Municipal News & Jobs

Jump Start cut the ribbon Thursday on a new blending facility in Butler County. The biofuel facility in Potwin converts soybean oil into biodiesel and biogas. The group behind the facility said it will serve as the region’s fuel distribution terminal, filling anywhere from 25 to 100 loads daily. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said it will create yet another market for Kansas farmers.
Read more: KSN-TV

Plans for a downtown pavilion are a step closer to reality for the community of Russell. Russell Development Inc. announced Thursday that it is moving forward with plans for the Russell Market Square. It will serve as a covered, open-air pavilion in the heart of Russell’s downtown at West Seventh and North Maple Streets. The pavilion will be used to host farmers markets, food truck nights, live music, festivals, holiday events, private rentals and other events throughout the year.
Read more: KSN-TV

Starting Friday, you will want to make sure you leave the toilet seat down, and no, it’s not because your wife asked you to. The City of Hays said a contractor will begin sewer line cleaning and inspections in the northeast area of the city. The project will begin at the north, with crews working their way south over the next two months. Door hangers providing information will be placed on homes and businesses prior to cleaning. During cleaning, you may hear a rumbling sound, and water may bubble up from sinks, bathtub drains and toilets.
Read more: KSN-TV

Parts of the state are expecting cold temperatures Wednesday night, with western Kansas dipping into a freeze warning. It could be the final nail in the coffin for some already struggling wheat crops. With wheat crops nearly two weeks ahead of schedule, Ron Suppes with the Kansas Wheat Commission said a freeze now, after months of drought, could be devastating.
Read more: KSN-TV

Sedgwick County commissioners are pushing for a law school to be established in Wichita. During their meeting on Wednesday, commissioners said having a law school in Wichita would address the lack of attorneys in central and western Kansas. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett has been advocating for a law school, commissioners said. There are only two law schools in the state: one at the University of Kansas in Lawrence and the other at Washburn University in Topeka. Baty said he has had discussions with both institutions. Leadership has expressed interest in opening a law school in Wichita, but nothing has been nailed down.
Read more: KSN-TV

For over a century and half, it has been serving up mouth-watering fried chicken and biscuits to travelers from across Kansas and the globe. But on Wednesday, the restaurant once known as the Brookville Hotel announced that it is closing its doors. A specific reason was not provided.
Read more: KSN-TV

Sedgwick County commissioners unanimously decided on Wednesday to extend the county’s pause on data center development until Sept. 11. The moratorium was set to expire on June 11, and this is the second time the commission has voted to extend it. The purpose is to continue to allow county staff to come up with zoning regulations for data centers.
Read more: KSN-TV

Since 1997, Chingawassa Days has been a yearly highlight for the city of Marion. Arguably, the biggest attraction is the more than 70 concrete rhino statues around the town that serve as mascots for this annual festival. So, what made this small town adopt dozens of these rhino statues?
Read more: KSN-TV

A home that has been owned by a family in Dighton for five generations is on to new beginnings. The McMillen family is working with the Lane County Community Foundation to fix up the home and sell it at a fair price. Proceeds from the sale will go into the foundation’s “Dighton Builds the Future Fund,” which supports housing initiatives that attract and retain residents. “We’re kind of hoping that maybe this starts a chain reaction,” said Matt McMillen, co-owner of the home. “Hopefully, other people will be inspired to give in the way that makes sense for them as well.”
Read more: KSN-TV

The Kansas State Department of Education says there is a real lack of early childhood options across the state, rural and urban. But a new facility opening in Hutchinson aims to fix that and could play into a larger trend. After more than a year in development, Hutchinson’s Lil’ Hawks Child Care Center’s is enrolling students. The result of multiple groups cooperating and raising funds, the facility comes as a relief to some parents, as it nearly doubles the school district’s early childhood capacity.
Read more: KSN-TV

The Wichita City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to install a Safe Haven Baby Box at Fire Station 9 near Kellogg and Edgemoor. The box will be like the one added in Garden City last year. It would allow a parent or parents to give up a baby legally, anonymously and safely. The boxes are strategically placed in places like fire stations.
Read more: KSN-TV

