Short-term rentals in town will have a new registration process after a City Commission vote Monday aimed at preparing the city for World Cup visitors this summer. Kansas City will host six World Cup matches and three international teams this summer. In addition, the Algerian national team will stay in Lawrence. Regional planners are anticipating 650,000 visitors to the metro area. The resolution approved by commissioners Monday created a registration system for short-term rentals, like those from Airbnb and Vrbo. Eudora doesn’t currently have any regulations on short-term rentals.
Read more: The Eudora Times

Reno County began assembling a task force on Wednesday, March 25, to look at the county’s approach to economic development, including data centers and battery energy storage facilities. During the Reno County Commission’s meeting, County Administrator Randy Partington said Commission Chairman Ron Hirst talked with him about establishing a committee following the recent approval of a job creation incentive for Superior Holding. Partington said it could make sense to involve the cities of Hutchinson and South Hutchinson, particularly as it relates to data centers and battery energy storage to establish similar expectations across the three jurisdictions for such developments.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

The Andale City Council is moving forward with plans to make the city website the official city newspaper. After briefly considering switching to a different local newspaper, the Times-Sentinel, City Attorney Andrew Marino suggested making the city website the city’s newspaper as a way to save money. This would mean the city would put legal notices up on their website instead of putting them in the paper for distribution. City Clerk Patty Hein said it would be easier for her but said there might still be some things needed to be sent out. Chad Smith said he was alright with this decision, because he doesn’t read the newspaper. “It would give us more money for police,” Smith said. He was referring to an earlier request by Police Chief Scott Harris to add an officer, which the council planned to look into more in the future. Based on estimations by Harris and City Administrator Ben Johnson, the requests would require raising the mill levy from about 44 mills to 52 mills.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

Deep Fission says its Kansas nuclear project will start with test wells, not a full reactor. Deep Fission is clarifying priorities for the company’s 1-mile underground nuclear reactor site in Kansas, now saying the group is only committed to drilling data acquisition wells in Parsons. In an email to the Kansas News Service, Deep Fission’s Vice President of Communications Chloe Frader said this was always the plan for this stage of the process. Deep Fission’s CEO, Liz Muller, echoed the sentiment in an interview earlier this month. “We’ve committed to doing a test well here, but again, we haven’t yet committed to how big this commercial project could potentially be,” Muller said. “That is something that we’re going to need a lot of input from the community, and that’s input that I expect we’re going to get over the next few weeks and months.” This test drilling enables Deep Fission to gather critical geological, hydrological and thermal data in preparation for an actual 30-inch borehole that could house the small reactor — according to a company press release.
Read more: The Iola Register

Following months of tense discourse about tenant right to counsel, Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday voted 3-2 for a pilot program that will grant some tenants facing eviction access to legal representation. In March 2024, Lawrence and Douglas County set a goal to establish a tenant right to counsel (TRTC) program for those facing evictions in Douglas County as part of the joint “A Place For Everyone” plan to end chronic homelessness. Over the course of more than a year, county commissioners have participated in a work session on TRTC and it’s been on the regular agenda four times. The pilot program in development does not mean the commission is committing to a full-blown, long-term TRTC initiative. 
Read more: The Lawrence Times

Topekans will soon be able to advocate for their views directly with the mayor’s office. During a March 24 monthly press conference, Mayor Spencer Duncan announced the launch of a workforce development task force. “From the beginning of being elected, I’ve stressed the importance of ensuring the voices of our citizens are not only heard but actively part of the decision-making process,” Duncan said. This task force is one of multiple advisory groups that will be formed over coming months, he said. Other citizen groups include an economic advisory group, a community engagement team, a government innovation committee, a formulated youth council, a transportation and mobility team, and a community health group.
Read more: Topeka Capital-Journal

Wellington’s available electrical capacity, room for growth, and ability to move quickly were all cited as key advantages for attracting a project of this kind. A data center in Wellington could support existing industries while also attracting new business by providing access to advanced computing resources.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com

3D-printed homes are a new type of housing development popping up across the country, and the first printed home in Kansas is in progress in Topeka. Kansas Representative Mari-Lynn Poskin sees a future where 3D-printed homes start to pop up closer to the Kansas City metro.
Read more: KSHB News

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Monday at the Salina Airport Industrial Center. The 90,000-square-foot facility is a delivery center that has now generated nearly 500 jobs, which Amazon said is more than expected.
Read more: KSN-TV