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The City of Lawrence is seeking community feedback on a draft policy that details how the city will invest in affordable housing projects and what criteria developers must meet. The 54-page draft policy lays out details such as definitions of affordability; requirements that proposals must meet; various types of incentives the city will consider providing for projects; how long housing units must remain affordable and much more. The policy is a piece of larger city and county initiatives intended to increase housing availability in Lawrence, particularly for financially stressed households, and to reduce homelessness. Read more: The Lawrence Times

How is it that a political candidate is simultaneously in the running for two local boards? And, can a public utilities board member also snag Wyandotte County’s top leadership role? In Lisa Walker-Yeager’s and Rose Mulvany Henry’s cases, government ethics and elections officials say the distinction between whether someone can put their hat in the ring for multiple spots — which they can — and whether they can actually serve in those roles is subject to legal interpretation. In other words, it’s not immediately clear if someone who runs for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas’s commission [...]

A portion of Route 66 in southeast Kansas has a new feature. It's a Centennial Arch on Front Street in Galena. In case you're unaware, The Mother Road turns 100 years old next year. And, the idea for this project has been brewing for quite some time. Former mayor, and self-described Route 66 roadie, Dale Oglesby came up with it in 2011. Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

Carolyn Caiharr is running unopposed for re-election as mayor of Edwardsville in November. In September, her Wyandotte County constituency will grow about five times larger. Caiharr faced no challengers earlier this month when local Republican precinct committee members chose her to replace outgoing Rep. Mike Thompson, who is retiring from politics to care for his ailing wife. House District 33 includes Edwardsville, much of Bonner Springs, the southwest corner of Kansas City, Kansas, and the northernmost tip of Lake Quivira. Read more: Homepage

The Newton City Commission approved an incentive package aimed at making Newton an easier and nicer place for travelers to stay. Community Development Director Zach McHatton discussed the plan at the city’s Aug. 26 meeting. “Over the past several months, staff have reviewed best practices from peer communities and evaluated Newton’s current economic development policy to determine how hotel-specific incentives can be structured effectively,” he stated in materials presented at the meeting. Read more: Harvey County Now

Emergency personnel are dealing with a gas leak in the new Fox Ridge subdivision in Newton. Lee Miller, assistant director for Harvey County Emergency Management, requested and received a disaster declaration from the county commissioners on Tuesday morning, formalizing the verbal declaration he previously made. According to the City of Newton, the Kansas Gas Service discovered the emission last Friday as it conducted a site survey near Southeast 10th and Logan. Since investigating, Kansas Gas states that the gas is not coming from its lines. Read more: Harvey County Now

Newton Fire and EMS used their ladder truck to help lower a person in handcuffs from a roof early Friday morning. The event occurred around 5 a.m. on August 22, at the apartment building on the corner of Fifth and Main Street in Newton. According to Deputy Police Chief Scott Powell, law enforcement responded to a domestic disturbance where two roommates were arguing. Read more: Harvey County Now

There’s a certain comfort that communities take in being able to pick up the phone, dial 911 and get help on possibly the worst day of their lives. Elijah Robinson of Newton is one of those people at the other end of the call who rush to help, and he’s doing that as an EMT with Hesston Fire/EMS. Read more: Harvey County Now

A new $3.1 billion large-scale data center campus will be built near the new Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant in De Soto starting next year. On Thursday, the De Soto City Council approved the proposed 290-acre development backed by industrial revenue bonds, with little opposition voiced from the public. Data centers house computer servers and networking equipment and provide the infrastructure the storage and processing of large amounts data. Read more: Johnson County Post

The City of Shawnee has launched a new wayfinding plan for downtown to help residents and visitors navigate the area, find parking and enjoy sightseeing. On Thursday at its monthly Moonlight Market event, the city launched the Downtown Shawnee Wayfinding Plan, a feedback gathering initiative where residents voice their opinion on parking and accessibility downtown, as well as places and landmarks people should visit, which all reflect the spirit of downtown. From there, permanent signs will be created to highlight the feedback they received. Read more: Johnson County Post