Agriculture is big business in Kansas, with just shy of 88% of Kansas land being farmland. Reno County has more than 1,500 farms and 17% of its workforce dedicated to agriculture. That’s why the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce gathered a group of community leaders, businesspeople and farmers together to tour the several agricultural facilities on Jan. 5 in Manhattan, Kansas. Kansas Rep. Joe Seiwert, Reno County Commissioner Ron Hirst, Hutchinson’s new mayor and vice-mayors, Jon Richardson and Greg Fast, former Kansas Sen. Ed Berger and Hutchinson’s new city manager Kendal Francis, joined agricultural manufacturer Mike Bergmeier, chamber CEO Debra Teufel [...]

Catalytic converters can be stolen from the underside of a vehicle “in a matter of seconds,” says a proposed ordinance being considered by the Topeka City Council. That measure is aimed at helping slow down a surge in catalytic converter thefts the city has seen in recent years. The proposal would make it a misdemeanor for anyone to possess a catalytic converter that has been detached from a motor vehicle — unless they can prove they have a legitimate reason for it. “If enacted, this ordinance will provide capital city law enforcement an impactful tool, with criminal penalties, to aid in [...]

Beginning next month, the City of Salina will have a new chief of police, after the hiring of Clarence "C.J." Wise, was announced Wednesday. City Manager Mike Schrage, who made the announcement by a news release, introduced Wise to the Salina City Commission during a special meeting Friday morning. "C.J. has a number of years experience in law enforcement, as well as a breadth of experience in law enforcement," Schrage said. Wise comes to Salina with 25 years of experience, a member of the Edmond Police Department in Oklahoma since 1998. He rose within the ranks of the department in Edmond, [...]

The Community Housing Development Organization of Central Kansas is running a Weatherization Assistance Program to help reduce energy costs for low to moderate income households in Saline County. By increasing the efficiency of homes, the program aims to reduce the overall cost of utility payments Saline County residents might be paying in the colder months of the year through weatherization efforts. The Weatherization Assistance Program is funded through a grant made possible by American Rescue Plan Act monies, some of which the Saline County Commission has allocated to the CHDO for the project. Source: Salina Journal

They don't smell like school buses. They don't sound like school buses. They don't even feel like school buses. But they ARE school buses, albeit electric ones, and Wabaunsee USD 329 superintendent Troy Pitsch is convinced that his district is at the forefront of an inevitable movement to cleaner, greener student transportation. With the help of a nearly $800,000 Environmental Protection Agency grant, the rural district has received and is getting ready to debut two new electric school buses, believed to be the first in a Kansas school district. Wabaunsee USD 329 expects to give students their first ride on the [...]