The Finney County Commission adopted a Special Use Permit application form for data centers and amendments to the Special Use Permit Base application form at its regular meeting on Monday. Mackenzie Phillips, Finney County Development and Administrative Coordinator, said on Feb. 17 of this year the Commission approved a resolution establishing Article 36 in the county’s Zoning Regulations which deals with Special Use Permits. “Article 36 created a new framework for the review and approval of land uses that may involve unique impacts, operational considerations or broader policy implications and that require approval by the Board of County Commissioners,” Phillips said. [...]

Six people spoke during the Finney County Commission’s Public Comment period during its regular meeting on Monday. Speakers Jackson Turner, Tucker Turner, Ross Marston, Polly Witt, Rance Schreibvogel and Harold Mai spoke against Data Centers coming to the Finney County area. Jackson Turner said he knew the meeting was not about a specific Data Center coming to the area, but the application form in the event someone approaches about putting in a Data Center but said there’s already a project in the works. Read more: Garden City Telegram

A proposed two-year moratorium on commercial solar projects in Jackson County failed on a 4-4 vote during the Jackson County Planning Commission meeting last Thursday evening. During the meeting, which drew about 40 people to the Jackson County Courthouse, 15 minutes of comments from both proponents and opponents of a solar moratorium were allowed, with each person allotted one minute to speak. At the end of the discussion, planning commission member Doug Fisher made a motion to approve a two-year moratorium on commercial solar projects in the county. The motion was seconded but did not pass on a 4-4 vote. Read [...]

Most people in Johnson County who follow the Royals already knew by Wednesday morning that the former Sprint campus near 119th Street and Nall Avenue was out of the running for a new baseball stadium location. That much had been announced by the team back in January. But the news on Wednesday that the Royals reached a deal with Hallmark Cards to build a downtown stadium near Crown Center — bringing a downtown location that much closer to reality — meant that some of the neighbors who had vigorously opposed it for Johnson County could exhale a little more. Read more: [...]

Kansas utility regulators are weighing the benefits and costs of approving construction of a $493 million transmission line that would travel through four southwest counties. Multiple Kansas landowners protested the line’s construction and route during nearly three days of hearings in March at the Kansas Corporation Commission, which will make a decision on the proposal by May 13. They contend the line will disrupt agricultural activities, harm the environment and offer few benefits for Kansans. Utility officials said the line is necessary to provide electricity stability for Kansas, as well as 13 other member states in the Southwest Power Pool. Rapid [...]

A ballooning housing market. Thinning resources for homelessness services and affordable housing projects: Wichita’s housing challenges remain after voters overwhelmingly rejected a 1% sales tax that could have addressed them. What’s next without a $150 million allocation earmarked for affordable housing and Second Light, the city’s homeless resources campus? That set-aside was only about 18% of the total tax that would have been collected. There’s little evidence that Wichita voters don’t see the need for more resources to go into housing and homelessness. The bigger problem, according to polling done by Wichita Documenters and Wichita Forward, was voters’ lack of trust and [...]

Leaders in Sublette held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new splash pad on Wednesday. The Haskell County Rotary Club raised $400,000 to make this addition to the rec center. The splash pad will be 2,360 square feet, have seven water features and five more water sprays spread through three areas — a toddler bay, family bay and action bay. There will also be a seating wall for parents. The site where it is being built is bordered by a park and athletic fields. Because of its close proximity, the water used at the splash pad will be used to water the [...]

Emporia is facing more layoffs after it was announced Thursday that Michelin would cut 100 jobs and rework its operations there. It’s another blow to Emporia’s job market, which has faced roughly 1,200 job losses over the past few years according to the Regional Development Association (RDA). Eight hundred of those cuts were related to Tyson Foods closing a processing facility there in 2025. On Monday, KSN News spoke with leaders from Emporia organizations, who are focused on workforce and business development, to understand how the community could bounce back from the trend. Read more: KSN-TV

Twenty‑five years ago, Hoisington High School students were preparing for a memorable prom night. It was also the night an F4 tornado struck. The Hoisington tornado of April 21, 2001, caused widespread damage and heartbreak. The storm destroyed 200 homes and 12 businesses, and another 200 homes received minor to moderate damage. One person died, and 28 others were hurt. The tornado touched down southwest of town and quickly moved into the city. Read more: KSN-TV

Residents of Galena are taking matters into their own hands – after they say they’ve lost federal and state support over the city’s landfill. Facebook group Galena Kansas Neighbors for Clean Air has been pushing back against the landfill on the outskirts of the city, which they feel is polluting the environment. Recently, group member and EcoSavvy Insights founder Kaylann Loraine has been collecting signatures for an environmental risk survey through her organization. The survey collects data about symptoms possibly caused by the landfill – where and when odors occur – and any other complaints. Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com