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One resident of a Yates Center nursing home did suffer smoke inhalation after Friday’s fire destroyed the facility. The remaining residents, patients, and staff were all safely evacuated following the wildfire. Fire officials say they are not 100% certain what caused the rapidly spreading prairie fire that burned down the Yates Center Health & Rehabilitation facility, in Woodson County, Kansas. According to a news release issued by Mission Health Communities, owners of Yates Center Health and Rehabilitation, they say it was a “swift and coordinated response” by everyone that saved lives Friday. Reports say the fire initially set a group of [...]

Residents needing some sidewalk repairs may be able to get some help from the city of Emporia. The city is publicizing its annual Hazardous Sidewalk Program, and City Engineer Jim Ubert says it’s a good way to get portions of sidewalks replaced. Sidewalks are considered hazardous — and thus eligible for repairs under the program — if they have portions deemed unsafe because of “broken or missing pieces, unevenness or upheaval which causes a ½-inch or more difference in height between two adjoining portions of the sidewalk.” Sidewalks are also eligible if they have “an abrupt change in elevation.” As Ubert [...]

A bill that would limit local governments' ability to regulate what is described as a “no-impact” home-based business failed to get out of a Senate committee Monday. The Senate Commerce Committee voted down a bill limiting city regulations on a "no-impact" home based business despite attempts to allow a little more municipal regulation. The bill had been opposed by cities across the state including Shawnee, Topeka, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Liberal and Garden City. Source: Sunflower State Journal

Riley County is looking to better enforce short-term rental regulations. The county adopted short-term rental criteria in January 2022, when land development regulations came into effect. Because it can be difficult to enforce short-term rental regulations when someone doesn’t have a license, a county can use help from the state’s authority to set rules in place. Amanda Webb, the county’s planning director, said Monday she has been researching how other counties and cities in Kansas and Missouri regulate short-term rental properties. Webb referred to Independence, Missouri’s regulations as an example. The city of Independence limits the number of short term rentals [...]

The Manhattan city government is considering changing its policy to publish legal notices on its own website, taking advantage of a loophole in state law. City governments are required to notify the public about certain legal changes by publishing them in the local newspaper of record. They also go to the newspapers’ websites and the Kansas Press Association website in a searchable database, which is free to access. Kansas attorney general Kris Kobach in 2023 wrote an opinion that small cities (populations 2,000-15,000) could essentially opt out, citing “home rule.” Since then, a few city governments have considered posting legal notices [...]

Kristi Northcutt has been chosen as the next director of the Kansas Public Management Center, which is part of KU’s nationally recognized School of Public Affairs & Administration. Northcutt will begin her new role on May 12. Source: LJWorld

Registration is now open for the 3rd annual Rural Health and Prosperity Grants 101 Workshop. At the workshop, agencies will share valuable information on grant opportunities to support your community and organization, as well as discuss application best practices. This year’s workshop will be held April 8-9 in Emporia at the Granada Theatre. Learn more here.

The Marion County Board of Commissioners met on Monday, March 10 to discuss the Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) lighting in the Sunflower Wind project area, which is located between Marion, Peabody and Florence. Planning/Zoning/Environmental Health Director Sharon Omstead opened the session by giving background to the packed room which included the board, Marion County Administrator Tina Spencer, Country Attorney Brad Janz, Orsted (the company that handled the Sunflower Wind project) representatives Danny Sears-Greer, Jase Sherwood, Joshua Svaty and Zoe Weinstein and members of the public. Omstead explained that the wind farm was required to install the ADLS lights and use [...]

The Kansas Supreme Court, overturning decisions by two lower courts, has ruled in favor of a developer who sued the city of Shawnee five years ago over the city council’s denial of a large apartment project. The high court announced its ruling on Friday in favor of Austin Properties, a development company that wants to build the 29-acre Woodsonia West multi-family development off Kansas Highway 7. The decision throws the project’s fate back to the city, though it’s unclear when Austin might bring the plan back before the city council. The decision stems from a lawsuit Austin Properties filed in 2020, [...]

Iola has an official flag. Councilman Max Grundy helped design the flag, which incorporates blue and white stripes emanating from a clock face, styled in the manner of Iola’s distinctive courthouse clock. The time shown on the clock — 3:04 — was set to note Kansas was the 34th state inducted into the Union, Grundy said. Source: The Iola Register