Kansas Municipal News
Fort Hays State working to expand nursing in rural Kansas
Fort Hays State University has announced they are receiving new federal funds to expand the number of nurses serving rural communities in Kansas. The university has received two Health and Human Services Administration federal grants totaling more than $4 million. Fort Hays offers both a bachelor’s and master’s program for nursing. The Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Program (ANEW) grant will provide over $2 million over a four-year period. Nursing students who commit to working in western Kansas after graduation will receive a stipend of $20,000 over the final three years of the program. They will also be able to receive continuing education and skills workshops free of charge.
Source: KSN-TV
Maize Fall Festival underway this weekend
The Maize Fall Festival gets underway Friday night and runs through Saturday. The festival is at Clair Donnelly Amphitheater at 311 W. Academy. There will be a concert at the park at 7 p.m. Friday. There will be a beer garden for the adults, food trucks, vendors and a kids korner with yard games. On Saturday, a parade will kick off at 10 a.m. Fireworks will end the night.
Source: KSN-TV
Derby updates code to crack down on disorderly conduct
During the Oct. 10 meeting, the Derby City Council went through its annual review of both Derby’s traffic ordinance and public offense code, approving recommended changes for both. While a number of updates were made in line with legislative changes at the state level over the past year, further review of the public offense code and discussion amongst the city attorney and city prosecutor led them to address issues that have come up recently regarding disorderly conduct. Two proposed changes were suggested – and ultimately approved – to the section of the public offense code on disorderly conduct. The first change added language to address “activity intended to impede traffic or interfere with the safe movement of vehicles on Derby roads.” Examples included road rage incidents, flashing handheld lights at cars, throwing objects at cars, standing in the street, etc.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Pittsburg Mayor upbeat about State of the City
For the first time since 2019, the Mayor of Pittsburg delivered the State of the City in person to a packed house at Memorial Auditorium with a complimentary breakfast provided by the Blue Spoon. Mayor Ron Seglie spoke briefly about the city’s accomplishments and the challenges that lie ahead and what the near future looks like. Seglie highlighted a number of recent civic initiatives such as his Spruce Up Pittsburg campaign. As part of that effort, the city has been divided into specific neighborhoods and a council appointed to oversee clean-up. Over the past few years, nearly 60 dilapidated buildings have been razed. Seglie said if he were around long enough, he would love to clean up and restore the city’s brick sidewalks. “The full effort is to empower citizens to get out there and do something for the city and for themselves,” Seglie said, “to take pride in their neighborhoods.”
Source: Morning Sun
Water contamination invades Augusta community
An old issue continues to spread in a Southwest Augusta community. Water contamination is not something anyone wants to imagine dealing with, yet these residents have been dealing with it for years. High levels of hard water minerals, salt and now oil are plaguing the community’s water system, with no relief. After purchasing her home in 2019, Jenna Krob, her husband and children of three were like any other family, until last month. That’s when the family began to smell an awful odor emitting from their toilet bowl and running water. “When you entered the home, it would burn your nostrils,” said Krob. “That’s how strong it was.” What started as a strong odor soon turned into black water. That black colored water turned out to feel like an oily substance, leading the family to believe the substance to be petroleum-based oil contaminating their privately owned water well. Soon, the toilet was coated in oil and even their sink as they tried to wash dishes or take a shower.
Source: Andover American
Municipal Bond Trends for October 12, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Municipal Bond Trends for October 11, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Lawrence school district’s initial headcount shows dramatic decline of about 300 students in one year
The Lawrence school district’s recently completed annual enrollment count shows a dramatic decline of hundreds of students compared with last year’s count, and the amount of decline in just one year is what a consultant recently had predicted for an entire five-year period…. The whole picture of why there has once again been a large enrollment decline likely won’t be clear until the district team has a chance to look at this year’s enrollment data more closely, Superintendent Anthony Lewis told the Journal-World Thursday afternoon. But for now, Lewis said one potential cause could be the impact of low birth rates, which he said are affecting not just Lawrence but the whole country. “We had 945 seniors last year, and then this year we had 674 kindergartners come in,” Lewis said. “That’s a huge variation there, in terms of our seniors that have left us versus the kindergartners that are coming in.”
Source: LJWorld
Governor Kelly Announces New Staff to Lead Water Policy Efforts
Governor Laura Kelly announced that Vijay Ramasamy has joined the Kelly Administration to serve as Special Advisor for Water. In this role, Ramasamy will advise Governor Kelly on water planning and develop coordinated strategies to ensure a sustainable future for water in Kansas. “I am glad Vijay has rejoined my Administration to lead our work on water projects and move conservation efforts forward,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “This new role reaffirms my commitment to preserving our remaining water supply that has powered our farming economy for decades. Vijay’s expertise will be crucial as we address the historic drought Kansas is facing.” The Special Advisor for Water is a new position created by Governor Kelly to drive progress on the state’s most pressing water issues.
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas
Marion celebrates Old Settler’s Day with annual parade
Marion had a great turnout for the Old Settler’s Day parade on Saturday. In addition to class floats over the years, including one from the Class of 1948, the parade included the Marion High School Marching Band and the Marion Middle School Marching Band. The parade was just one of many activities over the weekend for Marion residents to enjoy.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press
As rural residents age, some Kansas communities step up to help
Bertie Dinkle smiled from her seat at the Louisburg Senior Center. “This is my second home.” She had just finished her meal of chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and strawberry cake. She happily chatted with friends across the table. “I used to live in Overland Park, and they didn’t have anything like this,” Dinkle said about the center and the community around it. For some, aging in a rural area is a benefit. There’s a tight-knit, supportive community. And for folks like 94-year-old Dinkle who are in good health, the 20-30 minute drive to the nearest hospital isn’t a burden. But for others, going gray in rural America is fraught with challenges. Hospitals are further away, public transportation is scarce, isolation is likely, accessible housing is limited and basic resources like grocery stores and pharmacies are closing. The goal for most agencies and rural households: Age in place as long as possible.
