With identity theft and cybercrime becoming a more pressing concern almost daily, local law enforcement will be making major changes to radio traffic to help safeguard personal information. According to Lyon County Emergency Communications Center Director Roxanne Van Gundy, effective July 8 all radio transmissions for local law enforcement — Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Emporia Police and Emporia State University Police and Safety — will become encrypted. Van Gundy says a significant amount of personal data is communicated over the airwaves when it comes to emergencies. She says many have access to these law enforcement channels whether through police scanners or apps and while the majority are likely just trying to stay informed, there are those with more sinister intentions. While speaking with KVOE News Tuesday, Van Gundy stressed this is not a local decision but rather a Federal compliance mandate that has been in place for several years. However; the Kansas Highway Patrol has recently moved to enforce this compliance across all digital radio users.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

Lyon County Commissioners will consider signing a resolution that would establish a moratorium and suspend any applications related to zoning, land use and building permitting within Lyon County during their regular action meeting Thursday. The purpose of the moratorium is to allow the Lyon County Planning and Zoning Board to review zoning regulations related to medical buildings. It was reported earlier this month that Stormont Vail Health had purchased land to build a new multi-million dollar medical facility in the county, however, calls for confirmation from KVOE to Stormont have not been returned. Commission Chairman Rollie Martin tells KVOE News the resolution being considered Thursday was drafted by the county commission and not by any local or outside agency. Consideration of the resolution comes the same week it was announced that mediated conversations between Stormont and Newman Regional Health had come to a close. Martin declined further comment until after Thursday’s meeting.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

Just how big is the equipment super load moving through Emporia on Tuesday morning? The city of Emporia Facebook page says the boiler is 22 feet tall, 22 feet wide and 216 feet long — or over 70 yards. It also weighs 660,000 pounds. The equipment stopped in Madison overnight on its way from Oklahoma to California. It is using Kansas Highway 99 north to reach Emporia. The city of Emporia has already made several traffic adjustments, temporarily disabling the stoplights at 12th and Merchant starting Monday and detouring northbound traffic on Merchant — starting at 12th — east to Burlingame Road once the load leaves town Tuesday morning. The city’s Public Works Department is also taking this opportunity to work on the Commercial Street traffic signals at fifth and Seventh, starting at 8 am Tuesday. There will be traffic control present at both intersections. 4 Rivers Electric Cooperative has also planned for service interruptions south and north of Emporia, including Road L north to US Highway 56.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

Late spring and early summer are typically busy times when it comes to Emporia’s event schedule, and this year has been no different. Emporia has seen record-setting participation with Unbound Gravel, as well as heavy attendance for the Pro Disc Golf Association Masters and Dynamic Discs Open disc golf tournaments. This week has the National Teachers Hall of Fame induction process and Emporia Pride overlapping. Next week has the Kansas Shrine Bowl. Visit Emporia Director LeLan Dains says it’s important to have what he calls diversity in the event schedule. That diversity has helped to drive Emporia’s transient guest tax receipts to record levels the past two years. The city of Emporia also recently increased the transient guest tax, also known as the hotel bed tax, from 7 percent to 8 percent. Dains says the May 2024 transient guest tax receipts were the highest in the history of Emporia tourism at $108,000, in part because of that rate increase. Dains says the Visit Emporia budget comes from those funds and gets used for marketing and communications, as well as investments in the Emporia Arts Center and Emporia Granada Theatre and specific events.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio