A few years after relocating here from Pennsylvania, a friend of mine dove into home ownership. Being extremely knowledgeable and passionate about birding and gardening, she decided to convert part of her front yard into a native plant pollinator garden.  She’s had no problem with the plants, but the city codes are giving her fits. ... Unfortunately, native pollinator gardens violate many communities’ local ordinances. These old laws reflect the 1950s ideal of a suburban lawn. They incentivize the planting of nonnative grass which is mowed short and often treated with fertilizers. They also encourage or condone ornamental shrubs, trees, and [...]

The Iola City Council approved changes Monday to its municipal code for electric customers who take advantage of parallel generation, like solar or wind power. Moving forward, utility customers will be limited to installing systems that generate no more than 4% over their peak monthly consumption. For energy delivered to the City of Iola’s grid, customers will be credited on a yearly basis. The ordinance falls in line with Kansas statutes. The restrictions apply to all electric customers, not just residences. Source: The Iola Register

A curious squirrel found out the hard way that some objects should never be climbed. The furry-tailed rodent made its way last Wednesday atop a breaker within the Oak Street substation, which powers much of the central part of Iola. The squirrel proved to be a suitable conductor for 69,000 volts of electricity to arc through its body with a mighty jolt and fireball. The breaker sustained extensive damage from the subsequent explosion, causing a power outage for several minutes. Source: The Iola Register

Funding for upgrades to Chanute’s historic train depot will hinge on an upcoming sales tax referendum. Local voters will decide in the November general election whether to extend a quarter-cent sales tax to fund upgrades for a number of city facilities, including the old Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Train Depot, which houses the Chanute Public Library and the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum. The building, which was last remodeled in the early 1990s, faces a laundry list of needs, most prominently a new HVAC system priced at $1 million or more. Source: The Iola Register