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“Just don’t forget about us”: Mayor Kovacic pleads for commission to help city of Stark

info2024-08-16T08:41:58-05:00August 16th, 2024|

Stark Mayor Jeff Kovacic spoke at Tuesday’s Neosho County Commission meeting voicing concerns over finances for his community. Stark has a population of 67 residents. Kovacic listed the community's responsibilities to the taxpayers. Valuation in Stark is about $264,000, meaning a mill levied generates about $264. Kovacic said that 99 percent of the town’s tax money goes toward insurance. While some things in the town generate money, the tax money mostly goes to paying other bills, he said. Kovacic asked the commission for a portion of the payment in lieu of taxes from Neosho Ridge Wind. The commission has given some [...]

Droessler fills role

info2024-08-15T10:08:23-05:00August 15th, 2024|

Robby Droessler recently assumed the role of Iola's parks and cemetery superintendent. He ascended into the position after long-time parks and cemetery boss Berkley Kerr retired this summer. Want to feel old? Robby Droessler, Iola’s newly minted parks and cemetery superintendent, was having a recent conversation with a seasonal employee of his who helped with mowing during the summer before returning to school in the fall. The chat steered to Iola’s 2007 flood, which filled Riverside Park with 10 feet of floodwater and ultimately resulted in construction of a new swimming pool and a new community building. “He didn’t remember anything [...]

Crawford considers solar farm

info2024-08-15T10:05:01-05:00August 15th, 2024|

Crawford County commissioners are considering a proposed $500 million solar farm that would generate not only energy but also millions in tax revenues, according to the Pittsburg Morning Sun. John Copyak of Shasta Power, based in Bend, Ore., introduced the plan to commissioners earlier this week. The 1,500-acre site woud be between Arma and Frontenac and be centered on an existing power station, the Sun reported. Construction would require 200 workers, with a dozen permanent jobs required to maintain the site. The farm is slated to generate 200 megawatts, enough to power 50,000 homes, according to Copyak. The solar farm is [...]

Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation asks federal court to resolve jurisdiction dispute with sheriff

info2024-08-15T10:03:26-05:00August 15th, 2024|

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in a federal lawsuit accuses the Jackson County sheriff of threatening to arrest tribal police over a tax dispute with a gas station on the reservation. The lawsuit against Sheriff Tim Morse signals an escalation in longstanding tensions over law enforcement jurisdiction on the nation’s land. Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation chairman, said the sheriff does not collaborate with the nation. “We have really had a checkered past with Jackson County, specifically the sheriff,” Rupnick said, noting Morse and his wife are former employees of Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. In late May, the lawsuit [...]

City repeals old code

info2024-08-15T10:00:00-05:00August 15th, 2024|

John Clark, chairman of the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC), appeared before the city commission to ask for the repeal of City Code 1975 Section 26-76 which prevents a committee member petitioning the city for funds for economic development if that member remains on the committee and up to one year after. While Clark said he understood and agreed with the original intent of the section, he said it should not apply to the EDAC given the fact that members of other committees and boards, including the city commission, often recuse themselves from voting if there is a conflict of interest. [...]

Girard City Council talks homelessness

info2024-08-15T09:58:46-05:00August 15th, 2024|

From passing ordinances to the de-annexation of a property, the Girard City Council discussed several items at Monday’s meeting. But as in so many towns and cities, of late, the topic of homelessness was raised during council comments. Second ward councilman Lucas Stansbury opened the discussion noting that he had heard of individuals camping at the former location of Mini-Stop close to the four-way intersection of K-7 and K-47. “It’s just more prevalent. Start thinking about what we need to do with homeless,” he said. City attorney Steve Angermayer added, “We’re aware ... We’ve talked about it.” “Recently, the United States [...]

Homelessness again an issue at commission

info2024-08-15T09:56:30-05:00August 15th, 2024|

Sandra Main of Pittsburg spoke to the city commission about the homeless issue, specifically her interactions with them at her businesses. Main, a licensed master’s level psychologist and owner of Possibility Junction, said she sees a new face every week. “I see them in my parking lot every day and night,” Main said. “I see a drug deal at least once a week.” Last week, Main said, she encountered a homeless child living in a car parked in her parking lot with his father. Main said she notified police, but nothing was done about helping the child. The car was removed. [...]

After criticism, Wichita officials back away from downtown parking changes they approved

info2024-08-15T09:52:25-05:00August 15th, 2024|

The Wichita City Council has come under intense scrutiny for eliminating free parking downtown after the city shared the news on its Facebook page on Saturday: “Beginning January 1, 2025, all public parking in the downtown area will convert to paid parking.” Wichitans flooded the city’s Facebook post with more than a thousand angry comments. The anger continued at a series of heated in-person meetings hosted by the city. A downtown small-business owner started a petition that had more than 5,200 signatures by Tuesday calling on the city to halt the plan and offer free parking areas. It was a strong [...]

Hoping to lure families back to public schools, Wichita launches K-6 microschool experiment

info2024-08-15T09:48:27-05:00August 15th, 2024|

The Wichita school district is launching an experimental microschool in hopes of luring back some families that have left public schools. The new Creative Minds program features a one-room schoolhouse approach, with about 20 students from kindergarten through sixth grade learning from one teacher. It is housed at the for-profit Learning Lab space inside Union Station downtown — an education collaborative with ties to Wichita-based Koch Inc. District officials revealed the program during a special school board meeting recently, after quietly developing it behind the scenes. Its inaugural class includes about 15 children who were recruited from area families that had [...]

Wichita now requires all dogs and cats to be microchipped. See what else is changing

info2024-08-15T09:46:18-05:00August 15th, 2024|

All Wichita dog and cat owners will now be required to microchip their furry friends due to a City Council vote during a 10-hour-long meeting Tuesday. Now, owners are required to microchip their dogs and cats 5 months and older. A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is implanted between the pet’s shoulder blades. The microchip includes a code with the owner’s information, but does not have tracking capabilities. The Animal Services Advisory board formed a committee last year to improve animal control ordinances in Wichita. The recommendations were first presented to the council in a [...]

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