Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Riley County presented with survey results for proposed 4-day work week

Riley County Public Information Officer Vivienne Leyva presented commissioners Thursday with results of a July public survey, regarding a potential switch to a 4 day, 40 hour work week. Leyva spoke about the first question on the survey. Close to 2,000 respondents took the survey, with greater than half saying the new schedule would make Riley County offices more accessible for them. Question 2 asked preference for extended hours to conduct business. About 22 percent of digital respondents to the survey said visiting early morning or late evening would be better, with a small amount preferring evenings.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Moundridge City Administrator Murray McGee has announced that he is stepping down; becoming CEO of INK

Moundridge City Administrator, Murray McGee has announced that he is stepping down September 1st after 8 years with the City. McGee has accepted the Chief Executive Officer position with the Information Network of Kansas. INK is a public/private partnership charged by the Legislature with expanding the amount and type of Kansas government information available to the public. … The City Council are starting immediately to conduct a search for a new Administrator. Mayor Kevin Schmidt thanked McGee for his service and expressed his confidence in the City staff who are stepping up to help with the transition during this period.
Source: Moundridge

City of Wichita has given out over $100k in rebates

On Jan. 10, the Wichita City Council approved $100,000 in rebates for citizens who have bought water- and energy-efficient devices in 2023. That number was increased to $125,000 on July 5, as the City Council approved additional funds if the $100,000 was exhausted before Oct. 31. City officials say so far, the City of Wichita has approved rebates for 1,242 water-efficient devices, totaling $112,960.06. The Lawn Care Rebate Program is intended to lower the use of gas and diesel-powered lawn equipment and provides a $50 rebate for residents who purchase new non-combustion lawn equipment and recycle their old combustion equipment. City officials say the City of Wichita has used around $300 for the lawn rebate. It’s possible that the lower number is due to the lack of rain and as a result the decreased need to maintain lawns.
Source: KSN-TV

Home sales are down in Kansas, but you can still expect to pay more in Wichita

Homebuyers in Wichita should expect to navigate a “very competitive” market, according to one real estate site, even as sales slump statewide compared to last year. Tight inventory has driven prices up in many areas and contributed to a seller’s market. Wichita’s median home listing price is $275,000 as of June, which is a 14.6% increase from last year, real estate site Realtor.com reports. Average Wichita homes were selling for about 3% above asking price in June, and most homes are selling after about 28 days on the market. The average home value in Wichita was $186,579 in June, according to the Zillow Home Value Index. Home values are up 5.9% in Wichita compared to last year.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Kingman power outages bring community together

Power outages hit large parts of Kingman during the hottest part of the day yesterday and the day before, but the incidents have only brought the community closer together. The outages hit most of the northwestern part of the city, which is where Julie Wollen lives. She was coming home from work with her husband Tuesday when she noticed something was off. “We came into the house, I’m like, ‘It’s warm in here,'” Wollen said. “My husband’s like, ‘Well, it’s 103 degrees out,’ and I’m like, ‘Well, we have no power.” The City set up a cooling center for affected residents and free rides to help them get there. “One of our city bus drivers came into work and started running the public taxi,” said Adrian Harrel, the City of Kingman’s mayor.
Source: KSN-TV

Despite old struggles, can new opportunities in Wyandotte County ‘make this place thrive’?

Wyandotte County seems poised for change. World Cup games are coming to the region in 2026 and a new master plan for the county is in the works, but the area still sees many challenges. Those include affordable housing, gentrification and residents’ historically strained relationship with county government and police. KCUR’s Up To Date broadcasted live Wednesday from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kansas City’s Breidenthal Unit in Kansas City, Kansas, to discuss the community and its future. For many residents, recent momentum and economic opportunity for Wyandotte County is overshadowed by what work still remains.
Source: KCUR

The new Joint Fentanyl Impact Team seized 5,000 fake oxycodone pills in Pittsburg, Kan.

