Kansas Municipal News
Emporia approves tech grant funding
The Emporia City Commission offered partial matching funds toward a request from Emporia Main Street executive director Casey Woods for a tech accelerator program, Wednesday afternoon. Woods said Main Street needs $750,000 to match a possible grant from the Economic Development Administration. He asked the Lyon County Commission for the funding last month, but the county did not want to act without a funding partner. Woods said the grand would help Emporia’s effort to build and support tech jobs. He said the city and county have been known to support these types of things before. “The crux of what we’re asking for today is consideration by the city to join in with other partners and support tech based entrepreneurs,” he said.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Parts of Tampa evacuated after gas leak
Firefighters evacuated residents of several houses for nearly two hours after a driver hit a Tampa gas meter at 12:37 a.m. Saturday in the 200 block of 5th St. The accident caused the underground gas pipe to break, so deputies and Tampa firefighters blocked off the street until Atmos Energy technicians arrived and got the leak shut off. Deputies and firefighters were able to leave the scene at 2:40 a.m.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
Florence marks 150 years
Residents and past residents of Florence gathered Saturday to mark the town’s 150th birthday, and others came from near and far in anticipation of a Sunday motorcycle race. A discussion of days gone by at the Harvey House museum drew 23 audience members to hear former resident Doug Westerhaus talk about Florence history. Westerhaus then held the microphone out to audience members who grew up in Florence, asking them to share their favorite memories.
[HILLSBORO Star-Journal
Topeka’s Little Russia district copes with closing of Porubsky’s eatery
The 1951 flood destroyed Topeka’s Sardou Bridge, but not the nearby Porubsky’s diner. Its owners rebuilt and reopened it. The family-owned eatery also survived a 1966 fire that forced it to temporarily close. Porubsky’s resilience inspired residents of North Topeka’s Little Russia community, for which it was the centerpiece, says Topeka City Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala. “Symbolically, that was huge for people to know that even after this horrific flooding, Porubsky’s stayed,” she told The Capital-Journal. “I think that there’s really something to be said about those markers like Porubsky’s that are able to weather the storms.”
Source: CJonline
Making a change after 30 years at the Reno County Museum
The wheels of change are coming to the Reno County Museum. The museum has received grants to improve the children’s area and to make changes to some of the galleries. The first changes are underway in the children’s area, called the Oodleplex, with a new, large, colorful train engine, tank car and caboose built with a grant from the BNSF Railway railroad company. “We wouldn’t be here without the Santa Fe railroad and that’s why when we did the train, we wanted to make it big and grand and right in your face because this is where it started with the expansion of the west with the railroad,” said David Reed, chief curator.
Source: Hutch News
Winfield Sears to close after nearly 20 years in business
After nearly 20 years in business, the Sears Hometown Store at 912 Main St. in Winfield will close later this year. The store, which sells appliances, tools and other equipment, is closing due to a lack of business and the inability to get products, said manager Kellie Osen, with customers having to wait months to receive orders. “People do not want to wait for refrigerators for eight months,” Osen said.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Municipal Bond Trends for May 31, 2022
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 and Beth Warren.
Leawood city administrator Scott Lambers dies unexpectedly at age 66
Leawood City Administrator Scott Lambers died unexpectedly at his home Tuesday morning, according to news release from the city. Lambers had worked for the city of Leawood for more than 20 years, first joining the city in 2001 after working in city management for other cities in both Kansas and California, the city’s statement said. “He was a champion of [Leawood’s] employees and a strong steward of the city’s finances,” the release said.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Total bond issuance down in May led by 70% drop in refundings
Municipal issuance dropped 9% year-over-year in May, again due to a decrease in taxable and refunding volumes amid continued market volatility and rising interest rates that dominated the front half of the month. May’s $32.2 billion figure is lower than the $33.884 billion 10-year average. As has been the trend in recent months, total issuance for May was down year-over-year. Pat Luby, senior municipal strategist at CreditSights, pointed to the sharp increase in yields in the three weeks of May as the biggest driver of the drop in issuance.
