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The commissioning of Wichita’s new water treatment plant has been delayed again. The City of Wichita said in a news release Wednesday that the delay is due to ongoing problems with the clarifiers. Clarifiers allow solids to settle at the bottom of the water so they can be removed. The new $500 million plant, near 21st Street and Hoover Road, is replacing the city’s 80-year-old water plant. It was constructed by Wichita Water Partners, which currently owns the plant but is slated to turn over ownership to the city once the facility is fully operational. That was originally supposed to happen [...]

At a special meeting Tuesday, the council voted 5-2 to negotiate a contract with Dennis Marstall. Councilmen Brandon Johnson and Mike Hoheisel voted no. “I am concerned about potential undue influence by elected officials in the process and potentially the selection committee,” District 1 City Council member Brandon Johnson said. “I am concerned about an expectation that immediately excludes one of the finalists.” Marstall is currently the county administrator of Lancaster County, South Carolina. Read more: KSN-TV

A Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputy was attacked by a group of dogs while responding to a call in south Wichita Saturday morning. Deputies were dispatched to the 4600 block of S. Hemlock Ave. in Oaklawn after reports of a man being attacked by several dogs. When deputies arrived, they found 10 to 15 dogs, believed to be Boston terriers, running at large. While attempting to assist an 18-year-old male, the dogs attacked the deputy. Two deputies fired their weapons in an attempt to scare the dogs away. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office said, “No people, animals or property were hit by [...]

The problem sounds easy: Kansas has too few houses for sale, especially in small, rural communities struggling to attract young people and new businesses. The simple answer is to build more houses. But those in real estate say this shortage has been years in the making, and it may take years and creative thinking to emerge from it. Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com

The Refinery is now open. The grand opening of The Refinery, a state-of-the-art sports facility, was held on Nov. 21. The Refinery is a 200,000-square-foot facility that features six full basketball courts, an indoor turf arena, team suites, pickleball courts, an indoor walking track, restaurant, arcade, convenience store, pro-shop, events center and more. The facility is designed to be a hub for youth sports and recreation in Garden City, offering opportunities for youth of all ages and abilities to participate in various sports activities. A second phase of the project is already underway and includes four all-turf baseball/softball fields, outdoor wiffleball [...]

Harvey County will provide 51 of its used 800 MHz radios to Walton Fire, Burrton EMS, Sedgwick EMS, Hesston Fire & EMS, and Newton Public Works, a result of its purchase of 100 new radios earlier this year. Don Gruver, Emergency Communications Director, told commissioners Tuesday morning that the Sheriff’s Office and jail both have new radios, and he still has some new ones in a box that will be used to replace the ones that fail. He said the new ones will be used for the County. The used radios will go to the five departments listed above, who have [...]

It’s a mix of Dillons employees and Harvey and Sedgwick first responders packing food to feed hundreds of area families. That will happen because of donations from Harvey and Sedgwick County people. “People of Harvey County are really giving people,” Harvey County Undersheriff Shawn Chapman said, adding they met their goal this year. The Newton Police Department and Harvey County Sheriff’s Office lead the local program, called First Responder Holiday Helpers, locally. The initiative is a partnership with all of the Harvey County emergency response agencies. Read more: Harvey County Now

After dealing with issues with its old snow map last winter, Overland Park has rolled out a new interactive map online to help residents better track the status of city streets and whether they’ve been plowed. Called the Snow Operations Map, it is intended to be “more accurate and timely,” according to a city news release. Meg Ralph, strategic communications director for the city, said the new map can differentiate more effectively and accurately which areas have already been cleared, which are currently being cleared and which are still pending. Read more: Johnson County Post

In February 1950, the owner of the land that is now Porter Park in Prairie Village created a single rule for that land: No Black people were allowed to use, own or occupy it. Now, 75 years later, Porter Park is officially home to an interpretive panel, entitled “Inherited Exclusion,” that publicly recognizes the park’s history defined by a racist covenant and also details Prairie Village’s broader history as a community founded in part on racist deed restrictions. Read more: Johnson County Post

For more than three years, solar panels have provided Spring Hill High School with energy — producing enough energy each month to power 95 homes, wash 13,500 loads of laundry or charge 15 million smartphones. The solar array, which sits in a field just northeast of the school at 19701 S. Ridgeview Rd., began operations in July 2022. Since then, district officials say it has reduced the district’s energy costs by about $258,000, or between $113,000 and $116,000 annually, not including current 2025 figures. Read more: Johnson County Post