The Joint Fentanyl Impact Team executed a search warrant in Pittsburg, Kansas leading to the arrest of of two people and the seizure of 5,000 fake oxycodone suspected of containing fentanyl, a large amount of cash and multiple guns with ammunition. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said the JFIT along with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburg Police and the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office executed the search warrant on Thursday and booked 39-year-old Horace Wright and 43-year-old Amanda Lee into the Crawford County Jail. Wright and Lee were both arrested for possession of opiates, opium, or narcotic drugs, possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug sale paraphernalia, criminal possession of firearm, and aggravated child endangerment.
Source: KAKE – News

Valley Center named Purple Heart City

Following in the footsteps of Derby and Haysville, Valley Center become the third city in Sedgwick County in the span of roughly one year to officially be declared a Purple Heart City. An official proclamation was made at the Sedgwick County Commission meeting on Aug. 2. The official proclamation serves as a statement of support for military personnel, veterans and families of those who have served through the Armed Services in recalling one of the oldest military decorations still given out. Along with Derby and Haysville, Valley Center joins the cities of Holton, Leavenworth, Netawaka and Topeka; Leavenworth and Jackson counties; and the State of Kansas as part of the Purple Heart Trail in Kansas.
Source: Derby Informer | Area

Kansas hits all-time lowest birth rate

Kansas documented the state’s lowest-ever recorded birth rate for the 2022 year, according to a preliminary report. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s annual report shows the number of births in the state dropped slightly from 2021. Last year’s report documented 34,697 births in 2021, with a birth rate of 11.8 per 1,000 people. The preliminary 2022 report recorded 34,376 births across the state, with a birth rate of 11.7 per 1,000 people. Seven counties accounted for about 60% of the state’s births for the year: Douglas, Geary, Johnson, Leavenworth, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte. Unmarried mothers made up 36% of all births with 12,370 reported. The rate of births to teenagers between the ages of 15-19 remained at 4.7%, unchanged from the previous year’s rate.
Source: The Iola Register

City Council recommends more WPD power to suspend club licenses

Wichita City Council is recommending ordinances to give police more authority to suspend the licenses of clubs where violence has taken place. This after a shooting at the City Nightz club in Old Town left 11 people injured on Sunday, July 2nd. Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan issued a 30-day suspension of the entertainment license for the club, which had been the site of twelve previous violent incidents in 2023 alone. Three of those incidents involved guns. Sullivan said the shooting wouldn’t have happened if patrons were properly screened before entering the club. City Council claims current licensing ordinances to suspend or revoke such licenses are inconsistent; specifically citing the method of notice given, the official who requests a suspension, and the length of suspension.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Munis follow global bond sell off, outflows near $1B

Municipals sold off Thursday, following U.S. Treasury losses after more economic data suggested the U.S. economy is strong enough to potentially warrant more rate hikes in the fall. Equities ended down. Ahead of Friday’s jobs report, Wall Street is “watching a global bond market selloff get uglier as U.S. stocks waver ahead of massive earnings from Apple and Amazon,” said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at The Americas OANDA. Coupled with the Bank of England signaling more tightening is ahead, recent economic data has confirmed the U.S. economy remains resilient, he said, which fanned more concerns over Fed policy uncertainty. “Both initial jobless claims still remain low and the ISM services employment component supports the argument that the Fed might need to deliver more tightening in November,” he noted.
Source: The Bond Buyer

Shawnee Names New Finance Director

The City of Shawnee and City Manager Doug Gerber announced on Wednesday the promotion of Sean Rocco as the City’s new Finance Director following a nation-wide search. Rocco has served as Interim Finance Director since May of this year. “Sean has done an outstanding job taking the City through the 2024 budget process and consistently proved himself to be up to the task of Finance Director through his day-to-day work and in every round of the interview process,” City Manager Doug Gerber said. Rocco joined the City of Shawnee in September of 2021 as Deputy Finance Director, after more than a decade in the private sector as an accounting coordinator, project controls analyst, and eight years with Bridgestone Americas as a Senior Field Auditor.
Source: What’s New News Summary

Park City voters approve sales tax increase

Voters in Park City have approved a proposal for a one cent sales tax increase to fund a variety of improvements across the city. The proposal was on Tuesday’s primary election ballot, and 58 percent of the voters approved. The unofficial results have 377 yes votes and 272 no votes. The final numbers will be certified during the Sedgwick County vote canvass on August 10th. The one cent increase will be used for the improvement of streets, parks, and city services, as well as community-driven enhancements.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Harvey County Commission extends postponement on renewable energy builds

The Harvey County Commission unanimously voted to approve an extension on a commercial renewable energy construction moratorium in the county. The vote was held during the commission’s meeting on August 1st. The Commission previously implemented a six-month postponement at its Feb. 21st meeting. The extension will keep the moratorium in place through Dec. 5th, 2023. The extension was requested by the Harvey County Planning and Zoning Advisory Board, which is currently reviewing the County’s Unified Development Code related to commercial renewable energy.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