Source: The Bond Buyer
Derby officially designated as Purple Heart City
At the May 24 Derby City Council meeting, Mayor Randy White officially proclaimed Derby as a Purple Heart City – bolstering the city’s ties to the military community. Given the number of military veterans who call Derby home, as well as its proximity to McConnell Air Force Base, White noted the designation made sense. And according to American Legion Family Post 408 Public Relations Representative Mike Saindon, it all started with a sign.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Interim police chief wants more officers on Wichita streets, community’s help after violent weekend
A violent Memorial Day weekend in Wichita has the interim police chief wanting more officers on the streets and calling on residents to help curb the problem. Interim Wichita Police Chief Lem Moore was joined by several community leaders who echoed his concerns during a news conference on Tuesday. It was a message that was loud and clear, enough is enough. Leaders hope anyone who knows anything about any of the shootings will come forward. Police reported more than a half-dozen incidents of gun violence involving three deaths in the city over the holiday weekend. At around the same time same time Saturday night, two people were fatally shot and a teen was hit and killed by a vehicle fleeing one of those shooting scenes.
Source: KAKE – News
In some rural parts of Kansas, the loss of even one foster parent leaves a huge hole
More than half the counties in the state rely on 10 or fewer families to take in foster children. Roughly one-tenth of the counties in Kansas rely on one licensed foster home each. And those relatively few families looking after foster kids in its most remote corners struggle to get from court appointments to doctors’ visits to soccer practice where drives between appointments get measured not in minutes, but hours. Consider what Rebecca Applebee’s move from Liberal, Kansas, means to her community. Already, about half of the foster children in Seward County are living elsewhere. When Applebee leaves, there will be one fewer foster homes in the county.
Source: KAKE – News
“United We” launches Kansas women’s economic task force
If more Kansas women participated in the workforce, one study shows that Kansas could grow its economy by ten to fifteen percent by 2025. That desire for growth is part of why “United We”, a non-profit aimed at advancing women’s economic and civic leadership is launching a Kansas women’s economic development task force and series of town halls. The non-profit’s CEO Wendy Doyle says she’s looking to collect data to enact policy change. “We certainly hope it gets their attention just by hearing firsthand and hearing the personal stories, that really seems to resonate with policymakers versus a quantitative research report. So that will be our goal in our mission, and we’ll get to work quickly to start to educate policymakers that will then help identify a strategic and focused policy agenda.”
Source: KOAMKOAM
Bourbon Co plans projects in wake of grant program
Several cities in Bourbon County will be busy this summer. Along with festivals and celebrations, many will be focusing on economic development. “There’s a lot of great things going on throughout the entire county, not just in Fort Scott, and we’re excited about it,” said Robert Harrington, Bourbon County REDI Exec. Director. This is in part thanks to the launch of the grant program from Bourbon County Regional Economic Develop Incorporated. “Since last year, our organization has given out $135,000 worth of grants, that a majority of them have been spent outside of the Fort Scott area,” said Harrington. Places like Redfield are working on building a storm shelter. Mapleton and Uniontown are making their parks ADA accessible.
