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City of Lawrence staff will make recommendations to commissioners to repeal a 2020 renewable energy ordinance and instate a new resolution aiming to attain climate neutrality by 2050, which would be tied to a countywide climate plan. Kathy Richardson, the city’s sustainability director, said that climate neutrality is defined by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and avoiding greenhouse gas use in government operations and throughout the community. This would mean Lawrence has a net-zero emission level. The resolution hasn’t been drafted yet, as staff members want to first gauge commissioners’ interest in pursuing a revised project while sunsetting the ordinance.  Read more: [...]

Six viral diseases — including COVID-19, the flu and norovirus — have been found at high concentrations in Lawrence wastewater as Kansas communities face peak flu season. COVID-19, influenza A and B, RSV, human metapneumovirus, and norovirus have all been detected at high concentrations in Lawrence wastewater within the last three weeks. Wastewater data indicates trends of illnesses spreading within a community but does not correlate to exact case numbers, with doctors saying it’s normal to see high concentrations of respiratory illness during flu season. “Wastewater data does not measure individual cases, but it provides a reliable picture of how much virus is circulating in [...]

Humanities Kansas announces the five Kansas museums participating in “History Makers: The Future is Now,” an innovative statewide strategic planning initiative for rural museums from Humanities Kansas. Inspired by American’s 250th, “History Makers” recognizes the importance of local history in telling America’s stories. Franklin County Historical Society in Ottawa; Lincoln County Historical Society in Lincoln; Miners Hall Museum in Franklin; Scott County Historical Society in Scott City; and Wabaunsee County Historical Society in Alma; were selected through a competitive process to participate in the year-long initiative. As part of “History Makers,” the five museums will participate in statewide and local meetings [...]

As the countdown to the World Cup in Kansas City continues, business owners, cities, and others around the metro are looking for ways to capitalize on the economic boost it’s expected to bring. Some homeowners plan to list their homes as short-term rentals this summer, including John Buschmann, who is preparing to list his Olathe home as a short-term rental for World Cup visitors. “It’s going to be a financial boom for the entire city from restaurants, bars, nightly rentals, hotels, all that. It’s going to be great for the city, and I’m hoping to capitalize on that too,” Buschmann said. [...]

Monica Curls still remembers being about 10 years old waiting around after Chiefs home games to get autographs from players on the team. Curls said her family has had season tickets since 2007. They also had season tickets in the 1970s when the Chiefs first moved into the Arrowhead Stadium, but those seats weren’t as good so the family got rid of their season tickets. They kept showing up for games, though. The Chiefs have announced plans to leave Missouri after getting more than $2 billion in incentives from Kansas. The team is expected to build a stadium in Wyandotte County [...]

During the growing season, bees, butterflies, and buyers swarm to the rippling strips of lavender on Rick and Ingrid Elam’s farm near Winfield. “It’s pretty amazing to watch all the bees and the moths and the butterflies and all the pollinators in there,” Rick Elam says. “A lot of people just take pictures of them as they go.” The Elams have two acres of lavender and 30 bee hives, from which they derive 32 products. But they’re thinking bigger these days, thanks to the launch of the Border Queen Harvest Hub in nearby Caldwell: a commercial kitchen that can increase their [...]

Wichita voters head to the polls to weigh in on a proposed 1% sales tax in five weeks. If approved, the expected $850 million in revenue would be divvied up into five different categories. City staff presented several kinds of guardrails to the Wichita City Council on Tuesday. These rules would govern how the funds from the sales tax would be collected, distributed, and spent. The biggest funding commitment is restoring and expanding the Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center. Money would also be spent on public safety, property tax relief, housing and homeless services and a new downtown performing [...]

Ever have one of those weekends? Maybe you should ask the same question to the whole Oxford community. In a 12-hour span from late Friday evening to early Saturday morning in subarctic zero conditions, the Oxford community experienced not only an electrical outage but also a water break. Today, Oxford is operating at 100 percent after the Kansas Department of Health and Environment lifted a boil-water advisory this morning. The trouble started at 5 p.m. Friday evening when the lights went out in Oxford. The temperature was 7 degrees, with a wind chill of -14. At 7:48 p.m., short of three [...]

An estimated 650,000 visitors are expected to visit northeast Kansas and Kansas City in June and July, and businesses and the city are working to attract those visitors to Eudora. The 2026 World Cup is coming to the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Kansas City set to host six matches from June 16 to July 11. FIFA World Cup KC estimated that communities within a 200-mile radius will see an influx in tourism, according to previous reporting,  Jason Musick, owner of Barbwire Barbecue and a Conventions and Visitors Bureau member, said his business is waiting on what team, if any, [...]

During last week’s Hutchinson City Council budget workshop regarding the potential impacts if the proposed 0.75% sales tax increase is voted down March 3, Hutchinson Fire Department Chief Steven Beer asked, “What level of service do you want?” While it will ultimately be up to council members decide how to balance the budget if voters reject the sales tax increase of which Hutchinson City Manager Enrico Villegas said, “It just makes our expense and revenue lines match,” at last week’s Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce State of the City breakfast, below are potential cuts city department heads offered up to the [...]