A Kansas County has temporarily halted commercial projects that have become a hot-button issue for many communities. On Tuesday, the Saline County Commission voted 4-0 to place a moratorium on the construction of data center, nuclear power and hydrogen-based energy facilities in unincorporated areas of the county. The moratorium is set to last for three years, but commissioners have the option to shorten or lengthen it. The goal is to give county planning staff time to come up with regulations for the facilities in question. Some commissioners said they also wanted to delay action on any facilities until after the next election so candidates can make it a campaign issue and voters can decide.
Read more: KSN-TV

The bill that creates the entity that would own the Kansas City Chiefs stadium in the Sunflower State passed out of the State House Tuesday night. Lawmakers added the Mayors of Olathe and KCK as likely voting members to the board. This is what KCK Mayor Christal Watson, along with Unified Government of Wyandotte County Administrator David Johnston, wanted. Both went to Topeka on Tuesday, March 10, to talk about this. The House Commerce Committee rejected Wyandotte County’s ask Thursday, March 12, but the full House ended up adding Wyandotte County’s CEO on Tuesday, March 17th. “We have value,” Watson said on Wednesday after the vote in the house. “They saw that we have value, and that’s what’s most important.”
Read more: KSN-TV

Marion County commissioners approved a resolution Monday banning commercial wind energy conversion systems in multiple townships in the county’s unincorporated areas. Commissioner Mike Beneke cast the lone dissenting vote. The resolution prohibits commercial and utility-scale wind projects, including turbines, substations, and related infrastructure, in 15 identified townships. The ban applies to new applications and construction but does not restrict small-scale wind systems for personal use.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

Goessel residents warned not to let infants and pregnant women drink nitrate-laced tap water is waiting a repeat test before its water supply is cleared. A test last week indicated nitrate levels 10% above a federal standard, resulting in a warning not to give tap water to infants younger than 6 months or pregnant women or to use it to make infant formula. The sample measured nitrate at 11 milligrams per liter, according to the notice the city distributed. The notice said the city expected to notify residents within 30 days of retesting.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

The Lenexa Police Department reported its animal control officers are seeing more raccoons in the area exhibiting signs of canine distemper. The viral disease typically affects animals like raccoons, foxes and skunks, and it could cause them to come across as disoriented, lethargic or abnormally tame, per a social media post from Lenexa police. LPD said residents should never feed wildlife as it increases contact between animals and can contribute to the disease spreading. If you find a raccoon that looks sick or is acting unusual, contact the dispatch center at 913-477-7301. Residents are also encouraged to check their pets vaccination records and make sure those are current.
Read more: KSHB

Mayor Christal Watson launched her first “Christal Clear Conversations” town hall Tuesday afternoon, kicking off a community engagement series aimed at increasing transparency and collaborative problem solving between the Unified Government and Wyandotte County residents. The event was held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the KCK Town House Tenant Association, located at 1021 N. Seventh St. in Kansas City, Kansas. Most attendees were residents with questions and issues about senior services, transportation and safety. Watson and her staff shared resources and took questions, and several residents offered their own solutions.
Read more: KSHB

A water test on March 4 showed nitrate levels in Rural Water District 101, which serves the Yoder area, of 13 milligrams per liter (mg/L), which is above the state and federal level for maximum contaminant level, Reno County announced on Monday, March 16, in a news release. The state and federal maximum is set at 10 mg/L, Reno County Public Works Director Don Brittain wrote in the release. He wrote that nitrates in water come from a combination of natural, industrial, and agricultural sources.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

Iola and Allen County are launching new initiatives to boost economic development, tackle workforce shortages, and attract high-wage jobs to the region. Camille Lavon spent her first six months as economic development director for Iola and Allen County doing a lot of listening and learning. Her goal: to become as intimately familiar as possible with what the local business climate had to offer, and what needed help. Some of the challenges were hardly a mystery, reflective of southeast Kansas as a whole: businesses are struggling in an area with aging infrastructure,  affordable housing shortages and declining population. Mostly, companies have found it difficult to find quality employees. Tack in news that Gates Corporation was closing a production line, and cutting more than 80 jobs in the process, and it’s safe to say Lavon’s getting-to-know-you stage was a whirlwind.
Read more: The Iola Register