Monday marked 19 years since the first recorded EF5 tornado hit Greensburg, destroying 95% of the town. The “EF” stands for Enhanced Fujita, which replaced the original Fujita scale in 2007. The last F5 tornado to hit the U.S. was the 1999 Oklahoma City tornado. The Greensburg tornado struck on May 4, 2007, killing 12 people and injuring 63 more. The storm destroyed 961 homes and businesses, left 216 with major damage, and caused minor damage to another 307 structures. In months and years following the tornado, the city devoted itself to building back as a green community. Just one year later, the town became 100% powered by renewable energy.
Read more: KSN-TV

The El Dorado City Commission is giving voters the chance to decide the fate of a 1% sales tax. The commission voted 5-0 on Monday to put the question on the August ballot. If approved, the tax would help support the Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital. City officials hope it can sustain access to quality healthcare and support the town’s growth. David Dillner, El Dorado’s city manager, said the private hospital may not be top of mind for most residents, but to some, its services could mean the difference between life and death.
Read more: KSN-TV

Kansas politicians are grappling with how to lower property taxes. Pratt thinks it has a solution, trading one tax for another. The city commission is considering putting a sales tax question in front of voters in an August special election. The commission is considering two options to raise Pratt’s current 9% sales tax, according to Mayor Kyle Farmer. The first would increase the sales tax by 0.5% with a city property tax reduction of 13.285 mills. The second is a 1% sales tax increase with a city property tax reduction of 26.570 mills. The city calculates that a half-cent sales tax would save $153 in property taxes on a home valued at $100,000, while the full percent would save $306.
Read more: KSN-TV

Students and staff of schools across the U.S. are reeling after learning that a well-known hacking group breached private information in the database of Instructure, which powers education technology systems like Canvas. The breach poses security risk to dozens of colleges and universities, as ShinyHunters, the gang taking credit for the incident, has reportedly sent extortionary messages to Canvas users. Canvas is used by schools nationwide for assignments and grade tracking. TechCrunch reported on the news on Tuesday, after a member of the group shared a sample of the data they’d allegedly accessed.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

A proposed data center in Pottawatomie County drew a large crowd of residents during an open house hosted by Georgia-based Beltline Energy in Wamego on Wednesday, May 6. The company is exploring plans for a data center project in the county, an idea that has surfaced in multiple Pottawatomie County Planning Commission meetings in recent months. During the open house, representatives from Beltline Energy outlined potential economic benefits of the proposal, including increased tax revenue and high-paying construction and operations jobs. However, many residents attending the meeting voiced strong opposition to the project, citing concerns about water use, environmental impacts, noise and light pollution.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

The Hutchinson City Council approved temporary test amendments for data center and battery energy storage system (BESS) zoning. Additionally, they would begin the process of introducing permanent text amendments for data centers and BESS. The vote was unanimous. Under these rules, large-scale data centers and BESS would not be permitted in any residential areas. These amendments will be taken before the planning commission, and a public hearing will be held before they are brought back before the council for approval.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

The Haven City Council voted four to one in favor of holding a sales tax election on Aug. 4. Council Member Nicole Sander was the only dissenting vote. The ballot measure would be a 1% sales tax, without a sundown date. The council heard a presentation on the topic from financial advisor Joey McLiney. The city is hoping that a sales tax might help pay for electric infrastructure improvements.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

The Big Kansas Road Trip brought hundreds of curious visitors to Humboldt this weekend. Organized by the Kansas Sampler Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to educating Kansans about Kansas, the trip to Humboldt seemed to check all the boxes. “It was a wonderful day,” said Monica Frye, Explore Kansas Program Manager. “So many people found great things to explore in Humboldt. They realized it was a unique, bright and welcoming community.”
Read more: The Iola Register

Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday faced public calls for a moratorium or ban on battery energy storage systems and data centers, following a work session where they heard research on fire risks and rural water limits. No local projects have been proposed, but county commissioners in July 2024 asked staff members to look into how those land uses should be addressed in county codes.  Planner Karl Bauer presented research Wednesday showing these uses are undefined in the county’s code outside of solar accessory rules, meaning that battery energy storage systems, or BESS, would already be allowed in the county alongside a solar farm to store extra energy harvested during the day to output during peak usage. The county’s current zoning restrictions would subject BESS to restrictions to avoid fires and noise disturbances.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

