Municipal News & Jobs

It’s been almost three weeks since the new cellphone policy began at the high school, and teachers and students say it has gone smoothly. Under the new bell-to-bell ban, students are not allowed to use their phones at all during class time, unless the teacher specifies use for instructional purposes. They are allowed to use their phones during passing periods and lunch. Sophomore Zeke Bartmess said “everyone was like zombies on their phones” last year. He said he loves the new policy and feels like it helps students focus and have interactions with each other.
Read more: The Eudora Times

Two Olathe homeowners are continuing to seek a solution after their homes flooded again this summer, the latest incident in a years-long struggle over who’s responsible for fixing the problem in the College Meadows neighborhood. As it happens, both Kate Guimbellot’s and Max Cook’s properties in the subdivision near College Boulevard and South Woodland Street suffered damage from flooding caused by heavy rains in July, just weeks before the city rejected the pair’s claims for damages from years of previous flooding. Guimbellot and Cook filed tort claims, a type of civil claim that alleges one party harmed another, paving the way for possible compensation. The claims were filed after three floods at Guimbellot’s property between 2017 and 2024, which she says have cost her and her family at least $15,000, and another flood at Cook’s property.
Read more: Johnson County Post

The massive log jam in the Smoky Hill River at Bill Burke Park will start being removed next week. The City of Salina tells KSN News that the contractor, Diehl Enterprises Inc., is building an equipment pad by the river to begin removing the jam. Earlier this summer, heavy rain caused the jam to form, and it drew many onlookers to the area for a view. The fire department urged the public not to walk on it. Emergency responders emphasized that if someone were to fall into the debris, a safe and swift rescue would be unlikely.
Read more: KSN-TV

Some big names in Kansas politics were on the campus of Pittsburg State University today.”It’s a great day for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, it’s a great day for all of our law enforcement partners, and it’s a great day for the State of Kansas,” said Tony Mattivi, KBI Director. This groundbreaking ceremony, just the start of many great things to come at PSU, which will soon be home to the “KBI Regional Crime Center and Laboratory.”
Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

The plan was for it to be open by the fall. And it beat the deadline. Freeman Fort Scott Hospital officially opened Thursday morning. It also marks the end of a dry spell for many Bourbon County residents. The last time they had access to a full-service hospital was 2018. Ascension Via Christi closed the ER in December of 2023.
Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

The Kansas Supreme Court is taking action as rural communities in Kansas are dealing with an attorney shortage. Forty-seven counties in Kansas are classified as “legal deserts.” This means they do not have enough practicing attorneys to properly serve the population. The Kansas Supreme Court is taking a big step towards addressing this issue by establishing the “Rural Justice Initiative Committee.” This committee will take action on previously identified recommendations on how to fix the attorney shortage. These include establishing a statewide rural attorney training program, as well as creating student loan repayment programs.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

The City of Arkansas City has been awarded a $115,840 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant from the National Park Service, administered through the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The funding will help convert the existing tennis courts at Wilson Park into new pickleball courts. Plans call for a concrete viewing pad, fencing, netting and poles, LED lighting, and wind break screens.
Read more: Local – Cowley Post

Downtown Manhattan merchants are finding new ways to lure customers into their establishments. A new common consumption area was established in July, opening the opportunity for customers to freely roam a specified area with an alcoholic beverage. Jake Voegeli, co-owner of Manhattan Brewing Company, said after seven weeks in place, they’ve seen no issues. “For special events like the Third Thursdays, we set up on our patio, and we’ll serve people as they walk by,” he said. “We might get one or two people that want to walk around and finish their beer, and they just come up and they’ll grab a cup and go. There’s not really a lot of change to the business, other than it makes doing events easier.”
Read more: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

Governor Laura Kelly and Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed today announced that 27 local and off-system bridge projects across Kansas will receive a combined total of $40.5 million in state and federal funding as part of two local bridge improvement programs. “By funding bridge projects across our state, we are directly investing in the future of our communities,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Repairing and replacing aging bridges ensures people and commerce can move safely and efficiently throughout Kansas.”
Read more: Western Kansas News

A Wichita developer who took on repurposing five downtown buildings has sued the city of Wichita over parking disputes that she claims led to the closure of the Jinya Ramen Bar last year and is impacting parking for her tenants. Through various LLCs, Sudha Tokala has filed two lawsuits over ongoing disagreements with the city on outstanding parking debt and access to city garages following construction of the Wichita Biomedical Campus kicking off in 2023.
Read more: Wichita Business Journal – Local Wichita News

