Kansas Municipal News
Lawrence City Commission to consider land purchase, zoning and code exemption for Pallet Shelter Village
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will consider a $725,000 land purchase, a contract for $1.11 million of temporary shelters for people experiencing homelessness, and a resolution suspending zoning and code enforcement on that property for a year. The commission in December approved budgeting $4.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act money — federal COVID-19 relief funds — to purchase modular homes from Pallet, a Washington state-based “Public Benefit Corporation.” The modular Pallet homes, which will include a heating and cooling source but no bathrooms, will be part of a “village setting” that includes restrooms, laundry, shower and community gathering facilities and support service offices.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Western JoCo development at K-10/Ridgeview paves the way to future opportunity
Two decades ago, Ridgeview Road was a humble gravel road in western Lenexa. By 2020, a $30 million extension transformed it into a path of opportunity for 600 acres of all types of development. The area around the Kansas Highway 10 and Ridgeview interchange now is awash in projects either under construction or approved. News that Panasonic Ltd. is bringing a $4 billion, 4,000-job EV-battery plant down the highway undoubtedly will increase interest in the intersection. But the megaproject isn’t what triggered the current activity. “There was natural growth that was coming this way, whether it’s one plant or several companies over five to 10 years from now,” Lenexa Mayor Mike Boehm said. “A boom of development was probably going to happen on the K-10 corridor anyway.”
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Municipal Bond Trends for March 16, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.
Emporia gets a bit more magical
Emporia Main Street, along with several local businesses, have become the new homes for a collection of Fairy Doors. The community is invited to come downtown starting this week and look high and low (well mostly low) around local businesses for some new and colorful installations. Emporia Main Street launched this concept to provide the community and visitors a fun, free activity to do while visiting downtown and surrounding businesses. “We had such a great response to our interactive murals, and we wanted to produce another initiative that would draw people downtown,” explains Jessica Buchholz, Community Development Coordinator for Emporia Main Street. “The Urban Fairy Door project is designed to generate more foot traffic for our local businesses. We know if we can get more people in front of a business they are more likely to patronize that business and spend their dollars locally.”
Source: Emporia Gazette
Burrton considering request for Sunday liquor sales
Lisa Cokeley, owner of The Wet Spot, asked the Burrton City Council to consider making Sunday sales legal at its March 7 meeting. She later explained that the fact that other little towns in the region already allowed Sunday sales meant that it could be a good opportunity for the business she and her husband purchased about a month ago. She said she didn’t know what legal hoops she or the city would have to jump through to make it a reality. “I’ve talked to others who are doing very well on Sunday sales around here,” she said.
Source: Harvey County Now
Commissioners open to changes in how back taxes are collected
The Board of Harvey County Commissioners appeared willing to consider County Treasurer Becky Fields’s request to change how tax foreclosure actions are handled for people who are behind in their property taxes. Fields asked commissioners three times, including the past two weeks, to repeal the charter amendment the county enacted in May 2019 because she said any taxes paid get applied to the most recent tax bill owed. “That doesn’t help them, because it puts them in a tax sale,” she said. Fields said she wanted the county to follow the state statute whereby someone behind on property taxes could pay the oldest taxes due first to get their property out of risk of a tax foreclosure sale. She noted that the law allowed the county to seek a foreclosure action if a property owner owed five years of back taxes.
Source: Harvey County Now
North Newton considering breaking away from planning and zoning, historic preservation commissions
North Newton Mayor Ron Braun said during the regular city council meeting Monday that allowing North Newton and Newton to have their own planning and zoning and historic preservation commissions is a matter of positivity. Currently, both towns have representatives on each of those commissions. He said the matter was formally brought up last year, and it’s just meant for each entity to deal with matters regarding their own towns. Newton takes up about 98 percent of the agendas anyway, he said. “Now the conversation focuses really not encumbering one city with another city’s agenda,” he said during the meeting.
