News

Rural neighbors of a massive warehouse project near 199th Street and Gardner Road have lost a court case that sought to declare the city of Edgerton’s 2020 annexation of more than 600 acres near their homes illegal under Kansas’ “narrow corridor” law. Johnson County District Court Judge David Hauber issued a ruling Wednesday in favor of the city of Edgerton, delivering a disappointment to neighbors who have been fighting the NorthPoint warehouse development for five and a half years. Read more: Johnson County Post

Republic County Commissioners voted unanimously to place a ballot measure before voters on November 4th, asking approval of up to $17.86 million in revenue bonds for a new Public Safety Building. The measure will give residents a straightforward choice: “yes” or “no.” While county leaders have yet to disclose the exact location or full funding plan for the proposed jail facility, officials had initially suggested more details might be available this week. The ballot question references a charter resolution authorizing the issuance of revenue bonds to finance the construction and equipping of a county public safety and law enforcement facility. Read [...]

The USD 379 school board is nearing a request for public feedback on an upcoming tax-neutral bond issue. The current six-mill bond levy is scheduled to expire in September of 2026. USD 379 will hold a bond election in March of 2026 to ask voters to renew the tax-neutral six mill bond levy, and they are considering two options: a deferred maintenance-only bond or a consolidation bond. Due to the significant decline in enrollment and its projected continuation, the district is investigating ways to reduce its footprint through the consolidation of buildings in Clay Center.  Read more: KCLY Radio

Voters in Prairie Village, Kansas, will be faced with an unusual question on their ballots in about three months: Shall the city abandon the mayor-council form of government? We'll hear about how a fight over zoning and housing wound up in a legal battle over the city government's structure itself. Even if voters agree to "abandon" the current structure this November, though, there's no plan for replacing it with a different model. Read more: News

Erica Schlender reveres this ground, homesteaded by her great-great-grandfather, where he put down roots that continue to anchor her.  She thinks of the effort that each generation of her family poured into this soil near Moundridge, raising crops and children and tending it not just for the moment but for the future. And she thinks about the house she wants to build here and the children she wants to raise here, while continuing the farm for generations. Schlender is reflective of a trend that emerged in the most recent Census of Agriculture in Kansas: a growing number of young farmers and [...]

Erie Market in Erie, Kansas will close by August's end when River Grocery LLC's lease expires, leaving residents without local grocery access. Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com - RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

The Parsons Police Department and the Labette Community College Foundation have partnered to establish the Parsons Police Legacy in Leadership Scholarship, an endowment that will help local students pursue careers in law enforcement, criminal justice, or civic leadership. Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com - RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

Firefighters traded their gear for purrs and whiskers Monday as they teamed up with Pawsprints of the Heartland to help promote cat adoptions. Instead of responding to a fire call, members of the fire department posed with adult cats in need of homes. Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com - RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

Finney County has hired Derek Ramos as its next county administrator after a nationwide search. Ramos is currently the assistant city manager in Garden City and has more than 17 years of experience in government, education, construction management, and financial advising. He also served nearly a decade as dean of facilities management at Garden City Community College. Read more: KSN-TV

Wichita Park & Recreation is finding creative ways to conserve water during ongoing drought conditions. This week, the department announced that its Aquatics, Park Maintenance, and Golf divisions are teaming up to reuse water from Aley and McAfee Pools. Instead of sending the water down the drain, the Park Maintenance team is pumping it out and transporting it to ponds at MacDonald Golf Course. Read more: KSN-TV