Kansas Municipal News
Grant will help study hunger problem
As part of the ongoing process of working to improve living in rural Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly recently announced 14 grant recipients of the Rural Champions program. One of those recipients is Cowley County, where the monies will be used to develop strategies to combat hunger. This is the second year that the state, through its Office of Rural Prosperity, has awarded the Rural Champion grants to organizations within counties with fewer than 40,000 population. An application for Cowley County last year was unsuccessful. This time, though, the state is awarding the county through the Legacy Community Foundation one-year wage stipend of $20,800 along with training and resources provided for the person chosen to be the Rural Champion. The community will receive up to $25,000 at the end of the research and preparation year to fund the implementation phase. The grant dovetails with a similar effort to combat food insecurity. In July, RISE Cowley received a $55,000 grant per year for three years from the Kansas Food Action Network. That grant will enable coalitions such as RISE Cowley to look at the policies, systems and environmental barriers to food security.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
No Wile E. Coyote: Watch Johnson County animal officer save coyote tangled in wire fence
On Sept. 24, Deputy Dwayne Shoop, a former Johnson County Sheriff’s deputy turned animal control officer, was called to wrangle the American jackal that had been stuck for several hours near West 135th Street and South Spoon Creek Road. Video of the encounter was posted by the sheriff’s office on social media. “It’s typical,” the deputy later said about getting a call regarding a coyote. After a call from the property owner, Shoop said he came upon the coyote that was hanging by its left leg in the fence. The coyote had a bewildered face with wide eyes and an open mouth as the deputy cut its left leg out of the wire. The animal left the situation with a dislocated hip and severed tendon and was taken to Operation Wildlife for treatment, a nonprofit which provides rehabilitation and veterinary services to injured and orphaned wild animals.
Source: KC Star Local News
City to discuss $10 million upgrades to Sunrise, Sunset cemeteries
Some of the proposed upgrades to Sunrise Cemetery include the construction of a new shop and office, renovating the existing shop, paving a section of the maintenance lot and fencing the maintenance yard. At Sunset Cemetery, upgrades could include building a new joint maintenance shop with Sunset Zoo, installing a new irrigation system, adding columbaria, making storm drainage and utility improvements, reconstructing cemetery roads, improving accessible sidewalks at the entry and Carriage House and making repairs to the memorial arc.
Source: 1350 KMAN
What the COVID surge looks like for Butler County
Just one year and four months after the COVID-19 Pandemic has ended, the virus is now a regular visitor for cold and flu season. With health professionals declaring a surge in COVID-19 cases, Butler County is staying below alarming rates of positive testing, which gives medical personnel great hope of no return to pandemic level emergency. The COVID-19 Pandemic was declared as “over” by the World Health Organization, (WHO), on May 5, 2023. This insinuated that the virus is no longer a public health emergency, allowing health and medical professionals to only monitor positive cases with no other restrictions. The WHO was able to declare such a statement due to overwhelming evidence that COVID-19 virus infections had decreased significantly, and the virus is no longer spreading at a rapid rate.
Source: Andover American
Grain Belt Express to connect with wind, solar transmission lines
The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has given approval with conditions to a siting plan for two 345 kV transmission lines, known as the AC Collector System, designed to connect wind and solar farms to the Grain Belt Express. One line is planned to run 46 miles through parts of Ford, Meade, and Gray Counties (the “Meade-Dodge City Line”) and the other approximately 16 miles through parts of Ford County (the “Bucklin-Dodge City Line”). Conditions imposed by the order require Grain Belt to file a routing analysis comparing the company’s originally proposed route of the Meade-Dodge City line to an alternate route, referred to as Boyd Alternative 2. The two routes only differ within one specifically-defined five-mile area. Upon completion of the study, which is due no later than January 15, 2025, the Commission will schedule a second public hearing and comment period to give affected landowners an opportunity to comment on both routes under consideration. The first public hearing on the company’s originally proposed route was held on July 10.
