Mayor Ronnie Price stated, “This appointment is an effort to ensure continuity for the community, the city staff, and operations. Jolene is already up-to-speed on the outstanding work happening in our community and will carry that momentum forward.” Graham’s breadth of leadership, strategic judgment, and operational expertise has already been demonstrated in Andover during the last three years while she served as the Andover Assistant City Administrator. Read more: City of Andover

Hoisington residents were told to stay alert this week after a rattlesnake was seen in the city. Hoisington Police Chief Jay Bachar has lived in Hoisington for 27 years and said this type of sighting is not normal. He said that the reported encounter came from a concerned mom. But before authorities could get involved, the family took matters into their own hands. “She goes, ‘Well, I have it.’ And she goes, ‘My husband had already cut the head off of it,'” Bachar said. Read more: KSN-TV

New rules surrounding data centers advanced in Butler County on Tuesday, but not without protest from the public. The Planning and Zoning Board approved regulations that outline the application process for companies and set guidelines for where and how these facilities can be built in the county. The board’s approval does not mean these rules are set. The Butler County Commission will discuss and vote on them at future meetings. If the regulations are approved, they will be added to the county’s current comprehensive plan as an amendment. Read more: KSN-TV

Sedgwick County Fire District 1, its member cities and the cities of Cheney, Clearwater, Colwich, Mount Hope, Mulvane and Valley Center implemented a burn ban on Wednesday, Sept. 2, in response to extremely dry conditions, higher-than-normal temperatures, low humidity and windy conditions, Sedgwick County announced. Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

In a recent show of solidarity, citizens of Pittsburg rallied against the installation of parking cameras downtown that would charge violators $5 for every violation. In response to public input, the commission unanimously denied the request to install those cameras. But other cameras are already in use. Made by Flock Safety, these are not enforcement cameras that notify police of traffic violations or parking infringements. They are license plate readers. There are nearly 40 installed throughout Crawford County, with 32 of them within the city limits of Pittsburg. Read more: Morning Sun

In hundreds of Kansas towns, the distance between neighbors is growing — not just in miles, but in access to the things that make community life possible. As more families consider moving to urban centers, communities across the state face a new question: How do you ensure people can reach work, healthcare and everything they need when the roads between them feel longer and the resources to maintain them are limited? One University of Kansas School of Engineering program is helping towns across the state maintain safer roads, preserve essential services, expand reliable transit and strengthen the ties that hold communities [...]

At the Franklin County Commission Meeting on Sept. 2, the commission unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on data center activities in the county’s unincorporated areas from the meeting through Dec. 31, 2028. According to the commission, this means there is a temporary stop to the planning, establishment, construction, and applications for special use permits for data centers, or related activities and components associated with data centers. This was said in the agenda of the Sept. 2 commission meeting. Read more: The Ottawa Herald

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the launch of the Building Local Opportunity through Coordinated Kansas Investment (BLOCK) program, a competitive placemaking initiative designed to help one Kansas community dramatically transform the appearance of a downtown block. A total of $500,000 is available through this pilot program. One award will be made. The BLOCK application period will open September 11, 2026, and close September 30, 2026. The award will be announced by October 10, 2026, and all funded improvements must be completed before December 15, 2026. Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield — the key benchmark for mortgage borrowing, auto loans and credit card debt — was up 1.7 basis points at 4.857%. The 2-year Treasury note yield, which is typically more sensitive to short-term Federal Reserve interest rate decisions, increased 1 basis point to 4.436%. The longer-dated 30-year Treasury bond yield, which moves in line with broader geopolitical risks, was up more than 2 basis points at 5.307%. One basis point is equal to 0.01%, and yields and prices move in opposite directions. U.S. yields increased on Wednesday, after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department will buy back $6 billion [...]

Data centers are popping up all over Kansas, but not in Cowley County. Amid growing anti-data center sentiment, the CT spoke with managers of area cities and other government jurisdictions to learn whether any data center plans were brewing locally. None are, at least not at the moment. None appear to be putting in restrictions for potential projects, either. Critics worry about how much power and water data centers consume, the noise they generate and the general advancement of artificial intelligence that data centers support. Others equate the opposition to something of a moral panic, and cite the potential economic benefits [...]