Municipal News & Jobs

Rachel McClaran looked for the next career step that would help her have a larger impact on students. That step was becoming the new superintendent in the Sedgwick School District. “I never want to be stagnant,” she said, sitting her in Sedgwick office. “Sedgwick was such a good opportunity and a nice-sized community, and I didn’t have to move out of the area.” McClaran worked for four years in the Newton USD-373 office and one year as Northridge Elementary School principal in Newton. Then she went to Valley Center as Wheatland Elementary principal.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Liquor-by-the-drink sales generate about $190,000 each year for Jackson County, according to county officials. At a recent a recent Jackson County Commission meeting, Commission Chairman Mark Pruett outlined how those funds are allocated. Each quarter, the county receives a payment from the state’s alcoholic liquor tax fund. Jackson County receives 70 percent of the state sales tax on liquor sales from establishments located within the county but outside city limits.
Read more: The Holton Recorder

Overland Park recently opted out of a state law that would have put restrictions on the city’s authority to issue bonds to help fund public developments and infrastructure projects. The move was necessitated by the fact that Overland Park recently surpassed more than 200,000 residents, according to the latest U.S. Census. Under a state law from the 1950s, cities of that size in Kansas must hold public elections to issue at least $200,000 in bonds. The law, which Overland Park officials have called “outdated,” predates both the city of Overland Park itself and the Home Rule constitutional amendment that deferred community control in Kansas to local governments.
Read more: Johnson County Post

With Overland Park’s plans to move city hall to the College Boulevard and Metcalf area and Black & Veatch’s plan for a new, $1 billion headquarters, attention is back on long-range plans to reimagine the center of the city. Historically defined by large office users, the corridor has been a hot topic for many years as Overland Park ponders the future of the area around its convention center — dubbed OP Central.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Merriam is razing three more downtown buildings as part of its broader flood control efforts along Turkey Creek. The Merriam City Council earlier this month approved the demolition of three buildings, all currently unoccupied, along Merriam Drive next to the city’s farmers market pavilion. City officials cite flood mitigation or potential redevelopment efforts in its downtown stretch as the reasoning behind demolishing the buildings at 5700, 5718 and 5726 Merriam Drive.
Read more: Johnson County Post

A first-of-its-kind “build-for-rent” subdivision in south Johnson County is fully leased just months after finishing construction. Peak Enterprises finished the 78 single-family home subdivision at the southwest corner of 175th Terrace and Pflumm Road in Overland Park, called The Homes at Wolf Creek. All are rental homes.
Read more: Kansas City Business Journal – Local Kansas City News

More than 30 people attended the latest Washington County Commissioners meeting to hear a 90-minute discussion on the future of local ambulance services. While no decisions were made, attendees—including officials from Clifton, Linn, and Washington—reviewed options and were encouraged to consult with their city councils about maintaining current services or pursuing a countywide model.
Read more: KCLY Radio

Even as the pressure piles on, Diana Thompson is not going to abandon her job. A lifelong resident of Comanche County in south-central Kansas, Thompson has worked as the administrator for Pioneer Lodge nursing home in Coldwater since 2003. She bets that most of the 1,600-plus county residents do not fully understand the challenges she faces to meet the daily needs of her 25 residents. Thinly spread finances are her biggest stressors. The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act isn’t alleviating any of her concerns. The budget document signed by President Donald Trump on July 4 will, over a 10-year period, cut $1.2 trillion from Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to the Associated Press. Medicaid, known as KanCare in the state, provides health coverage to more than 366,000 Kansans, including low-income families and children, seniors and people with disabilities. More than 185,000 Kansans receive SNAP food benefits.
Read more: KLC Journal

The Johnson County Fair in Gardner, Kansas, is underway this week, bringing plenty of fun for the whole family. The fair features a carnival, a parade, animal shows, vendors and more. The carnival is open 6-11 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 4-11 p.m. Saturday. Tickets or wristbands are required for carnival rides. While the rides and games don’t open until the evening, there is plenty going on throughout the day. 4-H contests and other animal shows go on as early as 9 a.m. The parade also begins at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Read more: Top Stories