Source: KSNF/KODE
‘We will not wait’: Kansas police chief promises swift action in the event of school shooting
A Kansas police chief is addressing the question of safety in elementary schools in the aftermath of the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that claimed 21 lives. Chief Dan Trechter of the Saint George Police Department in Pottawatomie County took to Facebook on Tuesday to explain the measures that the SGPD is taking to ensure that children can go to school without fear. Trechter shared the SGPD’s policy regarding rapid response and deployment in an emergency situation. According to Trechter, the policy states that, “If a suspect is actively engaged in the infliction of serious bodily harm or other life-threatening activity toward others, officers should take immediate action, if reasonably practicable, while requesting additional assistance.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
Wichita police chief seeks more money for overtime after spate of weekend shootings
Wichita’s interim police chief said Monday he plans to seek an increase in his overtime budget to put more officers on the street after the department responded to eight shootings over the holiday weekend. Three people died Saturday night — two in shootings and one in a hit-and-run accident. “The amount of officers we have on the street cannot withstand that type of violence and incidents in the city without affecting response times and affecting other calls,” interim chief Lem Moore said at a news conference. He did not provide details on the request for more money.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Olathe Public Schools to offer free mental health services during the summer
Olathe Public Schools will be offering free mental health counseling this summer for all staff, students and families, district officials said. The Summer H.E.L.P (Help Each Live Productively) Clinic is offering individual mental health sessions, group sessions, family therapy, parent support groups and staff wellness groups. The program has been in place since the summer of 2018, according to Becky Grubaugh, a spokesperson for the Olathe school district. Sessions are up to 50 minutes and will be conducted by Olathe Public Schools Licensed Mental Health Providers and interns from Friends University’s marriage and family therapy program. This year, many students across the school district have been touched by gun violence.
Source: Kansas City Breaking News & Sports | The Kansas City Star
KCK school board discusses increasing security
School security was discussed at the Tuesday night, May 31, meeting of the Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education. Plans are underway to apply for a grant for security, according to district officials. District administrators are proposing to use grant funds up to $1 million to increase lighting and cameras at school buildings. The grant would require a 50 percent match from the district. Tracy Kaiser, executive director of business operations, said although their initial thought was to apply for $1 million, they understood from state education officials that probably only $400,000 to $500,000 could be approved, so they are looking at a $200,000 or $250,000 match.
Source: Wyandotte Daily
USDA Invests Over $16 Million in Rural Community Infrastructure in Nine Kansas Communities
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Acting State Director for Rural Development Kansas Dan Fischer today announced that USDA is investing $16,155,000 toward nine community projects across the state. “Public infrastructure like water systems, parks and emergency response help communities thrive,” Fischer said. “USDA Rural Development puts rural people at the forefront of investment and opportunity. With these improvements Kansas towns will be able to better serve their residents and their communities will be safer and healthier.”
Background:
The Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage. The program serves people and businesses in eligible rural areas with populations of 10,000 or less.
The Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program provides funding for essential community facilities and services. More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations, and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.
Project details of today’s nine announcement are:
- A $4,641,000 loan will help provide improvements to Jefferson County Rural Water District No. 13. These improvements include rehabilitating the treatment plant filters, installing 16 miles of pipe, installing backup generators, adding a new well and creating a new emergency connection to a neighboring water district. These improvements will meet the water demands of customers on peak days and will accommodate anticipated increase in future customers.
- A $350,000 loan will help make improvements to the water distribution system for the City of Linwood. The improvements include replacing nearly 6,500 feet of waterline, replacing 11 fire hydrants and 28 gate valves. Once the project is completed, it will provide safe and reliable water through a new and improved water distribution supply system.
- An $820,000 loan and $423,000 grant will be used to provide additional funding to complete improvements on the City of Highland‘s water system. The project is to construct a new ion exchange treatment plant and a non-discharging lagoon. In Sept. 2021, Rural Development obligated a $1,262,000 loan and $534,000 in grant funding for this project. Other funding includes a Kansas Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant of $600,000 and Kansas Department of Health and Environment debt forgiveness of $600,000. The project will correct issues with the current water system and the community will have safe and reliable water for years to come.
- A $968,000 loan and $1,549,000 grant will be used toward improvements on the city of Burr Oak‘s water distribution system. The project will make upgrades to the water storage tank as well as painting the interior and exterior. The proposed improvements will replace approximately 30,000 feet of waterline, install 114 new meters, along with valves and hydrants. Additional funding for this project includes a $330,000 Kansas Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant and a $75,000 Dane G. Hanson Foundation Grant. This project will provide safe and reliable water to the community for years to come.
