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USD 305 board drops ‘interim’ from Exline’s title

2019-07-09T23:33:50-05:00July 9th, 2019|

Following an executive session at their meeting today, Salina USD 305 board members unanimously voted to offer Linn Exline a superintendent contract, dropping ‘interim’ from her superintendent title. “As educators our responsibility to the students in our care is immense,” said Exline. “We have one chance to get K-12 education right for each student. Part of our job is to open as many doors as possible for our graduates. As a leader I take that responsibility seriously, and I’m proud to be able to lead and work beside a top-notch staff to that end.” Four board seats will be determined at the [...]

‘Ultimate pork project’: Kansas’ mega tax breaks don’t deliver as promised

2019-07-09T21:31:38-05:00July 9th, 2019|

Two race tracks in eastern Kansas are separated by 60 miles along Interstate 70, as well as a veritable chasm in one’s success and the other’s struggle. The first, the 48,000-seat Kansas Speedway, draws thousands of NASCAR fans and has been key in transforming the western edge of Wyandotte County from windswept fields to a booming retail, entertainment and employment sector. The other, in Topeka, is the Heartland Motorsports Park, which has performed so far below expectations that the city has to cough up $1 million a year to pay back investors. Underpinning both projects is taxpayer assistance in the form [...]

Hutchinson’s Smallville events growing in popularity

2019-07-09T21:28:05-05:00July 9th, 2019|

Talks have already started on how to capture the growing footprint of Hutchinson’s Smallville events.The sixth annual Smallville Con saw a dip in its attendance during the two-day event celebrating comic book heroes at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. However, the second annual Smallville Festival on Thursday prior drew enough to cover the attendance loss and then some. More businesses seemed to join the effort this year, as well. (Read more: Local - The Hutchinson News)

Overland Park police may get body cameras

2019-07-09T21:28:37-05:00July 9th, 2019|

Overland Park police may soon join the ranks of law enforcement agencies using body cameras. A city committee will vote Wednesday on whether to approve the police department’s plan to use $430,000 in allocated funds to buy the cameras. The police department is also seeking approval to skip the bidding process and negotiate a price with WatchGuard, the company that currently supplies dash cameras for Overland Park police vehicles. The proposal will be heard by the Overland Park Public Safety Committee at 7 p.m. Wednesday night. If it is approved, it will likely be heard by the full city council next [...]

The Tool That Local Economic Developers Should Rely On

2019-07-08T23:00:45-05:00July 8th, 2019|

There's little doubt that the use of taxpayer-funded incentives will remain the subject of intense disagreement among public officials, researchers and the public. Regardless of the larger debate, however, local economic developers are often expected to offer incentives to attract and retain businesses. How can you provide them in a fiscally responsible way? The local government's elected body sets a vision for the type of economic activity the community desires. Policies then need to be written stating when and what types of incentives can be used. At this point, economic developers need a good fiscal tool to ensure that incentives are [...]

Pottawatomie County Administrator announces retirement

2019-07-08T22:57:37-05:00July 8th, 2019|

Longtime Pottawatomie County Administrator Robert Reece has announced his retirement. Pottawatomie County Commissioners unanimously accepted his resignation during Monday’s regular meeting. Commissioner Dee McKee “reluctantly” seconded the motion from Chairman Travis Altenhofen. (Read more: 1350 KMAN)

New Johnson County playground aims to include all children

2019-07-08T22:53:28-05:00July 8th, 2019|

 A brand new park aimed at including children of all ages and abilities opened Saturday in Shawnee Mission Park. This is the second all-inclusive park to open in Johnson County. It looks like a typical park but it has one big exception. This park centers around acceptance. The $1.2 million playground lets children play together without any physical or social barriers. Casey and Amanda Connealy brought their four children to the playground. (Read more: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 - WDAF)

Kansas in shrinking minority of states without measles cases

2019-07-08T22:48:22-05:00July 8th, 2019|

The national measles outbreak has not hit Kansas yet, but it has come close with cases reported in neighboring Oklahoma, Missouri and Colorado. Kansas health officials say they think a case in Kansas looks nearly inevitable given that more than 1,000 measles cases have been reported so far across the nation. Kansas is in a shrinking minority of states without cases. KCUR-FM reports that the state’s annual survey of kindergartener vaccination rates suggests some counties do better than others at getting children their potentially life-saving shots. Though Kansas requires shots against illnesses such as measles, whooping cough and polio for school [...]

Wichita getting national help amid high violent crime rate

2019-07-08T22:44:28-05:00July 8th, 2019|

WICHITA — A violent crime rate about twice the national average has prompted Wichita law enforcement officials to join a national program that aims to drive down crime. The Wichita Eagle reports the city is among 10 selected this year to participate in the U.S. Department of Justice National Safety Partnership. Wichita cited the latest figures published by the FBI and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in its application for the program. (Read more: 1350 KMAN)

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