The Parsons Police Department launches a new app to help residents stay informed. According to the department, the purpose of the app is to provide a faster, easier, and more convenient way to find information. The app will have information on the following topics; Press releases, alerts, crime updates, department news, and contact options.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com – RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

A new resource is now available in western Kansas, offering parents in crisis a secure and anonymous option to surrender a newborn.  With the help of two Garden City Community College students, Garden City is now home to the first Safe Haven Baby Box in the western part of the state and the third location in the state. The newest baby box is located at Garden City Fire Station #3, at 3535 Schulman Ave.
Read more: KSN-TV

Sedgwick County Commissioners, Wichita City Council members, and the Wichita School Board met Tuesday to brainstorm ways for more cooperation and to more efficiently use taxpayer dollars. The meeting was a response to a June town hall where the public submitted almost 140 ideas for improvements. Local leaders focused on ways to improve mental health services, decrease crime and homelessness, and grow the Air Capital economy. One of the ideas that could help in all those areas is one being developed by the Wichita Public Schools Board: Community schools.
Read more: KSN-TV

Mountain lions, while still rare in the Sunflower State, are starting to become a more common sight in Kansas. KSNT contacted Matt Peek with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) this week to determine how many people have recently sighted the big cats in the state. The KDWP received 50 confirmed sightings of mountain lions from 2007 to 2023. But that number has more than doubled in the past two years to 110 reported mountain lion sightings since 2007.
Read more: KSN-TV

After a lengthy discussion, the City of Salina moved ahead with a plan to remove a log jam in the Smoky Hill River. The Salina City Commission voted Monday to proceed with the plan to remove the debris from the river at a cost of $452,351. The work is expected to take approximately six weeks to complete.
Read more: KSN-TV

Hutchinson firefighters were called to perform a rescue on the Arkansas River on Monday afternoon. Crews were called to an area behind Hobart-Detter Field near Carey Park around 2:30 p.m., where three people were holding onto a tree in the middle of the river and stranded by the quickly rising water. The Hutchinson Fire Department’s Water Rescue Team launched its boat with a three-man team upriver and reached the three victims. They were brought safely to shore, where Reno County EMS treated them.
Read more: KSN-TV

The “first family” of pickleball made their mark in Pittsburg, helping cut the ribbon for 12 new courts to the community. Monday’s ribbon cutting event, which signified the opening of a brand new pickleball facility, is also the culmination of decades of dedication the family has given to the sport. The Johnsons have long laid claim to professional pickleball, being one of the first families in the sport’s history to all compete professionally. And now they’re taking a step back from traveling the world – and decided to head back to where it all began.
Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

Starting this school year, all Topeka USD 501 schools will adopt a “cell phone-free instructional day” policy. This change follows recommendations from the state board of education. The district posted the new policy on its website earlier this month. According to the new policy, Topeka high school students are to keep their phones off and away from first bell to last to support a focused learning environment. This includes all personal electronic communication devices including smart phones, smart watches, tablets, personal computers, earbuds, and other devices.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

City commissioners want to see the next city manager focused on managing city growth, tax relief for residents and community engagement. Commissioners and the mayor outlined to The Eudora Times what they are looking for as another manager search begins this fall. This story comes after we recently asked residents what they would like to see in a manager. Read that story here.
Read more: The Eudora Times

Downtown workers encounter more roadblocks than almost anyone seeking to park in the area. Now, the City of Lawrence is considering proposals to increase the cost of finding a spot around Mass Street. The city’s parking department has recently started booting cars for unpaid citations. Proposals to increase rates for all paid downtown spots and to extend hours of enforcement on weekday evenings are also on the table.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

Phase one of the $222 million, 350,000-square-foot biomedical campus began in May of last year and is expected to be fully operational by the summer of 2027. The project will combine WSU’s College of Health Professions programs, the health care program at WSU Tech and the Wichita campuses of the KU School of Medicine and the KU School of Pharmacy. The campus aims to strengthen collaboration and professional health care learning.  
Read more: The Sunflower