Country music icon Dolly Parton, whose influence stretched far beyond the stage and into the homes of millions of children — including families in Lyon County — died Tuesday at age 80. Parton died Aug. 25 following a brief battle with cancer, according to her representatives. She died at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville surrounded by loved ones. (People.com) Parton leaves behind a career spanning more than six decades as a singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist. But for thousands of Kansas families, Parton's legacy can also be found on children's bookshelves. Read more: www.emporiagazette.com

A Kansas City, Kansas, street has been renamed in honor of a local officer killed in the line of duty one year ago. A ceremony took place Wednesday afternoon, on the one-year anniversary of the tragic line-of-duty death of Officer Hunter Simoncic. Campus Boulevard at Kansas City, Kansas Community College is now Officer Hunter Simoncic Boulevard from the intersection at State Avenue through campus, to Parallel Parkway. Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

Finney County residents showed up on the sidewalk along the 2300 block of East Kansas Avenue, in front of Tequila’s Mexican Grill, on Saturday to protest against the development of data centers in the county. Husband and wife, Rance and Shelby Schribvogel, organized the protest. Shelby Schribvogel said they organized it because the people’s voices need to be heard since the Finney County Commission, local city commissions and the Finney County Economic Development Corporation have been ignoring people against bringing data centers to the county. Read more: Garden City Telegram

While the city held a public hearing about its budget, it was Flock cameras that drew the most comment at Newton’s Aug. 24 commission meeting. For the third meeting in a row, residents asked for public discussion and more information about a system of 11 automated license plate readers installed around Newton. “Put it on the agenda,” Newton resident Maggie Snow said to the commission. “Review the procurement. Who among you is willing to ask that Flock be placed on a future agenda so these questions can be publicly discussed?” The cameras are a part of a larger network of tag [...]

A new park in North Newton will have a variety of features to mimic the natural surroundings. That’s according to North Newton City Council Member and North Newton Parks and Recreation Committee Chair Marissa Murphy. She said those could include logs, grasses, moveable parts and water. The structures still are yet to be determined, Murphy said. The proposed park is north of Kauffman Museum’s main entrance, as well as around the sidewalk there into the trees. Read more: Harvey County Now

A strange smell prompted a call to the Hesston Police Department. Coming from the area of Emma Creek Road and Hesston Road, the HPD was notified of a possible gas odor. When officers responded, it was quickly determined the smell was not gas but rather the application of chicken manure to fields to be used as fertilizer. Read more: Harvey County Now

The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment and the Mid-America Regional Council partnered to host workshops for cities and other community partners in the region to develop a model policy for e-mobility devices - which includes e-bikes, e-scooters and more. A copy of the model policy is available online. The initial convening in January 2026 highlighted the need for consistent policy throughout the region that improved safety and was easy for the public to understand. Representatives from local municipalities have provided feedback multiple times to shape the final version of model policy. Read more: Johnson County Kansas

To Christopher Kaberline’s two young girls, Dolly Parton isn’t an iconic global music legend. She’s “Grandma Dolly.” That’s because they’ve grown up reading books provided for free by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, titles like “I Am A Rainbow,” “Ice Cream Face” and “Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?” On Tuesday, after news of Parton’s death at age 80, Kaberline of Prairie Village took to social media to honor the singer and philanthropist and her impact on his daughters and other children who have received books over the years. Read more: Johnson County Post

Olathe’s industrial footprint continues to expand. The Olathe City Council unanimously approved up to $239.8 million in industrial revenue bonds for three facilities that will manufacture electrical and power systems for data centers on Aug. 18. The buildings, operated by Wisconsin-based Faith Technologies, will be about 500,000 square feet each. The development will cover more than 118 acres southwest of 167th Street and Lone Elm Road. The council also approved an 80% property tax abatement for 10 years. Faith Technologies would receive a full property tax exemption but make payments in lieu of taxes equal to about 20% of what it [...]

Two years after Prairie Village’s housing debate was effectively put to rest, a new state law is forcing the city to delve back into housing discussions. Senate Bill 418, known as the by-right housing bill and signed into law earlier this year, removes barriers to home building that might slow down the process or increase costs for home builders. The goal of SB 418, spearheaded by Kansas Sen. TJ Rose, Republican, of Olathe, is to bring back “starter homes.” SB 418 eliminates some administrative steps in the home building process, opens up the definition of what qualifies as a single-family home and [...]