New mural, sculpture being added in Delia

It’s a warm Saturday morning in the southwest Jackson County community of Delia, where a UTV is busy dragging the ball field near the former Delia school for weeds and the occasional train whistle punctuates the quiet. It’s also a good day to install a steel sculpture on the south outer wall of the school building, and that’s what Rossville High School art teacher Garrett Larson and his three-person crew are doing — attempting to mount the sculpture using an old Case farm tractor with a loader attachment. The sculpture — a depiction of a buffalo on the prairie at sunset — is actually one of two art projects that Larson has been working on to enhance the outer appearance of the old school, which now functions as a community building after it the Kaw Valley USD 321 board of education voted to close the school in 2010.
Source: Holton Recorder

Rural Kansas school district spared in lopsided vote

Residents of a rural central Kansas school district overwhelmingly voted to keep their district intact, defeating an attempt to dissolve the district in anger over a school closure. Unofficial election results from the Aug. 1 primary show 587 people voted in favor of disorganization and 1,179 voters in Central Plains Unified School District 112 voted against the change. “For Tuesday in August, in a heatwave, this was a huge turnout,” said Denise Schmidt, a Claflin resident, educator and member of the United USD 112 campaign. Ellsworth County Clerk Shelly Vopat, who oversees the county’s elections, estimated turnout was about 60%. The county usually sees a turnout of 30% to 40% in a primary election, Vopat said. Schmidt said the vote showed communities could still pull together and prioritize education.
Source: Kansas Reflector

Lenexa acquired this historic cemetery last year. What happens now?

For generations, volunteers with the nonprofit Lenexa Cemetery Association managed the historic cemetery off Pflumm Road and 87th Street Parkway in east Lenexa. The Lenexa Cemetery, founded in 1872, is the final resting place of several prominent Lenexa community leaders through the generations, including members of the Legler family and some Civil War veterans. The city has now taken over the property and is shifting attention towards maintaining and potentially enhancing the site into the future. Over the years, upkeep of the cemetery and its long-term management grew to be a challenge for the all-volunteer cemetery association. Members of the organization’s board started approaching other groups about taking over for them but there were no takers, Lenexa Parks and Recreation Director Logan Wagler said.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Another move: Sedgwick County thinking of buying this downtown building for admin offices

Sedgwick County government is considering purchasing Murfin Plaza at 250 N. Water for $7.75 million as the new home for its administrative offices. The County Commission on Wednesday unanimously agreed to pay $25,000 in earnest money. The county has 120 days to inspect the 82,577-square-foot property and determine whether to move forward with the purchase. The government has been leasing space at the Ruffin Building on North Broadway at a rate of $58,502.67 a month since moving out of the county courthouse last year to create more room for courts there.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Prairie Village – from farms to suburbs

For generations the area that is now Prairie Village was part of the communally held ancestral hunting territory of the Kanza and Osage tribes. In the 1820s, the federal government removed the Kanza and Osage people to reservations elsewhere in what is now Kansas. The government then removed the Shawnee from their ancestral territory and placed them on a reservation that spanned modern-day Johnson County until 1854. Congress then formed the Kansas Territory and again removed the Shawnee. The influence of Indigenous people and cultures remains today in the names of streets, parks, and geographical features throughout the county. After Congress created the Kansas Territory in 1854, Euro-Americans migrated to the area and purchased land on which to live and farm.
Source: Prairie Village Post

How local educators are tackling the fentanyl crisis

Local educators and organizations are focusing on prevention and awareness when it comes to the fentanyl crisis in Johnson County. Educators and organization leaders convened for a roundtable on Tuesday morning at Shawnee Mission West hosted by U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas’ Third District. Like previous fentanyl roundtable discussions, Tuesday’s summit was closed to the public. In a press conference that immediately followed, Davids said the discussion focused largely on fentanyl education and awareness. Superintendents from USD 232 in De Soto and Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools were present, as well as administrators from Shawnee Mission and Olathe school districts. Davids said she learned that the represented school districts — Shawnee Mission, USD 232, Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools and Olathe — all used naloxone (brand name is Narcan) more than once in the 2022-23 school year.
Source: Prairie Village Post

