Law enforcement agencies across Kansas have been on high alert after a series of school threats that have targeted at least 12 schools in the northeast Kansas area. Six northeast Kansas school districts have had threats made against them recently, prompting some law enforcement agencies to heighten enforcement efforts.
Source: 1350 KMAN
A former Kansas Department of Commerce official suspected of embezzling public funds handled money for a community foundation that received a $425,000 grant while he oversaw the same grant at the state agency that awarded it, an apparent conflict of interest now coming under scrutiny. Two top Commerce officials — Lt. Gov. David Toland, who leads the agency, and Robert North, the agency’s general counsel — signed off on the grant amid warning signs that the official was working on both sides of the grant. The former official, Jonathan L. Clayton, died in August in a single-vehicle crash as he faced mounting suspicion of wrongdoing and as a past felony conviction in Pennsylvania became more widely known in Kansas. Until October 2023, Clayton had been the director of economic recovery at Commerce, where he oversaw more than $100 million in programs funded by federal pandemic dollars. The agency didn’t conduct a criminal background check before hiring him. Clayton’s death has attracted significant attention, coming after he went missing on Aug. 3 and before an apparently posthumous email from him made allegations of misconduct involving Commerce, which the agency denies. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation in late August said it had found no evidence of foul play, but the investigation was continuing.
Source: Wichita Eagle
The city of Lawrence’s app now allows residents to make 11 new types of service requests, including pothole and pavement repairs and stormwater issues. The city announced the expanded service requests offered by the web app, called SeeClickFix…
Source: LJWorld
The City of Wichita said it will increase enforcement as it continues Stage 2 water restrictions. … “During the last two months, efforts on education were prioritized over issuing fines,” said the city. “Going forward, staff plans to increase enforcement, including issuance of fines if warranted, while still continuing educational efforts on ways to cut back on water use.”
Source: KWCH
The Lyon County Commission reviewed the findings and recommendations found in the VisionFirst Economic Development Report, Thursday morning. The report outlines recommendations for streamlining economic development efforts in Emporia and the surrounding areas by bringing entities like RDA, the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce, Emporia Main Street, and Visit Emporia under one umbrella organization. The report, which was commissioned by the City of Emporia, was recently presented to the county and several key stakeholders, including the Regional Development Association and Emporia Enterprises. According to Chair Rollie Martin, the VisionFirst report outlines a more unified, strategic direction for economic development in Emporia and Lyon County. The key recommendation suggests consolidating economic development efforts, which currently involve multiple entities, under one primary organization. It proposes dissolving Emporia Enterprises and shifting its responsibilities to the RDA, which already has the authority to handle many of these tasks, including acquiring property for economic development purposes.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Following the Sept. 17 Lenexa City Council denial of a Special Use Permit for the proposed Homeless Services Center, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners voted today to terminate the real estate purchase agreement with MAA Krupa Lenexa LLC for the La Quinta property. Given the timeliness of contractual requirements, the Board took special action outside of its previously published calendar. “While I’m deeply disappointed in the Lenexa City Council’s denial of the SUP application, we needed to take swift action today to preserve as many federal COVID-19 relief funds as possible,” said Mike Kelly, Chairman of the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners. “Because we know there is a clear need to serve our unhoused population, we will work diligently to reallocate these resources toward investments that help vulnerable residents find permanent housing, employment, mental health services, and assistance with rent and utilities. While this project would have been a monumental step toward each of those needs, we knew that more work would always be necessary, so we will continue to collaborate with willing partners to address the housing crisis in our community.”
Source: Johnson County Kansas |
The Federal Bureau of Investigations will contribute some funds to the Olathe Police Department’s new firing range planned in southern Olathe. On Tuesday, the Olathe City Council voted 6-0 to approve a 20-year memorandum of understanding with the FBI for shared use and shared cost of building the facility near 167th Street and Interstate 35. Additionally, the city council approved an agreement with Turner Construction for the design and construction of the firing range. Councilmember Matt Schoonover was absent from the meeting. Firing range project to cost around $15M.
All the features of the new firing range planned in southern Olathe are still being settled, but on Tuesday, Olathe Police Chief Mike Butaud showed pictures of a police firing range under construction in Michigan off of which Olathe could base theirs. The plan is to build a range with some indoor and outdoor training spaces. In its capital improvement plan list, the city has budgeted just over $13.1 million for the project. The FBI will kick in another $2 million to help build it.
Source: Johnson County Post
While this southeast Kansas town’s population peaked more than 100 years ago, the opening of the region’s largest ever economic development project means its best days are ahead, Lt. Gov. David Toland said Thursday. Toland spoke to a crowd of more than 100 state and federal lawmakers, economic development officials and construction company representatives who gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Bartlett soybean crushing plant just south of Cherryvale. The town’s population peaked at 4,700 in 1920 and is now 2,200. Toland, a Democrat and Iola native who also serves as commerce secretary, said the project reminds him of southeast Kansas’ “glory days.” “When heavy industry was pouring into this region and our towns were booming,” Toland said of the early 20th century, “it looked a lot like this, and we’re doing it again.” The $375 million plant, which began accepting shipments of soybeans in February, can house 49 million bushels of the crop and will help create food, animal feed and fuel, officials said. Now that it’s operational, Bartlett executives said, it will employ about 60 full-time workers.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Changes are coming to the housing voucher program in several Kansas counties. Sedgwick, Butler, and Harvey County, excluding Newton, are moving to payment standards set by ZIP code for their housing voucher programs. In Wichita, people previously received a flat rate for their voucher. Starting Jan. 1, the amount someone receives will be based on ZIP code. The change is happening through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Wichita City Council member Brandon Johnson is concerned about landlords who don’t have good motives
I always think about the ways they try to get out of dealing with people, and one of those per this change is that these rates don’t apply to those already under a lease or a contract,” said Johnson. “It only happens when you renew or a new person enters the system.” Johnson says this could allow residents to afford to live in an area with a higher median income. Officials say the change will not only be complicated to administer for city staff but will also require education for residents. That’s why the city’s housing department is developing a tool similar to the one already used in Boston. It lets you enter your income, bedroom size, and whether you pay for utilities like electric, gas or trash. It also will tell you the affordability of that home.
Source: KSN-TV
Mulvane residents are assured that their water is safe to consume despite a more pronounced chlorine smell. The City of Mulvane normally gets its water from Augusta. However, recently, the line running from Augusta to Mulvane under the Walnut River failed, leading Mulvane to switch to its groundwater reserve system. That water is treated through Reverse Osmosis, which passes it through a filter that removes minerals, salts, and other impurities and disinfects it with chlorine. The water from Augusta is surface water, which was first treated through lime softening, then chlorine. That process removes calcium and magnesium from the water, along with some organic material. The water is then disinfected with chlorine. The chlorine typically binds with residual organic material, creating harmless chloramines, which also reduce the strength of the chlorine smell. Mulvane says until repairs are made, residents may notice a stronger chlorine smell in their water. However, it is safe, and there is no cause for concern. The city is waiting on a boring crew to put a new line underneath the river. There is no timeline on when that will take place.
Source: KSN-TV
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