Municipal News & Jobs

A resident-led group who successfully organized in opposition to selling Westwood’s main city park earlier this month still insists the city should buy the old Westwood View Elementary building nearby in order to build an even larger park on that corner. But the city’s mayor reiterated in a recent email newsletter to residents that the city lacks the money to buy the school property on its own and had been banking on an influx of cash from the developer who wanted to build on the adjacent Joe D. Dennis Park. Now, what happens to the school property as well as Joe D. Dennis Park remains up for discussion, though city officials say their options are limited.
Source: Johnson County Post

After years of hefty borrowing and financial decisions that have strained public services, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, has pledged to be more financially responsible with its taxpayers’ dollars. Local officials this spring are trying to get a grip on their spending, reviewing past — and recent — practices including frequent dips into reserve funds and rapidly-assumed long-term debt, as they eye the 2026 fiscal year and looming summer cuts.
Source: Local Kansas City Missouri & Kansas News |

The Salina Airport Authority invites the public to a special event celebrating the first United Express nonstop flight from Salina Regional Airport (SLN) to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on Friday, May 2, 2025. The celebration will begin at 9:45 a.m. at the Salina Regional Airport Terminal and conclude with the flight’s departure at 11:30 a.m. This marks the launch of Salina’s first nonstop commercial service to Houston, a major United Airlines hub, opening new travel and business opportunities for the region.
Source: KCLY Radio

Members of the Parsons Police Department were recognized with the Bronze Unit Citation for Uncommon Valor at the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police Spring Conference on April 16 in Mulvane. The award honors the department’s efforts—alongside the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—in dismantling a major drug trafficking operation across Southeast Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The investigation, which began in January 2023, was initiated by Detective Brice Dickens following citizen reports of local drug activity. Detective Dickens’ work led to a coordinated effort with the KBI, DEA, and Labette County Sheriff’s Office, resulting in multiple federal indictments.
Source: www.koamnewsnow.com – RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly will join Kansas Department of Health and Environment leadership and local officials in Garden City for an update on the measles outbreak in Kansas. It will take place at 2 p.m., and KSN News will provide a live stream of the event. As of Tuesday, Kansas has 37 cases in eight counties in the southwest part of the state, health officials announced Wednesday. Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, and Morton counties each have fewer than five cases. Haskell County has the most cases, with eight, Stevens County has seven, and Kiowa County has six.
Source: KSN-TV

The community of Ellinwood wants to convert a now-closed hospital into a behavioral health center for veterans. After a new hospital and clinic were built, discussions began about what to do with the old building, which was built in 1952 “We did some research and discovered there’s just a little south of 9,000 veterans in Barton County and the four surrounding counties in this area. We also started talking to community members,” Jon Prescott, the manager of swing bed development at Ellinwood Hospital, said. “We got great support.” The closest veteran care centers are an hour and 40 minutes away.
Source: KSN-TV

On this day 24 years ago, the city of Hoisington in Barton County was struck by a tornado. On April 21, 2001, a tornado that would go on to be rated as an F4 on the discontinued Fujita Scale touched down southwest of Hoisington. Under the previous F ratings, the tornado that hit the community had estimated wind speeds from 207 to 260 mph. After it touched down, the tornado took a path northeast through Hoisington, destroying 212 homes and businesses. Eighty-five homes had significant damage, and 200 had minor to moderate damage.
Source: KSN-TV

After 25 years of service, Wichita Fire Department’s longtime mascot Sparky has officially retired — and on Saturday, the department introduced his furry successor. In a special event hosted by the Kansas Humane Society, WFD revealed the name and face of its new mascot: Rigs. The name was selected with help from the public following Sparky’s retirement announcement.
Source: KSN-TV

A week after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained several people in parts of western Kansas, city leaders in Liberal are preparing for more detainments in the coming weeks. Liberal city leaders say because they don’t know the whereabouts or identification of some of those people taken, their big concern right now is what could happen to families if someone is taken away. They say last week they had a situation where they lost track of a group of children after adult family members were detained by ICE. They later learned the kids had been taken in by a family member. Now, city officials are looking for ways to make sure children are taken care of if family members are detained.
Source: KSN-TV

