For Sara Swanson, the lead behavioral specialist at Lenexa-based dog training company Sit Now Stay, leashing dogs is a must. When she was a child, a dog overpowered its owner and attacked her dog. So her advice for clients regarding off-leash dog walking is simple: Don’t. “It’s one of those things where, even if we put a lot of effort in, just for the safety of our own dogs, ourselves and those around us, it’s best to keep them leashed in a public area,” Swanson said. In Johnson County, by and large, cities require pet owners to keep dogs leashed in [...]

The Clay Center Zoo is celebrating the one-year anniversary of Willie, its Asian water monitor, with a “gotcha day” celebration event Sunday, August 16 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. The zoo will host a Sundae Social Meet and Greet and visitors will have the opportunity to meet Willie, take photos and talk with zoo staff about the animals and the facility. Free ice cream donated by Simply Scoops will be available while supplies last. The zoo expressed appreciation for the community’s continued support and encouraged residents to bring family and friends to the celebration. Read more: KCLY Radio

A broken soda machine in a small Kansas town sparked an idea that would transform the frozen beverage industry and become a staple at movie theaters and convenience stores worldwide. An ICEE is a frozen carbonated beverage with a distinctive slushy consistency — part drink, part frozen treat. Today, it's a global phenomenon, but it all started with an accident in 1958. In 1958, Omar Knedlik owned a Dairy Queen in Coffeyville when his soda machine malfunctioned. Rather than wait for repairs, Knedlik began freezing glass bottles to keep drinks cold. When customers opened the bottles, something unexpected occurred. "When he [...]

A small Kansas town has agreed to pay $850,000 to a former reporter at its weekly newspaper to end her federal lawsuit over a police raid of the paper's offices in 2023 that ignited a national furor over press freedom. Read more: KSN-TV

The U.S. Department of Justice is pouring nearly $290 million into communities across the country to boost public safety, and nine places in Kansas are getting a piece of the pie. The major funding boost comes from the federal government’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program. Since 2005, the program has helped state and local police departments buy gear, upgrade technology, and train officers. “This funding strengthens our state, local, and tribal partners’ ability to address violent crime,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. said in a news release. Read more: KSN-TV

A western Kansas community is being urged to be vigilant after a mountain lion was spotted near a popular park. The City of Liberal said Monday that a mountain lion was seen near Arkalon Park, about 10 miles northeast of the city. The city said that wildlife officials have been notified. It encouraged visitors to stay aware of their surroundings and to keep children and pets close by. Read more: KSN-TV

The Vote Yes Yes for Wichita Kids committee hosted a USD 259 bond campaign kickoff rally Saturday at Wave Wichita in downtown. It is in support of a two-question $615 million bond issue that will be on the Nov. 3 general election. The bonds will fund projects like new heating and air conditioning systems, preservation improvements and rebuilding several schools. Read more: KSN-TV

HaysMed, NMC Health in Newton, Clara Barton in Hoisington and the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital in Larned have teamed up with three other rural Kansas hospitals to form what’s known as a clinically integrated network in an effort to increase care and lower costs. But they’re not jumping in blind. Instead, they’re following a plan that’s succeeded in other states shepherded by Cibolo Rural Health Networks. Read more: KSN-TV

Hillsboro fire chief Ben Steketee will retire Monday after what he candidly describes as a 25 year second chance career. In 2021, after three years as a star volunteer firefighter, he was elevated by then-Mayor Dolores Dahlke to take the paid helm of the department. But he felt obligated to unload a troubling fact on her: “There’s probably something about me you don’t know — I’m a convicted felon,” Steketee told her. “It’s not for arson, is it?” asked the mayor, as incredulous as anyone would be who knew the cheerful, reliable first responder. Read more: Marion County RECORD

A new proposal for an arts and entertainment complex in Gardner is pushing big plans for a 335-acre space on the north side of I-35 at 175th Street. Velocity Arts is a mixed-use plan comprised of many pieces, including a 15,000-seat indoor concert venue, a school focused on media production, apartments, a shopping area with restaurants and a grocery store and a hotel with a spa. Also in the plan is a performing arts center containing a mainstage theater as well as a black box theater for community use. The busy interchange at I-35 has been on the Kansas Department of [...]