Source: Harvey County Now
Find the economic impact of the Kansas airport nearest you
If you have ever wondered how vital an airport can be to a Kansas town, no matter how big or small, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has the answer. For example, Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport supports 20,583 jobs and has an economic output of $6.1 billion.
| Other Airports | Jobs Supported | Economic Output |
| Topeka Regional | 1,774 | $199.9 million |
| Salina Regional | 640 | $31.9 million |
| Garden City Regional | 232 | $44.5 million |
| Great Bend Municipal | 137 | $22.2 million |
| Hays Regional | 170 | $22 million |
| Goodland Municipal | 128 | $29.8 million |
“Every airport serves a unique and important role for their community,” Bob Brock, KDOT director of aviation, said in a news release. “It is this uniqueness that makes credible data on individual airports even more important to local, state and national decision-makers.” KDOT’s Division of Aviation worked with industry experts to get a close-up look at all 140 public-use airports across Kansas and put the details on a new website. The data includes the economic impact on the community, the condition of the runways and which ones need improvements.
Source: KSN-TV
KS House passes expansive voucher-like program, ties it with Kelly’s top education priority
The Kansas House narrowly passed the largest school choice program in state history while tying it to special education funding long sought by public school advocates and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. … The House fell far short of a veto proof majority setting up a major uphill battle if the policy reaches Kelly’s desk. But supporters are hoping the inclusion of one of Kelly’s top education priorities will earn her signature. Last week Republicans tied together the controversial voucher-like program to special education funding, essentially daring Kelly to either approve a program she has long opposed or veto additional funding for special education, which has been a key part of her second term platform. Kelly asked for $72 million in funding next year followed by an additional $72 million increase for the next five years.
Source: KC Star Local News
Assessing the state of the city, county and school board
Growth and development were two common themes during the annual State of the City Breakfast in Paola. About 50 people attended the breakfast, which was organized by the Paola Chamber of Commerce and took place at the Paola Country Club on Tuesday, March 7. Jeremy Smail of First Option Bank served as the moderator. Attendees listened to officials from the city of Paola, Paola USD 368 and Miami County give updates.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
Parsons: Food truck rules vital for health, safety
The city of Parsons enacted a new food vendor ordinance earlier this week, and it’s elicited feedback from residents on social media who wonder why it is necessary. City officials say it is necessary for the health and safety of food truck owners and patrons who eat at them. “It makes legislative sense; it makes safety sense,” said Jim Zaleski, economic development director for the city of Parsons. … Zaleski said this ordinance is needed no matter what. He said it is positive for business with keeping the health and safety of everyone intact. “It’s not about doing what’s popular. It’s about what’s doing what’s right for the residents,” Zaleski said.
Source: Parsons Sun
This river that starts in Johnson County is in trouble, but people are trying to help it
On a warm morning last April, several hundred people fanned out along a waterway in Kansas City. In the span of a few hours, they collected about 30 tons of garbage along the Blue River. The annual effort takes on the visible scars of overdevelopment and neglect, removing nearly 2,000 tons of litter and illegally dumped trash over the past three decades. Volunteers will again roll up their sleeves this year — on April 1 — for Project Blue River Rescue, a tradition that began with the Friends of Lakeside Nature Center and a local chapter of the Missouri Stream Team program.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Johnson County mayors oppose bill to end local food sales tax
Twenty-two Johnson and Wyandotte County mayors raised their collective voice this week in alarm about a proposal in the state legislature that would eliminate local sales taxes on food – a move they say could halt construction projects already in progress and endanger their cities’ bond ratings and budgets. The mayors, members of the Johnson and Wyandotte County Council of Mayors, also warned that ending their ability to collect sales tax revenue on food would likely result in property tax increases to make up for lost sales tax revenue.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Cities, counties oppose Senate president’s food sales tax proposal
Cities and counties came out Wednesday against a proposal by Senate President Ty Masterson to fill a budget hole caused by a bill that would eliminate millions of dollars in local sales taxes on groceries. While they liked the intent of the Masterson’s proposal, they said they were disillusioned by years of promises from the Legislature to reinstate revenues that it’s taken from local government.
Source: Sunflower State Journal
Lawrence announces tentative location for Pallet Shelter Village: North Michigan Street
The City of Lawrence on Wednesday announced the location for its planned Pallet Shelter Village site: 256 North Michigan St., pending Lawrence City Commission approval. “The City is committed to working with the surrounding neighborhood to make the Pallet Shelter village a successful addition,” according to a news release. In December, the Lawrence City Commission approved using $4.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act money — federal COVID-19 relief funds — to purchase the modular homes for people experiencing homelessness from Pallet, a “Public Benefit Corporation.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Johnson hired as new USD 264 Clearwater superintendent
Jason Johnson has been announced as the new superintendent for Clearwater USD 264. The announcement was made Tuesday morning. Johnson was chosen at a Monday night board of education meeting. The search for a new superintendent culminated with interviews last week with four finalists. The Kansas Association of School Boards assisted in the search. Johnson will replace Chris Cooper, who will retire at the end of June. Johnson will take over on July 1, although it is common for new hires to do some work ahead of time to acclimate themselves to their new districts. Cooper came to Clearwater from the Abilene School District.
Source: Times-Sentinel Newspapers
Wakefield City Council discusses “Big Sexy Summer” concert in park
Council members discussed plans they have been presented for a summer concert event in the park called the “Big Sexy Summer” planned for July 21-23. The event calls for three days of music in the park with seven bands performing on stage from 2 to 11 p.m. No official acts or plans were presented but city council members discussed logistics such as alcohol sales and camping rentals. Despite the risqué sounding title, Mayor Chris Dumler said that he had been assured in an email by organizers that the event would be family friendly though he himself still had concerns regarding the name.
Source: www.ccenterdispatch.com
Municipal Bond Trends for March 15, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.
EPA Proposes Limits for ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water
The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the first federal limits on so-called forever chemicals in public drinking water, a move that is expected to cost water utilities billions of dollars to filter out substances that have contaminated the water supplies of millions of people. The EPA is proposing maximum allowable levels for two compounds in a class of chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Known as forever chemicals because they take a long time to break down, they were used for decades in carpeting, clothing, food packaging, firefighting foam and other consumer and industrial products. Once prized as innovative substances that could resist stains, water, grease and heat, PFAS are increasingly viewed as a threat because they persist in the environment and have been found in roughly 99% of the U.S. population. The move represents a seismic shift in the regulation of the nation’s drinking water, and will require sweeping changes for thousands of water systems that will have to test for and treat a group of chemicals that have been the subject of growing concern among public health officials and people worried about the safety of water coming from their taps.
Source: WSJ.com: US Business
Early returns are positive for new sign in Halstead
The new sign is up at City Hall and so far the response has been all positive, according to the Halstead City Manager Ethan Reimer and the Halstead city council. “I don’t think the crew had been gone ten minutes and we started getting calls and people stopping in to say how great they thought the sign was,” Reimer said.
Source: Harvey County Now
Wichita OKs changes to tobacco ordinance
Wichita will no longer criminally penalize people under 21 for possessing tobacco products, although police can still confiscate cigarettes, vapes and chewing tobacco seized from minors. The legal age for purchasing tobacco products will remain 21 under the revised ordinance approved by the City Council on Tuesday, but the biggest enforcement shift aims to hold tobacco retailers accountable for underage sales rather than penalizing individual employees. Under the previous ordinance, clerks found to have sold to minors were charged with a misdemeanor but tobacco license-holders and store managers were not punished. Wichita’s municipal court saw 25 cases of selling to minors in 2022. Now, license holders and store managers can be charged with a class B misdemeanor, punishable by a $200 minimum fine, if they are present when the illegal sale takes place. Clerks, on the other hand, will only be charged on a second or subsequent offense.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Analyst says Fed unlikely to hike rates in March given banking turmoil
Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi thinks the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise interest rates at its March meeting as there is a “boatload of uncertainty” around the recent bank failures. The financial turmoil of the past few days will certainly affect monetary policy decision making when the Federal Open Market Committee meets next week, he added. “I think they’re focused on the bank failures that roiled the banking system and markets over the last couple of days,” Zandi told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” on Wednesday. “There’s a boatload of uncertainty here,” as a result the Fed will want to be cautious, he added. “I think they’re going… [to] decide not to raise interest rates at the meeting next week.”