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe
Colwich, Bentley, Halstead, Newton firefighters attend natural gas training
Firefighters from Kansas towns including Halstead, Bentley and Colwich attended a natural gas firefighting training that evening put on by Black Hills Energy which has a local office in Wichita. Leading the demonstration was Arlen Thompson who retired from Black Hills Energy after more than 30 years and was a volunteer firefighter for more than 30 years in Freemont. Black Hills Energy is a natural gas utility that serves a variety of Kansas towns including Colwich, Maize, Sterling, Attica and Andale. “We serve 65 communities in Kansas,” James P. Williams, media person with the natural gas company, said. They rotate the training having it in different communities around the state in their service area.
Source: Harvey County Now
Public financing plan for derelict Olathe shopping center gets OK from county
In a rare discussion of a city redevelopment deal, Johnson County commissioners declined last Thursday to challenge tax increment financing for the Rosebud Plaza Shopping Center in Olathe. The Olathe City Council recently gave the go-ahead to start negotiating an incentive package for the $26 million development at the northeast corner of Santa Fe Street and Mur-Len Road. The developer has proposed a maximum $7 million reimbursement from a TIF in the area, possibly with a Community Improvement District — another type of incentive — to be added later. The shopping center was formerly anchored by a Hobby Lobby, which moved out in 2018. Since then, the complex has become run down.
Source: Johnson County Post
Southeast Kansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial revitalized by local crews
The Southeast Kansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial gets a revamp. The memorial was built in 2003, and the statue put in place in 2017. Firefighters began cleanup at 9:00 a.m. at the Girard Fire Department. Teams from across Southeast Kansas also helped put down new rocks, felt paper, and edging. A memorial service is held each October, but this year they wanted to make the memorial look more fresh. Girard Fire Department Captain, Daulton Crays, says it’s also a way to continue paying tribute. “This is important to us. The memorial is to honor all of the fallen firefighters for Southeast Kansas. So it’s important to us to carry on their legacy and keep this looking good and take pride in it,” said Daulton Crays, Girard Fire Department Captain.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Retention bonus approved for Shawnee County dispatchers
Shawnee County dispatchers are getting pay bonuses for their hard work and dedication after local leaders approved a one-time retention payout Thursday. Shawnee County commissioners approved of a new contract on Sept. 26 for people serving as dispatchers. Part of this plan includes a one-time retention bonus of $3,000 while also providing various pay rates for different shifts. The decision comes as the county looks to hire and keep dispatchers. Buddy Cordero, president of the local CWA Union, touched on the issue in a talk with commissioners.
Source: KSNT 27 News
County governments are often overlooked
Part of this is because Kansas, like the rest of the country, is quite urban, at least if you count where people actually live. For decades, the rural expanses of Kansas have emptied, with people moving to cities and their surrounding suburbs, increasing the focus on — and increasing the partisan competition over — city governments and municipal elections.
Source: Salina Journal
Roeland Park adopts tree preservation ordinance
Trees in Roeland Park right-of-ways and front yards are now protected in the city code. The Roeland Park City Council last week voted 7-1 to adopt a tree ordinance that intends to preserve the city’s tree canopy by protecting trees in the rights-of-way and front yards.
Source: Johnson County Post
A return on investment is coming to De Soto residents fatigued by Panasonic construction
Residents in De Soto, Kansas, are being affected by major infrastructure improvements spurred by the construction of a Panasonic battery plant. With $250 million in public works projects underway, community members are experiencing “construction fatigue,” but city leaders say they’re already seeing a return on investment from construction of the 300-acre battery factory.
