The City of Garden City has announced the promotion of Fred Jones to the position of Public Works and Utilities Director. Jones has served as the City’s Water Resource Manager since 2013. He will assume his new title and responsibilities immediately, working in tandem with retiring Public Works and Utilities Director Mike Muirhead through Muirhead’s retirement on Aug. 1. In his new capacity, Jones will oversee a collection of departments that include electric, water, wastewater, solid waste, traffic, streets, fleet, stormwater and water reuse. Read more: Garden City Telegram

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced that the Kansas Department of Commerce has awarded a $65,000 grant to the historic Kanopolis Drive-In Theatre to support the purchase of a new state-of-the-art digital projection system. This funding will ensure that the beloved outdoor theater continues to operate for years to come. “There’s always value in preserving our historic infrastructure, but especially when it serves as an economic engine for a community,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The Kanopolis Drive-In is a beloved, one-of-a-kind destination, and this investment will help to create more lasting memories [...]

The new “2026 State of Homelessness in Wichita/Sedgwick County Report” from the Coalition to End Homelessness in Wichita/Sedgwick County was recently released, revealing that the growing affordability crisis for local households is contributing to an increase in homelessness. More than one in three households (38%) in Sedgwick County were living paycheck to paycheck in 2024, according to United for ALICE in partnership with United Way of the Plains. ALICE (which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) represents working households who earn above the federal poverty line but not enough to cover the cost of basic necessities. As the costs of [...]

When a fire destroyed her hometown’s only grocery store in January 2024, Marjory James felt a loss of independence. Like other residents of her rural west Kansas town, James — who turns 99 years old on July 7 — faced a harsh reality: Travel 23 miles one-way from Dighton to the grocery store in Scott City or get by with less-healthy and less-available items from the local variety store or gas station. Through a gargantuan effort by the community, Dighton will open an 8,000-square foot grocery store on June 27, spurred by the Lane County Community Foundation and with assistance from [...]

Following an investigation into three Riley County Health Department employees, Riley County officials said Tuesday that while the department used all taxpayer dollars “appropriately,” their use did not align with Riley County policies. The investigation, which arose because department employees had procedural concerns, resulted in putting three employees on administrative leave and the resignation of the department director. The county government released a statement Tuesday “intended to share with our constituents a greater understanding of the purpose of the internal investigation of the Riley County Health Department… without compromising employee privacy.” Read more: News Radio KMAN

After initial discussions regarding data centers, Riley County commissioners on Monday still weren’t ready to provide any direction on the future of those facilities in the area. “The more I learn about this, the more I’m just confused,” commissioner John Ford said. “It literally changes on a dime. You figure out one thing, and then it changes. There’s so much depth to it. It’s insane.” While the data center topic heats up in Kansas, including a proposal in Pottawatomie County, Riley County is in the midst of a six-month moratorium on data centers and battery energy storage centers. That moratorium is [...]

The Pottawatomie County Planning Commission scheduled a public hearing where residents will be able to give their input on the proposed data center to be built near the Jeffrey Energy Center near St. Marys. The planning commission met to discuss proposed a proposed data center Thursday in Westmoreland. The planning commission agreed to have the public hearing in St. Bernard Catholic Church Parish Hall at 6 p.m. on July 28. Most members of the commission were open to the idea of letting the public have their input on the draft regulations the commission has prepared so far. Read more: News Radio [...]

The Emporia City Commission spent more than an hour Wednesday discussing a proposed Large Volume Water Service policy designed to protect existing water customers while establishing rules for future industrial users with high water demands. Read more: www.emporiagazette.com/*

The Hutchinson Planning Commission began its work on long-term zoning regulations for large-scale data centers Tuesday by laying out the process and timeline for developing those regulations. Director of Community Development Matt Williams said the Hutchinson City Council will hear the planning commission’s June 9 recommendation during the Tuesday, July 7, council meeting. The recommendation was to require conditional use permits for data centers and utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) in commercial and industrial zoning districts and ban them in residential districts. Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

An anti-data center and battery energy storage system (BESS) group, Steward It Well, held an informational meeting in Haven on Monday, June 22. Nearly 100 people attended, including public officials like state Senator Michael Murphy, County Commissioner Don Bogner, Hutchinson City Council Member Steve Garza, as well as gubernatorial candidate Stacy Rogers. Steward It Well’s goals involve “working to preserve our God-given land, air and water of Reno County, Kansas.” The group had John Hecht and Mike Betzen present information and take questions from the public. They both have backgrounds in industrialization, engineering and agriculture in Kansas. They first presented information [...]