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Kansas Tourism today announced that more than 230 tourism attractions across the state are participating in the 2025 Sunflower Summer program. The lineup includes something for every interest and region of the state —  museums and historic sites, zoos, arboretums, art centers and more. “With such a wide variety of exceptional attractions participating this year, Sunflower Summer continues to open doors for Kansas families to explore and connect with every corner of our state,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “This program not only creates unforgettable memories for students and parents — it also fuels local economies by [...]

Certified divers will soon plunge into Arkansas City’s drinking water tanks. The Arkansas City Commission approved a $18,924 contract this week with Midco Diving & Marine Services, Inc. to clean and inspect several of the city’s water storage tanks while they remain fully in service. Instead of draining the tanks, professional divers in sealed dry suits will enter the active potable water system to carry out required maintenance. Their gear will be sanitized, and the divers themselves will be disinfected with a chlorine solution before entering the tanks to eliminate any risk of contamination. Source: KSN-TV

At a town hall discussing the state of the Harvey County Jail, Sheriff Chad Gay mentioned that the department also houses Larned State Hospital patients. Brian Huntley, the detention center captain, gave more insight into the reasons for this. Huntley explained that when they receive people who have been arrested, some of them stand out as potentially needing a psychological evaluation. Huntley said this is normally up to the attorney assigned to the person to flag and ask for an evaluation in court. Source: Harvey County Now

On June 10, Allen County commissioners approved a resolution that allows for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The facilities store electrical energy in batteries for later use. The resolution was the product of months of research and deliberation by the county’s Planning and Zoning Board after the county received a request by Mission Clean Energy to build a $300 million battery storage system in Allen County.  Source: The Iola Register

As Harvey County residents take on summer construction projects, it is handy to know there is most likely a need for a building permit. Across each community in Harvey County, there are varying ranges of cost for these permits, which allow construction to proceed. Without the proper permits, people are subject to fines. Source: Harvey County Now

As governments and organizations across the metro consider how to best handle – and also attract – potentially hundreds of thousands of visitors during the 45 days the FIFA World Cup will be in Kansas City next summer, at least one Johnson County city is hoping that beer and live music could help draw people into its downtown. Source: Local Kansas City Missouri & Kansas News |

Just days after the Prairie Village City Council approved a proposal for a new municipal complex, one resident is suing the city to try to stop it. Marc Vianello filed a lawsuit in Johnson County District Court against Prairie Village — claiming that the municipal complex project violates a state law that requires cities to bring bond issues to a public vote. Source: Local Kansas City Missouri & Kansas News |

One of the key reasons for Clay Center’s revival is in your face: Murals here. Murals there. Murals seemingly everywhere. What began with one mural five years ago has mushroomed to more than 30 in this town of about 4,200 residents in northern Kansas. “It’s been really neat to see the town come together” because of the murals, says Brett Hubka, the president of Community Bank and head of A Mural Movement of Clay Center, which has spearheaded the explosion of art. “It looks better, and we hope that it’s even helped out our economy to a certain degree by bringing [...]

A citizen-led committee, created after a Wichita city council member suggested starting a government efficiency group, says it has found up to $75 million in potential savings for the city. That’s nearly 10% of the city’s total budget last year. The group did not go into specifics about what those savings could be, but said it planned to present the potential cuts to the council this summer. Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

Amid calls for tax relief from property owners, the city of Wichita is considering reducing its mill levy by half a mill. It would be the first reduction in the city’s mill levy in nearly 40 years. The city says reducing the mill levy rate will be a $15-a-year reduction in property taxes for a $260,000 home, which they say is the average cost for a home in the area. Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |