News

Westwood may bring housing to the site of an old school near Joe D. Dennis Park, signaling the city’s continued interest to guide redevelopment in a part of the small bedroom community that, for years, has been steeped in controversy. The old Westwood View Elementary School property as well as the park and city-owned green space nearby have been the battleground of protests, legal threats and, ultimately, a failed public vote last spring on the sale of the park that would have paved the way for an office-retail project there. Read more: Johnson County Post

Overland Park is pulling together the final details on its plans to build a new $23.5 million training facility for the police department next year. The new facility will span about 35,000 square feet and sit on the W. Jack Sanders Justice Center campus near 123rd Street and Blue Valley Parkway. Earlier this week, the Overland Park Planning Commission approved a revised preliminary development plan tied to the project, 8-0, laying out more specifics about the site layout and design. Read more: Johnson County Post

Edward McCabe helped establish an all-Black Kansas town on his mission to create a state inhabited and run by freed slaves. In a new book, author Caleb Gayle writes about how McCabe earned the nickname of "Black Moses" and what his quest for liberation meant. Read more: Up To Date

Drivers in Sedan got an unexpected show Friday when a massive wind turbine tried — and failed — to make a tight turn downtown. In a social post, police said the state has been routing wind turbines through town again, but this one’s unusual direction turned a routine haul into a long afternoon. The oversized load, headed south through town, couldn’t navigate the Main and School Street junction despite three tries. The driver’s only option? Put it in reverse. And keep going. For a mile and a half. Read more: KSN-TV

Many teachers spend a lot of their own money to keep classrooms stocked with supplies. In Medicine Lodge, the community found a game-show-style way to help three local educators start the school year right. Friday marked the third annual “Grab and Go” at Dollar General, sponsored by the Medicine Lodge First Assembly of God Church. One teacher from the grade school, one from the middle school, and one from the high school had one minute to race through the store and fill their carts. Read more: KSN-TV

A Wichita Police-led task force created to address property crimes in south-central Kansas is receiving a national award. The Property Crimes Reduction Task Force was formed in late summer 2024. Led by Property Crimes Bureau Captain Casey Slaughter, the task force is a partnership involving Wichita Police, law enforcement agencies in Sedgwick and surrounding counties, prosecutors, and local businesses. This week, the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators announced that the task force will be the recipient of its Task Force of the Year award. Read more: KSN-TV

Matthew Gleason was hired this week as Allen Community College’s new vice president of finance and operations, one of several personnel actions approved by ACC trustees. Gleason brings more than 20 years of accounting and financial leadership experience to Allen, with a career spanning higher education and municipal government. He most recently served as city treasurer and finance director for the City of Grand Island, Neb., where he oversaw the city’s finance and information technology divisions. Read more: The Iola Register

Downtown Overland Park is undergoing a major transformation. Construction of the new Overland Park Farmers Market is well on its way there. The development is part of part of the $34 million Farmers Market and Downtown Gathering Space Improvement Project. The new market place replaces the original 1991 structure which has already been razed. The new pavilion will feature indoor vendor areas, permanent shade structures, expanded seating, and amenities like solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, and native landscaping in the space between Santa Fe Drive and Marty Street. The year-round gathering space will get upgraded restrooms to add to visitor comfort. [...]

The Kansas Department of Transportation is now accepting applications for the fall 2025 round of the agency’s Cost Share Program. More than $157 million has been given to Kansas communities since the Cost Share Program began in 2019. The Cost Share Program provides financial assistance to local entities for construction projects that improve safety, leverage state funds to increase total transportation investment and help both rural and urban areas of the state improve the transportation system. This is the 13th round of projects to receive funding. Read more: Ad Astra Radio | Your Hometown Radio Stations & Local News Source

His contract with Saline County will end March 31, 2026 and he intends to embark on retirement. Within the next month, the county will be launching the search for a new County Administrator. Read more: LinkedIn