Bourbon County Clerk Susan Walker filed a lawsuit asking a judge to stop a recall petition tied to ballot errors in the USD 235 school board election. The lawsuit, filed May 22, 2026, asks the court to declare the petition legally invalid, stop signature collection, and block any recall election connected to it. Walker argues Kansas law requires recall petitions to be reviewed for legal sufficiency before circulation. She claims the recall committee submitted an amended petition that was never formally approved before signatures were gathered. Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com

Officials in northeast Kansas county are asking state lawmakers to tackle a growing problem before it turns deadly. The Marshall County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to send a letter to legislators, senators and the attorney general calling for a task force to figure out how to best regulate storm chasing. It follows an influx of hundreds of chasers who came to the state on May 18 in hopes of catching a tornado. The Marshall County sheriff said he had to drive on the wrong side of the road for two miles because a train of chasers would not pull over. [...]

Early voting begins Thursday for Morton County residents as they decide whether to remove Sheriff Thad Earls from office. Early voting will take place at the Morton County Clerk’s Office during regular business hours. The recall election is scheduled for June 9. Read more: KSN-TV

Kansas City, Kansas, is making it easier for homeowners to get short-term rental permits as the city prepares to host the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches this summer. The Unified Government loosened its short-term rental requirements ahead of the World Cup and launched a new digital licensing system starting in February. Read more: News

Data centers and battery energy storage systems will not be developed in South Hutchinson for at least one year, after the South Hutchinson City Council approved a moratorium at its meeting Monday evening at South Hutchinson City Hall. The moratorium comes as the first pause on data center and BESS development in the eastern part of Reno County. The ordinance directs the South Hutchinson Planning Commission to review current regulations and draft zoning regulations for data centers and BESS to be approved by the city council before the moratorium ends. Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

The Reno County Commission scheduled possible action on data centers for a Tuesday, June 9, meeting after hearing from seven county residents during public comment during the commission’s Wednesday, May 27, meeting. Susie Ratzlaff of rural Buhler presented the commission with a petition she said had 875 signatures requesting that Reno County establish a moratorium on data center and battery energy storage system (BESS) development. She also cited a national poll conducted by Gallup in March in which 71% of respondents said they opposed the construction of data centers for artificial intelligence in their area. Ratzlaff asked commissioners to give the [...]

Memorial Day marked the beginning of concert season for one of Reno County’s oldest institutions, the Hutchinson Municipal Band. The musicians gathered at Fairlawn Burial Park for American Legion Post 68’s Memorial Day remembrance ceremony with a setlist of patriotic songs and kicked off the 151st year of the institution. “There’s history, and then there’s lore,” said Charles Johnston, the municipal band’s personnel manager. “The Hutchinson Municipal Band started as a group of community members back in 1875. We’re not exactly sure what that looked like, but there was a band present.” Johnston said that, eventually, in the early 20th century, [...]

If all goes to plan with contract negotiations, the residents of Lawrence should find out who their new city manager is next week, Mayor Brad Finkeldei said Friday morning. The city hasn’t released the name of the top candidate yet. City commissioners skipped a scheduled executive session and voted to direct city staff members to enter into negotiations for the city manager position. Executive sessions are closed-door meetings in which commissioners can discuss specific subjects, such as personnel matters. Read more: The Lawrence Times

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.