News

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 |

The Salina Airport Authority invites the public to a special event celebrating the first United Express nonstop flight from Salina Regional Airport (SLN) to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on Friday, May 2, 2025. The celebration will begin at 9:45 a.m. at the Salina Regional Airport Terminal and conclude with the flight’s departure at 11:30 a.m. This marks the launch of Salina’s first nonstop commercial service to Houston, a major United Airlines hub, opening new travel and business opportunities for the region. Source: KCLY Radio

Members of the Parsons Police Department were recognized with the Bronze Unit Citation for Uncommon Valor at the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police Spring Conference on April 16 in Mulvane. The award honors the department’s efforts—alongside the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—in dismantling a major drug trafficking operation across Southeast Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The investigation, which began in January 2023, was initiated by Detective Brice Dickens following citizen reports of local drug activity. Detective Dickens’ work led to a coordinated effort with the KBI, DEA, and Labette County Sheriff’s Office, resulting in multiple federal [...]