Wichita residents who need help paying their rent and utilities because of the coronavirus-related economic downturn can apply to a new city program that will cover back payments and future bills. Applications are not open yet, but could be by late January or early February, said Sally Stang, director of housing and community services for the city of Wichita. The city expects to receive at least $12 million in federal funding from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, also known as the economic stimulus bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump in December. The same bill extended a federal eviction ban until Jan. 31.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

John Allison, superintendent of the Olathe school district, will retire at the end of this school year, he announced Thursday night. And the district has already named his successor. The school board appointed Brent Yeager, assistant superintendent for learning services, to replace him starting in July. He’s the second Johnson County superintendent to announce his retirement in as many months. In December, Shawnee Mission Superintendent Mike Fulton announced that he also plans to retire in July. The district has yet to name a replacement.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

This spring, volunteers will begin collecting litter around the city to determine how big of a problem plastic bags pose and whether they should be banned locally. A decision is at least a year away. The Wichita City Council created the Wichita Single-Use Plastic Bag Taskforce in February 2020 to assess the possibility of banning plastic bags. The task force will use the litter study, which it announced Thursday, to help make its recommendation to the city. …The project will identify locations to pick up litter, organize volunteers in the litter collection and categorize and count the type of trash and where it came from. WSU’s center will then identify significant sources of litter and develop recommendations to reduce litter.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle