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State transportation officials say an upcoming railroad crossing repair project in Wamego will result in traffic disruptions at the local level and a big detour for some. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) announced on KanDrive that work crews are getting ready to start the repair project at 6 a.m. on Saturday, May 31 and wrap it up by 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3. Workers will be repairing a railroad crossing that sits between U.S. Highway 40 and the Wabaunsee/Pottawatomie County line. Source: KSNT 27 News

Iola City Council members will decide soon whether to establish a land bank to allow the city to take in properties for future development projects. City Administrator Matt Rehder told City Council members Monday he plans on bringing a formal proposal to their June 9 meeting. A land bank is a community-owned entity established to acquire, manage, and repurpose vacant, abandoned, or foreclosed properties. In essence, the land bank would serve as a means to take neglected land and put it back into productive use within the City of Iola. Source: The Iola Register

Drivers in part of central Kansas will have to deal with a lengthy detour route this summer for a highway project that is set to last for months. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) released its plans to shut down part of K-177 Highway on KanDrive earlier this month. The closure runs from Council Grove south to Strong City in Morris and Chase Counties. KDOT workers will close K-177 between these two cities starting at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 16, according to KanDrive. The closure is projected to end on Friday, Nov. 14. Source: KSN-TV

In the wake of the destruction, donations of all kinds, from food and water to clothes, have flooded into Grinnell after an EF-3 tornado passed through the town. While residents are grateful, physical donations are not always the best way to help. The Hometown Grocery Store has not been a grocery store since the tornado; it has been converted into a makeshift clothing bank. The generosity of people donating clothes, food and water has been overwhelming in both good and bad senses of the word. Source: KSN-TV

A local company is introducing 3D printed homes to help keep up with the high demand for affordable housing in Topeka and other parts of the state. Trident Homes hosted an open house at Stone & Story Real Estate on Wednesday, May 21. While browsing today, one visitor says she sees the appeal. "It's been great to see scaled models of the homes," said Ashley Beason. "I'm definitely looking for energy efficiency, affordability, also I love the design, they seem to bring in a lot of natural light." Interested buyers can sit down with Trident to lay out their home's vision. [...]

The City of Emporia is currently considering a new fee that would be used to help with needed stormwater improvements across the community. During the Emporia City Commission regular study meeting Wednesday morning City Engineer Jim Ubert proposed an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) structure that would be tailored to Emporia as a “fair way to pay for future stormwater improvements.” According to Ubert the city has a significant backlog of said projects which totals roughly $18 million. He says the new structure would allow the city to fully address these issues over time rather than simply taking a “band-aid” approach, which [...]

Drought-stricken governments in west-central Kansas have escalated their fight for water rights from state to federal court, which could impact how cities across the state handle future disputes. The cities of Hays and Russell, located in neighboring counties just off of Interstate 70 near the middle of the state, sued the nearby Edwards County in 2024 for blocking a planned water transfer. The cities do not have enough water to supply future residents. They concocted a plan beginning in 1995 with the purchase of the 7,000-acre R9 Ranch in Edwards County. The ranch contains 32 water rights the cities wanted to [...]

On May 21st, Grow Clay County announced they received a $500,000 Goldstein Foundation Challenge Grant to support the building and expansion of the Clay Center Multi-Generational Life Center. Natalie Muruato, Grow Clay County Director, said they hope to start construction on the Life Center around August 1st. This generous Grant could greatly help in building the best facility possible for the community. The caveat to this Challenge Grant is that it is a matching challenge grant. With this, community support is needed more than ever to take full advantage of this opportunity by the anticipated construction date. Muruato said they will [...]

Wichita city officials have directed contractors to stop testing the water at the new $574 million Wichita Water Works treatment plant amid what they called “performance mechanical issues.” The water plant is more than six months behind schedule and tens of millions of dollars over budget. TOP VIDEOS The video player is currently playing an ad. You can skip the ad in 5 sec with a mouse or keyboard The latest issues were discovered in the plant’s clarifiers — large tanks where unfinished water is churned and allowed to settle to separate solids and contaminants from the water before it is [...]

The City of Lawrence is asking the community for feedback on plans to implement memberships and fees to use recreational facilities. The Parks, Recreation and Culture department is proposing the fees as a way to offset its $1.8 million portion of the city’s projected budget shortfall of more than $6 million. The department has considered similar plans in recent years but did not move forward after community pushback. This year, however, the Lawrence City Commission has voiced some support for rec center fees early in the budget process. Source: The Lawrence Times