Visitors in Delano can walk around the neighborhood, alcoholic beverage in hand, starting Friday. Visitors can take advantage of the common consumption area Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. “Implementing common consumption isn’t just about being able to enjoy walking around Delano with a beverage,” Wichita City Council member Dalton Glasscock said. “It’s about creating a dynamic and walkable neighborhood and finding ways to draw patrons to the businesses of Delano.”
Read more: Homepage

Creek Side Resort owner Aaron Dreher asked the Hays City Commission last week if city-owned land could possibly be donated to facilitate the building of affordable housing. Before making his request during the Citizen Comments of the Aug. 28th Commission meeting, Mr. Dreher drew laughs by identifying himself as “the maintenance guy at the trailer park and aspiring Chick-Fil-A owner.” He opened his comments by noting that there has been talk throughout the community that building $150,000 houses in Hays is not possible.
Read more: Hays Daily News

Wichita is considering increasing fines — and adding more investigative tools — to crack down on illegal dumping. On Tuesday, the council will consider several items to increase enforcement of the illegal dumping ordinance, including using police surveillance technology to find offenders. That includes Flock cameras and closed-circuit television. Five cameras will also be installed in dumping hot spots across the city to catch offenders.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

In late July, the Prairie Village City Council adopted new ordinances around the use of e-bikes and e-scooters. The new rules state that e-bike or e-scooter operators must yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and give an audible signal before passing or overtaking them. Riders also can’t operate their bike or scooter while distracted and must not ride in a “reckless, careless or negligent manner.”
Read more: KC Star

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

On the streets and in the courts over roughly the past year, Derby Police having been seeing growing issues with one particular drug — THC. In the last 365 days, Derby Police Chief Brandon Russell reported 49 THC vapes or vape cartridges were recovered during traffic stops, along with two packages of edibles — and 89 THC vapes were confiscated at Derby schools. There were also 10 drug-related driving under the influence arrests (out of 66 total) from July 31, 2024, to July 31, 2025, including two overdoses from THC products. With the amount of THC products seen on the streets and available for purchase, that led Derby PD to target sales, recently putting out a letter to more than 300 retail stores across the city to cease and desist distribution of illegal THC products.
Read more: www.derbyinformer.com – RSS Results in news,news/* of type article

Winfield City Commissioners approved a ban on mini-bikes, and approved the city’s budget and property collection for 2026, during their Tuesday meeting. This ban was requested by Winfield Police Chief Robbie DeLong due to safety hazards caused by mini-bikes and similar vehicles on public streets, according to the request for commission action. These vehicles should only be ridden on private property because they do not meet safety or EPA standards, and do not have a vehicle identification number.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com – RSS Results

The Marmaton Market, Moran’s grocery store, is closed “until further notice.” Store manager Marilyn Logan declined to comment further Wednesday. The market, which was purchased by the Marmaton Market Cooperative in 2018, has struggled to stay afloat financially, to the point Logan warned in 2021 it would close without greater local support. Several grants, including a $140,000 USDA grant that paid for construction of a commercial-grade kitchen, have helped keep the store afloat.
Read more: The Iola Register

You turn on the faucet, water comes out. What you don’t use runs down the drain and disappears. It feels simple, but every drop of water, whether coming in or going out, depends on a vast and complex system that keeps it safe for humans and the environment. It might seem invisible, but hundreds of public servants and billions of dollars in infrastructure work every day to: treat and transport water to your home; manage and dispose of your wastewater (sewage); direct stormwater away from neighborhoods, and preserve and restore natural streamways.
Read more: Johnson County Post

After waiting for months for the federal government to deliver promised funds, Overland Park is finally moving ahead with a traffic calming and safety plan. Last year, Overland Park was promised $500,000 to complete a traffic Safety Action Plan using the Safe Streets For All (SS4A) grant program. That’s a five-year, billion-dollar program established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed during the Biden presidency, designed to cut down on serious injuries and deaths in traffic crashes. Earlier this year, the money — delivered through the Federal Highway Administration — for the project was tied up amid federal grant process freezes, effectively stalling the project while the city was unable to access it. However, the city has now received the funds and is ready to begin the project this year.
Read more: Johnson County Post