As economic uncertainty continues to ripple through manufacturing communities across the country, Emporia leaders say they remain focused on attracting new opportunities, even as the Flint Hills Economic Alliance remains in a developmental phase and Michelin announces the layoff of approximately 100 workers. The Flint Hills Economic Alliance, or FHEA, was first unveiled in late February as a proposed restructuring of local economic development efforts. The concept aimed to combine several community organizations under one umbrella in an effort to streamline recruitment, tourism and business development efforts. Read more: www.emporiagazette.com

Standing room only during a city council meeting in Gardner Monday night. In nearly two hours of public comment, dozens of people stood up to object to a proposed hyperscale data center. The 3.1 billon dollar project would include up to 16 data halls across multiple buildings on the 300-acre site. Beale claims it will be one of Johnson County’s largest tax revenue generators, and employ hundreds of contractors, trade positions and 50 full time on-site positions. Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

Great Bend could consider a permanent 0.75-cent sales tax, potentially raising the total local tax rate to 9.45% if voters approve it in November. The discussion surfaced at a City Council work session after the Monday meeting, though no formal action was taken. Read more: Great Bend Tribune

Residents of Sylvan Grove and surrounding communities are invited to take part in a once-in-a-generation celebration as the town marks its 150th anniversary on Saturday, May 23. Centered around the theme “Rooted in Our History ... Reaching to Our Future,” the event promises a full day of activities honoring the town’s rich past while celebrating the spirit of its future. Read more: Great Bend Tribune

Isaac Shue’s favorite parts of the mural he’s creating at Mostaza are the bubbles. They’re small, round dots in various colors, and flowers decorate the mural, which they started on Sunday, May 3. The reason they picked flowers for the mural is that mostaza is a plant, and plants start with seeds, Shue said. The bubbles in the mural represent seeds, which can be seen in the store’s logo, he said. Shue and his wife, Karina, are Mostaza co-owners. Mostaza is at 615 N. Main in downtown Newton, and the gallery had a blank wall out back, so Shue wanted to [...]

Johnson County’s Stormwater Management Program has launched its new Green infrastructure Grant Program, covering the cost of green infrastructure projects across the county. “Green infrastructure” refers to natural systems like streams, prairies, forests and wetlands. The program seeks to fund projects that advance watershed health, reduce flooding and erosion risks, and improve stormwater quality in alignment with the program’s watershed master plans. Read more: Johnson County Kansas

After pushback from the public, the Olathe City Council on Tuesday delayed a vote on an ordinance restricting drone takeoffs and landings to give the topic more scrutiny and discussion. The ordinance would place new limits on where drones can take off and land in the city, including up to a mile from large events and within 1,000 feet of certain public facilities. Opponents of the bill said ordinances like this only harm responsible drone operators. Read more: Johnson County Post

April showers bring May flowers — or, in this case, a 15-foot sunflower sculpture outside De Soto City Hall. City officials, the De Soto Arts Council and USD 232 students and staff celebrated the installation of the kinetic sculpture, titled “Blooming De Soto, Rising Tomorrows,” on Thursday. The piece, which has two layers that rotate with the wind, was made entirely by USD 232 Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) students at the Cedar Trails Exploration Center (CTEC). Read more: Johnson County Post

A proposed 300-acre data center in Gardner has nearby residents in an uproar. California-based Beale Infrastructure, which also leads the De Soto data center project, recently proposed another data center in eastern Gardner, near the northeast corner of 191st Street and South Clare Road. Many Gardner and nearby residents, including Kyle Eisenbarger, believe that data centers have no place in the community. Eisenbarger lives just across the street from the proposed site, in unincorporated Johnson County. He can see the 300 acres from his driveway. Eisenbarger launched a website condemning the proposal, and the community has followed suit with both a [...]

Charred fence posts, oxidized barbed wire and blackened trees lined the Arkansas River in west-central Kansas in the wake of a 1,500 acre fire that scorched the dry riverbed and surrounding property. Below average rainfall in the region and a bone-dry riverbed filled with dead brush fueled the fire. The Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office deemed the cause “undetermined,” even though the fire sparked one day after a controlled burn was performed on an adjacent ranch owned by the city of Hays. The fire marshal’s office did not draw a connection between the two fires. But others didn’t find it difficult [...]