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An empty lot sits on the southeast corner of Central and Oliver. There, developers have placed a sign describing their proposed development and site plan for the property. The architectural rendering suggests that there would be a restaurant, two drive-thrus, 13,500 square feet of commercial space and almost 7,000 square feet in retail space. Half of the land is devoted to parking. Nothing about the proposed site plan looks out of place for Wichita.  Except very little about this plan resembles what developers told members of the District 1 Advisory Board, commonly known as a DAB. All six Wichita city council [...]

Several individuals gathered in northern Lyon County Saturday morning to unveil new signage detailing the significant history that runs through that portion of our area. Residents and organizers gathered in Old Allen Saturday to unveil a new Santa Fe Trail sign, which includes detailed information about the significance of the community and the historic trail that runs through it, a fact that organizer Janice Huston says many people are not aware of. The sign is also meant to help educate residents on Charles H. Withington, the first settler in the area, who founded the community of Allen. Read more: KVOE

Plans are in the works to construct a 3-megawatt data center in Iola, which will mean greater utility sales for the city. Construction of a new data center in Iola will mean more electricity sales for the city. In August, the city sold 10 acres of property north of Russell Stover Chocolates to Vine Energy LLC of Overland Park.  The company plans to put a data center on the property, with an option to purchase another 10 acres from the city within the next year. Data centers are specialized facilities that manage, process and share large amounts of electronic information.  Read [...]

After some cities in Johnson County experienced trash pickup unreliability in the past couple of years, Overland Park is studying the status of waste hauling across its city. Currently, Overland Park lets organized neighborhoods and individual residents handle their solid waste management — which includes recycling, trash, yard waste, etc. — by contracting out to private haulers. That means many different types of haulers remove trash and recycling in the city. With the study, the city is looking to get a better understanding of “the big picture” when it comes to the status of those services and ways to potentially improve [...]

A Unified Government committee delayed action Monday on proposed changes to Wyandotte County’s employee residency rules. The Administration and Human Services Standing Committee voted to table the item until Jan. 26, 2026, marking the second postponement in three weeks. Commissioner Mike Kane made the motion, saying incoming UG leadership should have an opportunity to weigh in before any decision is made. Read more: KMBC

Those traveling for the World Cup now have more transit options in Johnson County, Kansas to help make travel a bit easier. Beginning in 2026, both Lenexa and Overland Park will have transit services running between the two cities to the Kansas City International Airport (KCI). On Monday, Overland Park City Council members approved nine months of transit service between both cities and the airport to help support the influx of visitors during the 2026 World Cup. Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

A Great Bend school resource officer was awarded for his actions during a shooting this summer outside Wichita’s Towne East Square. On Aug. 8, officer Paul Millard was leaving the mall with his wife when gunshots were fired in the parking lot. Millard quickly responded and restrained the suspect until the Wichita Police Department arrived. At Monday night’s Great Bend City Council meeting, Millard was awarded a Bronze Wreath of Valor by the WPD. The honor is the third-highest given by the WPD. Read more: KSN-TV

Harvey County 911 Emergency Communications has a new tool that will help first responders find people in an emergency. What3Words is a tool that helps dispatchers pinpoint your location to within a few feet. The app works by dividing the world into 3-meter squares, each with three assigned words. Read more: KSN-TV

At the August 27, 2025 Hays Commission / Russel Council Joint Meeting, Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty stated that, despite legal objections raised, the state’s Water Hearing Panel is waiting on the Supreme Court ruling before it holds a statutorily required hearing on the R9’s approved water use change and transfer application. Per the Kansas Water Transfer Act (KWTA), the application to transfer more than 2,000 acre-feet of water over 35 miles is a multi-step process. The R9 process resulted in a 2019 50 page Master Order, including 32 separate orders giving contingent approval of the transfer and contingent approval for [...]

Sedgwick County has a new four-legged partner helping investigate fires. Latitude, also known as Laddy, is an 18-month-old black lab who recently graduated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) training center in Virginia. He joins the Sedgwick County Fire District 1 Fire Investigation Unit as an “ATF accelerant detection canine,” trained to sniff out signs of arson. Read more: KSN-TV