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Lawrence school district seeks community input on budget cuts via online survey

info2022-11-10T00:54:09-06:00November 10th, 2022|

A public survey is asking community members to share their input on how the Lawrence school district should make budget cuts, including potentially closing and consolidating schools. As discussed during Monday’s school board meeting, survey takers will be asked which of the three “bucket” items — or categories of budget expenditures — should take priority. Bucket 1 lists potential staffing cuts; Bucket 2 lists potential program or activity cuts; and Bucket 3 lists potential facility or utilization changes. The Community Engagement Survey is part of the district’s Futures Planning Committee work. It’s open for all members of the Lawrence community to [...]

City to move forward with developing master plan for Manhattan cemeteries

info2022-11-10T00:52:49-06:00November 10th, 2022|

Manhattan city commissioners indicated Tuesday they want city staffers to start planning for the future of cemeteries. The city government will move forward with developing a master plan that would give an outlook for the next 20 to 30 years of services. Officials said the offices and shops at both cemeteries are past their useful life and in need of significant repair or replacement. Operations have shifted from Sunset Cemetery to Sunrise Cemetery because of burial lot availability. Sunset Cemetery is full as far as traditional burial sites, but it has the potential for a columbarium, which is an above-ground option [...]

Growth in local manufacturing industry contributes to thriving Pittsburg economy

info2022-11-09T10:27:50-06:00November 9th, 2022|

The Pittsburg manufacturing industry continues to buck national trends, according to the latest Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report. The quarterly economic update published by economist Dr. Michael Davisson of Pittsburg State University Kelce College of Business shows the local manufacturing industry has not only recovered from the COVID downturn, but is one of the region’s fastest-growing sectors. Pittsburg manufacturing has outperformed the national manufacturing industry, which has not yet fully recovered from the pandemic. Davidsson’s report states that roughly $579 million has been invested in Pittsburg over the past nine years, which includes $102 million in industry infrastructure. ... Manufacturing in [...]

Douglas County voters approve expanding the Douglas County Commission from 3 members to 5

info2022-11-09T09:29:50-06:00November 9th, 2022|

In Tuesday’s general election, Douglas County voted to add two more County Commission districts, increasing the size of the county’s governing body from three seats to five. As of 9:45 p.m. Tuesday with about 60% of precincts reporting, 18,631 votes were in favor of the ballot question, good for 61.17% of the vote. The change will cut the number of constituents that one commissioner represents from around 42,000 to around 25,000. With the vote, the next step will be drawing a new district map. The commission will have to adopt the new districts prior to Jan. 1, 2023. From there, selecting [...]

Lawrence plans to hire more staff to support campsite for those experiencing homelessness

info2022-11-09T09:28:50-06:00November 9th, 2022|

Lawrence business owners, residents, social service providers and people experiencing homelessness spoke to city leaders Tuesday evening about the city’s response to homelessness and the management of a camp in North Lawrence. During the public comment portion of the Lawrence City Commission’s meeting Tuesday, commissioners heard from about 20 people, with a few times that number gathered in the lobby of City Hall, about the issue. Some called for additional support for the camp, and city staff said at the end of the meeting that the city was in the process of hiring additional people to provide more monitoring at the [...]

Some Investors Bet Fed Could Lift Rates to Two-Decade High

info2022-11-09T09:11:17-06:00November 9th, 2022|

Investors are bracing for the possibility that a second year of stubborn inflation could force the Federal Reserve to bring interest rates higher than they have been in more than 20 years. Wall Street pros spent much of this year betting that the Fed’s already aggressive rate moves would quickly cool the economy and stem rising prices. But last week’s better-than-expected jobs report was the latest sign of economic strength to catch investors off guard. Now, more are seriously considering whether the central bank’s target rate will rise as high as 6% before Fed officials take their foot off the brake—a [...]

USD 373 Newton passes bond issue

info2022-11-09T09:10:37-06:00November 9th, 2022|

The third time – and a much more limited scope – is the charm for the Newton School District. District $8.4 million bond issue to repair and extend the longevity of Lindley Hall and Santa Fe 5/6 Center, passed widely with 72 percent of the votes cast in favor. “I was cautiously optimistic, but I’m surprised by the official results,” USD 373 Board President Mallory Morton said. “I’m grateful for all the community members who supported our schools. We could not do this without them.” The bond issue is not expected to raise local property taxes paid. It means that the [...]

Kansans pass constitutional amendment on election, removal of sheriffs

info2022-11-09T09:09:37-06:00November 9th, 2022|

The state’s voters embraced an amendment to the Kansas Constitution on Tuesday requiring election of county sheriffs and narrowing options for ousting a wayward chief law enforcement officer, while an amendment granting the Legislature more authority to reject state administrative regulations could be headed to defeat. Unofficial results on the bottom-of-the-ballot constitutional questions showed 549,972, or 62%, supported the sheriff amendment and 343,111, or 38%, were opposed. Passage would sustain the practice of electing sheriffs in 104 counties — only Riley County would be allowed to continue appointing a sheriff because it operates a city-county policing agency. Source: KCUR News

Jackson County Commission gathers input ahead of vote on 18-month solar farm moratorium

info2022-11-09T01:01:32-06:00November 9th, 2022|

Terry Kaufman wears opposition on his shirt and his cap to development of a 2,000-acre solar energy facility on rolling hills in Jackson County. Kaufman, who handed out yellow “no solar” pins ahead of a public meeting Monday on the issue, said he supported imposition by the Jackson County Commission of an 18-month moratorium on consideration of applications for utility-grade solar. Commissioners listened to a couple dozen people eager to share clashing perspectives but didn’t vote on a pause that would give them time to study zoning regulations applicable to solar projects. “My own idea is this whole solar proposition probably [...]

City lake remains stable water source despite drought

info2022-11-09T01:00:23-06:00November 9th, 2022|

Although water levels at the Winfield City Lake have dropped a few feet due to ongoing drought conditions, the city’s water supply remains in good shape and no action is needed at this time, Winfield water plant supervisor Dan Defore told Winfield commissioners during their Thursday work session. Water levels at Winfield City Lake are measured by the number of feet above sea level, said Defore. When full, the lake is 1,256.3 feet above sea level. As of Thursday, it was 1,253.9 above sea level. Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

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