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No two days are ever quite the same for Jessica Woodyard, public communications manager at the City of Hutchinson, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. "I absolutely love my job, and I’m passionate about what I do,” Woodyard said on a misty Monday morning in her office at city hall. From handling media requests to gathering information from different city departments to deciding the best communications tools to ensure that as many city residents receive needed information about what the city is doing, Woodyard’s days are spent in constant motion, especially with the upcoming winter weather season. Read more: [...]

Allen County is one of six counties across Kansas and Missouri that will participate in a Heartland Rural Innovators Initiative over the next 18 months in an effort to draw tech and innovation employers to the region. One of her biggest challenges as economic development director for Iola and Allen County is for Camille Lavon to operate proactively, and not reactively. A new initiative may change that. Allen County has been tapped as one of six rural counties across Kansas and Missouri to participate in the Heartland Rural Innovators Initiative. The 18-month program, coordinated by the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), [...]

The Wichita City Council has moved a step closer to naming its next city manager — and the recommendation is a familiar name in Manhattan. Following an executive session Tuesday, the council voted 5-2 to enter contract negotiations with former Manhattan Assistant City Manager Dennis Marstall. Council members Mike Hoheisel and Brandon Johnson voted no. If negotiations are successful, the city council expects to take a final vote on an employment agreement at its Dec. 2 meeting. Read more: themercury.com

Pennies — or rather the lack of them — were a topic of discussion at Monday’s Pottawatomie County Commission meeting. Country Treasurer Lisa Wright was before the commission to update them on her department. One topic she brought forward was the mint discontinuing printing pennies. She said it creates an issue for the Treasurer’s Department in making change because counties, including Pottawatomie, will no longer be able to receive pennies. Fees within the counties will all be affected. Rounding down would cause issues with balances, so as a solution Wright asked the commission to approve the idea of rounding up to [...]

KDOT has agreed to undertake an updated feasibility study for the project which towns like Goddard and Maize said would be a game changer for them. The project has been discussed off and on since the early 2000s, and nearly 40% of highway rights of way have been purchased, mostly near Maize and Goddard. Read more: Wichita Eagle

The commissioner explained that there are definitions for dangerous animals and dogs, dogs with a known propensity to attack, cause injury, are vicious, have threatening behaviors on streets or are bred primarily for the purpose of attacking or to bite a domestic animal or human. “Then they just throw in Pit Bulls as though by definition a Pit Bull is going to be threatening and attacking." Read more: Hays Daily News

The city commission decided to have the vote in a special election on Feb. 24, 2026. This comes after a petition ordinance was certified to repeal the current ban, which is often referred to as BSL, or breed specific legislation, on pit bull-type dogs. Read more: Salina Journal

The mayor, Jenny Landers, worked at the helium plant for five years. More than 30 balloons will take flight Thursday morning filled with helium from Kansas. The Otis plant has supplied the helium for more than 30 years, plant officials say. Read more at: Wichita Eagle

In addition to its previously scheduled workshop on Tuesday, the council will hold a public hearing and a vote on the city manager. Read more: KSN-TV

Working in teams, volunteers went door to door to offer residents of prefabricated homes smoke alarm testing, replacement and installation — free of charge. Read more: KSN-TV