One of the several grass fires burning in southwest Kansas caused an evacuation that has since been lifted for Meade. Meade County Sheriff Douglas Ritter said numerous fire crews from across Kansas and Oklahoma fought the fire south of town early Friday. Crews finally stopped its progress around 3 a.m. There were no injuries.
Read more: KSN-TV

Duplex boom is attracting middle-income earners to the Midwestern city.
Read more: Wall Street Journal

The Manhattan Public Library made history this week by debuting the first-ever lactation pod installed in a Kansas public library. Mayor Susan Adamchak said it’s great that Manhattan offers this kind of health service. “One of the participants in the ceremony yesterday said that she believed that this was the first to be located in a public library in Kansas,” she said. “So I think that was terrific.”
Read more: News Radio KMAN

Despite economic headwinds nationally. Kansas Lt. Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland says Kansas is more than holding it’s own. Toland told Iola Radio News Friday since he and Governor Laura Kelly took office nearly 7 ½ years ago, there has been over $33 billion in private investment in Kansas, along with creation of 80,000 jobs. Another positive sign appeared last week, when Moody’s Investment Services raised the credit rating of the state of Kansas. Even in southeast Kansas, where the economy has lagged behind other areas in the state, there is positive news, such as the recent announcement of 40 new jobs in Fort Scott, where a company is taking over the building of a business that closed operations a couple of years ago. He added there are a couple of more announcements coming soon for the region.
Read more: Ad Astra Radio

As Emporia and Lyon County continue to manage manufacturing losses and uncertainty surrounding local economic development leadership, Kansas Lt. Gov. and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said Monday that Emporia is uniquely positioned to attract new industry. “There’s a lot of expansions happening at the moment in different sectors, and so we think Emporia is well aligned to be able to get some meaningful wins,” he said. Toland visited the Trusler Business Center on Monday, bringing key state officials to meet with representatives from the city of Emporia, Lyon County and the RDA, as well as Rep. Mark Schreiber and Sen. Mike Argabright. Toland said the purpose of the meeting was to discuss potential economic development opportunities and identify assets the state could use when discussing sites for potential business additions and expansions.
Read more: www.emporiagazette.com

The City of Lenexa unveiled its long-in-the-works plans for three World Cup watch parties that will be held at Lenexa City Center. On Tuesday at the Lenexa City Council meeting, Assistant City Manager Mike Nolan detailed three watch parties that will take place in Lenexa City Center, as well as the amenities and activities it will feature. The watch parties were planned to avoid clashing watch parties with Shawnee Mission Theatre in the Park. The plans were part of two World Cup-related agenda items that the Lenexa City Council unanimously approved, 8-0, including approval of a special event permit for the three watch parties and a resolution authorizing the sale, possession and consumption of alcohol during the events.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Sen. Jerry Moran recently joined other lawmakers in introducing legislation to extend the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration program for another five years. The proposed Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Reauthorization Act would continue support for rural hospitals by allowing them to test alternative Medicare payment models designed to improve financial stability and maintain healthcare access in rural communities. Two Kansas hospitals currently participate in the program: Stormont Vail Health Flint Hills Campus in Junction City and McPherson Hospital in McPherson. Sen. Moran has supported the program since it began in 2004 and has repeatedly backed efforts to renew it during his time in Congress.
Read more: KCLY Radio

More than 150 years after its founding, Neodesha has transformed from an oil-dependent town into a thriving community that offers new opportunities for families through economic diversification and educational support.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com

Fort Scott Area Home Developers met on Thursday to discuss the city’s needs and plans. The city says a 2025 study proved Fort Scott faces a housing shortage. The city expects several hundred more jobs to come to Fort Scott over the next year, making the need for housing even more acute.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com