The Phillipsburg Fire Department has been honored with the Gold Helmet Department distinction by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), marking a significant milestone in the department’s commitment to personnel safety and long-term health. The prestigious recognition is reserved for fire departments that enroll at least 50% of their active personnel in the National Firefighter Registry (NFR) for Cancer.
Read more: The Sunflower State Radio Network

Taxes for those visiting Topeka is about to get higher. On May 5, The Topeka City Council voted to increase the transient guest tax percentage that was going to decrease in the next couple years. Mayor Spencer Duncan said those on the Transient Guest Tax Committee have had some talks about raising the percentage to stay current. “This is an effort to just simply get in line with what the rest of the cities in our area and our size throughout Kansas are already doing,” Duncan said. “It’s an effort to stop the decrease of this, which is the current move of we don’t make any changes. It really is that simple.” The new 8.5% tax will be implemented in 2027.
Read more: Topeka Capital-Journal

Topeka settled two lawsuits for $1.025 million. On May 1, the city announced two settlement deals: one with Topeka police administrators Jana Kizzar and Colleen Stuart and the other with Capt. Jennifer Cross. “The settlement agreement and related payment is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing by the City,” a city press release stated. “The City is committed to treating all employees fairly and respectfully in accordance with its Personnel Manual and applicable laws.” The money used for these settlements will come from the special liability fund, which is separate from the city’s general fund.
Read more: Topeka Capital-Journal

The Hutchinson Board of Education again decided to put off a resolution for another school bond at its meeting on Wednesday. Members started discussions after reviewing community survey results and looking at what an updated school bond could look like. Based on the 1,200 survey responses, the community thought the former $110 million school bond was too expensive and had too many projects. Others were in favor of a different approach that would focus on updating and maintaining existing schools.
Read more: KSN-TV

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

Cawker City is one of four places nationwide featuring balls of twine that residents say hold size records. When farmer Frank Stoeber began making a ball out of the twine that littered the floor of his barn on Dec. 24, 1953, he had no idea that ball would one day grow into a popular tourist attraction.
Read more: CJonline

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

Newton High School seniors Toby Spreier and Izabella Hinojos know what it’s like to be tased. It’s not because they’re on the wrong side of the law; it’s because they’re in training for employment on the right side of the law. One of the highlights of his internship was taking part in a ride-along with an officer who got a call to do a vehicle check in Sedgwick. It turned out to be a hit-and-run DUI suspect, he said. Both have internships at the Harvey County Sheriff’s Office, with Hinojos doing it for a year and Spreier for a semester.
Read more: Harvey County Now

The results are in, and the Harvey County Planning and Zoning Commission decided not to move forward with nuisance regulations at this time. That was Karen Rothe’s message to commissioners on Tuesday morning. Rothe, the county’s planning, zoning and environmental director, said the survey conducted earlier this year showed that an overwhelming number of people didn’t want to see any changes. The results show that 470 people responded to the survey, the most responses the P&Z received on a survey in over 10 years.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Wichita may have another sales tax initiative on the horizon after Justice Together, a grassroots interfaith coalition, prompted elected officials to verbalize their commitment to put one on the ballot to support affordable housing and homelessness.  All three council members in attendance Monday, Joseph Shepard, Dalton Glasscock and J.V. Johnston, said they would give Wichitans a chance to vote on the initiative if it had sufficient public backing to justify an election. 
Read more: KLC Journal

Federal Reserve officials who voted this week against the post-meeting statement said they didn’t think it was appropriate to signal that the next interest rate move would be lower. Regional presidents Neel Kashkari of Minneapolis and Beth Hammack of Cleveland released statements explaining their votes, offering similar rationale regarding the verbiage in the statement — but not over the decision to keep a hold on rates form their current position.
Read more: CNBC

The Riley County Commission on Thursday adopted a policy for handling complaints related to a recent state law prohibiting transgender Kansans from using facilities associated with their gender identity. “It’s relatively straightforward,” county counselor Jacob Hansen told commissioners. “The purpose, of course, is that individuals who want to make a complaint pursuant to that law are able to do so.” Senate Bill 244, which has been in effect since Feb. 26, established that it’s unlawful for people to enter a multiple-occupancy private space — such as bathrooms and locker rooms — in a government-owned building that is “designated for use only by individuals of the opposite sex.”
Read more: News Radio KMAN

