News

More than 500 new housing units will be needed across Cowley County by 2030 in order to meet demand, Winfield City Commissioners learned during a housing study update at their Thursday work session. The updated study, conducted by Hanna:Keelan Associates, Inc. of Lincoln, Neb., helps assess current housing conditions, identify future needs, and outline actions to be taken, according to Winfield City Manager Taggart Wall. Source: www.ctnewsonline.com - RSS Results

The Kansas City, Kansas Community Identification Act adopted by the Unified Government does not facially violate K.S.A. 21-5432(a)(1). Because the person providing a Community ID card would not necessarily know an applicant’s immigration status, the person would likely lack the mens rea required under K.S.A. 21-5432(a)(1)(A). Additionally, it would be difficult for anyone to violate K.S.A. 21-5432(a)(1)(C) because it is unlikely the person providing the Community ID card as provided in the ordinance would ever know an applicant was being exploited for the financial gain of another. However, it is possible, in particular instances where this information is known, issuance of [...]

The Quality Places Division at the Kansas Department of Commerce is encouraging Kansas communities interested in moving local housing initiatives forward to take advantage of a special free event Tuesday, April 29, in Great Bend. Hosted by the Housing Interagency Advisory Committee (HIAC), the event is targeted at communities that have completed a Housing Assessment Tool (HAT) or have a structured housing plan in place. State and federal partners will discuss resources, connections and funding guidance communities will need to address existing housing gaps. Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

For most of the Halstead Planning Commission’s discussion of their draft regulations for battery energy storage systems (BESS), they considered suggestions provided by several “No BESS” t-shirt-wearing attendees. Also in attendance for Monday’s P&Z meeting were representatives from Concurrent, the Texas company that’s leasing land in Halstead’s industrial park with plans to build a BESS on the site if things work out for them with Halstead’s P&Z and city council. Source: Harvey County Now

How many pets should Holton residents be allowed to keep at their homes? That’s the question that mem­bers of the Holton City Commis­sion are looking into now after a member of the commission re­viewed ordinances from other cities in Kansas limiting the num­ber of dogs and/or cats that may be kept in a household inside the city limits. At the present time, Holton city ordinances do not limit the number of dogs and/or cats that may be kept at a residence in the city, but at least two Holton residents voiced concerns over the city limiting the number of dogs, cats [...]

The City of Holton has “a pretty good supply of bricks” on hand to facilitate re­building a block of one of Holton’s brick streets, as Holton Street Su­perintendent Greg Tank­ing told members of the Holton City Com­mission on Monday. This year, however, the city’s annual street improvement pro­gram involves taking one of Holton’s 85 blocks of brick streets — the 200 block of Wisconsin Av­enue — and converting it to con­crete, Tanking told commissioners, who approved the 2025 street pro­gram on a 4-1 vote during the com­mission’s regular meeting that evening. Source: The Holton Recorder

Thanks to a grant from Variety KC, more youth will be able to enjoy Olathe’s pools this year. The city recently purchased water wheelchairs for all of its pools, as well as for Lake Olathe. “We felt this was a great way to get more people out and about and enjoying the pool and the water,” said Marc Harrell, chief inclusion officer for Variety KC. Variety KC, a local non-profit, focuses on supporting programs and technology that allow children with physical and cognitive disabilities to take part in activities. It has also helped families get necessary medical equipment. Source: Johnson County [...]

The California, Oregon and Santa Fe National Historic Trails span 25 states and 25,000 miles, and they have an extensive history right here in Johnson County. Brown signs mark the places where these three trails crossed through our county, commemorating those who used them for passage and trade between the 1830s and 1860s. Emigrants used the Oregon and California National Historic Trails to find a better life in the west, while merchants established the Santa Fe Trail for commercial purposes. Beginning in Missouri, the trails wound west through Johnson County, splitting off into their three distinct routes. These trails have a [...]

A resident-led group who successfully organized in opposition to selling Westwood’s main city park earlier this month still insists the city should buy the old Westwood View Elementary building nearby in order to build an even larger park on that corner. But the city’s mayor reiterated in a recent email newsletter to residents that the city lacks the money to buy the school property on its own and had been banking on an influx of cash from the developer who wanted to build on the adjacent Joe D. Dennis Park. Now, what happens to the school property as well as Joe [...]

After years of hefty borrowing and financial decisions that have strained public services, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, has pledged to be more financially responsible with its taxpayers’ dollars. Local officials this spring are trying to get a grip on their spending, reviewing past — and recent — practices including frequent dips into reserve funds and rapidly-assumed long-term debt, as they eye the 2026 fiscal year and looming summer cuts. Source: Local Kansas City Missouri & Kansas News |