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

Downtown building owners told the Fort Scott City Commission during their Sept. 1 meeting that the penalties in the city's historic preservation ordinance could push businesses out of the district. Commissioner Julie Buchta opened the discussion, saying she had spent two weeks visiting downtown businesses after the codes department told her it had been directed to enforce Ordinance 3782 "to the full degree." The 2025 ordinance created the Fort Scott Historic Preservation and Resource Commission under the state's Certified Local Government program, or CLG. Buchta read from the enforcement section of the version then posted on the city's website, which made [...]

Riley County commissioners considered significantly higher penalties for short-term rentals operating without a valid license as part of proposed changes to the planning and development fee schedule during a work session on Thursday. Short-term rentals (also called vacation rentals) are commonly rented on sites like Airbnb and VRBO. The proposal is intended to encourage compliance rather than generate revenue, Riley County planning and special projects director Amanda Webb said. Under the proposal, an unlicensed short-term rental would face a $500 penalty. If the owner does not pay the assessment or resolve the violation within 30 days, the penalty could increase to [...]

A member of Topeka's administration will be leaving at the end of the year. Deputy city manager Braxton Copley announced his retirement Sept. 2. “I have been honored by the opportunity to serve Topeka for more than 20 years in various roles for the municipal government,” Copley said. “I am grateful for the many people I have had the opportunity to work with and for the experiences I have gained throughout my career. It has been a privilege to serve the City of Topeka and its residents." His official last day will be Jan. 4. Read more: Topeka Capital-Journal

The city’s current regulations establish a local tobacco retail licensing program that allows it to monitor sales and conduct compliance checks. The city currently has no limit on the number of licenses that can be issued. Read more: LJWorld

The developer will renovate an elementary school, build a community center + rec park, preserve farmland, train workers, build trails + solar, buy a fire truck, and it replaces an idle aluminum smelter. As stated in the agreement, also known as a Developer Rights and Responsibilities Agreement or DRRA (that promises the county $110 million for schools, parks and other public projects) the developer would be protected from rezonings, downzonings, or land removals that would prevent the completion of the data center campus. Read more: Baltimore Sun via MSN

Warsh at Jackson Hole gave a more hawkish reading of the economy than he had in July. He said elevated prices needed to be the Fed's main focus and described financial conditions as not being broadly restrictive, a change from his July press conference, when he said they were uneven. He did that while swiping back at his critics and insisting his policy of deliberate ambiguity about Fed policy is here to stay. "We can be held accountable for delivering on our remit — the only true test of our credibility," Warsh said, dismissing widely echoed critiques that he had come across as [...]

Riley County officials recommended commissioners designate data centers and battery storage systems as “special use,” allowing for review by county staff, the planning board and the county commission while also allowing for public input. The standards for data centers and battery energy storage systems would differ from those for wind and solar energy, but Riley County planning and special projects director Amanda Webb said creating specific criteria would be consistent with the county’s existing approach to specialized land uses. Read more: News Radio KMAN