New book documents Leawood’s 75-year history

A book detailing a quarter-century of Leawood’s history is turning a final page. City officials say “Leawood; The Journey Continues,” will hit the presses this month — coming out in time for the city’s 75th anniversary celebration. The book serves as a second edition of the city’s first history book, “Leawood; A Portrait in Time” — which was penned by local author Ann Morris. Residents can buy the second edition either with a copy of the first history book or by itself.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Public can no longer pull most items from Lawrence City Commission consent agenda

Members of the public can no longer request to pull most items from the Lawrence City Commission’s consent agenda during meetings, commissioners voted Tuesday. A governing body’s consent agenda generally includes a list of items that are considered routine and are approved in one vote. Some bodies, such as the Lawrence City Commission and Douglas County Commission, allow commissioners themselves as well as members of the public to ask that an item be removed from the consent agenda for discussion; the Lawrence school board allows board members and the superintendent to remove items from the consent agenda. The change approved Tuesday was on the consent agenda, but Commissioner Brad Finkeldei asked to discuss it.
Source: The Lawrence Times

County: New ambulance will be hard to get

Buying a new ambulance isn’t going to be a simple process, Allen County commissioners learned this week. That’s because supply chain issues have made for a lengthy wait to receive the units, Terry Call told them. He retired as the county’s EMS and zoning director, but returned part-time to handle zoning issues. Call researched ambulance options after Michael Burnett, Iola’s EMS director, gave a report about equipment needs a couple of weeks ago. Under the terms of a new contract between the city and county, commissioners agreed to provide ambulances and associated equipment. It likely will be more than a year — maybe even well into 2026 — before the county could receive a new ambulance, even if they ordered one now, Call said.
Source: The Iola Register

WaterOne has a new general manager

WaterOne has a new permanent leader. The nonprofit water utility’s board last month voted to confirm Shaun Pietig as WaterOne’s new general manager, overseeing all the operations of its 272-square-mile service territory in Johnson County. Pietig first came to WaterOne in 2007 as a project engineer and has done a number of jobs within the organization, most recently serving as Director of Distribution. Pietig will be the fifth general manager in WaterOne’s history and the first woman ever in that position. She will formally take over her new role on Tuesday, Aug. 8. Previous General Manager Mike Armstrong retired in December after 25 years with WaterOne. An interim general manager has been in place since then.
Source: Prairie Village Post

County seeks solution for excess tires

A company that recycles used tires has been dumping more than 200,000 tires at the Allen County Landfill over the past six months, prompting county leaders to consider changes to the way it handles or charges for tire collection. Shane Lamb with FMS/United Tire told commissioners he needs to dump shredded tires at the landfill until he’s able to build a facility that can convert the material into fine, crumb rubber that is a highly desirable recycled product used by many industries. Lamb operates out of a facility at the former Lehigh Portland Cement plant. Since February, Lamb’s company has dumped 1,980.57 tons of tire material at the landfill. By comparison, the next highest customer, J.D.’s Automotive, dumped 67.31 tons in the same period.
Source: The Iola Register

The Fitch analyst behind the U.S. downgrade breaks down the decision—and how the country can regain the top rating

It’s not a growing jobs market, strong U.S. dollar or a resilient economy that will help the U.S. regain the top rating from Fitch. According to the firm, it’s going to take a major step up in governance. Fitch Ratings cut the United States’ long-term foreign currency issuer default rating to AA+ from AAA on Tuesday, sending global stock markets down on Wednesday. The agency had placed the country’s rating on negative watch in May, citing the debt ceiling issue. “This is a steady deterioration we’ve seen in the key metrics for the United States for a number of years. In 2007, general government debt was less than 60% and now it’s 113%, so there has been a clear deterioration,” Richard Francis, Fitch’s co-head of the Americas sovereign ratings, said Wednesday on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.” “Furthermore, we’re expecting fiscal deficits to rise over the next three years and we expect debt to continue to rise over the next three years.”
Source: CNBC

Governor Kelly Invites Public Input on Broadband Infrastructure Plan

Governor Laura Kelly announced today that the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume 1 is available for public viewing and comment. The BEAD 5-Year Action Plan, along with Volume 1 and Volume 2, will identify served, unserved, and underserved locations across the state and map out a plan to expand access to high-speed internet. The BEAD program, established by the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, has allocated more than $451 million to Kansas for the development of broadband networks. “Universal internet access is essential, and BEAD is a catalyst to a more connected and prosperous Kansas,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “From remote work to telehealth and other critical services, my administration is committed to ensuring every Kansan has the opportunity to thrive in the digital economy.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

