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Voters will decide: Wichita school board sets date for $450 million bond issue election

info2024-09-12T10:05:07-05:00September 12th, 2024|

The Wichita school board has approved a special election for a $450 million bond issue that would pay for a plan to significantly reshape the state’s largest school district — a plan filled with school closings, consolidations and new “right-sized” buildings as the district braces for shrinking future enrollment. The election will be held Feb. 25, 2025. If it passes, the bond issue would extend a 7.5 mill levy for 20 years, a similar rate to what property taxpayers pay now based on a bond issue that passed narrowly in 2008 and was set to expire in 2029. If it fails, [...]

Lawrence City Commission to vote next month on purchase of building to move city hall

info2024-09-12T10:02:38-05:00September 12th, 2024|

Lawrence city commissioners will vote next month on an agreement to purchase a building near Sixth and Iowa streets to serve as the new city hall. The proposed building, at 2000 Bluffs Drive, would provide about 50,000 square feet of space and would require an estimated $11.7 million in remodeling on top of a $4.2 million purchase agreement. That’s $15.9 million total. The current City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St., was dedicated in 1980. At 35,544 square feet, it’s no longer big enough to hold the city workforce, according to presenters during the meeting. Commissioners have included $12 million in their [...]

Wonderful Wamego: A Trip to the Wamego Historical Society

info2024-09-12T10:01:17-05:00September 12th, 2024|

On Friday, August 23, 2024, Dr. Mary Kohn, director of the Chapman Center for Rural Studies, Kim Wescott, and Hannah Palsa traveled to the Wamego Historical Society and Museum. The purpose of the visit was to introduce ourselves and the Chapman Center more broadly to newly hired curator, Michele Johnson. We explained that the Chapman Center helps small museums and institutions throughout the state of Kansas by assisting on digitization projects, preserving lost town history, and creating digital history projects to showcase on the Chapman Center’s website. While there, we received a tour lovely from Michele Johnson and one of the [...]

City commission favors 5% contingency to cover unexpected construction costs

info2024-09-12T10:00:10-05:00September 12th, 2024|

Manhattan city commissioners are looking at setting aside funds to cover unexpected costs for construction projects. The commission on Tuesday discussed adding a 5% contingency to all construction contracts to allow more efficiency in project management. The issue centers around change orders, which are amendments to the base contract between the city and an outside construction company. Currently, the city doesn’t have a set policy for how to address change orders, but the city commission typically has approved them if the total project cost exceeds $50,000. However, city engineer Brian Johnson said that process typically takes 4-6 weeks and can cause [...]

Peete asks public to ‘let us do our jobs’ following recent incidents

info2024-09-12T09:57:58-05:00September 12th, 2024|

Manhattan is a “safe community,” Riley County Police director Brian Peete said in a town hall addressing concerns about some recent events. Peete on Saturday spoke with members of the community to answer questions about a pair of incidents, including one that occurred Sept. 3 in which a woman said she was attacked near Aggieville as well as reports of a man walking around with firearms strapped to himself. “We want to make sure everyone takes care of each other,” Peete said. “This is a safe community, and I would walk anywhere in this county at any time of day. “With [...]

Riley County jail population sees no sign of decreasing soon

info2024-09-12T09:56:21-05:00September 12th, 2024|

The Riley County jail has had high population numbers in recent months, and officials who previously anticipated a decrease in incarcerations now say that hasn’t happened. Jail captain Mark French on Monday told Riley County commissioners there are 124 inmates in the jail. There are 29 female inmates in Riley County custody, but some have gone elsewhere because the jail facility is set up for a maximum of 18 female inmates. “We are not seeing the downturn that we were anticipating,” French said. French said the Washington County jail has taken on some of the incarcerated women in Riley County custody. [...]

Kansas election official says nearly 1,000 primary ballots tossed due to mail processing issues

info2024-09-12T09:55:13-05:00September 12th, 2024|

The Kansas secretary of state said in a letter to the U.S. postmaster general that approximately 1,000 August primary voters in Kansas were disenfranchised because ballots mailed before Election Day in August arrived in county offices more than three days after the deadline or without an essential postmark. Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican who serves as the state’s chief elections officer, told Postmaster General Louis DeJoy there was cause to be “extremely concerned” about “a troubling pattern that persists in the U.S. Postal Service’s processing and handling of ballots.” He send the same letter to the six members of [...]

Police officer reads to students, answers questions

info2024-09-12T09:53:46-05:00September 12th, 2024|

Police officers are associated with donuts, but not for the reason audience members might think, School Resource Officer Charles Jefferis told second-graders and their teachers on Friday morning at South Breeze Elementary School The reason is that in the 1930s, donut shops were the only places open all night, so police officers spent more time at night watching donut shops because they were more likely to be robbed. He said the robbers liked to do their work at night, so they picked donut shops. Police officers aren’t associated with donuts because they might like to eat them or gather at the [...]

Mission may add first-ever bike-ped study to its comprehensive plan

info2024-09-11T10:18:33-05:00September 11th, 2024|

The city of Mission is envisioning a more connected future. Next week, the Mission City Council will consider amending its comprehensive plan to include Mission Connections, the city’s first-ever citywide bike-pedestrian study that calls for adding or enhancing 15 different routes including the existing Rock Creek Trail. The city developed Mission Connections over the past year with the help of a Mid-America Regional Council Planning Sustainable Places grant. Here’s a look at the Mission Connections plan and the ways the city hopes to connect residents throughout the city and the region. Source: Johnson County Post

Lenexa joins the hype for the 2026 World Cup in Kansas City

info2024-09-11T10:17:35-05:00September 11th, 2024|

A new group comprised of businesses and organizations in Lenexa hopes to capitalize on the FIFA World Cup coming to Kansas City in 2026. Pitch Lenexa intends to show off Lenexa to tourists during the World Cup with a series of inclusive community events and activities at venues around the city, including Lenexa City Center. Its ultimate plans go beyond that event, said Mark McFarland, organizer of the group. “The goal of the group is to have a big celebration for the World Cup. But that’s just an interim goal,” he said. “Ultimately, the idea is for the group to stay [...]

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