- A $6,416,000 loan and $627,000 grant will be used to construct discharging lagoons with wetlands for the City of Linn Valley. This project includes construction of a discharging lagoon, sized for 20-year population growth. Construction of a second discharging lagoon for 40-year population growth. Once the project is complete it will provide environmental benefits and future growth potential for the community.
- A $233,000 loan will supplement previous funding to the city of Nortonville to help complete their water system improvements. The project will construct two new wells and replace cast iron waterline. Previous funding for this project consists of a Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal Loan of $771,000 and a Kansas Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant of $501,300. With these additional funds, the city will be able to complete the project as designed and provide the citizens with safe drinking water.
- A $42,700 grant will be used toward the purchase of a shipping container to convert into public restrooms for a city park in Jetmore. The current restroom is in poor repair and is not accessible for individuals with disabilities. The new container will be engineered to include two bathrooms that will be ADA compliant. The outside will be beautified, making it consistent with the surrounding environment. Once complete, this facility will provide safe and reliable services in the park.
- A $27,500 grant will help purchase and install eight new storm sirens for the city of Wellington. The sirens will replace six storm sirens within the city limits, and sirens at Wellington Lake and Wellington Airport. All these sirens can be activated by Sumner County 911, Wellington Law Enforcement and Wellington Fire/Emergency Medical Services. Once the new sirens are installed, residents and visitors will have a more reliable emergency warning system.
- A $58,600 grant will be used to supplement previous funding to improve a small outdoor community gathering space within the City of Kingman. Currently there is no disability parking or access at the site, and it lacks adequate lighting and needs a fence installed for safety.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, contact a USDA Rural Development state office.
Peak interest rates may be lower than expected as growth slowdown looms
Worsening economic data may force central banks to blink and take a less aggressive rate-rise stance, money markets are betting, having steadily dialled back expectations of where U.S. and British interest rates might peak. The equivalent of a half-point rate hike from the Federal Reserve has been priced out over the last three weeks, putting the peak in rates at 3% next June. That implies cumulative U.S. rate hikes of 210 basis points this cycle, versus 255 bps at the start of May, according to Fed Fund futures that reflect expectations of future interest rate moves.
Source: Reuters
Law will open school enrollment: That could have some affect on Topeka’s housing market
As educators prepare for a new open enrollment policy scheduled to go into effect after two more school years, parents who are looking for homes may be able to consider more affordable houses outside their preferred district. Open enrollment is a school choice policy that allows parents to enroll their children as students in a school outside the district they live in. While supporters of the policy pushed it as a way to increase academic opportunity, they also say it could help homebuyers find more affordable housing.
Source: CJonline
Theatre Salina experiences growth and success with regional and national exposure
As people drive down Iron Avenue in Salina, they may notice a new sign and name at a familiar and popular destination in the downtown area, Theatre Salina. Earlier this year, what was once Salina Community Theatre made the change in its name after a couple of years of discussion about what the theater means to people inside and outside the community of Salina. “We are much more regional than we’ve ever been,” said Michael Spicer, executive director for Theatre Salina. According to Spicer, about 40% of the ticket sales for the various theatrical productions at Theatre Salina come from people outside of Saline County.
Source: Salina Journal
Pretty Prairie Main Street lined with veteran banners
Veterans’ banners that honor those who fought in wars and conflicts from 1861 until today hang from poles on Main Street in Pretty Prairie…. The Pretty Prairie Community Association organized the veteran banners program for the community, selling the banners for $100 for a one-sided banner and $150 for a two-sided one, for three years. Then renewal costs are $75. The banners hang on Main Street for the entire month of May and November for Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Pretty Prairie city clerk Jenifer Albright said the Community Association began the program last year with 12 banners, and this year they expanded it to 24.
Source: Hutch News
Municipal Bond Trends for May 27, 2022
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 and Beth Warren.
