In Concordia, City Manager Amy Lange has gotten a lot of mileage out of the “Kansas strong, Kansas nice” mindset. The north-central Kansas city is down six workers. While that may not seem like a lot, it accounts for about 10% of the city government’s workforce. Residents might not notice the impact unless they’re paying attention. Potholes don’t get fixed quite as quickly, and it might take a bit longer for questions about taxes to be answered. But Lange said this obscures the real impact, noting her staff is having to cover for vacant positions — even though they are already down to the bare minimum of workers that are needed to perform the city’s functions. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated hiring issues that already existed pushing older employees into retirement. The competitive labor market has made it hard to replace them.
Source: Salina Journal

“The one thing I really love about language is how language can point to our history of human contact, relationship and movement,” said Mary Kohn, an associate professor at Kansas State University, who holds a doctorate degree in linguistics. “That’s very true for Kansas, as well. “Whenever we look at place names or pronunciation, what we’re getting is a cultural representation that reflects our history, and I think that’s really beautiful.” When it comes to pronouncing the names of places in Kansas — cities, counties, and even local and regional landmarks — native residents of the state may have a leg up.
Source: CJonline

Kansas state officials reported more tax revenue was collected than expected over the past month, indicating a growing economy and improved profit margins for businesses. September total tax receipts were $876.5 million, beating the estimate by $162.2 million, or 22.7%. The revenues also beat September 2020 collections by $147.6 million, or 20.2%. “Our tax collection numbers continue to show promising growth,” Gov. Laura Kelly said in a Friday news release. “In the months ahead, we must maintain fiscally-responsible policies to strengthen our growing economy.” The additional revenue was primarily due to individual and corporate income tax collections, as well as retail sales taxes.
Source: Dodge Globe

There is just one week left to view the 1964 Cadillac Hearse that transported President John F. Kennedy’s body from Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas to Air Force One on that fateful day in 1963. The infamous automobile arrived in Hill City in April. It was part of the opening of the Graham County Auto and Art Museum, a new tourist attraction that is bringing visitors to the city. … By bringing a destination museum into this town of less than 2,000, Hill City is giving its downtown a small boost.
Source: Hutch News

There’s no place like home, and if you’re looking for the most iconic movies from Kansas, we have the list for you. From Westerns to fantasy to a nuclear apocalypse, the Sunflower State has been the setting for many iconic films. Eight such movies are listed below. If you want further readings, the Center for Kansas Studies at Washburn University has compiled lists of movies with Kansas connections. The school’s listings are available online.
Source: Hutch News

A Kansas county is still recovering from a cyberattack almost two weeks ago, underscoring the internet security risks local governments in the state face amid a national wave of attacks from hackers. Pottawatomie County was hit with the attack on Sept. 17, officials say, with some of the county’s computer system encrypted by the hackers, making them inaccessible and shutting off some services. “We are very limited,” County Treasurer Lisa Taylor told county commissioners Monday, the Wamego Times reported. “The driver’s license (system) is completely down, we can’t do taxes.” The county said such services as EMS, police and fire haven’t been impacted. Most other services are accessible in-person if residents drive to the county courthouse in Westmoreland, officials said. Federal and state law enforcement have been investigating the attack, the county said in a statement.
Source: Hutch News