A man who was electrocuted while working on a City of Winfield-owned substation in 2020 has sued the city and other defendants, alleging that a city employee failed to ensure the equipment was de-energized and safe to work on prior to the incident.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com

Stafford County Economic Development is beginning a planning effort to revitalize and define the future of downtown Stafford and St. John by developing two unique Downtown Master Plans. This process will bring together the public and stakeholders to guide decision-making and help identify priorities for future opportunities in each downtown.
Read more: Great Bend Tribune

Hundreds of people lined Mission Road on Saturday morning to enjoy a glimpse of Prairie Village down through the years. The city hosted a parade marking its 75th anniversary, with the theme of “Prairie Village Through the Decades.” It was one of the largest activities the city has planned this year to mark the milestone. More than 50 participants created floats representing different decades, with everything from a 1960s “peace and love” theme by advocacy group People for PV to a 1950s diner scene from the Claridge Court retirement community.
Read more: Johnson County Post

A Johnson County developer has sued both Olathe Public Schools and the city of Olathe, accusing them of abusing eminent domain powers to help the school district sell land to another preferred private developer. In a suit filed last month in Johnson County District Court, developer Cherry Park Properties alleges that the district, through the city, used eminent domain to acquire easements on its property for a sewer line to help the district sell nearby land to developer CB Holdings, which is owned by Clay Blair, a prominent civic leader and donor to area causes, including Olathe schools. In court documents, Cherry Park argues that the acquisition of its land serves a private buyer and not the public, which it says is an illegal use of the eminent domain power.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Spring Hill saw a lot of changes in the last year; from a new city council, public safety updates, budget updates to preparing for a comprehensive plan. Spring Hill Mayor Chad Young spoke about the changes and looked toward the future during his State of the City address April 15 at the Spring Hill Civic Center, hosted by the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce. About 100 community and business leaders attended the event.
Read more: Johnson County Post

A little more than a month after rural Johnson County residents celebrated a win with the withdrawal of a massive data center proposal, another one popped up just 5 miles down the road. San Francisco-based data center developer Beale Infrastructure recently submitted a proposal to Gardner to build a 16-building campus on 300 acres near the northeast corner of 191st Street and South Clare Road. It’s still unclear who would use the center or how much it would cost to build.
Read more: Kansas City Star

Olathe Public Schools is considering whether to end its Voluntary Early Retirement Plan (VERP) and Health Reimbursement Agreements (HRAs) as part of cost-saving efforts due to budget shortfalls, according to a teacher’s union and a district spokesperson. The early retirement plan has been part of ongoing bargaining agreements ahead of next school year between the district and Olathe NEA, the labor union that represents public school teachers and staff.
Read more: Kansas City Star

A new lawsuit claims Olathe Schools and the city is misusing eminent domain to aid the sale of district-owned property.
Read more: Kansas City Star

“Let’s fire up your Thunderbird, put in $2 worth of gas, and drive over to the drive-in and see a movie.” If that sounds like I’m in a time warp or having flashbacks to the 1950s, hold on. Other than buying cheap gas, it is still possible to enjoy the experience of going to a drive-in movie, right here in rural Kansas.  Jessica Eagle Moyer and Tyson Moyer are the owners of the Kanopolis Drive-In in Kanopolis, Kansas. Jessica grew up in Leavenworth County. Tyson grew up near Ellsworth and attended the University of Kansas and the Kansas City Art Institute.  He was working on marketing materials for the Kansas City Chiefs and Monarchs when he and Jessica met and were married. In the summers, they traveled back to Ellsworth County to see his family. A local attraction was an old drive-in movie site, one of the few still operating. In October 2024, they had the opportunity to purchase it. They moved back to Ellsworth where Tyson works remotely. Jessica is board-certified in health and wellness and operates her own wellness business in addition to the drive-in.
Read more: KCLY Radio

Residents of Gardner, Kansas, are confronting a new data center proposal from Beale Infrastructure just weeks after a similar proposal was withdrawn. Members of the community are concerned about the impact on their environment, utilities, and noise levels.
Read more: KCUR

The battle over the R9 Ranch water rights is a complex saga involving decades of legal maneuvering, legislative shifts and environmental concerns. 
Read more: KLC Journal