Osawatomie Debuts New Logo, Branding
The chosen design features a large light-green letter “O” with an illustration of the iconic Creamery Bridge across the center in a darker green, and includes the water of the Marais des Cygnes river underneath. Osawatomie is known as the town between two rivers and was named for the Osage and the Potawatomie indigenous peoples, from whom the rivers also received their names (the Marais des Cygnes was originally known as the Osage and is part of the larger Osage River water system). The new design honors the history of the community’s origins, geographic identity, and historic landmarks, but the modern and sleek graphic gives it a fresh feel for the next generation. It was important to the design team to create a logo that embraced Osawatomie’s history but still pointed toward a bright future of growth and development.
Source: City of Osawatomie
Municipal bonds see ‘remarkable’ turnaround, but caution is warranted
Municipals made further gains on Friday, pushing yields down as much as another eight basis points, to close out a seven-day rally, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the end of March 2020 as the market began to rebound from the COVID-19-led turmoil. Triple-A yields have fallen more than half a percentage point on the 10- and 30-year, as the asset class has outperformed U.S. Treasuries… However, there are still a lot of uncertainties on the economic front, rate volatility might spike again, and supply might surprise to the upside, they said.
Source: The Bond Buyer
Salina Police Department Pledges to Advance Women in Policing
Today, the Salina Police Department has signed on to the 30×30 Pledge – a series of low and no-cost actions policing agencies can take to improve the representation and experiences of women
in law enforcement. The activities help policing agencies assess the current state of a department with regard to gender equity, equality and identify factors that may be driving any disparities and develop and implement strategies and solutions to eliminate barriers and advance women in policing. These actions address recruitment, assessment, hiring, retention, promotion, and agency culture.
Source: Salina KS News
Derby’s Zollinger, crew keep cemeteries maintained for Memorial Day
While cemeteries might be an afterthought most of the 365 days each year, they are central to the services that routinely take place every Memorial Day. And they’re central to the services Derby’s Paula Zollinger provides. For 26 years now, Zollinger has helped with the upkeep at Derby’s local cemeteries (El Paso and Hillcrest). Zollinger and her maintenance crew mow and trim the cemeteries, dig and backfill graves and generally keep things tidy. Those maintenance responsibilities then go into overdrive around Memorial Day – one of the biggest days of the year for the Derby cemeteries.
Source: Derby Informer
Newton looking for people to pay for home weatherization
There’s free money out there for painting and guttering if you live in a neighborhood revitalization area in Newton. In August of 2021, the city allocated $50,000 to a program that would pay half the cost of painting or guttering improvements to homes in the revitalization area. The program would pay up to $1,000 for buying materials. So far though, no one’s really used it. “Just three rebates have been issued,” said Rebecca Likiardopoulos, Director of Administrative Services with the city. “I don’t think it’s made its way into the mainstream,” she said of knowledge of the program.
Source: Harvey County Now
Four weeks since the Andover Tornado, city and community look towards long term recovery
If you drive through the Reflection Lake neighborhood in Andover and you see the shells of the dozens of homes. It was one of the hardest hit locations by the Andover tornado last month. For HOA President Scott Rackley “it does seem like just yesterday, and like you said, we’re four weeks removed.” Rackley says the last four weeks of cleanup have been a testament to the power of community. “It’s been a chance for us to unite as a neighborhood.” However, he also knows that this is going to be a long process, with insurance agencies still figuring out payouts and life not slowing down since “people are definitely just trying to rebuild and continue with their daily lives. So that kind of hinders it.”
Source: KAKE – News
With fewer volunteers, Lenexa Cemetery Association hopes to pass responsibility to city
The Lenexa Cemetery located on 87th Street Parkway and Pflumm Road could become the city’s responsibility by the end of the year. The Lenexa Cemetery Association has been responsible for the grounds since 1872. On Tuesday, the Lenexa City Council was presented with a memorandum of understanding seeking a change in operations. The association says it’s concerned about its ability to take care of the property in the future with a dwindling number of volunteers. There are about 2,000 burial plots in the four-acre cemetery and 700 have been sold. At a rate of about 10 burials a year and approximately 321 empty plots, it will be about 27 years before the cemetery is full.