Source: CNBC
Municipal Bond Trends for March 14, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.
Missouri and Kansas lawmakers want to limit who can buy farmland
Tense relations between China and the U.S. are trickling down into agriculture and more scrutiny into who owns farmland. It became a hot topic after the U.S. Air Force determined that a proposed Chinese-owned corn mill in North Dakota would be a significant national security threat. Now there are proposals restricting foreign ownership of farmland making their way through Congress and many state legislatures, including Missouri and Kansas.
Source: KCUR News
Chick-fil-A plans new $31M distribution center in Johnson County, opening next year
Chick-fil-A Inc. is planning a new $31 million distribution center in Olathe. Chick-fil-A Supply, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Atlanta-based company, will be at the Lone Elm Commerce Center off 167th Street, and and will service Chick-fil-A restaurants in the region. “The Kansas City area is a prime location to invest in our business, create jobs, and grow our supply chain operation,” Josh Grote, executive director of Chick-fil-A Supply, said in a statement. “The region has a deep pool of skilled talent that we know will excel in serving the franchise Operators, licensees and team members delivering an authentic Chick-fil-A experience at each of our locations.”
Source: KC Star
Saline County landfill fires caused by ‘few dozen’ batteries
Officials have determined the cause of several small landfill fires that popped up at the Salina Municipal Landfill on Monday. A news release from Salina Public Works says the fires were caused as a “direct result of a few dozen Lithium, Ni-Cad and alkaline batteries” that were disposed of in one load at the landfill. The release says Lithium batteries have a tendency to start fires when they are impacted by the machinery at the landfill or in the sanitation trucks as they are being hauled.
Source: KSN-TV
Meet the new Paola Rec Director
Wesley Joy is the first director of the recently formed Paola Recreation Commission. Joy, who previously served as the sports and special services director for the Winfield Recreation Commission in Winfield, Kan., was introduced during a recent Paola City Council meeting and again during the State of the City Breakfast at the Paola Country Club. Joy said he is originally from Burlington, Kan., and is familiar with the Miami County area. Before his recent stint in Winfield, Joy said he worked in the parks and recreation field in Colorado.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
City of Topeka awarded $90,000 to help people get internet access
A grant that will be awarded to Topeka aims to help spread awareness and increase participation in a program that helps households get better internet access. City of Topeka spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker reports that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will award Topeka with a grant to boost participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). This program provides qualifying households with a discount on broadband and a one-time discount on connected devices. Those who qualify are eligible for a discount of up to $30 a month on internet service and up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer or tablet from participating providers.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Leawood talks next steps for ‘Purple Twist’ sculpture
Leawood is considering whether to make the temporary purple sculpture near Leawood City Hall a permanent fixture. The Leawood Arts Council earlier this month discussed the next possible steps for “Purple Twist,” the city’s current Art on Loan piece. Through the Art on Loan program, an artist gets to temporarily display a personal art piece just west of city hall after undergoing a selected process by the city.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Lawmakers urged to retain local sales tax on groceries; Senate president proposes plan for filling gap
They came with stark choices. Cut police. Cut fire. Cut roads. Cut employee benefits. Or raise taxes. Local government officials presented lawmakers with those untenable options as they implored them Monday to keep local sales taxes on groceries. The House tax committee on Monday began debating a that was already passed in the Senate that eliminated state and local sales tax on groceries by next year. As the bill originally came out of a Senate committee, it would have only exempted state and local sales taxes on healthy food products.
Source: Sunflower State Journal
Cities criticize bill limiting power to regulate sale of good, services
Cities and counties turned out in force to fight a bill stopping them from regulating any consumer products and services allowed under state law, saying it would keep them from limiting fireworks, tobacco, massage therapists and land use. They urged the House commerce committee Monday to reject a bill pushed by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce that was introduced after Wichita officials considered – but later dopped – a ban on retailers from selling dogs and cats.
