The HEAL grant helps communities restore downtown buildings as spaces for new or expanding businesses, housing, arts and culture, civic engagement, childcare or entrepreneurial activities. For this round of HEAL funding, urban distressed downtown communities are encouraged to take advantage of the grant opportunity. Up to $750,000 will be made available for communities with 50,000 population or more. Downtown communities must be in a distressed census tract as identified by the U.S. Census Bureau. Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

Last week, the Pittsburg Police Department’s officer self-initiated activities nearly doubled while calls for service decreased. The self-initiated activities include follow-up visits with community members and periodic check-ins. Read more: Morning Sun

With a population under 400, the tight-knit town of McCune proves “small towns do it best” as its annual Fall Festival kicks off this weekend. Read more: Homepage

Troy Alan Martin sued the City of Topeka for failing to keep its streets reasonably safe for travel. He claimed he was ejected from his car and injured after hitting a pothole on Southwest Topeka Boulevard. Read more: LJWorld

The Park City Police Department has approved an agreement with Mulholland Media to be filmed for the television series “Police 24/7” that airs on The CW. Read more: www.derbyinformer.com

The dot plot grid of individual officials' expectations indicated that 16 of the 18 participants – Chairman Kevin Warsh has chosen not to submit a dot since taking the position – expected another hike, with four of those seeing two more as possible. Two participants expected the committee to stop at one hike. Read more: CNBC

The city currently leaves trash hauling and other solid waste removal services to its residents in an open market system, so residents contract with haulers individually or through an HOA. However, Overland Park is the latest Johnson County city to explore switching to a more organized trash pickup system by possibly contracting out with one or more haulers in an effort to address cost concerns for some residents. Read more: Johnson County Post

Eleven months after Brookwood Elementary School fourth grader Duke Ommert was killed while riding his e-scooter — prompting heartfelt pleas from parents for safer streets — the Leawood City Council is preparing to discuss a recommendation not to install sidewalks on Brookwood’s nearest residential streets. Read more: Johnson County Post

Having hundreds of still-thriving ash trees is practically unheard of in a city that’s spent millions of dollars over the past several years removing ash trees from neighborhood streets since the arrival of the emerald ash borer. Read more: Johnson County Post

A citizen-led petition asking for a proposed data center in Edgerton to be voted on by the public will move forward after a Johnson County judge sided with two residents the city sued. Read more: Johnson County Post