Giving presentations on their proposed destination-based resort casinos will be nothing new for the three potential casino managers in Sumner County — but this time they will be directly before the seven member board making the decision among them.
    The Kansas Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board is headed to Sumner County for two days of presentations, starting tomorrow.
    The board is scheduled to vote on a casino manager for Sumner County on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 21-22.
    Harrah’s Entertainment will make the first presentation to the board at the Belle Plaine High School on Thursday morning. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
    Penn National Gaming will present their Hollywood Casino for Wellington on Thursday afternoon. 
     Marvel Gaming will present their plans for the Trailhead Casino and Resort on Friday morning, with the meeting again beginning at 9 a.m. and public comments will be held Friday afternoon.
    Belle Plaine Police Chief Gordon Fell released a bulletin this morning with instructions for those planning to attend the meetings at Belle Plaine High School.
    First, no overnight guests will be allowed on school grounds.  Fell said he has already had calls from people wanting to camp on school grounds overnight tonight.
    Last night in Belle Plaine, Fell said officers were made aware of people in their community looking to place anti-casino signage prior to the event.
    Fell said his department has been working with the Sumner County Sheriff’s Department and city crews to keep the plans for the meetings as tight as possible.  Additionally, the state will send four security agents from the gaming department to assist during the meetings.
    Protest areas both for and against casinos have been established outside Belle Plaine High School, and no banners  or signs will be allowed inside the facility during the meetings.
    Those against casinos will be asked to protest on 9th Ave. west of Main Street.  Those for casinos will be directed to the lawn area on the north side of the gymnasium.  Fell said no other protests or protest areas have been approved.
    One entrance to the meetings will be made available from the school’s eastern side, just off the parking area. 
    Sign-up is required at the door.  Those who enter will be seated as they come in and no saved seating will be allowed. 
    The designated handicapped parking area is located in the main school parking lot, with a tram available from the overflow parking areas if needed. 
    Fell said barricades around the school will be lifted early tomorrow morning, with the earliest admission to the school possible at around 7:30 a.m.
    Fell is asking traffic from the Mulvane and Wellington areas to flow into the school in an orderly fashion.
    Traffic from north of Belle Plaine and the Mulvane area, including all media, is asked to come into Mulvane from Oliver Road, which changes into Logan Street at the city limits.  A right turn on 10th Street will bring traffic to the proper parking area.
    Traffic from south of Belle Plaine and the Wellington area is asked to enter from 90th Ave. and take a left turn on Merchant Street leading north to the high school, where parking will be allowed near the football field just north of 10th Ave.