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The Abilene City Commission voted to hire Jon Quinday during a special meeting June 26. Quinday began his role July 1. Read more: Abilene RC

The additional revenue would primarily fund street and sidewalk projects outlined in the city’s capital improvement plan. Read more: Abilene RC

City Manager Scarlette Diseker said “this is a great attraction for our community – it's not only for the residents who live here, but also for people who are passing through." Read more: Liberal First

The unemployment rate in Emporia has shot up to 5.7% in May of this year according to the Kansas Department of Labor. Struggles for many Emporians to retain and find jobs can be traced back to layoffs of workers at the Michelin and Tyson plants, along with the closure of Holiday Resort. Read more: www.emporiagazette.com - RSS Results in news,government/*

The Holcomb Police Department has announced its brand-new Bike Patrol Unit. This is a proactive step toward enhancing community engagement, improving public safety, and increasing officer visibility in neighborhoods, parks, and public events. The Bike Patrol Unit is designed to strengthen the department’s presence in areas that are difficult to patrol by vehicle and foster stronger relationships between officers and community members. Officers on bike patrol will be able to respond quickly in crowded areas, navigate tight spaces, and engage more personally with residents. Read more: Garden City Telegram

The North Newton City Council decided to offer a retention bonus to fill the town’s police department sergeant position that has been vacant for years. “To be more competitive and get more applications, the council authorized a signing and retention bonus up to $10,000 for the position,” City Administrator Bradley Harris said. The council was fine with the amount, but discussion centered around the retention schedule, Harris said. The position has been unfilled for close to three years, Harris said. Read more: Harvey County Now

Mayor Dennis Travis was absent, as were council members Denice Klassen and Shawna Will. The No BESS crowd was modest, but no one spoke at the public forum during Halstead’s City Council meeting on Monday evening. Yet, the most significant action to date was taken by the council relating to the battery energy storage system. With a unanimous 3-0 vote, the council approved a resolution providing a temporary moratorium on BESS over 80 kilowatt hours (kWh) within city limits until Jan. 1, 2028. Read more: Harvey County Now

A federal lawsuit filed earlier this year with the aim of stopping NextEra Energy Resources’ plans to place a 5,000-acre solar farm in southwestern Jackson County has been dismissed by a federal judge who said that the plaintiffs in the case lacked the standing to sue, it has been reported. Read more: The Holton Recorder

Electric-vehicle battery production is underway at Panasonic’s $4 billion plant in De Soto. The manufacturing facility at 10301 Astra Parkway is Panasonic's second U.S. plant and its largest production facility so far. Panasonic anticipates the De Soto plant will boost its U.S.-based production capacity to approximately 73 gigawatt hours. Read more: Kansas City Business Journal - Local Kansas City News

As part of building the multibillion-dollar facility, Panasonic officials said they hoped to hire 4,000 workers to fill the new 4.7 million square foot factory in De Soto. So far, the company has hired 1,100 employees and anticipates to fill 2,000 positions by next year, all helping build the lithium ion batteries that power electric vehicles. Read more: Local Kansas City Missouri & Kansas News |