The U.S. Geological Survey says a 5.1 magnitude earthquake Friday was recorded around 11:24 p.m. with the epicenter of the earthquake in Prague, Oklahoma. Residents in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, along with Oklahoma all reporting furniture shaking and cabinet doors opening. Most humans can feel a magnitude 2.5 or higher according to geological experts. If you felt Friday’s earthquake, you can report it to the USGS online.
Source: KSN-TV
People in Reno County may have seen or smelled smoke Friday. The Hutchinson Fire Department had some firefighters start fires as part of its mitigation efforts ahead of wildfire season. They were burning a ditch on Buhler/Haven Road on Friday afternoon. “Every year we go around our territory and pick out four to five places we feel are concerns,” Jeremy Unruh, HFD division chief of operations, said. “We’re looking for the fuel type in the fields, how thick it is, and we compare that against recent incidents we’ve had.” He said burning a ditch gives some protection since many fires start along roadways, possibly from discarded cigarettes or chains dragged along the pavement, creating sparks. The goal is that the controlled fires now will help prevent grass fires from starting in the coming months. The fires also help train crews. According to the Kansas Forest Service, recent moisture helps in the short term but also creates more fuel for fires and causes problems for crews. “When we do have fires that start, and our fire departments try to get out into the fields to put them out, with the ground being so wet, the chances of getting fire trucks stuck and those kinds of things go up a lot,” said Rodney Redinger, Kansas Forest Service asst. fire management officer of operations and training. Another thing that can cause grass fires is when four-wheelers get stuck in tall grass. If that happens, Redinger says to shut the vehicle off to prevent hot exhaust from starting a fire.
Source: KSN-TV
The Honeywell aerospace manufacturing facility in Olathe is planning an $84 million expansion, expected to create more than 150 new jobs, officials announced on Friday. The Olathe plant is just south of the intersection of Kansas Highways 7 and 10. The 560,000-square-foot facility manufactures parts for avionics, safety and flight control systems, radio frequency systems and weather radar, according to a news release. “Expanding this facility will enable the development of a strong and resilient domestic supply chain for next-generation avionics and printed circuit board assemblies that our commercial and military customers can rely on,” Honeywell Aerospace Technologies President and CEO Jim Currier said in the release. “At Honeywell, we are in constant need of highly skilled employees, particularly in engineering and advanced manufacturing, and our decision to expand one of our U.S.-based facilities is a testament to the confidence we have in the U.S. economy and its talented workforce.” Last month, the Olathe City Council approved an agreement with the Kansas Department of Commerce for a company — which at the time was unnamed and only dubbed “Project Amber” — to receive money from the state’s Job Creation Fund. Honeywell will receive $4 million over several years, including $500,000 from city real estate taxes generated on the site. The company agreed to create 156 jobs in the first five years of the agreement.
Source: Joco 913 News
While many American cities are struggling with large numbers of newly arrived migrants, Topeka is inviting anyone and everyone with permission to work in the U.S. to come its way. Like a lot of smaller cities, the Kansas capital is grappling with near-stagnant population growth and an unemployment rate well below the national average, according to city and economic-development officials. Finding people to fill its roughly 6,600 open jobs has been a struggle, they say. The Greater Topeka Partnership, an economic-development group, has been trying to sell people on the city with its “Choose Topeka” marketing campaign, which it started in 2019. Last year, it decided to direct those efforts toward immigrants, especially those from Spanish-speaking countries.
Source: Wall Street Journal
The second round of Johnson County’s Landlord Incentive Pilot Program began Feb. 1, 2024 following its approval by the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 18, 2024. The program will be available until funds are exhausted. The pilot program provides landlords with financial incentives to rent their units to low-income tenants using federally funded housing subsidy vouchers. The Board approved $200,000 in federal funds to continue the program. The first round of funding was available from July 1-Nov. 15, 2023, before the federal grant funds were successfully expended. In the first round, the county recruited 23 new landlords to participate in the Housing Choice Voucher program and six returning landlords who previously left the program. A total of 41 landlords participated. As a result, the program provided 83 families with long-term, stable housing – including families with disabled members, working families with children and families experiencing homelessness. A survey gathered feedback from landlords who participated in the first round of the Landlord Incentive Pilot Program. The survey found that 96% of landlords indicated they offered units to the program that they would not have because of the incentive. Additionally, 90% of new landlords stated they would not have tried the program without the sign-on bonus. Find more information on the survey. While families with vouchers are no more likely than any other tenant to damage units, the county also offers landlords reimbursement for tenant-caused damages. Landlords who participated in the incentive program have indicated the damage reimbursement fund was important for continued partnership with the Johnson County Housing Authority. To date, the damage reimbursement fund has not received any claims for tenant damages. “People on our program tend to be long term renters, so that one-time initial investment to get landlord partnerships will lead to vulnerable populations having stable housing for a long period of time,” said Jessa Molina, landlord liaison for Johnson County. Since the incentive program’s inception, the Housing Choice Voucher program has seen an increase in its utilization rate of vouchers by 4% to 89%. The goal is to continue to raise the rate to 93% by the end of the second round of funding.
Source: Johnson County Kansas
Johnson County has released its Market Study Analysis for the Assessment Year 2024, examining the real estate market in the county – including both the residential and commercial markets. The analysis is completed by the county’s Appraiser’s Office, using data from its annual valuation process. During the process, the office reviewed the sale of more than 19,000 residential properties, completing a sales comparison analysis to developed market values. The study found that nearly 90% of residential properties increased in value for 2024. The median single-family residential sale price rose 7-8% from 2022 to 2023, leading to an average increase in residential values in the 7-9% range. Commercial real estate also remained steady, with commercial values increasing at a rate of 6-10%. The commercial market includes the following sectors: Industrial: The industrial market remained steady in 2023, with more than six million square feet of industrial new construction permits issued. Multifamily: The multifamily market continues to perform better than many markets in the country, with mixed-use development and vertical construction remaining popular. Office: Office market rental rates remained stable. Vacancy is slightly up for some properties, but vacancy rates were well below national averages. Retail: Retail remained stable due to continued redevelopment and mixed-use development – including the Metcalf corridor and Bluhawk in Overland Park. Hotel/Motel: Hotels and motels are generally operating at or above pre-pandemic levels. The daily rate growth outperformed recent forecasts, and occupancy continues to climb.
