 to Southeast Kansas Mental Health, $2,500 to the drug court program and $1,000 to the newest of the three programs, the Allen County Substance Abuse Task Force.
—  Were asked by Bill King, Director of Public Works, to sign off on an agreement with Kansas Department of Transportation to get the ball rolling on a new bridge project  located “north of Geneva, right on the county line.” King then, noting receipt of the new fuel truck, went on to advocate putting two of the department’s older vehicles up for auction.
— Were briefed by Allen County EMS billing clerk Terry Call on the “numbers for the year.” As of Nov. 20 Allen County ambulances were dispatched 1,640 times, with an average of 5.07 calls per day, at a cost of $491.96 per transport. Total receipts for 2014 so far are listed at $655,201.15. Call and the commissioners discussed ways to improve the department’s ability to collect on outstanding ambulance bills.