Kansas Municipal News
Downtown mural celebrates heritage
The new downtown mural highlighting Chanute’s history will have an Easter egg in it.
The artist working Friday on the display said he puts this same surprise in all his murals. Chanute residents and visitors will have the challenge of finding it.
Ryan Christenson, who goes by the professional name ARCY, painted the mural Friday on the east side of Opie’s restaurant at Main and Highland. He expected it to take about eight hours, although an early-afternoon downpour interrupted the project, and sent the artist and spectators ducking for shelter.
(Read more: The Chanute Tribune)
Resolutions drafted to prevent further wind expansion
Neosho County Commissioners and critics of the Neosho Ridge Wind project looked over drafts of a proposed moratorium on future construction during Thursday evening’s meeting.
County Counselor Seth Jones had prepared a draft and two revised versions of a resolution, and opponent Ed Spielbusch also submitted a proposed resolution. Commissioners will incorporate elements from each to bring back to a future meeting.
“One step closer,” Commission Chair Gail Klaassen said.
(Read more: The Chanute Tribune)
Newton city manager retiring
After three years as City Manager and 35 years working with the city, Bob Myers has announced he will retire in January of 2020.
The announcement followed the completing of the 2020 City Budgeting process at Tuesday’s City Commission meeting.
“My decision to retire has not been an easy one,” Myers said in a press release. “I will miss working with the talented and dedicated people who lead the City’s various divisions and departments. I’m so proud of the service-oriented atmosphere we’ve worked together to establish throughout the City organization during the past three years.”
(Read more: Newton Now)
10-year Treasury yield falls to three-year low below 1.5%, 30-year rate declines to record low
Investors clamored into the safety of U.S. government bonds, sending the 30-year Treasury bond yield below 2% for the first time ever and the 10-year Treasury note yield below 1.5%, a three-year low.
Around 2:00 p.m. ET, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to price, hit a three-year low of 1.475%, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was at 1.944%, after earlier falling to 1.941% for the first time ever. The 2-year Treasury yield was 1.467%, its lowest level since Oct. 2017.
Read more: CNBC.
Douglas County commissioners say they want to hire Plinsky as permanent county administrator
The Douglas County Commission kicked off discussions about finding a permanent county administrator on Wednesday, but a majority of commissioners said they believed they have already found one in Sarah Plinsky.
Plinsky has been serving as the interim county administrator since December, when the previous administrator, Craig Weinaug, retired after working for the county for 26 years. Although Weinaug announced the county would conduct a search process to find his replacement, the commissioners said they now believe it may not be needed.
“I think we have the person we need sitting within our midst,” Commissioner Nancy Thellman said of Plinsky.
Read more: LJWorld.com
Tyson: We’re not going anywhere
Tyson Foods officials had a direct, simple message on Wednesday: We are not leaving.
During a media event at the Heritage Inn, Tyson officials provided an update on current and future plans for the Tyson plant in Holcomb, a portion of which was heavily damaged by fire over the weekend.
Tyson Foods President and CEO Noel White left no ambiguity about the company’s plans for the Holcomb plant, reiterating several times that Tyson is committed to rebuilding and repairing the facility as quickly as possible.
“This plant’s important to us. It’s been a long time, strong performer. The community itself, the workforce we have here is outstanding,” White said.
(Read more: Greater Garden City » Feed)
Wellington making moves for natural gas company
The Wellington City Council approved the annexation of land east of the city on which a renewable natural gas company plans to build a facility that would create 40 jobs within the first six months of its being built. The property is 144.5 acres located at the southwest corner of U.S. 160 and Seneca Road and owned by Charter Equities II, LC. This property would be the location of the Verbio North American Corporation, a biomethane plant out of Big Rapids, Michigan.
(Read more: News – The Ottawa Herald)
Peabody’s historic theater to be renovated
After being closed for the past five years, the Sunflower Theatre in Peabody has new owners and a group of community members committed to its renovation. Built in 1919, the Sunflower Theatre provided a performance space for vaudeville acts, talent shows, concerts and movies. Susan Mayo and Marilyn Jones live near Peabody and are assisting with historical research for the building, which is located in the 100 block of North Walnut Street in Peabody.
(Read more: News – The Garden City Telegram)
Lawrence City Commission expresses support for plastic and paper bag fee or ban; more research will be done
City leaders indicated Tuesday that they are interested in pursuing a proposal to charge people for disposable grocery and shopping bags in an effort to reduce waste and help the environment.
As part of a study session, the Lawrence City Commission discussed the Sustainability Advisory Board’s recommendation that the city develop an ordinance that would have grocery stores and other retailers charge a 16-cent fee per bag upon checkout for both single-use plastic and paper bags. The proposal would exempt some types of bags, such as those used to carry raw meat, seafood and bulk items such as fruits, vegetables and nuts.
Board Chair Jackie Carroll told the commission that the proposed fee is meant to help the environment, not to raise revenue.
Read more: LJWorld.com
Wichita’s vulnerable water system concerns state agency, emails show
It’s unclear how Wichita plans to provide safe drinking water if its water system shuts down, according to a letter the state’s environmental agency sent the city.
The state has not approved the city’s emergency water supply plan, saying the plan does not “define clear options for providing deliverance of treated, safe drinking water to its customers during an emergency which is the purpose of the plan,” according to a July 10 letter to the city.
The July letter mentioned that providing bottled water for 500,000 people would not be a viable option.
(Read more: Local News |)
Council names city’s new fire chief
Preston Williams was officially named Marion fire chief at Monday’s city council meeting.
Williams has been with Marion fire department since March 2016 and was on the Ellsworth fire department three years prior to moving to Marion.
