Prices are up for rural grocers, margins are thin, staff are hard to find and transportation costs are higher for small-town stores. Communities across Kansas have been attempting new ways to fill in the grocery gaps. But some of those solutions are coming up short. Read more: Wichita Eagle

The Garden City Commission packet is getting a monthly financial report once again. Jared Kuhlmann, Garden City Finance Director, presented and explained the new, monthly Financial Report that they will provide to the Commission’s meeting packets at its regular meeting on March 17. Kuhlmann said a few years ago a Financial Report was included in every other meeting’s packet, but they went away from that when they got Tyler Software, which they use for tracking finances. But they felt it was prudent, after looking at the performance metrics, to bring it back. Read more: Garden City Telegram

Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday weighed their options on addressing street conditions and related funding decisions. Pavement Condition Index values provide a rating of pavement conditions and integrity through a 0-100 range. Manhattan city roadways were generally found to be in fair condition, averaging a 60 rating. City engineer and public works director Brian Johnson said the city’s current “backlog” of road maintenance has reached 18%, meaning those roads require full or partial reconstruction. Read more: News Radio KMAN

Child Care Aware of Kansas has recognized the Ellis County Child Care Task Force as a Child Care Community Champion. This award honors the Task Force’s “outstanding dedication and commitment to strengthening local child care systems.” This recognition is a part of the Child Care Friendly Communities initiative, a statewide program that uplifts community-led efforts to make child care accessible, sustainable, and supportive for Kansas families and providers. Read more: Hays Daily News

Governor Laura Kelly signed House Bill (HB) 2433 into law on Friday March 20, 2026. Following passage by both the Kansas House and Senate, HB2433 (sponsored by Kansas Representative Barbara Wasinger), the bill was presented to the Governor on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. State control of the water appropriation/transfer process is now spelled out in detail, placing authority over water transfers and appropriations with the State’s Chief Engineer and the Water Transfer Hearing Panel, except for domestic use. This means counties may not impose their own restrictions, fees or license/permitting/zoning requirements for water transfers. The newly enacted law applies both retroactively [...]

As Johnson County residents face higher property taxes, a Shawnee man has created a website to help them appeal their property’s valuation. Even as most local governments have kept a flat mill levy for this year, many homeowners still face an increase in their property tax bills, reflective of the ever-rising home values across nearly all of Johnson County. That’s why Shawnee resident Ben Jacobi wanted to figure out a way to provide residents of Johnson and Wyandotte counties some relief. “I see the conversations dominating these neighborhood groups that I’m in on Facebook. People are very emotional, they’re very upset. [...]

Designs revealed for a new bike-centric park in Shawnee show a new area aimed at attracting cyclists of all ages. At the Shawnee Council Committee meeting on Monday, the design firm Vireo presented its master plan for the 170-acre Rail Creek Park, a proposed park in the city. Plans for the park include bike pump tracks, a bike playground, a kids playground, restroom building and shade structure. It would also give the Donderdag! Youth Cyclocross program a new place to ride with more space. Read more: Johnson County Post

A new Kansas law banning cell phones and other electronic devices in schools is expected to cost local districts significant money and staff time because of a requirement that the devices be securely stored in a place inaccessible to students, say officials at some Johnson County school districts. Most local schools’ policies currently in effect allow students to keep devices in backpacks or lockers, as long as they don’t use them during class time. That makes the costs and management of the new storage requirement the biggest question mark about the new law, district officials said. Read more: Johnson County Post

U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Michael Bennet have introduced the bipartisan Rural Hospital Revitalization Act to strengthen rural hospitals across the country. The legislation would provide zero-interest loans through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Facilities Direct Loan Program, supporting new construction and renovations of existing hospital facilities to improve access to essential health care services. To qualify, hospitals must be in counties with fewer than 20,000 residents, located at least 35 miles from the nearest hospital (or 15 miles in mountainous or limited-access areas), or be designated as a Critical Access Hospital or Rural Emergency Hospital. Applicants must also demonstrate [...]

It’s hard for Cara Cain to decide what she will miss most. She’s the manager at Grand Avenue Market, a local nonprofit grocery store opened in 2021 that is set to close this month. Maybe it will be the customers and interacting with locals as they stop by. Or maybe her coworkers she has grown close to. Later, she mentions the special produce she has ordered for customers, like cactus, and thinks she will miss having access to the grocery store herself. “Unfortunately, there was just no other options right now. we’re really hoping a miracle happens because it’s been really [...]