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Lawrence City Commission to discuss ballot measure for directly elected mayor, other potential changes to form of government

info2023-01-10T09:13:14-06:00January 10th, 2023|

Lawrence city leaders will soon discuss whether they should ask Lawrence voters about changing the city’s form of government, including the possibility of having a directly elected mayor. The Lawrence City Commission will discuss the potential changes as part of its meeting Tuesday. A task force previously considered the issue in 2021, but the commission did not come to a clear consensus on how to proceed and directed city staff to defer the discussion until this year. The city has not reconsidered its government structure in 70 years, and in 2021 the commission created a task force to study the issue. [...]

10,000 gallons of sewer plant sludge leaks into Slate Creek

info2023-01-10T00:20:06-06:00January 10th, 2023|

You may want to avoid swimming in parts of Sand Creek or Slate Creek any time soon. For one, it’s cold. And two, 10,000 of “sludge” from Newton’s sewer system leaked into the waterways this weekend. According to a City of Newton release, “A valve on the line going from the settling basin (clarifiers) to the digesters failed, causing sludge to be discharged on plant property. Approximately 10,000 gallons of sludge made it to Slate Creek via storm sewers. Slate Creek drains to Sand Creek near the Wastewater Treatment Plant.” This prompted the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to issue [...]

Newton residents who responded to survey favor electing mayor

info2023-01-10T09:08:08-06:00January 10th, 2023|

Forty-six percent of surveyed Newton residents believed an elected mayor position would be the easiest way for elected officials to focus the public over potential interests. That’s the result of the City of Newton’s first survey conducted through the company FlashVote. Two-hundred-twenty-nine residents answered the question, approximately 1.23 percent of the city population. The city previously said it needed 200 people to be surveyed for a scientifically valid result. The city commission and city staff pushed forward the survey as a way of gauging residential interest to changing Newton’s elected structure. Source: Harvey County Now

Harvey County Sheriff’s Office looking for owner of cows ‘trying to hitch a ride on the Interstate’

info2023-01-10T00:17:12-06:00January 10th, 2023|

The Harvey County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is looking for the owner of two cows who they say are "trying to hitch a ride on the Interstate." "We are working to get them to safety, but we need help identifying their owner," said the HCSO. The HCSO says one cow is all black and that the other is red with a white face and underbelly. Both have green ear tags. "We first received calls on these two last night in the area of Southeast 84th Street and South Kansas Road," the HCSO said. "They're now in the area of I-135 and Southeast [...]

Flags ordered to fly half-staff until sundown Tuesday

info2023-01-10T09:09:06-06:00January 10th, 2023|

Governor Laura Kelly has ordered all flags in Kansas to fly at half-staff from now until sundown Tuesday. It's to honor former Kansas Attorney General Bob Stephan. Stephan was Kansas's longest-serving Attorney General from 1979 to 1995. He was a graduate of Washburn University’s law school and went on to practice law in Wichita. He served as a district judge in Wichita from 1965 to 1978 before becoming Kansas Attorney General. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Church of the Ascension in Overland Park. Source: KSN-TV

Topeka volunteers celebrates Shawnee County law enforcement

info2023-01-10T00:10:54-06:00January 10th, 2023|

Today is National Law Enforcement Day, and a group of Topeka volunteers is showing its support all day and night. The group is holding a 24-hour meal donation providing law enforcement a free meal any time of the day. Volunteers have been handing them out since midnight, and they will be out until midnight tonight. “The officers, sometimes when you’re out there working in the streets, sometimes you lose track, of how much you’re appreciated. And this is an opportunity for the citizens to show their appreciation for law enforcement,” says Law Enforcement Appreciation Committee Chairman John Sidwell. Source: KSNT 27 [...]

Change is coming to the Shawnee County Commission

info2023-01-10T00:01:49-06:00January 10th, 2023|

The Shawnee County Commission currently holds meetings every Monday and Thursday to vote on local matters, but that is being changed. Now, every Monday will be a work day where department heads can present their proposals and the commissioners will have more time to discuss it before giving their official decision during the Thursday meetings. “The main thing is it gives us an opportunity to talk amongst ourselves as commissioners to discuss projects and what's the best route to go," said County Commission Chairman Bill Riphan. "It’ll be a good opportunity for department heads to give presentations not in one of [...]

Kansas in line to receive over $45 million total from latest wave of opioid settlements

info2023-01-10T00:00:33-06:00January 10th, 2023|

The state of Kansas will receive over $45 million total from two pharmaceutical companies as the state’s fight against opioid abuse continues. Outgoing Attorney General Derek Schmidt says Teva has agreed to pay nearly $29 million. Part of that particular settlement involves Teva agreeing to stop promoting or lobbying for opioid products. Teva also has to monitor and report “off-label” use of fentanyl-based products, share clinical data through and disclose records to a third-party entity and pay for an independent agency to ensure compliance. Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

Projected enrollment decline causes financial concerns for Lawrence school district

info2023-01-09T23:59:34-06:00January 9th, 2023|

Lawrence schools are expected to steadily decrease in enrollment over the next five years, causing district budget concerns as well as questions about the future of the Lawrence community as a whole. According to future enrollment projections made by RSP & Associates, the outside consulting firm hired by the district, Lawrence Public Schools will lose just more than 300 students by the 2027-28 school year. School board President Shannon Kimball said during the board’s meeting on Monday that the district and community together must recognize the severity of this and commit to a solid plan, especially if the Kansas Legislature does [...]

$40 million project could remove some of west Wichita from FEMA floodplain map

info2023-01-09T23:58:03-06:00January 9th, 2023|

Flood relief could be on its way for west Wichita. Wichita and Sedgwick County are hoping to tap a federal grant program to help cover a $40 million project aimed at reducing flooding in fast-growing west Wichita and areas outside the city limits. The city and county would each pitch in $5 million, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s “Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities,” or BRIC, program would cover the rest of the cost. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

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