City of Wichita plans multi-million dollar pickleball complex at popular Wichita park

2021-10-25T06:48:03-05:00October 25th, 2021|

City officials are looking to turn Wichita into a regional destination for pickleball, a game that’s growing in popularity, by building a $3 million “Pickleplex” in south Wichita. The pickleball complex would host regional tournaments and draw new tourism dollars into Wichita, said Troy Houtman, director of parks and recreation. The proposed Pickleplex would be built at South Lakes Park, just north of Campus High School near 55th South and Meridian. Source: Wichita Eagle

Pandemic-inspired investment in broadband signals new era of internet access in Kansas

2021-10-25T06:46:26-05:00October 25th, 2021|

Daniel Friesen doesn’t want geography to be the determining factor of whether Kansas communities have access to high-quality broadband service. He started a company in Buhler dedicated to providing fiber-to-the-home internet and was prepared to leap when the COVID-19 pandemic exposed service gaps in education, commerce, health care and at home in Kansas. That’s when the federal government began pouring CARES Act relief money into states, and Kansas officials earmarked $50 million of that largess for broadband expansion. Source: Wichita Eagle

Sidewalk program makes mile of progress in Newton

2021-10-25T06:40:15-05:00October 25th, 2021|

More than a mile of broken sidewalks have been repaired through Newton’s sidewalk program. The program is up for renewal at Tuesday night’s city commission meeting. According to a city memo, the program is responsible for helping property owners repair 13,208 square feet of cracked and decayed sidewalk. According to a city memo, the program has been used on 67 out of compliance sidewalks so far. The program reimburses property owners $3.50 for each square foot of sidewalk, up to $800. Sidewalks must be at least four feet wide and follow construction guidelines. Currently, the program has expended $41,680. Source: Harvey [...]

Table is Set to Continue Seller’s Market for Issuers of Muni Debt

2021-10-25T06:27:48-05:00October 25th, 2021|

The municipal bond market’s current dynamics — scarce supply, low rates, tight spreads and a stable credit landscape — means issuers are enjoying one of the strongest markets in modern history. ... The level of demand is likely to remain as a wave of muni bonds are set to come due in the next five years, Fabian said. Roughly 22% of all outstanding tax-exempt debt will mature or be called by the end of 2024, he said. That’s roughly $800 billion of “reinvestment pressure.” Source: Bond Buyer

Wind farms whip up controversy as they spread across Kansas, changing the rural landscape

2021-10-25T06:38:20-05:00October 25th, 2021|

Developers have spent more than $11 billion bringing wind farms to more than 30 of the state’s 105 counties. Just drive across Kansas, and the changing landscape is inescapable: What once were wide open spaces, reserved for crops or cattle, are now home to wind farms, with turbines towering over the vista. In the past 10 years, more than 30 new wind farms — including several in eastern Kansas — have been built or proposed across the state. Source: Wichita Eagle

Incoming City Manager already has Emporia connections

2021-10-25T06:53:05-05:00October 25th, 2021|

His resume might not reflect it, but Trey Cocking has Emporia connections. “Both of my brothers went to Emporia State. My mom and my aunt went to Emporia State,” Cocking said. “I’ve spent a lot of time there with my family.” Now Cocking and his family will live here full-time. Cocking is in line to become Emporia’s City Manager after the city commission approved his hire Wednesday night to replace Mark McAnarney. “When I heard that Mark was going to retire, it was one of those moments,” Cocking said Friday from his current office in Topeka. “If there was ever a [...]

Southeast Kansas community members gather to keep their city clean

2021-10-25T06:40:30-05:00October 25th, 2021|

Despite the early rain, several members of one Southeast Kansas community showed up to help keep their city clean. 30 members from the Flag Church and Countryside Christian Church partnered with members from Pittsburg Public Utilities for a city wide clean up. On Saturday the group cleaned up bulk items which can't be thrown in the trash including mattresses, box-springs and appliances. Local businesses helped by providing volunteers with food and drinks at the Pittsburg Public Utilities Annex. Source: KSNF/KODE

Public hearing set on regulations to ban wind in parts of Reno County

2021-10-23T11:13:50-05:00October 23rd, 2021|

The Reno County Planning Commission agreed Tuesday to set a Nov. 18 public hearing on proposed changes to both the county’s Comprehensive Plan and its zoning regulations to prohibit commercial wind development in the zoned portions of the county. Also to be taken up at that meeting will be a proposal to create an overlay district for the remaining non-zoned portions of the county that would enable the county to regulate wind in those un-zoned areas in the future. The specific regulations that would apply in those areas remain pending before the Reno County Commission. Source: Hutch News

Wichita vs. Grasty: Municipal Court Jury Trials

2021-10-22T09:48:49-05:00October 22nd, 2021|

The seven-day clock to request a jury trial in municipal court appeals begins when a judge is appointed to preside over the case at trial. If an offense carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail or less, it is presumed that the defendant has no constitutional right to a jury trial. Source: KS Court of Appeals.

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