Source: Sunflower State Journal
Southwest Kansas missing out on university system
We have often wondered why there is no state college in southwest Kansas, since there is one in every other quadrant of the state. Of course, the locations of our state universities (hardly anyone goes to a “college” anymore) were not according to any plan. Their genesis depended as much on local support and effort as anything. The story begins in 1863 when the Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science formed in Manhattan as the nation’s first land-grant college. The University of Kansas came along three years later, and the state was set to grow two great universities. Both would be served by the state’s first rail line and near the population centers of the state’s northeast.
Source: The Iola Register
Hutchinson health educator testifies on fentanyl strips
As the amount of fentanyl deaths continue to increase, Kansas lawmakers are introducing a bill that would make synthetic opioid testing strips legal. Last week, the substance misuse health educator for Reno County, Seth Dewey, gave testimony before the Kansas Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee with regards to Bill 2390. The House passed the bill a few weeks ago. Drug overdose deaths in Kansas have increased throughout the last decade, a September 2022 Kansas Department of Health and Environment report stated. … Kansas House Bill 2390 would decriminalize testing strips for fentanyl, ketamine, flunitrazepam and gamma hydroxybutyric acid, sometimes known as the date rape drug. The bill would also establish a Kansas Overdose Fatality Review Board.
Source: Hutch News
Colorado city looks to Kansas for first female manager
The Florence City Council voted to offer a contract to hire its first female city manager in recent history. In a Special Meeting, the council voted to offer a contract to Amy Nasta. Nasta’s job offer comes after the city spent more than 18 months without permanent leadership. … Nasta currently serves as the Deputy City Administrator in Gardner, Kansas.
Source: KRDO
Atlanta firefighters to hold chicken and noodles dinner
The Atlanta Volunteer Fire Department and women’s auxiliary will hold its 20-something annual homemade chicken and noodle dinner with vegetables, salads and desserts March 25 at the Atlanta Community Building. The firefighters will begin serving at 5 p.m. … This is a fundraiser to benefit the fire department, and free donations will be appreciated with the money received going to various current and future projects.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Goose reduction efforts working at Derby park
For several years, Derby has dealt with issues of invasive geese – particularly on the east side of town, near High Park and Rock River Rapids. According to an annual report from Director of Public Works Robert Mendoza, those remediation efforts are working, as evidenced by the decreasing numbers seen in the city’s annual goose roundup efforts in 2022. While McConnell Air Force Base used to assist Derby through its water fowl harassment program, the city now partners with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Fish and Wildlife Service to help manage the geese at high park through the latter’s capture program.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Reno County taking action after years of residents having high nitrate levels in water
Reno County is working to find a new water source for some residents after another test showed high nitrate levels in Rural Water District 101, the district that serves the Yoder area. Water collected early last week had a nitrate level of 10.5 mg/L, which exceeds the Kansas and federal (EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 mg/L for public water supply systems. The County says nitrates have increased due to people using inorganic fertilizers and because of animal manure in agricultural areas.
Source: KSN-TV
These are the incentives Integra secured from Bel Aire, Sedgwick County
Local governments agreed last week to support the Wichita-based Integra Technologies and its plans to build a nearly $2-billion semiconductor facility in Bel Aire by passing a series of incentives, as well as pledging support necessary for the company to go after federal funding. It marks the “beginning of a very long partnership,” Integra president and CEO Brett Robinson said during a March 7 Bel Aire City Council meeting. Integra announced last month plans to build a 1 million square-foot production facility on a 100-acre site at the southeast corner of K-254 and Rock Road. The project is expected to create 2,500 jobs in the advanced manufacturing sector.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Cities’ Credit Ratings Are at Risk Because There Aren’t Enough Accountants
Municipalities across the US are at risk of having their credit ratings downgraded or withdrawn by S&P Global Ratings because staffing shortages have delayed financial disclosure documents. S&P has placed 149 long-term, underlying and program ratings on a negative credit watch this year because the ratings company hasn’t received 2021 financial statements from the issuers. That’s the most since at least 2018, and materially higher than the prior five-year average of 95 such moves, according to S&P data. “If we don’t have the financials, then bondholders don’t have the financials,” Jaime Blansit, a rating associate at S&P, said in an interview. “We don’t want financial deterioration happening without our knowledge and updating our rating accordingly. Without financials we don’t know if the rating is accurate or not.”