Source: KC Star Local News
JoCo authorizes loan to partially finance affordable housing apartment complex in Shawnee
The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners has authorized a $1 million loan to partially finance the construction of a new affordable housing apartment complex in Shawnee. This is the first time Johnson County Government has provided funding for this type of project, and received authorization from the BOCC on Thursday, May 26. The Hedge Lane Apartments is a joint venture between Sunflower Development Group and Consolidated Housing Solutions. The $30.5 million project will be built just west of K-7 Highway and 75th Street. All apartments will be dedicated to workforce housing.
Source: Johnson County Kansas
School leaders raise concern over new open enrollment law
A new state law lets parents choose which school district to enroll their children in instead of being limited to the district where they live. While lawmakers say this gives families more options, school leaders say it is a headache and could cost them money. While this law doesn’t go into effect until the school year starting in 2024, several school officials are already raising alarm about the law turning open enrollment into a lottery for every student that might want to join an out-of-district school. “In Buhler, we have anywhere from 25 to 30 percent out-of-district students right now, and it’s really a system that works,” said Cindy Couchman, the superintendent of the Buhler school district. Couchman said her school district already has open enrollment in place. She said that allows them to prioritize who can join their district.
Source: KSN-TV
Wichita libraries returning to ‘new normal’ with in-person summer reading programs
After two years of hosting online and hybrid reading programs because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wichita in-person summer reading programs are making a comeback. With COVID much reduced but still lurking, the programs won’t be exactly the same as they were pre-pandemic, said Erin Downey Howerton, youth services manager for the library system. “We are still taking safety measures to ensure programs are socially distanced, and are encouraging staff and customers to wear masks if they wish,” said Downey Howerton. “We are limiting participation numbers in most of our youth programs to ensure simple safety measures can be in play.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
As Wichita pools open, officials count cost of vandalism: ‘It affects everybody’
As Wichita pools prepare to open for summer, city officials are counting the cost of vandalism during the off-season. Since November, windows have been broken, bathrooms destroyed and graffiti painted on signs at city parks and recreation centers. “It’s been really really frustrating,” said Director of Parks and Recreation Troy Houtman. “It’s been really upsetting that we spent so much time and effort trying to make these pools really nice for the community and it’s just a handful of some really bad actors and you can’t just blame everybody but just a few of them are just making life miserable.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
How local elections work: Local newspaper dives into McPherson County voting
McPherson County Clerk Hollie Melroy invited the McPherson News-Ledger to view how the election process works. First, we attended Election School, which is training all poll workers must take before the election. At this training, poll workers learn how to set up for the day, what steps to take when a person comes in to vote, what to do in case of a provisional voter, and how to handle the end of the day. The supervising judge is normally a person with more experience than the others. This person oversees the polling place and is responsible its operation.
Source: McPherson Weekly News
KDHE: There could be something nasty in the water
All the rain in some areas of Kansas could have a nasty side effect for people trying to enjoy the water this holiday weekend. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) said prolonged rains have contributed to an increased risk of bacteria in lakes, streams and rivers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the germs found in the water and sand often come from human or animal feces. Water from heavy rain picks up anything it comes in contact with, including feces from where animals live and can drain into swim areas.
Source: KSN-TV
McPherson city commissioners hear about fentanyl
Police Captain Kevin McKean presented information about fentanyl on Tuesday to McPherson City Commissioners. Fentanyl is nationally the most dangerous street drug. McPherson Police have used Narcan numerous times to save people in this community from overdoses. Fentanyl is being mixed with heroin and methamphetamine, causing the unaware to go into cardiac arrest. McPherson Police also have been told by Sedgwick County that fentanyl is being mixed with marijuana, causing people to overdose, including high school and college students. Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine; it only takes two milligrams to overdose.
