Assuming all goes according to plan, the new Lyon County law enforcement firing range, which has been a major topic of debate over the past year, could be up and running by the end of the coming work week.
According to Lyon County Sheriff Jeff Cope, a recent guest of KVOE’s Morning Show, the range’s new targeting system, funded through a Federal allocation announced by US Senator Jerry Moran just over a year ago, is scheduled to be delivered by this coming Monday. Cope says installation should take a week or less, weather depending, with the range ready for use by week’s end.
The new firing range, located at 2985 West South, will help to remove several limitations for local law enforcement that were commonplace at their previous site, according to Cope.
As mentioned, the new firing range project has generated a great deal of debate, with many split on the matter. Cope stated during his interview with KVOE News that the final price tag for the range itself is just over $1 million; however, the county has taken out a bond to fund a $5 million project, which led to some criticism from county residents, some of whom claimed the numbers had changed overnight.
Cope noted that originally, the project just included the new range and targeting system; however, in mid-2025, the decision was made to add a second phase to the project, the construction of a new 911 emergency communication center on the same property. Cope reiterated comments from previous interviews Friday morning, saying this is a project that’s been well over a decade in the making.
Another topic of conversation that has had mixed reviews is the fact that the range will not be open to the public. Cope says the reason for that decision is simple: “The county has to have insurance on everything,” and according to previous comments from county officials, that was not a feasible option as they could not find an insurer that would handle such a policy.
That said, Cope tells KVOE News that the facility may not be closed to the public forever, saying that once the facility is operational, discussions on potential community use could take place.
As for phase two of the project, the new Lyon County Emergency Operations Center, Lyon County Commissioners approved the construction bids for the project back in early March. As mentioned, the cost of both phases of the project will be funded through the aforementioned bond, which will be repaid over 10 years with county sales tax dollars.
No property tax dollars are being used for either portion of the project.