A chemical applicator for Cooperative Grain and Supply, he is married to Alex Williams.
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)
Wellington making moves for natural gas company
The Wellington City Council approved the annexation of land east of the city on which a renewable natural gas company plans to build a facility that would create 40 jobs within the first six months of its being built.
The property is 144.5 acres located at the southwest corner of U.S. 160 and Seneca Road and owned by Charter Equities II, LC. This property would be the location of the Verbio North American Corporation, a biomethane plant out of Big Rapids, Michigan.
The development agreement between the city and VNA is for Phase I of a larger project that may be developed over time. VNA agrees to invest $45 million in Phase I with the total amount of project investment to be approximately $150 million.
(Read more: News – Dodge City Daily Globe – Dodge City, KS)
Kansas approved for new type of drone flight
A Kansas drone research and development team will soon use an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to “fly a nine-mile track to evaluate technologies to inspect power lines in rural Kansas” in a first-of-its-kind drone flight, according to a recent Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) news release.
The 31-member team is a collaborative effort from the Kansas UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP) bringing together personnel from KDOT, Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus (K-State Polytechnic), Westar Energy, and Iris Automation.
According to the KDOT release, the department has “received permission to conduct the first ever Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operation in the nation leveraging only onboard detect-and-avoid systems.” The release, which also notes that the operation “is the first-ever FAA authorized operation to fly without a requirement for visual observers or ground-based radar,” was headlined “Kansas approved for first Beyond Visual Line of Sight drone flight in the nation.”
(Read more: State News – Morning Sun)
Wichita now has 1,000 electric scooters to rent as new option arrives
There’s a new scooter in town. Or more accurately, about 500 new scooters in town.
Chicago-based VeoRide rolled out 500 of its scooters onto Wichita’s streets this week, bringing the number of electric rental scooters based here to about 1,000.
Boston-based Zagster rolled out its local fleet of 500 Spin scooters almost exactly a month ago, getting the jump on the Wichita market.
(Read more: Wichita Eagle)
Imagine Pittsburg 2030 committee updates leaders
Imagine in a little over 10 years what people will be saying about Pittsburg.
That’s what the Imagine Pittsburg 2030 (IP2030) steering committee asked Pittsburg leaders to think about on Wednesday during a luncheon.
In 2010, business, education and community leaders from Pittsburg identified a “need for a grassroots, citizen-driven visioning effort to strategically address the community’s opportunity and challenges through the year 2030,” a pamphlet from the event said. A steering committee of local representatives was created, led by then co-chairs Pittsburg City Commissioner Marty Beezley and Brad Hodson.
…
From the collected information emerged a “common vision”. This common vision included core areas of focus; housing, economic development, infrastructure and public wellness.
(Read more: Community – Morning Sun)
‘A big impact’: Groundbreaking ceremony held for new grocery store in downtown KCK
It’s been a long time coming, but people who live in downtown KCK will soon have a new neighborhood grocery store to call their own.
Right now, folks who live in eastern KCK said they have to travel at least 20 minutes to a store that sells fresh produce.
"I believe because of the disparities in health, we need quality produce to come into the neighborhood," KCK resident Sarah Armwood-Moses said.
But that’ll change soon.
On Thursday the city held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Merc Co+Op. It’s a community-owned grocery store with affordable food options.
(Read more: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF)
Citizens asked to submit flag designs for Winfield’s big birthday
Winfield Convention & Tourism is sponsoring a contest to design a flag for the City of Winfield, in celebration of the upcoming 150th anniversary of the city’s founding in 2020.
Although the city has a logo, it does not have an official flag. The purpose of a flag is to create community pride and give Winfield a brand, said Megan Beeson, program coordinator at the Winfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Convention & Tourism is a department within the Chamber.
“It can give people something to stand behind,” said Beeson.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)
Federal, state, local leaders discuss opportunity zones with Wichita developers
Nearly every chair in the conference room at the Advanced Learning Library was full on Thursday afternoon as federal, state and local leaders discussed opportunity zones.
The zones provide tax incentives for development in Wichita neighborhoods with hopes of making them more attractive.
“Look at a way to invest in your own city that will pay you back considerable dividends and at the same time you get to invest in your city and make it a better place for people to live wok and play,” mayor Jeff Longwell said.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Overland Park limits what public can bring up at its meetings. Residents want change
Several times Overland Park resident Mary Coffman wanted to bring up an issue at a City Council meeting. But she wasn’t allowed to.
Residents can comment only on topics listed on the agenda or during public hearings. But many of Coffman’s concerns, she said, such as traffic congestion or a lack of affordable housing, have gone unheard.
Overland Park is the only city in Johnson County — and one of only a handful in the Kansas City region — that does not designate a time at meetings for residents to talk about whatever is on their mind. Now some residents and council members want that to change.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Main yield curve inverts as 2-year yield tops 10-year rate, triggering recession warning
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note broke below the 2-year rate early Wednesday, an odd bond market phenomenon that has been a reliable, albeit early, indicator for economic recessions.
The yield on U.S. 30-year bond also turned heads on Wall Street during Wednesday’s session as it fell to an all-time low, dropping past its prior record notched in summer 2016. The two historic moves coming in tandem show that investors are increasingly worried, and indeed preparing for, a slowdown in both the U.S. and global economies.
Earlier Wednesday, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was at 1.623%, below the 2-year yield at 1.634%. In practice, that means that investors are better compensated for loaning the U.S. over two years than they are for loaning for 10 years. The yields steepened later in the session, pushing the 10-year rate back above that of the 2-year note at 1.58%.
Read more: CNBC.