Source: Bloomberg
Fed’s Tightening Plans Collide With SVB Fallout
The collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank give Federal Reserve policy makers two good reasons to hold off on raising rates when they meet next week. But the latest run of economic data can only serve to remind them why, until last week anyway, they planned to keep raising rates. Investors’ expectations for the Fed have been whipsawing this year. Early on there were hopes that cooler inflation would lead the Fed to raise its range on overnight rates by a final quarter point at its March meeting, and then go on hold. A monster January employment report and unexpectedly strong inflation reports changed that. Last Wednesday, on the back of some hawkish-sounding testimony from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, interest-rate futures put the chances of a half-point increase at the March meeting, rather than a quarter-point one, at nearly 80%.
Source: WSJ.com: Markets
Banks got hammered by SVB’s collapse. But the Fed might still raise rates
A joint guarantee by the Federal Reserve, the Treasury Department and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation wasn’t enough to stop the bank rout. Regional banks were hammered by the second- and third-largest bank collapses in U.S. history. … Despite the turmoil in the banks, markets and analysts expect the Fed to go through with rate hikes. If the Fed pauses, it would “invite markets and the public to assume that the Fed’s inflation fighting resolve is only in place up to the point when there is any bumpiness in financial markets or the real economy,” explained Citigroup economist Andrew Hollenhorst.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Kansas sales tax cut on food would cost local governments $180M. Here’s what might happen.
If a Kansas Senate plan to exempt food from state and local sales taxes becomes law, local governments could be facing a collective $180 million shortfall, leaving little option but to raise property taxes if the state doesn’t compensate them. Senators passed the bill last month knowing that local governments would lose what was then an unknown amount of revenue, but promised to follow up with a plan to make them whole. Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, did so on Thursday, rolling out a plan that would put a one-time payment of $220 million into a fund that local governments could apply for, with some strings attached. … While sales tax revenue statistics are readily available, the data does not show how much of the money comes from food. In its own fiscal calculations, the Kansas Department of Revenue has assumed that 15% of the tax collections come from food sales, which officials said is based on KDOR and industry data as well as experiences in other states. Based on last year’s sales tax revenue of $1.2 billion to cities and counties, 15% would mean local governments would collectively lose about $180 million.
Source: CJonline
Municipal Bond Trends for March 13, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.
Kansas marks 33 years since deadly F-5 ‘Hesston tornado’
On this day in 1990, a deadly F-5 tornado ripped through the town of Hesston in Harvey County. The twister was on the ground for nearly 50 miles and, at one point, merged with a sister tornado nearby. Two people were killed as a result of the storm. A 6-year-old boy huddled with his family near the town of Burrton died when a chimney collapsed into the home’s basement. In the Marion County town of Goessel, an elderly woman lost her life in the storm. Harvey County alone sustained more than $25 million in damages. More than 200 homes and 20 businesses were damaged or destroyed in Hesston. Dozens of people were injured in the tornado’s path.
Source: KAKE – News
Groundwater levels fall across western and south-central Kansas
Northwest Kansas GMD 4, which saw well-below-average precipitation in 2022, experienced a drop of 1.31 feet in 2022 groundwater levels after declines of 0.53 feet in 2021 and 0.70 feet in 2020. GMD 4 covers Sherman, Thomas, Sheridan and parts of Cheyenne, Rawlins, Decatur, Graham, Wallace, Logan and Gove counties. Groundwater there is pumped from the Ogallala aquifer and shallow alluvial sources associated with streams. Even the well-known Sheridan 6 Local Enhanced Management Area, the first area of its kind of organized, local groundwater conservation efforts, struggled this year with larger water-level declines.
Source: KAKE – News