Lyon County commissioners discussed increasing penalties for commercial truck drivers who use county roads posted as “No Thru Commercial Traffic” during Thursday morning’s action session, saying the current $75 fine does little to discourage violations.
The discussion stemmed from ongoing complaints from residents along Allen, Burlingame and Americus roads, where county officials say through truck traffic has increased, particularly because of highway construction and detours. County Engineer Wayne Scritchfield said his office routinely receives calls from residents concerned about heavy trucks using roads that were not designed for that type of traffic. Undersheriff John Koelsch said the Sheriff’s Office has conducted enforcement efforts but noted deputies face challenges determining whether a commercial vehicle is legitimately making a local delivery or simply using the county roads as a shortcut. “We’ve made several truck stops,” Koelsch said. “The difficulty is making sure that commercial truck drivers aren’t making a delivery off one of those roads.” Officials said recent complaints included trucks hauling agricultural products and heavy equipment through the county, adding unnecessary wear to roads and bridges. Scritchfield said county roads such as Americus, Allen and Burlingame were never intended to carry continuous heavy commercial traffic. “The roads were not constructed with these kinds of loads and this frequency of traffic,” he said. Commissioners discussed replacing the current $75 citation with a county-specific penalty that would provide a greater deterrent. Koelsch said a local trucking company owner told him some states impose fines as high as $1,000 for similar violations, with repeat offenses carrying even higher penalties. County Counselor Molly Priest said the county could explore adopting its own fine structure through a revised resolution rather than relying solely on state traffic statutes.
Read more: Emporia Gazette

A proposed utility-scale solar project near the Emporia Energy Center is continuing to move through the early planning stages, even as Lyon County has temporarily paused new solar development applications while officials review and strengthen local zoning regulations.
Evergy says the proposed Emporia Solar Project has been in development since 2022 and is designed to provide electricity for the company’s approximately 1.7 million customers across Kansas and Missouri. The company also stressed the project is not related to the proposed Flint Hills Digital Campus. The project would be located near the existing Emporia Energy Center, where Evergy already has transmission infrastructure in place. According to a project map provided by the company, solar panel arrays are proposed on multiple tracts surrounding the generating station on land owned by both Evergy and private landowners. Evergy notes the map represents its current concept and remains subject to change as planning continues. Unlike some large energy projects that are built to serve a single industrial customer, the proposed solar farm would become part of Evergy’s electric grid, supplying power throughout its service territory. Questions about the project have increased since Lyon County commissioners voted last week to approve a temporary moratorium on new utility-scale solar developments. The moratorium, which runs through Dec. 1, is not intended to stop Evergy’s project permanently. Instead, commissioners said it provides time for county staff to review and strengthen existing solar regulations before considering new utility-scale applications.
Read more: www.emporiagazette.com

Arkansas City commissioners this week unanimously approved a request to rezone a property at 519 West Skyline Road from residential to agricultural to accommodate the landowners chicken keeping. City Planner Josh White said the Planning Commission held a public hearing for the request in May and recommended against the rezoning in split vote, after a neighbor expressed concerns about roaming chickens that have since been resolved. White said the property was annexed by the city in 1986 and was briefly zoned for commercial use. Since the Rudman family has owned the property it’s been treated as agriculture but not zoned as such. “This would allow them to have more freedom with our regulations regarding animals inclosing chickens and they have some horses and other animals,” White said. At a second hearing in July, the Planning Commission reversed course and recommended the rezoning. “Everything is OK with the neighbor; the neighbors are good?” Commissioner Charles Tweedy asked Tuesday. White said the nearby resident had no objections, and the only other neighbor is Skyline Homes, which has no concerns about the rezoning.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com

The City of Salina has completed a new policy to assist utility customers who are experiencing water quality issues, such as discoloration, rust colored water, sediment, or staining. The City is now beginning the process of signing up eligible customers for assistance under the new program. The policy is part of the City’s continued effort to respond directly to customer concerns, document problem areas in the water distribution system, and provide practical support while longer term infrastructure improvements are evaluated. The City’s water continues to meet applicable drinking water health standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and enforced in Kansas by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The City conducts required water quality testing, including routine testing required by KDHE, and publishes an annual Consumer Confidence Report for public information. Some residents have experienced water quality issues that may affect the appearance of the water. These issues are often associated with iron, commonly described as rust, that can come from older water mains, corroded pipe material, or sediment that has built up over time in parts of the distribution system. While these conditions can be frustrating and inconvenient, they are different from health based drinking water violations. Under the new policy, customers experiencing water quality concerns may contact the City to report a water quality concern and begin the eligibility process. City staff will document the concern, gather information about the location and nature of the issue, and determine whether the customer qualifies for available assistance.
The City Commission recently approved assistance programs for customers experiencing water quality issues, including a rebate program for eligible in-home filtration systems of up to $750. The new policy provides the framework for implementing that assistance and helping customers understand the steps required to participate.
Read more: Ad Astra Radio | Everything Local

According to Tim Beims, Executive Director of the Economic Development Agency of Cloud County, population has been in a slow, steady decline due to changes in rural economy in northern Kansas. To combat that trend, Cloud County implemented the County Level Incentive Program, known as CLIP, funded by the Innovation Center and Dain G. Hansen Foundation. “And the goal, the ultimate goal, and it’s a grand objective, is to ultimately increase population throughout the Northwest Kansas region,” Beims said. The program offers money incentives to individuals, especially recent college and trade school graduates, from outside of northwest Kansas if they accept a job in Cloud County. “We hope that that’s a strong recruiting tool for our county employers to be able to really motivate and incentivize prospective employees to accept positions and relocate to Cloud County,” he said. “As well as bring our native sons and daughters who went to trade school or college, bring them back home to build their lives and build their careers in Cloud County.” Beims said he thinks Cloud County is in a strong position to draw and retain population growth, with the help of this grant. Recipients can receive up to $10,000 per individual under this program, which can be paired with Cloud County’s housing incentive program.
More information about the CLIP program can be found at the Cloud Corp Cloud County Development official website.
Read more: KCLY Radio

A hundred people packed the Sedgwick County Commission Chambers and even more filled an overflow room on Wednesday as county leaders considered approving two major solar projects. After an 11-hour meeting where commissioners heard more than 100 public comments, they denied both solar projects. Solar project discussions like this have been happening across the state, drawing a large community response. Both of these projects were considered despite the Sedgwick County Commission passing a six-month moratorium on new applications for large-scale solar projects in June. Commissioners said the projects would be used as a case study to test regulations and the application process. Due to the heightened interest in these projects, the commission put strict public comment policies in place and had Sedgwick County sheriff’s deputies screen people as they entered the room. More than 60 people signed up to give public comment, with each speaker allotted 3 minutes. There was a fairly even mix of voices in support of and in opposition to the projects. Many of the people opposed to the projects live near the proposed project sites. They brought up concerns about how the solar panels would affect the value of their land and farm operations. The City of Clearwater formally requested the county commission not to accept the Branch Line Project, saying that it would hinder Clearwater’s growth. The only commissioner to vote in favor of both projects was Ryan Baty. He said that farmers should be able to decide what they do with their land. “In the defense of our farmers, who in this county are hurting. Farmers are hurting,” Baty said. “They have economic opportunity on their land, and I’m not telling them no. I’m not looking our farmers in the face and telling them the only thing they can do with that land is farm.” During the meeting, multiple commissioners commented on information that was missing or could not be specified due to current policies. Some said that going through this process showed them what needed to be changed in the future.
Read more: KSN-TV