SpaceX shipment passes through Pratt

Most area residents are used to the sights and sounds of big trucks and bumper-to-bumper traffic in Pratt as two major state highways cross right in the middle of town at First and Main Streets. Early Monday morning, however, a few more eyes than usual kept a close check on U.S. Highway 281, also known as Main Street, as a large SpaceX load was scheduled to travel through. “Everyone was all aflutter already on Sunday evening as there were reports of the SpaceX load coming through Great Bend and then St. John,” said Patrice Egging. “We heard it got stuck on the roundabout south of St. John, so Mike and I drove out to see it.”
Source: Pratt Tribune

Municipal Bond Trends for August 2, 2023

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. 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.

Municipal Bond Trends for August 1, 2023

Pottawatomie County Commission hears update on changes to unified development regulations

Pottawatomie County Commissioners discussed changes to the county’s unified development regulations during their Monday meeting. County Planner Stephan Metzger tells commissioners they are proposing small changes that serve primarily as clarifications for existing regulations. One of those changes intends to prevent a loophole in their paved road requirements for lot splitting. Another clarification includes a process to determine if land use is agricultural in nature or not. Metzger says this is another attempt to prevent a loophole where a house could be constructed and simply stated to be part of a larger agriculture operation.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Kansas community votes not to disorganize their school district

A rural Kansas community has voted not to disorganize their school district after a 7-12 grade school closed. Due to a lack of funding earlier this year, the Central Plains School District closed the school which caused some voters to think disorganizing the district would be the best option. Enough petition signatures were gathered to put the disorganization of USD 112 up for a vote during the August 1st primary election. If it had passed the Board of Education may have divided the land among surrounding districts. “We have about 10 school districts that border us,” Superintendent Bill Lowry said. “So, there would be about 10 school districts eligible to be assigned by the board of education.”
Source: KAKE – News

Wichita approves location for shared WSU-KU biomedical campus

The joint campus will include shared spaces for advanced laboratories, clinical research and technology for students in medical and other health programs from Wichita State, Wichita Tech and the University of Kansas. Wichita State University said in a release Tuesday that “about 3,000 students and 200 faculty and staff will be housed at the center, with opportunities for growth in existing and new programs.”
Source: KAKE – News

KDOT secretary looking for path out of Kansas’ transportation industry labor shortage

Kansas Department of Transportation secretary Calvin Reed pointed to workforce shortages as a significant challenge to the state’s multibillion-dollar, 10-year Eisenhower transportation program. Reed, nominated by Gov. Laura Kelly and endorsed by the Republican-led Senate Confirmation Oversight Committee, said an aging workforce in core areas of the industry were fundamental problems that government and private-sector employers had to address. Reed highlighted one of those worrisome gaps, especially prominent in western Kansas, between demand and supply of professional land surveyors. Among the state’s nearly 3 million residents, only 258 are licensed land surveyors. The average age of this cadre of people responsible for defining boundaries of real property was 59.8 years, he said.
Source: Kansas Reflector

Municipal Bond Trends for July 31, 2023

2 huge projects could transform swaths of Johnson County with apartments, event center

Two huge developments would transform swaths of south Overland Park under plans headed to the City Council next week. On Aug. 7, the council will consider the two projects with hundreds of apartments and commercial space. The first is Metcalf Village, on 40 acres of vacant land on the southeast corner of 159th Street and Metcalf Avenue, where the developer is proposing 900 residential units, including apartments and townhomes, restaurants and retail space, plus parks and pickleball courts. The other project, Schlagel Farms, is at the southeast corner of 175th Street and Pflumm Road, where developers hope to build 300 apartments, 150 townhomes, retail, restaurants and an event center on 74 acres of undeveloped land.
Source: Joco 913 News

Wichita municipal court begins new policy on cell phones

Wichita Municipal Court has started a new policy to deal with cell phones in the courtroom. The court will require the use of what are known as Yondr bags. People who attend court proceedings will be required to put their cell phone in the Yondr bag, which is a soft, lockable pouch. People can keep their cell phones but they will not be able to have access to the phone. When they leave the courtroom, a clerk will unlock the bag. Court administrator Nathan Emmorey said there have been issues in the past with victims being texted or harassed through their cell phones by defendants. He said the new policy will provide privacy and security, and it will eliminate the temptation for people to check or use their phones in the courtroom.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Small-town life suits John and Tammy Sturn