Source: McPherson Weekly News » Feed
Topeka 501 trains for school shooting scenarios with TPD
School faculty in Topeka learned how to combat school shootings on Friday. Active shooter situations can be some of the worst nightmares for teachers across the country. USD 501 school officials spent their afternoon on May 27 looking for the signs and potential ways to stop these shootings from happening in the future. The Topeka Police Department helped train school leaders on recognizing the warning signs of a potential shooter and the protocol they need to follow during an active shooter situation.
Source: KSNT 27 News
City of Topeka works to stop inflation, supply chain issues with community garden
A garden located in Oakland is receiving recognition from the City of Topeka for the benefits it has provided to the local area. The Oakland Community Garden, located at the now-closed Lundgren Middle School, is home to 17 raised garden beds with vegetables, fruits and herbs. According to the city, the garden donated over 1500 pounds of fresh produce to the community and other organizations last year alone. … Community gardens like the one in Oakland are a good way to counter inflation and supply chain issues, according to the city.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Why downtown Wichita doesn’t have a grocery store and what it would take it get one
Ask just about any Wichita resident what they feel the city is missing, and a downtown grocery store is likely high on their most-wanted list. New development activity in recent years has brought thousands of new apartment residents and office workers to Wichita’s core, leaving many wondering when and where a grocery store might follow; the closest supermarket with fresh produce is about two miles from the city center.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Upcoming historic tours of La Yarda to highlight ‘incredible story’ of the Lawrence neighborhood
The Lawrence Preservation Alliance’s upcoming “After La Yarda” historic walking tours will take tourgoers through the La Yarda neighborhood to learn about the past and present of its people. La Yarda was a tight-knit community of Mexican American railroad workers and their families living in housing owned by the Santa Fe Railroad from 1920-1951. Located near the Kaw River, the La Yarda neighborhood was destroyed by a major flood in 1951. But residents did not leave Lawrence after the flood. They worked together to find new living arrangements, and many former residents and descendants of La Yarda are still living in Lawrence today. The tours will be offered from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on three upcoming Saturdays: May 28, June 4 and June 18. They will begin at Lawrence Amtrak Santa Fe Depot and then travel through New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania streets in Lawrence.
Source: The Lawrence Times
There’s light at the end of the tunnel in Johnson County’s quest to set rules for utility-scale solar
Johnson County commissioners are on the verge of finalizing new regulations for large-scale solar farms. With the commission set to consider revised regulations at its June 6 meeting, a huge renewable energy project dawns. The hotly contested debate began in 2020 after Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources LLC proposed a $450 million project west of Gardner. … With the recent vote, the regulations stand at: Conditional-use permits run for 25 years, with a one-time automatic five-year extension; A maximum project area of 2,000 acres; A 1.5-mile minimum distance between projects and city limits
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
An artful tie between man, nature: Here’s where to find ‘Symbiosis’ in Johnson County
Shawnee artist Matthew Dehaemers has been chosen to create a temporary art installation at Shawnee Mission Park, which will be on display this summer. The public can see “Symbiosis,” which will be fully installed by June 3, at the entrance to Theatre in the Park, 7710 Renner Road in Shawnee. It will be on display through at least early August. The piece speaks not only to the symbiotic relationship between humankind and the natural environment, but also the connections it takes to produce a stage performance at the park.
Source: Joco 913 News
Quality and growth continue: Community theater renamed to Theatre Salina
As people drive down Iron Avenue in Salina, they may notice a new sign and name at a familiar and popular destination in the downtown area, Theatre Salina. h Earlier this year what, was once Salina Community Theatre, made the change in its name after a couple of years of discussion about what the theater means to people inside and outside the community of Salina. “We are much more regional than we’ve ever been,” said Michael Spicer, executive director for Theatre Salina. According to Spicer, about 40% of the ticket sales for the various theatrical productions at Theatre Salina come from people outside of Saline County.
Source: Salina Journal