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Elsmore wants county’s help with ditch work

info2021-12-17T00:39:06-06:00December 17th, 2021|

Don’t forget about Elsmore. That was Brenda Boyle’s request to county commissioners, as she asked for help with stormwater projects. Elsmore received $10,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and decided to use the money to replace, repair and clean outdated whistles and ditches. It’s an important project for the city, Boyle said, and they want to maximize this opportunity. Historically, Elsmore hasn’t asked a lot of the county, Boyle said. Source: The Iola Register

City Council Approves Strategic Plan for the City of Andover

info2021-12-17T00:36:52-06:00December 17th, 2021|

At the December 14th, 2021, Council meeting, the City Council officially accepted the Strategic Plan that they worked with Wichita State University's Public Policy & Management Center to develop for the City of Andover. The Strategic Plan includes a Mission Statement, Vision Statement, and Values. It also identifies Goals and Objectives along with strategies to help implement them. Source: Andover - News Flash

Wichita to take ‘tremendous step forward’ with first major developments near ballpark

info2021-12-17T07:53:37-06:00December 17th, 2021|

Wichita is about to take “a tremendous step forward” with two substantial new developments adjacent to Riverfront Stadium at Maple and McLean, said Assistant City Manager Scot Rigby. The $65 million project includes an eight-story hotel, a six-story office building with an adjoining 200-spot parking structure and riverfront improvements. It’s the Wind Surge baseball team’s first step toward developing four acres around the ballpark — the same four acres the city was heavily criticized for selling for a $1 each to the team. Source: Wichita Eagle

KDOT says thousands of road signs were damaged as a result of Wednesday’s storms. Crews are repairing and replacing as soon as possible

info2021-12-17T00:30:46-06:00December 17th, 2021|

What is KDOT seeing in terms of widespread damage – Sign damage along many highways in central and western Kansas due to the high winds. Is there a timetable for repairs? – Started working on the emergency repair effort Wednesday. Not an exact timetable; as soon as temporary or new signs are available. Working with other KDOT offices and producers to accomplish this. What’s the danger when this happens – We are wanting to alert the public of this situation, so they use extra caution when driving. Are crews working now? Crews are working extra hours on this. Source: KAKE - [...]

An eastern Kansas resident is the state’s first confirmed case of the omicron COVID-19 variant

info2021-12-17T00:28:07-06:00December 17th, 2021|

Kansas health officials have confirmed the first case of the COVID-19 omicron variant in the state. Janet Stanek, acting secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said laboratory tests confirmed that an adult in Franklin County in northeastern Kansans was infected with the highly contagious variant of the coronavirus. The unidentified individual was fully vaccinated but had not received a booster shot, the agency said Thursday afternoon. “The detection of the variant does not come as a surprise,” Stanek said. “This virus is highly infectious and transmittable.” Though breakthrough infections are on the rise, officials say vaccination remains the [...]

Kansas schools see damage from wind storm

info2021-12-17T00:25:53-06:00December 17th, 2021|

Several Kansas school districts are dealing with damage from Wednesday's wind event. Great Bend High School suffered roof damage due to the wind and classes were canceled Thursday. Gas service and heat were also disconnected. Further north in Russell, classes were canceled due to wind damage and area wildfires. Russell recorded a 100-mph gust which knocked out power. In Caldwell, the elementary school gymnasium roof was torn off and landed on the secondary building. Caldwell also canceled classes as a result. The district said announcements will be forthcoming. Source: KSN-TV

Overland Park’s credit rating downgraded amid pandemic slump in convention business

info2021-12-17T00:23:52-06:00December 17th, 2021|

The bond rating agency Moody’s has downgraded Overland Park’s credit rating, due to pandemic stresses on the hospitality industry and the city’s convention center hotel. The city’s general obligation unlimited tax rating dropped from Aaa to Aa1 on Dec. 6. Triple A is the highest rating on the Moody’s scale, and Aa1 the second highest. General obligation tax bonds are those a city puts its full faith and credit behind, under the knowledge that the bond can be repaid through taxes. Moody’s also revised Overland Park’s outlook from “stable” to “negative.” An explanation on the Moody’s website notes that the city has $99.6 [...]

Pandemic Sweetens Lure of Smaller Cities’ Relocation Incentives

info2021-12-17T00:21:04-06:00December 17th, 2021|

Moving from New York City to Tulsa, Oklahoma, might seem an unlikely choice for a young African American scientist like Christopher Bland. His new home is known as an old oil boomtown—and as the site of a massacre of Black residents 100 years ago. But life in his sixth-story West Harlem walkup was starting to wear on him, just as remote work in the pandemic freed him to live anywhere and still conduct his pediatric health environmental research for a Manhattan hospital. And Tulsa’s new artistic vibe reminded him of Athens, Georgia, where he studied at the University of Georgia. Source: [...]

USDA Invests $43.4 Million to Build and Improve Critical Rural Infrastructure in 13 Kansas Communities

info2021-12-16T10:47:06-06:00December 16th, 2021|

Funding Will Expand Access to Clean Water and Dependable Electric Power in Homes and Businesses in Rural Areas TOPEKA, Dec. 16, 2021 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Acting State Director for Kansas Dan Fischer today announced that USDA is investing $43,431,700 to modernize the critical drinking water infrastructure in towns and counties across Kansas. “Upgrading the infrastructure that delivers safe drinking water will improve public health and drive economic development in our small towns and cities,” Fischer said. “USDA is dedicated to rural communities and their long-term commitments to economic prosperity; because when rural America prospers, all of [...]

Wind storm updates: Over 100,000 remain without power in Kansas, recovery expected to take days

info2021-12-16T08:18:12-06:00December 16th, 2021|

Over 108,000 Evergy customers remain without power, officials said Wednesday night, and it is expected to be a multi-day effort to restore service to areas without service. Chuck Caisley, senior vice president and chief customer officer for Evergy, said in a press conference that, at the storms' peak, over 200,000 residents in the company's service area were without power. The storms, he said, produced gusts of up to 85 miles-per-hour, golf ball-sized hail and severe thunderstorms across central and eastern Kansas. Source: CJonline

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