Volunteer firefighters fill critical need as fire threat rises in Kansas
In small Kansas towns like Burrton, volunteer departments are often the closest option for people in danger. Read more: KSN-TV
Bill seeks to let Wichita exempt groceries from local sales tax
If Wichita voters approve a 1% city sales tax in March, groceries won’t be exempt. Some supporters of the ballot initiative have pitched excluding transactions on food items from the $850 million plan as a way of reducing its burden on lower-income Wichitans. Read more: Wichita Eagle
Kansas Supreme Court chief justice pleads for investments in specialty courts, rural attorneys
Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric Rosen pressed the Kansas Legislature on Tuesday to expand funding for specialty courts tailored to special challenges of defendants and asked lawmakers to collaborate on solutions to the shortage of attorneys in rural Kansas. Rosen, delivering his first State of the Judiciary speech to a joint session of the Legislature, said the state must continue to move forward with initiatives to enhance access to justice, build public confidence in the judiciary and improve efficiency of state court operations. Rosen, with a father and father-in-law who worked at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, said he had [...]
Kansas Department of Commerce launches initiative to turn vacant buildings into new housing
A new initiative announced by the Kansas Department of Commerce could open up possibilities for repurposing vacant and underutilized buildings in Lyon County into new housing. Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced Monday that the Department of Commerce is launching an initiative to identify vacant, abandoned, or underutilized buildings suitable for redevelopment into housing units. Local leaders, community organizations, and property owners are encouraged to submit information about buildings in their area that could be considered for conversion. Read more: www.emporiagazette.com
In Kansas, tumbleweeds are an icon of the plains. They’re also an invasive nuisance
Tumbleweeds have taken over the High Plains. They thrive so well that they are part of the culture of the West. But this ample supply of blowing weeds can hurt farm yields, wreak havoc on neighborhoods and cause fire dangers. A minor but significant character in old western movies: the tumbleweed. In the midst of the gunslinging, often a lonely tumbleweed will roll across the screen. Today, if you drive across western Kansas on a windy day, you will often see not a lonely tumbleweed, but a swarm of them crossing the highway or congregating along a fence by the road. [...]
Walters experiences new birth through drug court
The newest Harvey County Drug Court graduate, Zack Walters, has been sober since April 19, 2024 (625 days and counting), which is his longest streak since he started smoking marijuana as a teenager. The county began drug court in October of 2021 as a way to reduce recidivism and celebrated its first graduate in March of 2023. The program takes 12 to 18 months to complete. Walters’s story is slightly different because he went from the county jail to county employee. Read more: Harvey County Now
‘It’s not fair’ to ‘A boon for the city’ — How Olathe residents feel about Chiefs deal
While the Kansas City Chiefs’ plan to move its headquarters and training facility to Olathe has been in the works behind closed doors for years, the news came as a surprise to many Johnson County residents when the NFL team announced it at the end of December. Earlier this month, the Post published an informal survey asking readers how they felt about the Chiefs’ decision to move their operations across state lines. The survey asked a question for Olathe residents specifically, about how they feel about potentially hosting the team’s new headquarters and training facility. While not scientific, the survey’s results give [...]
Prairie Village donated nearly $23K to Ukrainian sister city last year — Here’s how it was spent
The city of Prairie Village helped its Ukrainian sister city purchase four drones, medicine and bed linens in 2025. Last spring, the Prairie Village City Council approved a nearly $23,000 donation to its sister city Dolyna for the purpose of “humanitarian goods.” Dolyna is in the western part of Ukraine in the Ivano-Frankivsk oblast, or district. In late December 2025, Dolyna Mayor Ivan Dyriv sent an itemized list of the goods purchased with that donation — and thanked the city for its help. Read more: Johnson County Post
Prairie Village pours more funding into residential grants this year
The city of Prairie Village’s residential grant and property tax rebate programs are back in 2026 — all with more funding. Last month, the Prairie Village City Council approved updates to its exterior grant, residential sustainability grant and property tax rebate programs. Here’s a look at how to find out if you qualify for any of the programs and, if so, how to apply. Read more: Johnson County Post
Dickinson County’s Hope Ridge Wind Farm Proposal Remains Paused as Lawsuit Appeal Filed
The proposed Hope Ridge Wind Farm in northeast Dickinson County remains on hold after plaintiffs filed an appeal in their lawsuit challenging the project’s approval. The appeal follows a lower court ruling that upheld the county’s decision to grant Enel Green Power a Conditional Use Permit for the wind farm, which would involve about 150 landowners and span more than 50,000 acres. Opponents argue the county’s approval was unreasonable and failed to meet zoning requirements, claims rejected by Judge Lee Fowler of the Fifth District Court, who ruled the process was transparent, lawful, and supported by substantial public input. Read more: [...]