The ‘I like Ike Trail’ and the ‘Greyt Trail’ offer bicyclists two different historical rides through Dickinson County, celebrating Abilene’s rich history. Bicyclists can find both routes on the Gravel Kansas website.
Read more: KCLY Radio

City council members heard a presentation Tuesday that urged Hillsboro to join a state program of property cleanup. Toby Kuhn with the Kansas Department of Health Environment said the program does not address not mowing lawns or pulling weeds and instead is focused on other outdoor hazards. KDHE would pick up 75% of the program’s $10,000 cost.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

A new podcast by Hillsboro City Council member Ronald Wilkins is introducing the public to major department heads and what happens behind the scenes. In his first podcast last week, Wilkins
Read more: Marion County RECORD

When a large fire breaks out in southwest Kansas, it rarely becomes the responsibility of just one department. Instead, sirens from multiple towns can often be heard responding — a direct result of mutual aid agreements that have become essential to protecting lives and property across the region. Mutual aid agreements allow neighboring fire departments to automatically assist one another during major incidents. In rural areas like southwest Kansas, where communities are spread out and resources can be limited, that cooperation can mean the difference between a contained blaze and a devastating loss. Fire chiefs across the region say no single department has enough manpower or equipment to handle every large-scale emergency alone — especially during wind-driven grass fires, structure fires, or multi-vehicle accidents on highways.
Read more: Dodge City Daily Globe

Stafford County Economic Development (SCED), in partnership with Network Kansas, is now accepting applications for Pitch Your Porch, a new downtown improvement pitch competition designed to support Main Street businesses across Stafford County. Pitch Your Porch invites downtown businesses to propose exterior improvement projects that enhance curb appeal and strengthen local downtowns. Eligible projects include façade improvements, signage, lighting, outdoor seating, landscaping, and other visible upgrades to the front of a business. A total of $15,000 in prize funding is available, with multiple awards to be granted. Businesses may request up to $5,000 per project and are required to provide a minimum 25% match toward total project costs.
Read more: Ad Astra Radio

While their peers are sitting in math class or running around the gymnasium, some Olathe Public School juniors and seniors are practicing emergency response in a fake apartment, grooming dogs or wiring tiny homes. The school district officially celebrated the grand opening of its Innovation Campus on Thursday — though students have been using the building since last month. Located at 450 N. Rogers Road, the Innovation Campus is a central hub for many of the district’s career pathway programs. Students still attend their home high schools for half the day. School district officials and local leaders attended the grand opening.
Read more: Johnson County Post

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