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The city of Lenexa will expand a new program that uses drones to respond to emergency calls before police or firefighters arrive. On June 3, the Lenexa City Council voted 7-0 to approve adopting a resolution amending the 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to include the Drone as a First Responder Program. The resolution included an agreement with Paladin Drones Inc. to purchase six drones along with other operational infrastructure. Councilmember Chris Herron was absent. Source: Johnson County Post

Cyclists will be able to ride nearly 100 miles of uninterrupted trail in eastern Kansas thanks to a new bridge near Ottawa. The Flint Hills Trail runs from Osawatomie to Council Grove. It offers views of riverside bluffs, woods, rolling farmland and the largest remaining tallgrass prairie region — one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. “There’s a six-mile stretch without any crossroads through the heart of the Flint Hills,” said Jeff Bender, a region supervisor for state parks at the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. “And you’re up pretty high — there’s some incredible great viewpoints and [...]

Crawford County will serve as a testing ground for a new AI-driven railroad crossing alert system, thanks to a $450,000 grant awarded through the Kansas Transportation Innovation Program. The project is one of 20 selected statewide for funding by Governor Laura Kelly, who announced a total of $4.5 million in awards to support cutting-edge transportation initiatives across Kansas. Source: www.koamnewsnow.com - RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

Arkansas City is taking steps to update its historic downtown district designation, a move aimed at preserving key buildings and opening new opportunities for reinvestment. The city has selected Davis Preservation, a Kansas-based firm, to lead the effort. The $20,000 project will reexamine which buildings qualify for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, based on a prior resurvey that identified areas for expansion and revision. Source: KSN-TV

The prospects of higher education just got a lot more affordable for future Humboldt-USD 258 graduates. The Humboldt Promise, announced at Monday’s USD 258 Board of Education meeting, is a scholarship that provides nearly every Humboldt student the opportunity to continue their education beyond graduation. The scholarships — paying up to 100% of the cost of enrollment in college, university, or technical training — was created and funded by The Works Family Foundation, a nonprofit organized to support community development and education in Humboldt. Source: The Iola Register

Major changes are coming to how inmates at the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility communicate with the outside world. Beginning Monday, June 16, the jail will roll out a series of changes to its phone, video visitation, and mail systems. The jail is partnering with ICS Corrections, Inc. to handle all inmate communications in a move officials say is aimed at improving security and modernizing services. The inmate telephone system will be the first to transition, with brief service interruptions expected on June 16 while the upgrade is completed in each housing unit. Source: KSN-TV

Kansas is putting artificial intelligence to work on its roads, skies, and sidewalks. Governor Laura Kelly announced Tuesday that more than $4.5 million will be awarded to 20 projects across the state through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s (KDOT) Innovative Technology Program—many of them powered by AI. From AI-driven street assessments and radar detection to automated alerts for blocked railroad crossings, this year’s funding round emphasizes the state’s growing focus on smart infrastructure and data-driven safety. Source: KSN-TV

The City of Topeka is ready to make some improvements to multiple intersections after getting cash from the State of Kansas. Governor Laura Kelly announced in a press release on June 11 that Topeka was selected as a recipient of $75,000 in cash to improve radar traffic detection technology in the city. Topeka is one out of 20 recipients of the $4.5 million Kelly released to various projects across Kansas. Source: KSNT 27 News

The Topeka governing body gave its input on the "readiness to serve" charge Tuesday night at city council. It's a monthly fee for people on all water meters, whether it's used or not. Part of the discussion was an ordinance, primarily targeting properties that owe money. Last month, letters were mailed to delinquent customers for 792 accounts, and that totaled to more than 446-thousand dollars owed. As of Tuesday, that number has gone down to 724 accounts with more than $424,000 owed. City leaders say this isn't about usage, but rather about fairness and access. Source: KSNT 27 News

Six months after Tyson Foods and Holiday Resort announced their closures in Emporia on back-to-back days, Mayor Erren Harter says the city fared a lot better than it could have when jobs and potential ex-migration is concerned. Numbers aren’t being released, but Harter says all the Holiday Resort staff have found jobs and most are staying in or close to Emporia. Harter also says nearly all the 200-plus Tyson employees offered jobs at the Holcomb plant decided against that option and are staying put. He credits the work of the city’s Rapid Response Team in several ways, including two jobs fairs [...]