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Lawrence schools ordered to pay $113k for KORA violations

Federal Judge Kathryn H. Vratil has ordered USD 497 Lawrence to pay over $113,000 in attorneys’ fees for a group of student plaintiffs after the district was found to have violated KORA (the Kansas Open Records Act). According to the Lawrence Times, the ruling is part of “a broader dispute that began with the district’s use of Gaggle, an AI tool that sifts through anything attached to the district’s Google Workspace and flags content it deems a safety risk.” The Times reported that nine current and former students sued over the tool saying it was a privacy violation. In November 2025, the plaintiffs added a list of Kansas Open Records Act complaints after the district failed to follow Kansas law in responding to requests related to Gaggle and its switch to ManagedMethods, which is a tool similar to Gaggle. In April of 2026, Vratil found the district had violated KORA by not acting quickly on the plaintiff’s requests and set a deadline for the district to do so. According to the Times, Vratil ruled that delaying the fulfillment of the request  for months and attempting to charge a “go-away” price of $13,000 for the records was “not in good faith.” On Monday, July 27, 2025, Vratil ruled the district must pay 113,480 — $112,425 in attorney fees for nearly 250 hours of work, and $1,055 in costs — by Aug. 23, 2026. According to the Times, plaintiff attorney Harrison Rosenthal said the ruling is important because the plaintiffs were forced to go to federal court for public records. Moreover, the district appeared to have changed its KORA policy after the lawsuit was filed, having previously provided public records to students at no charge.
Read more: The Sentinel

2026-08-06T15:19:19-05:00August 6, 2026|Legal|

Olathe OKs townhomes intended to address the ‘missing middle’ housing

An Olathe developer is going to build townhomes that will address the “missing middle” gap in housing. At below market value, they’ll be priced under $500,000. Olathe City Council approved a rezoning request and preliminary site plans Tuesday that will make way for the mixed-use development featuring 44 townhomes and commercial space. The project, which the city council unanimously approved, will be located at an approximately 5-acre site at the southeast corner of 133rd Street and Black Bob Road. The project comes just months after the city council approved Olathe’s new comprehensive plan, “Elevate Olathe,” which outlines priorities for housing, transportation, economic development and infrastructure across the city for the next 15 years. The 183-page document is intended to serve as a guide for city staff, elected officials, business owners and residents. City staff began working on Elevate Olathe in June 2024, gathering input from roughly 4,000 residents, business owners and stakeholders through workshops, open houses and surveys. Results from community outreach found that the “dominant concern” for Olathe residents is a lack of affordable and attainable housing. According to Elevate Olathe, the average home appraised value in Olathe is $437,657 while about 43% of Olathe renters are “cost burdened,” meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing, according to the plan. To address that, the plan calls for more varied housing options, including duplexes, townhomes and smaller homes, all of which are often called “missing middle housing.”
Read more: Johnson County Post

2026-08-06T15:14:02-05:00August 6, 2026|News|

Salina adjusts its sign code enforcement in wake of Cozy Inn suit

With the Cozy Inn’s lawsuit against the city still ongoing — and while the painting on the north side of its building is now complete — Salina is using an alternate definition for “sign” after a court ruled its own code’s definition is unenforceable. A severability clause in the city’s code allows it to invalidate one part of the law while keeping the rest intact.
Read more: Salina Journal

2026-07-24T08:41:19-05:00July 24, 2026|News|

Kansas Tourism Opens Applications for Tourism Marketing Grant Program

Kansas Tourism, a division within the Kansas Department of Commerce, today announced that applications are open for the Tourism Marketing Grant program. The grants are designed to assist local tourism organizations or attractions in new or first-time innovative marketing initiatives. “Strong tourism marketing is essential for ensuring our communities are reaching new audiences, attracting more visitors and generating economic opportunities for local businesses,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “These grants are a way to help showcase what makes Kansas special while strengthening our state’s tourism economy.”
Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

2026-07-23T09:25:54-05:00July 23, 2026|Grants|

Mural to add rural scene downtown

Local artist and community muralist Brady Scott is working on another mural on a downtown building in Hutchinson, and he was given only two requests by the building’s owner: paint it blue and put in natural elements. Scott started working on a mural at 322 N. Main St.—The Hutchinson Tribune’s office—Thursday and said he’s bringing out rural aspects of Kansas life in a mural on the front of the building. He designed the mural based on reference images and his own creativity and has completed several across Hutchinson.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

2026-07-23T09:23:49-05:00July 23, 2026|News|

Law professor outlines data center concerns for rural landowners

The potential for data centers being built in Pottawatomie County gives rural landowners an uneasy future, an agriculture law professor said. Roger McEowen is the Kansas Farm Bureau professor of agricultural law and taxation at Washburn and also teaches undergraduate agricultural law courses at K-State. He said July 15 that the dynamic farmers are primarily concerned with big infrastructure and its burden on neighbors.
Read more: News Radio KMAN

2026-07-23T09:22:42-05:00July 23, 2026|Legal|

KDOT shares reminder on political sign regulations

With political campaigning and the posting of campaign signs fully underway ahead of the August primary election, the Kansas Department of Transportation recently put out a reminder on display regulations for political signs. Per KDOT, all political campaign signs or billboards are prohibited from being placed on state highway right-of-way (including Highway K-15 through Derby). By law, all right-of-way on state highways is exclusively for public highway purposes. Only regulatory, guide signs and warning signs placed by KDOT are allowed on the 9,500-mile state highway system. KDOT has jurisdiction over all interstate, Kansas and U.S. routes.
Read more: www.derbyinformer.com

2026-07-23T09:22:05-05:00July 23, 2026|News|

Lawrence city commissioners approve affordable housing incentive policy

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday approved a policy that aims to standardize how the city chooses affordable housing projects to award incentives. Some projects receive funding through the city’s affordable housing trust fund, which comes from a special city sales tax. Lawrence voters in November 2024 approved doubling the affordable housing sales tax to one penny for every $20 spent in town. The funds have supported numerous projects over the past several years. The city’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board, comprised of volunteers who were appointed by city commissioners, make recommendations, and city commissioners ultimately vote on whether to approve them. The new incentive policy provides a definition of “affordable” housing, and it “establishes a clear, consistent framework for evaluating and administering City incentives that support the development of affordable housing,” the memo in city commissioners’ meeting agenda summarizes.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

2026-07-23T09:21:06-05:00July 23, 2026|Finance|
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