Source: KCUR News
Here’s a look at Leawood’s 75th anniversary celebration
This weekend, the city of Leawood celebrated a big milestone. This year marked its 75th year as an incorporated city. As such, residents gathered this weekend to celebrate with a range of festivities along Tomahawk Creek Parkway. A few more activities are still to come later this month. The celebration continued through the weekend with a Touch-a-Truck event, balloon animals, a puppet show, a concert and more. Here’s a look at some of Saturday’s highlights.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Kansas prairie inspires public art projects for Merriam Plaza Library
When Johnson County Library opens the Merriam Plaza branch in the first half of 2024, it will include a drive-thru, state-of-the-art technology, early literacy space in the kids section, and all the other amenities one would expect in a new branch built at a cost of nearly $14 million. Adhering to patron feedback, the new branch at 6120 Slater St. will also have abundant natural light, a warm wood ceiling and a “green” roof with vegetation that provides a habitat for pollinators. Yet the art integrated into the design of Merriam Plaza Library — which is replacing the aging Antioch Library — may well provide the most eye-catching connection to nature. After evaluating nearly 180 submissions, the Johnson County Public Art Commission last year commissioned projects from Emily Alvarez of Kansas City, Missouri, and Sage Vaughn of Los Angeles. Alvarez’s four-panel indoor mural will include deep blue teal and lime green among its vibrant colors and will have raised plexiglass panels featuring plants and side profiles of residents of diverse races.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Goddard Fall Festival moves forward with new attraction
A step back into the 80s kept a lot of the youngsters distracted from the usual rides at the Goddard Fall Festival. “With the retirement of one carnival they kinda consolidated into one so there’s only one carnival servicing Kansas but that leaves opportunity for festivals like ours to kinda branch out and bring in new opportunities,” said Angie Duntz, the President & CEO of the Goddard Chamber of Commerce. This was the reason there were no rides at this year’s festival and a couple of visitors were not happy about this. “Definitely miss the rides it adds the fun and enjoyment to everything so it gives you something to take up more time and it brings a lot of excitement for a lot of people,” said Wichita resident Emallie Somers. Duntz said festivals are a means of tourism and economic development. She adds they had to get innovative which is just what they did.
Source: KAKE – News
See a fox or coyote in the city lately? You’re not alone, and the state needs you to report it
If you feel like you’ve seen more coyotes and foxes in the city lately, you’re not alone. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks says there’s been a big increase in reported sightings this year, so much so that it put a study in place to learn how to keep them safe as they continue to migrate to urban areas. It’s a story KAKE’s Eli Higgins learned about from personal experience. “Several months ago, a strange sound kept waking me up in the middle of the night, but all you could ever see were some weird eyeballs way back in the field across from my house,” Eli said. One morning, he finally found the culprit, and it wasn’t something you’d expect to see in the middle of the city – a family of three red foxes. Jon Beckman with the KDWP says he’s not the only one. “We wanted to get a handle on what was going on with those populations,” said Beckman. This year, Beckman says there have been so many reports of red foxes and coyotes in the city that the department started what’s called the Wichita Urban Coyote and Fox Project, and he needs our help.
Source: KAKE – News
Municipal Bond Trends for October 10, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Olathe parents say district failing kids with autism, causing ‘mental health crisis’
Ty VanBuskirk had never publicly talked about being on the autism spectrum before. Instead, he spent his time in the Olathe school district masking it. But that changed in July, when the recent Olathe South graduate stood in front of the school board to share how he felt the district had failed him. A lack of support and understanding of his disability, he said, led to ongoing trauma, bullying, isolation, even suicidal thoughts. “My general education teachers didn’t even know I had an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) or autism,” the 19-year-old told The Star. “When not even your case manager or paraprofessionals around you are aware, or able to communicate with your own teachers, that can cause a lot of issues.” Along with VanBuskirk, several parents have shown up in force at school board meetings over recent months, sharing similar stories and advocating for better services for their children with autism.
Source: Joco 913 News
Herington Hospital closing after 104 years
The only hospital in the city of Herington will be closing after 104 years in operation. Hospital officials said Monday that lengthy financial issues and low patient volumes led to the decision, and the hospital will close as soon as Wednesday. The hospital will continue to keep medical records. The closing will leave Herington residents with a choice of traveling to Junction City, Marion or Council Grove for hospital care.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Greensburg leaders vote to keep police department
The city council in Greensburg has voted to keep the police department and move ahead with the hiring of a new police chief. A committee will be created to conduct a search for a new chief. The police department has had two full-time and three part-time officers. Greensburg has seen a dramatic drop in population over the past few decades, going from 1,7906 in 1990 to 714 in 2021. Budget concerns have raised questions about the future of the police department. The city council had considered disbanding the department and going to the Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office to handle calls, but residents said safety and response times are big concerns.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Wamego seeks bids to move historic house
The City of Wamego is looking to move the misnamed Chrysler House. Walter Chrysler, automotive industry executive, was born in Wamego, and lived there before his family moved to Ellis, Kansas. City Manager Stacie Eichem gave some background on the house in question. While the house was not the birthplace of Chrysler, the community still celebrates the house. The City of Wamego recently decided to take action on the house and will take sealed bids to move the house from the property at the southeast corner of US 24 and Highway 99. Eichem says the city is looking at options for the future of that lot. Once a bid accepted, the house will be moved to another location, and must be done within 30 days after the sale. Sealed bids on that contract will be accepted until mid-October. More information can be found at wamego.org.
Source: 1350 KMAN