The Columbus Police Department launches an investigation after local high schools partake in an “unsettling” TikTok trend. According to the city, a TikTok user posted footage of themselves allegedly urinating on playground equipment at the city park. Columbus officials ask that anyone who has any tips or information regarding the identity of the user to contact the police department.
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Rose Hill residents will soon follow Wichita’s permanent outdoor watering rules as part of the city’s water contract. Starting Sept. 18, homes will be limited to set watering days based on address: odd numbers on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday; even numbers on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. No watering will be allowed on Mondays. Watering is only permitted before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Well users are exempt, and hand watering is allowed any day within the same time limits. Residents planning to reseed or lay sod can request a variance from the city.
Read more: KSN-TV

Many people may not know, but Caldwell is the Ornate Box Turtle Capital of the World. The city is celebrating 40 years of the title by creating 12 unique pieces of art. “I think every aspect of town is kind of leaned in to the turtles,” explained local artist, Brooke Cink. “It’s like instead of necessarily the blue jays or the outlaws, we are now also like turtle town.”
“In April of 1986, the governor actually came to Caldwell and signed the bill, making the ornate box turtle the state reptile,” added Caldwell City Administrator Leah Sommerhoff. To honor this unlikely mascot, Sommerhoff asked several artists, including lifelong resident Brooke Cink, to design 12 ornate turtles to place around town.
Read more: KSN-TV

Garden City leaders have approved nearly $50 million in STAR bonds to move forward with the second phase of the Sports of the World project. The new phase will add four competition softball fields, four baseball fields, and space for future restaurants, hotels, and retail near U.S. Highway 83 and East Mary Street. The bonds, totaling up to $49.7 million, will be paid back using sales tax revenue generated within the project area. City officials note this means the bonds will not raise property taxes.
Read more: KSN-TV

A dog blood bank is not coming to southern Kansas. The Harper County Commission rejected a zoning change that would have placed the bank in the small town of Danville. The potential blood bank has been in the works for a while. The decision to change zoning laws on the property owner’s land was presented to the county commission last week for a vote, but was pushed back. Despite the zoning committee recommending that they pass the change, it was denied on Monday. The blood bank would have housed dozens of dogs, which would have had their blood taken periodically and then sold to a variety of buyers, including veterinary clinics.
Read more: KSN-TV

Starting today, permanent watering restrictions begin in Wichita. Under the rules, water will be allowed every other day but not between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Addresses ending in odd numbers can water on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Even numbers can water on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Watering is not allowed on Monday. Those who use wells will not be affected by the changes.
Read more: KSN-TV

A greyhound that has been on the run in Arkansas City has finally been captured. The City of Arkansas City says Wade, a skittish greyhound, had been living on the outskirts of town, surviving on its own for nearly two years. Numerous attempts to capture the dog had failed because the dog was too fast and clever, evading nets and other methods to capture it. Arkansas City says Animal Control Office Erica Petry, who joined the department in April, began efforts to bring Wade in. Wade was frequently spotted behind a Walmart. Using their equipment and with the help of volunteers, they tried numerous times to capture Wade, finally succeeding on Sept. 5. Wade has been reunited with her owners.
Read more: KSN-TV

Why did it take five years for officials to discover two Wyandotte County District Court bookkeepers had allegedly, and illegally, pocketed almost $1 million in public funds? The federal government has accused the two former government employees of conducting a criminal, widely profitable wire fraud scheme and committing identity theft by allegedly writing and depositing forged checks into the Bank of Labor, a Kansas City-area bank with ties to labor unions that was founded by the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers.
Read more: KC Star

At least one Johnson County city is supporting a push to make Spanish language voting materials more readily available, with more discussions in other cities underway. “We believe that democracy is strongest and most effective when more people can participate,” said Micah Kubic, the executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas. “When we get rid of barriers to participation by any group we believe that democracy is at its strongest, and that your ability to participate should not be based on your ability to surmount those barriers on your own.”
Read more: Homepage

Eisenhower High School entered a brief lockout period Friday morning after a student received a tip that a gun had been brought to school. The tip was later found to be unsubstantiated. At 12:30 p.m. Friday, USD 265 Police Chief Joe Camp notified staff and families that an Eisenhower student had received a message from an individual outside the school, who authorities also believed to be a student at Eisenhower. The message suggested that a student had taken a gun to school. In a statement, Camp said the student who received the message reported it to a teacher and then left the classroom. The school then entered a lockout period.
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