If you tried to make an online Wichita water bill payment Monday, you may have experienced a problem. The City of Wichita said BridgePay, a third-party credit card processing vendor, is reporting a nationwide service disruption. The disruption has impacted credit and debit card payments and auto payments on link.wichita.gov. But checking accounts are working, the city said.
Read more: KSN-TV

A tried-and-true process has recently been brought to the U.S., and more recently to Kansas. Thanks to the 2019 Farm Bill, hemp is allowed to be used in new affordable homes built by Habitat for Humanity with the help of volunteers and students at Kansas State University. Michael Gibson, an architecture professor at K-State, has been working with Habitat for Humanity of the Northern Flint Hills since 2020 to help confront the affordability crisis in Manhattan. Gibson has led a seminar where his students, in collaboration with the non-profit, have built affordable homes in Ogden. During his fall 2024 seminar class, Gibson completed some research on what they can use in this home that would not only make it affordable but also allow it to be net positive.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

The City of Topeka is rolling out a revamped online map system to make city maps and geospatial information more accessible for locals. The city’s new interactive online map system aims to modernize its website by transitioning the Geographic Information System Hub into a dedicated “.gov” domain, where city geospatial information is centralized. The GIS Hub consists of geographic information about the city, along with city maps and applications.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

CoreCivic is a step closer to reopening its private prison in Leavenworth as a lucrative immigration detention center after the city planning commission approved a special use permit over objections from local advocates. A four-hour planning commission meeting on Monday included input from advocates on both sides of the issue, ejection of a long-time community teacher after he yelled about free speech and police escorts for CoreCivic officials when they went to the restroom. Approval, with one no vote from board chairman Ken Bateman, came after the planning commission made changes in the permit originally recommended by city staff, including questioning CoreCivic officials in attendance about their processes.  The permit will now move to the Leavenworth City Commission for a vote. 
Read more: The Lawrence Times

Panasonic’s Kansas battery plant will ramp up to 50% of its production capacity in the next few months, a company executive said Monday. Kristen Walters, Panasonic Energy vice president of human resources, said the company is starting two new production lines at its De Soto plant, adding to two lines already in operation. Construction has begun on the second wing of the lithium-ion battery cell plant, and two of the wing’s four lines will be in operation in 2027, Walters said in a virtual interview. The plant opened in July amidst concerns political changes would affect operations. The Trump administration eliminated tax credits for buying electric vehicles, which dropped the industry’s sales at the end of last year in the fourth quarter by 36%, year over year, according to Cox Automotive. Walters said Panasonic Energy has added battery customers in addition to Tesla, which is its largest customer. 
Read more: The Lawrence Times

The City of Hutchinson is launching Build Hutch, a new small-scale developer program designed to help local residents turn interest in development into action and reinvest directly in Hutchinson neighborhoods. Build Hutch represents a new approach to local development. Rather than relying solely on outside developers, the City is intentionally building capacity among residents who already live, work, and invest in the community. The program focuses on small, achievable projects that collectively strengthen neighborhoods and support long-term growth. The program is led by the City of Hutchinson’s Strategic Growth Department, with funding awarded by the Hutchinson Community Foundation and program delivery provided by Neighborhood Evolution, a national leader in small-scale development training.
Read more: Ad Astra Radio | Your Hometown Radio Stations & Local News Source

McPherson County Commissioners Monday approved the final resolutions to extend moratoriums on battery and hydrogen energy storage systems to Sept. 1 and another for data centers to Dec. 1. All three resolutions have a provision where they can be lifted individually as such time as regulations are in place. Also approved was a zoning code amendment related to race tracks that sets out requirements for special use permits, including that they be at least one mile from existing homes, schools, hospitals or platted subdivisions. It also includes a notification requirement for property owners within a five-mile radius and sets out other regulatory criteria. Even with the enlarged radius, the area from which protest petitions can be filed remains as is. Purchase of new service weapons for McPherson County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Officers was approved. Sheriff Jerry Montagne said in the past reserve deputies had to furnish their own weapon, but that changed largely for liability reasons, including a desire to have all officers, regular or reserve, to have the same weapon.
Read more: Ad Astra Radio | Your Hometown Radio Stations & Local News Source

Cowley County will consider actions it can take to try and slow down the construction of a proposed Evergy electric transmission line through the county, commissioners discussed during their Tuesday meeting. The project has been met with widespread opposition from property owners, who say it will damage the land and infringe on private property rights, among other concerns. The Cowley County Commission has also formally opposed the project. The transmission line, called the Buffalo Flats project after the name of the substation near Garden Plain where the line would begin, would cross through Sedgwick, Sumner, Cowley and Chautauqua counties, ending at the Kansas/Oklahoma border, with the remaining 30 miles built by another company before ending at an electric substation in Delaware, Okla. Evergy has said the project will enhance electrical reliability and strengthen the power grid.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com