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Students and parents in the Shawnee Mission School District are heading for a significantly more tech-centric bus riding experience next school year, now that school board members have approved a seven-year contract with Zum, a Redwood City, California, company. Expectations were high last month as the Shawnee Mission Board of Education gave unanimous approval to engage Zum (pronounced Zoom) at an estimated $21 million a year and an $18 million initial cost. In return, Zum advertises a completely air-conditioned fleet and modernized tracking systems that optimize routes, show parents and school officials where a bus is at any given time and [...]

A yawning gap between surging home values and stagnant commercial assessments has fueled a significant shift in the Kansas property tax burden, forcing homeowners to shoulder a larger share of government needs, state and local officials say. Driven by an overheated residential market and decades of commercial exemptions, a flip in the tax base has left families paying the lion’s share for schools, roads and emergency services. Despite commercial property being taxed at more than double the rate of residential property, Rep. Adam Smith, a Weskan Republican and chair of the House Taxation Committee, said the “sheer velocity” of home price [...]

The Overland Park Police Department is one step closer to having a true, on-campus training center for its officers. For years, the department has utilized a temporary space, originally intended as a garage, for physical fitness training. Additional training, such as mandatory shooting practice, is completed elsewhere, either at another police department facility in the area or at private facilities. But on Monday, city leaders, department officials and retired members of Overland Park Police marked the formal start of construction on a dedicated, more sustainable training facility on the W. Jack Sanders Justice Center campus with a groundbreaking ceremony. Read more: [...]

Marysville Mayor Todd Frye is looking to incorporate the youth of the community to help design the city’s next flag. Frye said Marysville’s over-50-year-old flag could use a refresh, and decided it would be fun to involve the youth. He said he is hoping to branch off the city’s coloring page competitions that the council hosts for the students. “I’m hoping to kind of branch off of that, but also include junior high and high school kids in the community.” “The students can just draft whatever they think of as a flag that would represent Marysville and what it means to [...]

This artist needs to think big. That’s because his proverbial canvas isn’t just a small square on an easel, it might be the side of a building. Today we’ll meet a rural Kansas man who is creating murals for communities across Kansas and beyond.  Layne Stafford is the artist who has created murals around the state. He grew up in Hill City where his father was a music teacher. “Creativity was encouraged at our house growing up,” Stafford said. “Our dad’s classroom was next to the art room, so we were exposed to some of that.” Stafford and his brother enjoyed [...]

A new two-day celebration is coming to Dickinson County as part of the U.S. 250 commemoration, funded through local and regional sponsors. Organized between Old Abilene Town, the Smoky Valley Railroad, and the Dickinson County Historical Society, Plains, Trains and Cowboys: A 250th U.S.A. Celebration, will take place April 24–25 on the grounds of Old Abilene Town and Heritage Center beginning at 10:00 a.m. both days. Austin Anders, Historical Society Director, said the event was designed to mark the nation’s 250th birthday with attractions that reflect the region’s character and history. “Of course, plains, trains, and cowboys seemed like a natural [...]

"Those guys are 32 chickens," says Spring Hill resident Lindsay Museousky, as she scans her 10 acres along 191st in Spring Hill, Kansas. "That's the dairy farm ... the horse farm is there," she mentions and points from the west to the east across her land. "It's one of the main things that we love about this area. We love the open land ... it gets pitch dark, and it's so quiet." She thinks for a moment and smiles. "I mean, you hear occasional planes going by and we have an owl that's been in that tree since 2019." When she [...]

Tuesday marked 10 years since a man opened fire on an Excel Industries plant in Hesston, leaving 14 injured and three dead. It came as a realization for many: a mass shooting can happen anywhere. The sounds of simulated violence ring from inside the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center as instructor Thomas Watts guides his cadets through the stairs and corridors of active shooter training. “This is getting to the ‘walk’ phase of the ‘crawl, walk, run,'” Watts said. “Active killer training,” as they put it, comes at the very end of a 16-week basic training course. Read more: KSN-TV

Sedgwick County announced on Wednesday that it will host two town hall meetings on data center zoning. The Board of County Commissioners is holding a listening town hall, where the county can hear from the public, on March 12 at 6 p.m. The Planning Department is hosting a town hall on March 31 to discuss zoning protocols and provide an opportunity for public discussion and feedback. “It’s important that we listen to the public on this large economic development opportunity for Sedgwick County,” Chairman Jeff Blubaugh said in a release. “Public discussion and transparency are vital parts of this process.” Read [...]

A new senior living community is now open in Russell. The Flintwood Housing Community features 24 duplex units with appliances, and a community room for gatherings and events. It is designed for adults 55 and older and currently has eight units available to rent. “Housing in general is a necessity across the state of Kansas, regardless of the size of the community,” said Callie Miller, the executive director of Housing Opportunities Inc. “But rural communities specifically are not seeing the growth that metropolitan areas are seeing. So being able to provide any kind of housing in general to a rural community [...]