Rose Hill Public Schools says all of its buildings are now equipped with automated external defibrillators. The district purchased Phillips FRX units, which include child keys, making them easy to use and accessible to anyone in their facilities, and have been installed in every school, as well as the stadium, Central Office, Transportation, and the Parents as Teachers building. Defibrillators work by sending an electrical shock through the body to shock the heart into a normal rhythm.
Source: KSN-TV

The federal government has now cut grants for two Sedgwick County programs. One of the programs provides resources for young moms. The other, through COMCARE, helps to treat people experiencing psychosis for the first time. Shantel Westbrook, the director of clinical and rehab services at COMCARE, says although their program is one of the ones facing cuts, they’re finding ways to fund it. COMCARE is adjusting to a loss in federal funding for a program to help those dealing with psychosis for the first time.
Source: KSN-TV

Arkansas City has introduced a new logo to represent the community’s heritage, landscape, and shared aspirations. The design includes a flowing “swoosh” element representing the Arkansas and Walnut Rivers, which will also be featured on new entrance signs. It complements the city’s water treatment plant logo, which includes three water droplets, emphasizing the theme of vital water resources.
Source: KSN-TV

A new ordinance allowing the city of Wichita to fine landlords who retaliate against tenants has yet to be put to use. Landlord retaliation can include an eviction or rent increase within six months of a tenant’s complaint to the city’s inspections department about the quality of their housing, according to the ordinance. It was passed in January 2024 by the City Council after several council members said they heard complaints from tenants about retaliation. But between January 2024 and January 2025, the city received just nine complete complaints from tenants alleging retaliation, said City Attorney Jennifer Magaña.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

Firefighters have contained but continued Thursday to fight a fire that started the night before at a landfill in Park City. The fire is still smoldering at Evergreen Recycle, 302 West 53rd Street North, but contained to a roughly 100 foot by 100 foot area, Sedgwick County spokesperson Stephanie Birmingham said. The rain overnight also helped with fighting the fire. Lightning is the suspected cause of the fire.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

Bradley Harris, the city administrator of North Newton, has been hired by Peabody as a consultant providing city management-related services. These services include organization development, project management, and unspecified duties as directed by city council.
Source: Marion County RECORD

Marion City Council took initial steps at a work session Monday to reassert its role in two areas that increasingly have been left to city staff. For the past two years, the council barely discussed budgeting until immediately before tax levies had to be established. Starting May 5, the council will discuss budgeting at each of its semi-monthly meetings until final adoption of a tax levy in September.
Source: Marion County RECORD

Wilson County is one step closer to housing what would be — at least for now — the largest solar farm in the state. The Wilson County Commission approved earlier this month a special use permit for what’s been dubbed the Sunflower Sky Solar Project. If approved, the 65-megawatt plant would cover more than 500 acres of farmland south of Altoona in rural Wilson County. For comparison’s sake, the state’s current largest plant — the Johnson Corner solar farm — covers 144 acres in Stanton County in northwest Kansas and generates 27.5 megawatts of power.
Source: The Iola Register

Kansas has once again seen net domestic out-migration, with a net loss of 4,700 residents to other states in 2024, the latest year for which United States Census Bureau figures are available. Domestic migration is defined as legal U.S. residents moving into or out of a state. This is part of a long-running trend of population loss from domestic migration in the Sunflower State. According to the Kansas Policy Institute Green Book, between 2000 and 2023, Kansas lost 197,492 residents — roughly 7% of the total population — ranking 39th in the nation. KPI owns the Sentinel.
Source: The Sentinel

People of all ages got creative in the new location of Manhattan’s skate park Saturday. No, they weren’t doing kickflips or grinding the rails, but took part in a “Paint the Park” event co-hosted by Switch Wicked — a screen printing and apparel business founded in 2021 — and the Manhattan Parks and Recreation department. During a three-hour timespan, attendees of all experience levels used spray paint cans to colorize the setting dominated by a solid gray.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

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.