Planning and Development Services Director Jeff Crick ... said his office’s original analysis that the city’s land development code prohibits artificial plants from being used to meet the code’s landscape material standards was accurate. However, that code also exempts “detached dwellings” from complying with those landscape standards. “So, that code section would not apply to a residence...” That brings up the question of whether artificial trees are now fair game at homes across the city. The answer is that it depends on location and other factors such as size. But, with the current ruling, there certainly are some opportunities for property [...]

A Baldwin City resident recently filed a petition in Douglas County District Court to challenge a mask mandate for children under the age of 12, alleging that the mask requirement causes her child “severe anxiety, stress and a lack of concentration.” Marie Taylor, the mother of a 9-year-old, filed the petition on behalf of the child, in response to the county’s current mask order, which requires anyone between the ages of 2 and 11 to wear a mask indoors in public settings, including in public school buildings. The Douglas County Commission issued the order in August, then extended it for 90 [...]

The Saline County board of commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to move forward in the process of developing the South View Estates Rural Housing Incentive District located near South Ohio Street and Schilling Road. With the vote, they affirmed their previous decision made on Aug. 31 not to protest the formation of the RHID and authorized chairman Rodger Sparks to sign an agreement between the county and the City of Salina. The county will work with the developers to identify ARPA-eligible costs, for which they set aside $1,000,000 to spend on housing, and transmit those to the city for preapproval. Source: Salina [...]