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Topekans reach out to unhoused residents

2023-01-27T11:55:09-06:00January 27th, 2023|

Low wind chills and 1.1 inches of overnight snow greeted city of Topeka employees and volunteers from sunrise to sunset Wednesday as they counted individuals experiencing homelessness in the capital city. The United States Department of Housing requires a count each year to ensure cities can obtain appropriate funding needed to provide programs and other needed services for individuals experiencing homelessness. Source: CJonline

Who can compete in Kansas? Bill would give homeschoolers right to play high school sports

2023-01-27T11:53:51-06:00January 27th, 2023|

A potential law would allow virtual and homeschooled students to join public school athletic teams and activities in Kansas. But opponents of the bill, including the state’s high school athletics governing body, say the measure would undermine the academic component of participation in school activities and competition. Source: Salina Journal

Affordable housing, development hurdles among concerns raised by Lawrence residents regarding development code

2023-01-27T08:07:29-06:00January 27th, 2023|

Concerns expressed by the public in a meeting about the city’s update of its development code included both the city’s shortage of affordable housing and the difficulty in building housing at all. Consultants working on the code update said both are issues they want the update to address. Consultants with Clarion Associates recently completed a four-month review of the city’s existing development code, which determines where and how Lawrence grows, and have drafted 80 recommended changes. Consultants sought input on the draft as part of a public meeting Thursday. Meeting attendee Lacee Roe said she was excited that the recommendations sought [...]

GDP growth slows to 2.9% in fourth quarter

2023-01-26T20:46:23-06:00January 26th, 2023|

U.S. economic growth slowed to a 2.9% annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2022, bringing an end to a year marked by high inflation. In the third quarter of last year, real GDP increased 3.2%, the U.S. Commerce Department said Thursday. "The deceleration in real GDP in the fourth quarter primarily reflected a downturn in exports and decelerations in nonresidential fixed investment, state and local government spending and consumer spending," according to the Commerce Department report. "These movements were partly offset by an upturn in private inventory investment, an acceleration in federal government spending, and a smaller decrease in residential [...]

Jackson County Commissioners continue to research solar farm regulations

2023-01-27T12:07:22-06:00January 26th, 2023|

The Jackson County Commissioners continue to research regulations regarding commercial solar projects in an effort to “do what’s best for the entire county,” according to Commissioner Keith Kelly. Commissioners Kelly, along with Commissioners Dan Brenner and Mark Pruett, addressed several members of the public during their meeting on Tuesday afternoon this week regarding a large solar farm being proposed near Delia by NextEra Energy of Florida. County resident Mitchell Nicol and Matt Wheeler of KansaSolar, a local residential and commercial solar company out of Holton, met with the commissioners and asked them about the county’s role in the proposed solar field [...]

Don’t eat the fish: Arkansas River, other Kansas waters remain under advisory

2023-01-27T12:08:00-06:00January 26th, 2023|

This is your annual reminder: If you fish the Arkansas River in Wichita, limit or don’t eat any bottom-feeding fish you catch. Those fish, which include buffaloes, carps, catfishes, sturgeons and suckers, could have chemical contamination, according to an advisory issued by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Health officials advise people not to eat bottom-feeding fish from a portion of the Arkansas River stretching from the Lincoln Street Dam to the Cowskin Creek near Belle Plaine in Sumner County. Source: Wichita Eagle

School choice debate gets started at Capitol

2023-01-27T12:08:27-06:00January 26th, 2023|

The debate over school choice opened in earnest at the Capitol on Wednesday with a proposal to expand a program that offers state tax credits for donations to private-school scholarships. The K-12 Budget Committee spent more than two hours late Wednesday afternoon hearing testimony over a bill that for the second time since 2021 would expand a program making tax-subsidized scholarships available for more students to attend private schools. Source: Sunflower State Journal

New bill seen as first step toward fixing problems in Kansas juvenile justice system

2023-01-26T19:54:29-06:00January 26th, 2023|

Lawmakers have begun evaluating legislation in an effort to fix years of built-up problems within the juvenile justice system. First up: A bill that could expand access to behavioral health treatment through crisis intervention centers. During a House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee meeting Monday, a week after lawmakers heard from attorneys and foster care workers who urged for more juvenile crisis intervention centers and adequate resources, lawmakers said they were trying to quickly come up with solutions for young offenders who need more intensive help. Source: The Chanute Tribune

Kansas educators share personal insights in quest to reverse statewide teacher shortage

2023-01-26T19:53:01-06:00January 26th, 2023|

Byron Lewis was a student at Topeka High School when allowed to use study hall to read to kindergartners at his old elementary school. It was the first time Lewis — now an elementary school teacher in the Turner district — thought a career in education could be in his future. He earned an education degree at Kansas State University and was introduced to programs that urge men of color to enter the profession. Statewide, it’s just not enough. Entering the fall 2022 academic year, there were an estimated 1,500 teacher vacancies in Kansas. “It’s an uphill battle,” Lewis said during [...]

Officials discuss updates to Imagine Pittsburg plan

2023-01-26T10:58:52-06:00January 26th, 2023|

Representatives from Imagine Pittsburg updated the city commission Tuesday evening on the progress of the next stage of Imagine Pittsburg (IP), a civic initiative originally known as Imagine Pittsburg 2030 (IP 2030) that began in 2010 to plan and implement economic and infrastructure improvements in Pittsburg. The IP representatives also discussed their plans over the next six to seven months for community engagement and a timeline for the next phase. Dubbed Imagine Pittsburg 3.0, this will be the third iteration of IP2030. Joe Dellasega, former chair of IP 2030 who oversaw the second phase, said that during last five years, his [...]

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