In hundreds of Kansas towns, the distance between neighbors is growing — not just in miles, but in access to the things that make community life possible. As more families consider moving to urban centers, communities across the state face a new question: How do you ensure people can reach work, healthcare and everything they need when the roads between them feel longer and the resources to maintain them are limited? One University of Kansas School of Engineering program is helping towns across the state maintain safer roads, preserve essential services, expand reliable transit and strengthen the ties that hold communities [...]

At the Franklin County Commission Meeting on Sept. 2, the commission unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on data center activities in the county’s unincorporated areas from the meeting through Dec. 31, 2028. According to the commission, this means there is a temporary stop to the planning, establishment, construction, and applications for special use permits for data centers, or related activities and components associated with data centers. This was said in the agenda of the Sept. 2 commission meeting. Read more: The Ottawa Herald

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the launch of the Building Local Opportunity through Coordinated Kansas Investment (BLOCK) program, a competitive placemaking initiative designed to help one Kansas community dramatically transform the appearance of a downtown block. A total of $500,000 is available through this pilot program. One award will be made. The BLOCK application period will open September 11, 2026, and close September 30, 2026. The award will be announced by October 10, 2026, and all funded improvements must be completed before December 15, 2026. Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield — the key benchmark for mortgage borrowing, auto loans and credit card debt — was up 1.7 basis points at 4.857%. The 2-year Treasury note yield, which is typically more sensitive to short-term Federal Reserve interest rate decisions, increased 1 basis point to 4.436%. The longer-dated 30-year Treasury bond yield, which moves in line with broader geopolitical risks, was up more than 2 basis points at 5.307%. One basis point is equal to 0.01%, and yields and prices move in opposite directions. U.S. yields increased on Wednesday, after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department will buy back $6 billion [...]

Data centers are popping up all over Kansas, but not in Cowley County. Amid growing anti-data center sentiment, the CT spoke with managers of area cities and other government jurisdictions to learn whether any data center plans were brewing locally. None are, at least not at the moment. None appear to be putting in restrictions for potential projects, either. Critics worry about how much power and water data centers consume, the noise they generate and the general advancement of artificial intelligence that data centers support. Others equate the opposition to something of a moral panic, and cite the potential economic benefits [...]

Maura Dwyer of Baltimore, Md., was one of the passengers who ended up stranded in southwest Kansas on Sept. 11, 2001 as the air space over the United States was shut down due to the terrorists attacks. She was one of the passengers transported to Dodge City after landing at Garden City Regional Airport. Here’s a look at her recounting the event and now wanting to go back to Dodge City in a Baltimore Banner story. Read more: Dodge City Daily Globe

The City of Dodge City has released a comprehensive update on the proposed data‑center developments in Ford County, outlining what is known, what remains uncertain, and what must be addressed before any large‑scale projects move forward. According to the City, its involvement is limited to evaluating potential water and wastewater service, while land‑use approvals, development agreements, taxation, and electric‑service decisions fall under Ford County and other responsible entities. As the document notes, “Information below reflects current discussions and is subject to change as projects develop.” Read more: Dodge City Daily Globe

B. J. Collins points out the ring of white tape on a utility pole across from her home on Wenonga Lane in Leawood. The tape, more than waist-high, is the high water mark from a particularly bad year of heavy rain a few years back. “Lake Wenonga,” her neighborhood is sometimes called — a reference to the muddy runoff that has at times pooled up in the basin created by her street’s topography. On the same day, in another flood-prone area, Jane and Bill Leverich were bracing for a different kind of water problem. Their house in Leawood Estates, just north [...]

Five independent Kansas hospitals are joining forces to improve care in rural communities, the collaboration announced on Tuesday. The group is called Astra Health. It is the result of a partnership between Amberwell Health, LMH Health, Salina Regional Health Center, Newman Regional Health and The University of Kansas Health System. Together, the hospitals serve more than 500,000 patients every year and cover nearly every county in Kansas. Read more: KSN-TV

Fort Scott City Commissioner Matthew Wells spoke with us Sunday looking to clarify some decisions made by commissioners to preserve the historic nature of downtown. He says he and fellow commissioners have gotten concerns from the community regarding a year old ordinance made to protect historic buildings downtown. The ordinance gives the city’s code department the ability to fine people for what’s called “demolition by neglect” where an old building is not properly taken care of and eventually falls into disrepair. Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com