Source: KCUR
City works to get driver’s licenses reinstated for some Wichitans
Wichita announced a new program to help residents get their driver’s licenses back after suspension. The program is called the Wichita Area Restoration Program (WARP), and it offers the following…
Source: KSN-TV
ACLU warns Shawnee councilmember for deleting residents’ Facebook comments
A Shawnee city councilmember’s alleged actions on social media have drawn the attention of a civil rights advocacy group and sparked a conversation about online interactions…. The issue goes back to the First Amendment… which protects free speech in a public forum. Because [the councilmember] operates both a personal Facebook page and a public one for updates on his work as a councilmember, the latter is considered an open forum.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Wichita preps ‘more aggressive’ anti-camping ordinances aimed at homeless encampments
The city of Wichita is drafting two new anti-camping ordinances in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that held local governments can impose civil and criminal penalties on homeless people for camping on public land — even if the city doesn’t have enough shelter space to house those people. City Manager Robert Layton said last week that the City Council has called for changes so Wichita can be “more aggressive” at policing homeless camps on public property. While the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development considers Wichita one of the most affordable metro areas in the nation, the number of unsheltered homeless people in Wichita is increasing, with a 25% increase in the past year alone, amid rising rents, an affordable housing shortage and historically high housing and utility costs.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Commission fields more homeless questions
Pittsburg resident Roger Lomshek approached the commissioners on Tuesday during public input to see if any had read the federal guidelines he passed out at the previous session. According to Lomshek, federal law allows any organization issuing housing vouchers from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to set up local preferences prioritizing distribution of vouchers based on residency or employment. “Federal law explicitly allows a restriction to prevent somebody from just coming here after being issued a HUD voucher,” Lomshek said. In the past, Lomshek has provided the commissioners with a number of policy changes for the Pittsburg Housing Authority that include the federal guidelines to implement residency requirements. Lomshek also included what he calls “good neighbor resolutions” for local charities and organizations to follow in the interest of public safety. He said it could prevent significant numbers of criminals from migrating to Pittsburg with the purpose of finding assistance and committing more crimes.
Source: Morning Sun
Lenexa council rejects Johnson County homeless shelter plan, putting project in limbo
Despite a looming legal threat, the Lenexa City Council rejected a crucial permit for Johnson County to finally establish a permanent homeless shelter, effectively killing the project as it stands now. After 1 a.m. Wednesday, in a packed, six-hour-long meeting, the council voted 5-2 to deny the request for a special use permit to operate a year-round homeless shelter at the La Quinta Inn and Suites and a nearby shuttered restaurant off of Interstate 35 and 95th Street. It is a major loss for Johnson County officials, who have spent the past year evaluating the site and preparing to close on the purchase of the property — the closest the county has gotten to starting a shelter for single adults experiencing homelessness.
Source: Joco 913 News
Fairfax fallout: GM’s shift to electric vehicles prompts wave of layoffs across KC metro
As General Motors assembly lines in Fairfax prepare for a nap next year, paving the way for a $390 million investment in electric vehicle production, the auto manufacturing giant and a handful of its Kansas City area suppliers have signaled they’ll cut some jobs for good. Beginning in November, production will slow at the commercial hub in Kansas City, Kansas, the effects of which will cascade across the Missouri River and into the Northland. Five metro area companies that do business with General Motors recently notified workers of plans to either suspend operations or shut down entirely.
Source: KC Star Local News
Downtown Pittsburg is bringing back a Halloween tradition
For many years, merchants in Downtown Pittsburg offered their store window as a blank canvas for young artists to paint during Halloween. This annual fall tradition of window painting fell by the wayside for more than a decade but is now being revived with the help of local businesses and organizations. Thanks to Ryan Insurance, the Downtown Advisory Board, The Morning Sun and ArtForms Gallery, Downtown businesses can again have their windows painted by school-aged children for Halloween. The Halloween Window Painting Contest will take place this October and encourages kids ages 5-12 to compete and show off their artistic talents. Downtown merchants can register along with their own artists (kids, grandkids, customers, and friends) or request to be assigned to an artist who will paint their window. All painting materials will be provided FREE to artists thanks to Ryan Insurance. Window painting will be completed by Friday, Oct. 19, just in time for the PSU Homecoming Parade. All participating businesses and artists will be highlighted in the Morning Sun as part of a special newspaper insert, which will be published the week of Oct. 21.
Source: City of Pittsburg
Community invited to help paint new mural at Barton County Health Department
The Barton Arts Movement (BAM) invites the public to a special Community Paint Party as part of their latest mural project at the Barton County Health Department. This unique opportunity will allow community members to make their mark on Barton County’s newest mural, celebrating health-care heroes and wellness initiatives, sponsors said. The event runs from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Health Department, 1300 Kansas Ave. Local artists Jessica Kerr and Taylor Carr, the talented duo behind the mural’s design, will be on-site to guide volunteers through the painting process. No artistic experience is needed – “just bring your enthusiasm and creativity,” said Andrea Bauer, BAM chair. Children under 16 are welcome to participate but must be accompanied by an adult.
Source: Great Bend Tribune