Before they adjourned from their meeting on April 14, members of the Hutchinson Planning Commission spoke about the need for better data center zoning regulations. Commissioner Denice Gilliland was the first to bring up the subject, mentioning the joint Reno County, Hutchinson and South Hutchinson task force and saying that it should be on everyone’s agenda. No member of the Hutchinson Planning Commission was asked to be a part of the task force. Commission Chair Elaine Carter asked Associate Planner Paul Schiffelbein if the city had been working on tightening its zoning regulations around data centers and battery energy storage systems (BESS). Schiffelbein said they had been after the latest city council meeting on April 7. Schiffelbein said they’re specifically looking to establish better zoning rules around large-scale utilities, which would be the classification data centers and BESS fall under.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

As part of its efforts to reduce its reliance on bonds for city projects, the City of Hutchinson is implementing a new program to fund smaller projects in the upcoming fiscal year. At the April 7 Hutchinson City Council meeting, city finance director Angela Richard outlined the new hybrid program, which is called PayGo. “PayGo is short for Pay-as-you-Go, which is what it sounds like-paying for projects/maintenance/equipment as you have the cash,” Richard said. “Hybrid would incorporate trying to pay for those projects we can cash finance, while still bonding for certain projects that meet certain requirements.” Because PayGo is new to the city, the city council hasn’t established the criteria for which projects are eligible for the program yet, she said.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

Fast-rising floodwaters on Corndodger Creek about 6 a.m. Saturday washed one person downstream among about 32 campers who awoke to water rising in their tents. A man caught inside his tent and unable to escape was aided by two fellow campers who cut him out after he became entangled and was overtaken beneath the rushing water. The other man, who was swept away, was soon rescued by two men as he clung to a nearby county bridge, said Lee Tebbutt, St. George, president of the Kaw Valley Muzzleloaders that regularly camp on his family’s land there. Blue Rapids and Frankfort firefighters soon arrived and helped 11 members of the group who remained in the floodwaters after others made it to higher ground. All campers, shaken but alive, were taken to refuge in a farmhouse not far from Corndodger Creek, a campsite about 1.5 miles south of Kansas Highway 9 near 15th Road between Frankfort and Blue Rapids. Campers included adults and a few teens who were part of a Spring Thaw Rendezvous, an annual muzzleloader reenactment weekend event that’s been held at Corndodger Station for the past 30 years.
Read more: www.marysvilleonline.net

Marysville City Council took another step toward an animal shelter Monday night, when it decided to seek information on stamped plans from an engineer or architect for a roughly 24×40-foot building. The city’s Unified Land Development Code regulations require plans stamped by an engineer or architect for the zoning category for the proposed location at 1701 Spring St., directly behind the water plant. The site was chosen because the city owns the property and the current plans for the building were scaled back to fit on that site. The city has purchased 14 kennels, but the exact number of kennels to be included in the building is uncertain.
Read more: www.marysvilleonline.net

The Kansas Department of Commerce today announced Apogee Power, a Taiwan-based energy technology and advanced battery manufacturer, has selected Liberal as the location for its new U.S. manufacturing and assembly facility. The company will invest almost $16 million over the next three to five years and create 80 new jobs. “In Kansas, we have a strong advanced battery ecosystem, talented workforce and central location that companies from around the world are eagerly looking to access,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Apogee’s decision to expand their work into Liberal highlights the strength of our rural communities and Kansas’ ability to compete on a global scale.” The facility, located in Liberal’s industrial corridor, will support the assembly, testing and distribution of Apogee’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery systems and related energy storage technologies for commercial, industrial and grid-scale applications across the United States. The company anticipates hiring 30 employees in the initial phase — with additional positions coming online as production ramps up.
Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

Undersheriff Jason Vanbecelaere and Finance Director Adam Harrison of the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office approached the county commission, on Friday, about restarting an old program — work release. According to Harrison, a person can be incarcerated at the Crawford County Jail for up to a year and will be facing payment of fees and fines upon release. By allowing qualified prisoners the opportunity to work while serving their time, they can begin to pay those fines and fees before their release. It also allows them an opportunity to keep their present employment. Certain prisoners would not be eligible for the program, such as violent offenders or flight risks, they said, but those who do qualify can get a second chance and put past mistakes behind them.
Read more: -Morning Sun