Deafening train horns were driving a Kansas town to the edge. Then David took on Goliath.

The wail of a train horn echoing in the distance is a sort of romantic, peaceful sound and one that’s been referenced in countless songs, poems and books. But in Belle Plaine — a small Kansas town of 1,500 that sits 25 miles south of Wichita — train horns have over the years become a screaming, sleep-depriving, sanity-threatening source of constant disruption that some say has diminished the quality of life for residents there. Now, one of Belle Plaine’s most well-known residents — musician and Bartlett Arboretum owner Robin Macy — has done something that many people said was impossible. With the help of a now-retired civil engineer who shares her passion for ridding Belle Plaine of those incessant train horns, she’s raised enough money and cut though enough red tape to finally win what she calls a “David vs. Goliath” battle.
Source: Wichita Breaking News, Sports & Crime |