Starting bright and early Saturday morning, drivers will be able to use the new express toll lanes on U.S. Highway 69 through Overland Park. The expected 8 a.m. opening will mark the formal end of the $572 million, roughly three-year project to add express toll lanes and ease congestion through a highly trafficked area of Johnson County. While the work on US-69 spanned miles and touched several interchanges, the new express toll lanes run between 103rd and 151st streets, on the left-most inside lane, going both north and south. Earlier this week, federal, state and local officials celebrated the milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Overland Park. During her remarks, Gov. Laura Kelly called 69Express a “monumental project” as the state’s first express toll lane project, and as it delivers improvements to one of the busiest highways in Kansas.
Read more: Johnson County Post

The wind energy industry has slowed across the country, but some Kansas towns want to invest in it for economic growth. We’ll hear about the push for renewable energy in rural Kansas — and the obstacles it faces. Plus: Hear why support for 988, the national suicide and crisis hotline, is stronger in some states than in others. Western Kansas has the potential to capitalize on the region’s high energy demands. There’s plenty of land, wind and sun to be the center of renewable energy production. But skepticism can bring these projects to a halt. Calen Moore with the Kansas News Service reports.
Read more: KCUR News

Wildfire season is in full swing, with several fires ripping through parts of western Kansas this week. The most damaging fires started in the Oklahoma panhandle and then moved north into Kansas. While most of the fires are now in control, it leaves the towns, ranchers and firefighters on high alert. “It got real close by about two miles. It was just south of us,” said Bill Shaw, a feedyard owner near Ashland, Kansas. It was the first major fire of the season. The dry vegetation and heavy winds makes wildfires more common this time of year. The fires spread rapidly thanks to 60 mph wind gusts that helped it move along, threatening multiple towns stretching across several counties from Stevens to Harper.
Read more: KLC Journal

Many volunteer fire departments are thanking their communities on Thursday for their support in the wake of this week’s extreme fire conditions. Bucklin Fire Chief Cody Warden is one of many volunteer fire chiefs tipping his cap to local employers who allowed volunteers to take time off. When he was asked if his team could have survived without the community’s support, he simply replied, “Nope, we could not.” He said the love his team from Bucklin goes far beyond simply thank yous, pointing to how educators encourage local kids to become volunteer firefighters.
Read more: KSN-TV

Haven City Council made a second round of recreation reforms during a special meeting Friday night. During its previous special meeting, on Feb. 17, Haven’s City Council voted to dissolve the city’s recreation board, after receiving what they described as many “customer service” complaints from the public. The plan, as discussed during the previous meeting, was for the recreation department to be reformed under the city’s direct control, without its own board. During the Feb. 20 meeting, the council unanimously voted to follow through with that plan. The ordinance to create the department will be carried out on Feb. 26.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

In 1978, Hutchinson had a Sister City relationship with Tainan, Taiwan, but over the years that relationship fizzled out with little fanfare or notice. Last year, City of Hutchinson officials were part of a delegation that visited Japan, and now city officials hope to develop a new Sister City relationship with Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. Representatives from the Greater Wichita Partnership, the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas State Department of Commerce, and Hutchinson City Manager Enrico Villegas were part of that group. “We met with Japanese business representatives, and basically said, ‘Why not come to Kansas? Here’s everything that we have to offer,’” Villegas said, adding that the delegation also met with the chief executive officer of Takako, which has its U.S. location in Hutchinson. A similar trip in the past resulted in manufacturing company Takako opening a plant in Hutchinson, he said.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

Allen County officials have begun shaping plans for a recycling venture with the City of Iola, Commissioner David Lee announced this week. “We’re not ready to announce it at this time,” County Commissioner David Lee announced at Tuesday’s weekly meeting. “But something is forthcoming.” Lee said the plan should be ready sometime in the next 30 to 45 days. Mitch Garner, director of public works, has had preliminary talks with Iola Mayor Steve French. Those conversations will continue, Lee said. “We may not talk about it publicly over the next two, three or four meetings,” Lee said. “We’re working through some things. We ask those who are enthusiastic about it to please be patient.” County commissioners and Iola City Council members have heard frequently in recent weeks from Allen County Recycling members Dan Davis and Steve Strickler, both of whom have been critical of the city and county’s delay in getting a joint program in place.
Read more: The Iola Register