A new senior living community is now open in Russell. The Flintwood Housing Community features 24 duplex units with appliances, and a community room for gatherings and events. It is designed for adults 55 and older and currently has eight units available to rent. “Housing in general is a necessity across the state of Kansas, regardless of the size of the community,” said Callie Miller, the executive director of Housing Opportunities Inc. “But rural communities specifically are not seeing the growth that metropolitan areas are seeing. So being able to provide any kind of housing in general to a rural community is huge.”
Read more: KSN-TV

Topeka City Manager Robert Perez joined the 27 News team on Monday to chat about new housing in the downtown area and street repairs. Perez first talked about the city’s housing shortage and what efforts are being done now to rectify this problem. He said a recent study identified a shortage of 900 units in the downtown area of the city. Large-scale housing projects that were recently announced seek to address these housing concerns in Topeka’s downtown. These include the best-in-class apartments coming with The Hutch and additional living spaces with Union at Tower District apartments.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

Marion County commissioners received an overview Monday on data center development. They heard about potential economic benefits and infrastructure demands as the industry grows across Kansas.
The discussion was informational only. Recent state actions have made Kansas more competitive for development, Consultant Tonya Witherspoon said.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

Marion City Council members took a deeper dive Monday into the city’s dog ordinance, revisiting a conten-tious issue of whether certain breeds should be banned in the city.
Police chief Aaron Slater, who earlier proposed lifting a current ban, invited Newton animal control officer Lyndsey Robinette to provide insight from a community without a breed-specific ban. Robinette, who has nearly seven years of experience in Newton, said pit bull-type dogs accounted for 26% of reported bites over the past three years but also represented a large share of the overall dog population.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

Marion County commissioners revisited proposed changes Monday to short-term rental regulations, including occupancy limits, but delayed action after briefly approving and then rescinding the measure. The proposed amendments would increase the maximum number of guests allowed in most short-term rentals from 8 to 12, while setting a lower limit of 6 for properties at Marion County Lake. The differing limits led to confusion during public comment.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

Nobody is coming to save us, but we can take the next steps to save ourselves. That was the mantra Neighborhood Evolution’s Vice President Monte Anderson repeated during the launch of their Build Hutch program at Memorial Hall on Feb. 23. The Build Hutch program was paid for by the city and Hutchinson Community Foundation to spur and mentor residents to improve the city through small-scale development and incremental improvements. The program will last through the year. The program includes monthly online coaching sessions and the organization of a building development cohort, which the city is hoping lasts far beyond just this year. The cohort will be open to anyone who is, or would like to be, involved in any stage of building development around town. More details to come as this group gets organized.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

About 56.4% of the 9,425 voters opted to keep the ban.
Read more: Salina Journal

The Ranger Road Fire — which started in Beaver County, Oklahoma — has consumed the largest amount of land, burning more than 283,000 acres in Oklahoma and southwest Kansas as of Monday. Five wildfire task forces, from across Kansas, deployed to fight the fires last Tuesday. Four task forces were county-based, with teams coming from Dickinson, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Johnson county task forces. The fifth task force was part of the Kansas National Guard.
Read more: KSN-TV