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Harvey County employees to receive raise in premium pay

info2021-11-12T08:05:30-06:00November 11th, 2021|

Harvey County employees will be receiving an additional $4 per hour in premium pay for the time they spent in their office during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board of Harvey County Commissioners on Tuesday approved premium pay on a 2-0 vote, with Commissioner Randy Hague abstaining. The total for all employees could cost up to nearly $1.2 million, all of which will be funded by the America Rescue Plan Act. Hague said he thought employees deserved premium pay, but he noted that the proposal was the first time constituents had heard about it. He questioned whether the matter should be tabled [...]

Newton updates sound ordinance

info2021-11-12T08:06:05-06:00November 11th, 2021|

The City of Newton will change its sound ordinance, which will now be in effect 24 hours a day. The commission approved updating the ordinance at its Monday meeting, following complaints from a resident. The new ordinance establishes a rule to be in effect at all residentially owned properties limiting sound if: “It creates a nuisance or injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health or safety of others, or which interferes with the use or enjoyment of property of any person of reasonable sensibilities residing in or occupying the area unless the making and continuing of such noise is necessary for [...]

Newton’s dream of Amtrak hub moving forward

info2021-11-11T01:20:45-06:00November 11th, 2021|

Newton’s Amtrak hopes now just need a presidential signature. The House of Representatives voted this week to move forward on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill already approved by the Senate. The bill includes $120 million in funds available for rail improvements in Oklahoma and Kansas that would connect the Heartland Flyer, which serves Texas and the southern U.S., with the Southwest Chief in Newton. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re basically greenlit for Amtrak Service,” Newton Community Development Coordinator Zach McHatton said. Amtrak has indicated that the connection is a priority. Newton would become a hub for the two lines and [...]

It’s clear-skies for Topgolf’s Wichita location after FAA, City Council approve tall nets near Jabara Airport

info2021-11-11T01:16:18-06:00November 11th, 2021|

It's no secret that Topgolf is planning to open its first Wichita location on the northeast side of town in just over a year, but it ran into a bit of a unique obstacle, and being the Air Capital of the World, you may not be surprised to hear that's it's related to aviation. "It's a good sign for the community, and just that we're drawing those kinds of nationally-known entertainment attractions," said Daniel McCoy. McCoy is a reporter with our news partners at the Wichita Business Journal, and he's talking about the long-anticipated Topgolf expected to open by March of [...]

New Kansas revenue forecast predicts $2.89B surplus, bolstering push to cut food tax

info2021-11-11T01:13:22-06:00November 11th, 2021|

Kansas lawmakers from both parties welcomed new revenue forecasts Wednesday that project a $2.89 billion surplus to the state general fund as evidence the state can afford to exempt groceries from the state sales tax. Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat seeking re-election, called on lawmakers to “axe” the food tax earlier this week and promised to introduce corresponding legislation in January. By exempting groceries from 6.5% sales tax collections, the state would lose an estimated $450 million in annual revenue. Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who is expected to win the GOP nomination for governor in next year’s election, also asked lawmakers [...]

$15M in federal funds for JoCo Transit will pay for new bus routes, expanded services

info2021-11-11T01:04:53-06:00November 11th, 2021|

Public transit in Johnson County is getting a boost with a series of six new pilot programs funded by federal COVID-19 relief money aimed at expanding access to public transportation, which is usually not a first option for county residents. The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners last week approved the pilot programs, which include the addition of a new bus route along the busy 87th Street corridor, expansion of micro-transit services in which users can schedule individual pickups and the addition of Saturday routes for some existing bus lines. The pilot programs are being paid for with $15.2 million in [...]

Mission Hills to install license plate readers at several busy intersections

info2021-11-12T08:06:53-06:00November 11th, 2021|

The city of Mission Hills on Monday agreed to install more than license plate readers at more than a dozen intersections within its boundaries, at a cost of more than $230,000. License plate readers are insalled in other cities throughout Johnson County and are used by law enforcement agencies throughout the Kansas City metro as part of a collective database. This summer, Mission Hills approved the installation of its first license plate reader at 63rd Street and Mission Road. A second reader had already been approved for Tomahawk and Mission roads prior to Monday’s meeting, according to city documents. Source: Prairie [...]

KDOT officials warn with workforce shortages, roads may not be cleared as quickly this winter

info2021-11-11T00:57:04-06:00November 11th, 2021|

The Kansas Department of Transportation offices in south-central Kansas is committed to keeping the highways cleared whenever inclement weather occurs. In line with workforce shortages across the nation, KDOT does not have enough equipment operators – the agency’s primary snowplow operators – in a number of areas across Kansas. These shortages create the potential for highways to not be cleared of snow and ice as quickly as in the past. The agency has dealt with reduced staffing in the past, but the shortages are greater this year. Southcentral KDOT offices are about 29% short of snowplow operators needed to be fully [...]

Lawrence City Commission approves new regulations to increase number of rental inspections

info2021-11-10T07:06:35-06:00November 10th, 2021|

Lawrence city leaders have approved changes aimed at strengthening the inspection program that is meant to oversee the thousands of rental properties in the city. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted 5-0 to adopt an ordinance that includes several changes to the city’s regulations for property rentals. Commissioners previously discussed a draft of the regulations and agreed that the ordinance addressed their concerns. “I don’t think that we’ll ever have a perfect system, but I do think this brings us forward in that system and is worth giving a try and seeing what tweaks we need [...]

Lawrence City Commission votes to develop long-term version of downtown outdoor dining program; fees, design and parking to be considered

info2021-11-10T07:05:40-06:00November 10th, 2021|

With considerations given to issues such as aesthetics and parking, the City of Lawrence will look to develop a long-term version of a program that has allowed downtown businesses to construct patios and outdoor dining areas in parking stalls during the coronavirus pandemic. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted 5-0 to authorize the development of a long-term “parklet” program and directed staff to consider elements such as fees, design standards, safety and parking in the new regulations. The city has waived permit fees for the temporary program, and Mayor Brad Finkeldei said while it may not [...]

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