John and Tammy Sturn live in Ellinwood but can often be found in The Slammer in Lyons. The Slammer (thericecountyslammer.com), located in the Historic Rice County Jail, offers an escape room, historic tour, cellblock venue, a murder mystery dinner and overnight accommodations. “It’s cool. It has been a retirement business that helps preserve an historic building,” John Sturn said. John noted that when the building was the county jail, the sheriff and his wife lived downstairs. Chris McCord bought the building in 2020 with the idea of turning it into an Airbnb-type venue. The escape room opened after Thanksgiving in 2021. The Sturns have a partnership with McCord to manage the business.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

Municipal Bond Trends for July 28, 2023

New Newton public library building scheduled to open in July of 2024

At this time next year, Newton will have a brand new library up and functioning, according to an estimate by Director of Public Works and City Engineer Suzanne Loomis. “The entire project is anticipated to be complete by approximately July of 2024,” Loomis said. “Construction is coming along nicely.” She added that possible delays could occur due to supply chain shortages for equipment and building materials, but she and her team remain hopeful that the project will remain on schedule.
Source: Harvey County Now

Police address concerns amid Wichita’s deadliest month in at least five years

Amid the city’s deadliest month in at least five years, Wichita police and elected officials are trying to ease concerns about the rise in violent crime. Police have also provided some more details about recent homicides and provided a breakdown about what some of them involved. There have been 11 homicides in July, making it the deadliest month since at least 2018. In 2020, which set a record for the year with 59 homicides, the number each month did not exceed six. There have been 28 homicides so far this year, with 16 of those, or 57%, coming since June 10. There were 25 homicides at this time last year.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Jail meetings with cities continue

Marshall County commissioners are meeting with city councils in the county, asking them to approve interlocal agreements that would turn proceeds of up to a half cent sales tax designated for a new jail back to the county. By law, any countywide sales tax is shared with all cities in the county unless an interlocal agreement is signed that allows the county to retain the sales tax revenue. Commissioners are looking at a sales tax to fund a portion of a new jail. A proposal to enter a lease-purchase agreement not to exceed $6.5 million in principal to finance a portion of a new jail was defeated in an April special election.
Source: The Marysville Advocate

Johnson County city debates McMansions vs. more affordable options

Officials have debated adjusting laws to pave the way for duplexes, small apartment buildings and other cheaper options for families struggling to buy a home in the city known for Cape Cod houses torn down to make way for McMansions. But the idea has ignited fierce opposition from residents who argue the city of 23,000 people is already built out and too dense to welcome the multi-unit housing they fear would crowd the tree-lined suburb and take away its neighborhood feel. Red “Stop Rezoning” signs have been cropping up in front yards across the city, where average home prices topped $536,000 last year.
Source: Joco 913 News

Documentarian sets sights on legacy of Iola’s Municipal Band

At 152 years old, the Iola Municipal Band is the longest continuing municipal band in the state, and remains one of the oldest in the nation. A PBS producer is working on a documentary about the band’s legacy. The Iola Municipal Band, which has been a part of Iola’s summers for the past 152 years, ended its summer session Thursday with a celebration of Christmas. The band, with musicians ranging from middle school to players in their 80s, performed a medley of holiday classics to bid adieu to 2023.
Source: The Iola Register

Precious Metals Company Discovers Ideal Location in Rural Kansas

US Assets Recovery (USAR), a company specializing in precious metal recovery, refining and fabrication, is flourishing. In choosing a new location to grow, the Joplin, Mo.-based company recently looked to Kansas. Floyd Langley, chief financial officer for USAR, credited the work of the Kansas Department of Commerce for its part in bringing the company to Kansas — and specifically Galena, which the USAR team knew well before the company announced plans in 2022 for a new facility in the rural, southeast Kansas community. USAR’s relationship with Galena was forged in the wake of a devastating tornado in 2011 in Joplin. While processing debris left behind by the tornado, US Assets Recovery worked with a Galena landfill for the majority of its waste disposal. The professional bonds formed between USAR and the folks in Galena were instrumental in the company choosing Kansas for its growth plan — as was the work of the Business Development team at Commerce, which assisted USAR every step of the way.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce