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Those who are going to Colwich for the first time in a while will now be greeted by a limestone monument to the town. On March 19, the City of Colwich unveiled its new sign east of Memorial Park. According to the City of Colwich, this is an idea that’s been four years in the making, with the biggest push coming over the last three years. Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

Douglas County-area law enforcement and first responders have joined a Blue Envelope program to help them better serve people who may respond to emergencies differently from the way officers are expecting. “Not everyone responds the same in dealing with emergent and often stressful circumstances,” according to a Wednesday news from the Lawrence Police Department. “A variety of medical and mental health conditions can also cause people to act in ways that concern first responders and increase tension.” Blue envelopes hold important documentation such as a driver’s license, proof of insurance and registration in one place, but they also explain medical conditions [...]

A bill on the brink of becoming law in Kansas would incentivize local cooperation with federal immigration authorities and make it a crime to come within 25 feet of a first responder — including an ICE agent — after being ordered to back up. The bill that lawmakers sent to Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk last week would remove the requirement that sheriff’s offices obtain county commission approval before entering into agreements with ICE. That provision was bundled with another piece of legislation that First Amendment advocates warn would give law enforcement officers broad, subjective power to arrest people whom they deem [...]

A little more than a year after a $450 million bond issue narrowly failed at the polls, Wichita Public Schools said Tuesday that administrators were informally recommending the school board schedule a November bond vote. The district announced a series of community feedback sessions to better assess what parents and residents want to see improved in Wichita schools. The push to revive a bond issue – which the board will consider at its June meeting – comes as officials say a long list of facility needs continues to create problems for the district. Ahead of the 2025 vote, the district cited [...]

Along Andover Road, the Andover Historical Museum holds a treasure trove of history. “I don’t think there’s a lot of people that even know how deep our roots are,” said Tricia Lee, president of the museum. “I’ve been finding lots of stuff in the 1800s, like boxing was a big thing here.” The museum has been around for decades, and the new board wants to start a new chapter. “Rebuild it and make this an official museum with real exhibits in it,” Lee said. Over the last year, volunteers have gone through each piece inside. Read more: KSN-TV

On Friday evening, the Kansas Legislature passed S Sub HB 2745 that allows voters (through a protest petition signed by 10% of voters) to effectively veto a budget with property taxes increased beyond the CPI (inflation index), or 3%, whichever is lower. If not vetoed by the Governor, a number of financial risks could arise for local governments, including ... Cumulative Revenue Erosion: Because the 3% cap acts as a bottleneck during years of high inflation (it was 8.0% in 2022), property tax revenue could quickly fall behind actual costs, creating a permanent ever-growing revenue gap. Loss of the “Gold Standard” [...]

There’s a clean energy ordinance that could change soon. There’s the city’s strategic plan, which will soon get an update. There are two new city commissioners, a sustainability department with just a $4,000 operating budget for this year, and multiple other departments doing their own environmental work. Read more: LJWorld

Prices are up for rural grocers, margins are thin, staff are hard to find and transportation costs are higher for small-town stores. Communities across Kansas have been attempting new ways to fill in the grocery gaps. But some of those solutions are coming up short. Read more: Wichita Eagle

The Garden City Commission packet is getting a monthly financial report once again. Jared Kuhlmann, Garden City Finance Director, presented and explained the new, monthly Financial Report that they will provide to the Commission’s meeting packets at its regular meeting on March 17. Kuhlmann said a few years ago a Financial Report was included in every other meeting’s packet, but they went away from that when they got Tyler Software, which they use for tracking finances. But they felt it was prudent, after looking at the performance metrics, to bring it back. Read more: Garden City Telegram

Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday weighed their options on addressing street conditions and related funding decisions. Pavement Condition Index values provide a rating of pavement conditions and integrity through a 0-100 range. Manhattan city roadways were generally found to be in fair condition, averaging a 60 rating. City engineer and public works director Brian Johnson said the city’s current “backlog” of road maintenance has reached 18%, meaning those roads require full or partial reconstruction. Read more: News Radio KMAN