Two new pieces of artwork will soon be added to the downtown Salina area after approval by the City Commission. The artwork, which will consist of murals, will be placed on trash corrals as part of a beautification project by Salina Downtown Inc., which will be providing the artists’ fees for the murals. “(Policy) requires us to take this approval to (City) Commission, but, prior to that, our…Community Art and Design (CAD) Committee goes through an approval process,” said Crystal Hammerschmidt, art services coordinator for Salina Arts and Humanities.
Source: Salina Journal

The bond for Nickerson School District, USD 309, passed with a 13% turnout. Of the 5,121 eligible voters, 682 cast a ballot, with 381 voting yes and 301 voting no. The bond is for $7.6 million over nine years. The short duration of the bond will allow the district to evaluate expenditures in 10 years. The bond to fix the Pretty Prairie Schools, USD 311, passed on Tuesday evening, garnering slightly less than a 50% turnout. Of the 1,087 registered voters, 45% voted, casting 272 for the bond and 222 against it. … Pretty Prairie School District 311 proposed a $7.7 million 20-year bond to fix roofs, windows and the middle school gym. This will also help with the leaking wall in the band and other rooms. Currently, many of the windows are also leaking. According to unofficial results from the Douglas County Elections Office, voters seem to have overwhelmingly approved nearly $40 million in bond issue projects for Eudora’s schools, while a similar proposal in Baldwin City looks to have been rejected by a fair margin. As of 9:25 p.m. Tuesday, results reported by the elections office show that the special question for Eudora had easily won approval with 971 of the 1,312 ballots accounted for — or about 74% — voting in favor of the measure. … Meanwhile, it seemed that the $25 million in bond issue projects Baldwin City’s school district was looking to undertake would remain on hold for now. … In a narrow 51.96% to 48.04% vote, residents of Pratt’s USD 382 voted to approve the use of a $16.6 million bond to pay for improvements to USD 382’s facilities. The special ballot drew 1,382 voters or 28.46% of the registered voters in the school district which, according to Pratt County Clerk Lori Voss was in line for a special election turnout.
Source: Hutch News and Hutch News and LJWorld and Pratt Tribune

Topeka’s city government will create a “land bank” pilot program aimed at helping address this community’s problems with abandoned properties. The program will buy distressed properties and hold them tax-free while they’re upgraded, resold and returned to the tax rolls. Topeka’s mayor and city council voted 9-0 late Tuesday, with Councilman Tony Emerson being absent, to create the program and adopt specific policy guidelines governing it.
Source: CJonline

While developers are working on bringing in new houses and apartments to the Salina community, one nonprofit organization is focusing on fixing homes that are already here and getting them back into the housing market. The Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) Corporation of Central Kansas, says its mission is to “(provide) quality housing in an affordable manner for low to moderate income persons.” Founded by Salinan Lance Cochran over 18 years ago, CHDO also has the goal of working to help solve housing challenges in the region.
Source: Salina Journal

After more than an hour of speeches, discussion and pointed questions, the Hutchinson School Board voted 5 to 1 to close Lincoln Elementary School during a special board meeting on Monday, May 15. The staff would move along with the students and the class size would be 20. The district’s superintendent, Dawn Johnson, Ed.D., presented the options to the school board and more than 100 community members. This discussion came about because of the lack of teachers applying for jobs in the district. At present, the district is 14 teachers short. In addition, the district is down $1.1 million.
Source: Hutch News