People in Emporia voiced concerns Tuesday night over rezoning proposals that could open the door for data centers to move into the city. Many of those who opposed the proposal raised concerns about water and electricity demands. However, Mike Law, interim CEO of the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce, says a data center would bring much needed investment into the community. “Emporia needs the momentum right now, and quite honestly, there’s not a lot of opportunities, not a ton of people knocking on the doors to bring business to Emporia,” Law said. “It’s just been a rough time for the past [...]

Geary County leaders have approved a one-year moratorium on data centers, giving the county more time to develop regulations before any projects move forward. At its meeting on June 22, Geary County GIS/Planning and Zoning Director Troy Livingston presented the commission with the proposal to implement a one-year moratorium on data centers. The planning commission earlier this month voted to recommend the temporary moratorium on any kind of data center development. Livingston said they believe a year will give them time to study impacts like infrastructure, water and power needs, and allow them to make an informed decision. Read more: KSNT [...]

The first informational meeting of the Douglas County Data Center Watchdogs drew more than 100 attendees to the Lawrence Public Library Tuesday evening. Nancy Thellman said the new group had been meeting for about two months to put together the presentation for the community. She said they want to educate residents about local land-use rights, water demand and tax incentives that could make the area a target for large-scale data center development.  The group said it plans to meet at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month in the library’s meeting rooms, where organizers intend to hold deeper discussions [...]

Goddard is attracting major commercial projects including retail centers, apartments and a city park as the Wichita suburb positions itself for rapid growth. Read more: Wichita Business Journal

As healthcare systems in rural Kansas face mounting pressure, Newton Medical Center is teaming up with six other hospitals across the state to combat rising healthcare costs and enhance rural clinical care. The seven rural hospitals have formed a clinically integrated network to push for lower costs for medical equipment and to collectively negotiate rates from health insurance companies to drive lower out-of-pocket costs for patients, the organizations say. Read more: Wichita Business Journal

A brief but powerful tornado killed a 64-year-old man in northern Sedgwick County early Sunday morning, blowing his home off its foundation. The storm touched down for just two minutes and struck without tornado warnings or sirens activating beforehand. Read more: Wichita Eagle

A lone horse rider carrying letters arrived the City of Horton on Monday evening. The horse hooves clopped on the city street, indicating to a large crowd of people that he was nearby. The scene sounded like it would almost be set in 1860-1861, when the iconic Pony Express would be in operation. Read more: Hays Daily News

De Soto Mayor Rick Walker says revenue from a planned $3 billion data center campus is an opportunity to grow the city. But one resident is concerned that leaders are moving too fast and not weighing the negative impacts on the community and environment. Read more: KCUR

On Tuesday, commissioners approved a charter resolution to change the way the treasurer’s department collects back property taxes. A 2019 charter resolution requires Harvey County Treasurer Amy Perkins and her department to apply payments to the most current delinquent property tax bill, which means that in order to pay off the most delinquent tax, owners must pay off all of their taxes. If they can’t pay the whole thing, they often decide there’s no benefit in paying any of it off. The new resolution, which will take effect 60 days from the time it is published two weeks in a row, [...]

Strong communities are built on more than businesses alone—they are built on places where people gather, connect, and build relationships. That vision is at the heart of The Zarah Coffee Shop, Great Bend’s newest locally owned coffee destination. Read more: Great Bend Tribune