Source: Johnson County Kansas
Fort Scott Community College President Jason Kegler fielded questions on topics ranging from the college’s recent financial struggles to moving the college into the future during a Community Conversation Jan. 24 at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center. In an introduction to the forum, Kegler said he is an “open book” and he would answer all questions he is able to answer. He said there were two topics that he would not address during the forum; personnel matters, and individual grievances. He said he would be willing to meet with anyone individually to discuss those topics.
Source: Fort Scott Tribune
Both Marion and Hillsboro are candidates for a Kansas Power Pool project to build arrays of solar panels to generate electricity in nine Kansas cities. In November, Hillsboro approved leasing land to KPP for the solar array. Marion approved leasing land Jan. 22. Hillsboro city administrator Matt Stiles said KPP started eyeing building solar panel arrays 11 months ago. “They directly engaged with us in June, and we approved participation in November,” Stiles said. To build the panels, KPP applied for a forgivable loan from Rural Utilities Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Powering Affordable Clean Energy program. “Right now there’s a lot of support, and there are a lot of federal programs that people are taking advantage of,” Stiles said. If KPP’s application is successful, the company plans to build solar arrays in Hillsboro, Marion, Clay Center, Ellinwood, Greensburg, Kingman, Mulvane, Wellington, and Winfield. While waiting to see whether the forgivable loan is approved, KPP is doing feasibility studies on the potential locations. Hillsboro plans for the array to be built west of its wastewater facility. The array is expected to cover seven acres. Marion plans its array to be built north of the county transfer station.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
“Thank you for your fearless service and dedication to serving our community for 48 years,” a Pratt dispatcher said over the radio. This was part of Pratt Fire Chief David Kramer’s final call Wednesday night as dispatch thanked him for nearly half a century of sacrifice for the town. Kramer hangs up his hat leaving behind a legacy that the community will never forget. “He is probably more, or just as a father figure as my own father. He is probably all these guys’ father figure as well,” said firefighter Justin Garrett. Garrett is taking over the department, but he says he has big shoes to fill. Kramer’s love for PFD started as a boy watching the man he looked up to the most, his father. “I was born in ’55, and he started with the department in ’54. So that’s why I’m saying I’ve been around the fire department literally all my life,” Kramer said, showing us old photos. “That’s kind of a funny one. That’s my dad right there. It’s kinda funny, a guy with the newspaper used to be on the fire department too, and he would a lot of times take pictures.” As soon as Kramer was old enough, he joined the department, which is made up mostly of volunteers, and served for 23 years before taking the reins as chief. Forty-eight years later, Kramer spent his last day with the people he will always call family, including the only person who has been with the department longer than him – Deputy Chief George Stevens. “David and I knew each other before we were on the fire department,” Stevens said. “It’s just been a, like I said, a fun ride. I respect him, and will do that to the day we are not on this earth anymore.” As much fun as the team had Wednesday, it’s no surprise it got a bit emotional at times. “I can’t say enough how much I appreciate, and thank you guys, for your dedicated service to this department. And also to me personally,” Kramer said to the group. But the hardest part was something he wasn’t expecting. After passing the torch to Garrett, he got one last call from dispatch. Climbing into Engine One for his final ride with tears of mixed emotions in his eyes, dispatch paid him tribute on behalf of the countless lives in the Pratt community impacted by his legendary career.
Source: KAKE – News
In a couple of weeks, USD 250 will host the Kansas 5A Regional Wrestling tournament. More than 200 wrestlers from 18 different 5A schools from across the East side of the State. The tournament begins on Friday, February 16, and will continue through the weekend. “It is a huge honor to be hosting this tournament in Pittsburg,” PHS Activities Director, Jeff Staley said. “It really is a reflection on the City of Pittsburg, our community and our school district that we were chosen to host here, it means other schools enjoy coming to our town and facilities.” Staley also pointed out that for some, this may be their first and possibly only time ever coming to Pittsburg, making it important to make a good impression. “The support in our community is phenomenal,” Staley said. “It is not only an undertaking on our facilities, it affects our whole community when we have a large event like this. We recognize and extremely appreciate how supportive the community of Pittsburg is when we have great opportunities like this for our students.” The event is such a big deal that USD 250 has cancelled classes throughout the entire district during the tournament so that it can focus on being a gracious and accommodating host to the competitors and fans. Pittsburg is no stranger to such large events. USD 250 and Pittsburg State have both played host to several large sporting events in the past. These events can create a buzz, but what is their economic impact on the community? Hosting any event will bolster cashflow for restaurants and gas stations and other businesses may also see an uptick in sales, but Chris Wilson, marketing & communications manager for Explore Crawford County, points out that with high school sporting events, there are some additional short-term and long-term benefits that can’t be overlooked. “When it comes to events with kids and especially high school students, these are potential students for Pittsburg State – potential renters, employees and customers short term, and investors, entrepreneurs and donors long term,” Wilson said. “For those visiting families, it’s an opportunity for them to see our community firsthand and see why we choose live here.” Although state and national events get more attention, Wilson said conference and regional sporting events, like the upcoming wrestling tourney, usually bring in more participants, especially for indoor and outdoor track & field competitions.
Source: Morning Sun
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