Farm animals helped kick off the Finney County Public Library's summer reading program Friday. Pam Tuller, executive director of the library, said they hosted a kick-off event this year because usually they have a big program in nature with a presenter and around 300 people attend in one place at one time. Doing that this year didn't seem like the best idea when they were planning it, Tuller said. 'We decided we have all this space, we're going to use it,' she said. 'Our theme this year is 'Tails & Tales' and since we can't get zoo animals here and we [...]

Baldwin City is developing procedures to guide the sale or leasing of city-owned properties on coveted sites along its main thoroughfare and near downtown. On June 1, the Baldwin City Council gave first-round approval to a set of guidelines for real estate deals involving city-owned properties. The measure will be considered for final approval at the council’s June 15 meeting. Under the new policy, if the city wanted to sell or lease its properties, it could do so through sealed bids, live or online auctions or negotiations. Properties would be advertised on the city’s website and social media sites for 14 [...]

A sparkling state revenue report for May reflects the challenges of accurately predicting what will happen in a post-pandemic economy goosed by unprecedented streams of government stimulus. Even after a late-April adjustment to the state’s official revenue forecast, which provides the barometer lawmakers use to form tax deals and set spending levels, Kansas collected $509 million more than expected in May. The extraordinary one-month surplus of cash provides a cushion for the state as a new fiscal year approaches in July. Still, the inability to place the forecast within a half-billion dollars of actual revenue over a four-week period raises questions [...]

A growing national debate over the federal government's goals for land use and conservation has upturned a nascent push to promote a large swath of western and north-central Kansas as a national heritage area. Proponents have viewed the plan as a way of boosting tourism in the region and underscore that it is in its infancy, with ample opportunity remaining for local input and support. It is distinct from being deemed a National Park Service site, as it doesn't transfer land to a government entity or require administration by federal agencies. Source: CJonline.com.