Kansas Municipal News
‘You are responsible for every bullet’: Johnson County approves new gun safety measure
On Thursday, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution they hope will address reckless shooting across property lines. The resolution now makes it a code violation for a person to shoot a gun and have the bullet enter a neighboring property without the property owners’ permission. Last week, Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden made a presentation to the commission in support of the resolution. “What it amounts to is if you recklessly shoot a bullet and it leaves your property, you are responsible for that. We want to hold people accountable if we need to,” Hayden said.
Source: KSN-TV
Camp exposes inner-city youth to agriculture, college experience
Agriculture is part of the legacy of the historic northwest Kansas town of Nicodemus in Graham County. In the late 1870s, freed slaves headed west and started a farming community in Nicodemus, the oldest and only remaining African American settlement west of the Mississippi River.
Descendants of those early settlers highlight the town’s history during an annual agriculture camp for students ages 10 to 17. The 2021 Switzer/KSU Ag Camp was held July 19 to 21. JohnElla Holmes, Ph.D., retired Kansas State University instructor, is the founder and director of Nicodemus Educational Camps.
Source: Hays Post
Yoder Heritage Day brings in the crowds
Carrie Gingerich grew up in Yoder. Each year, she would attend Yoder Heritage Day with her family. Now a mother and living in Partridge, she is excited to introduce 2-year-old Kendall to the celebration of her hometown’s heritage. “There’s a lot of fun stuff to do here,” Gingerich said. “I like the small town feel of it.” Gingerich also wanted to introduce her husband, who grew up in Illinois, to her city’s special event, which brought in more than10,000 people on Saturday. Because the family of three is Amish and must maintain certain customs, they could only drive their horse and buggy or their big red tractor to Yoder. “We choose the tractor,” Gingerich said. “I said this is the morning there will be a row of tractors driving down the highway.”
Source: Hutch News
Lakin turning old tennis court into community garden
In the Kearny County town of Lakin, an old tennis court has had it’s last volley and is now being turned into a community garden. Putting in the work to make the beautification transition are students from Lakin High School. The work is possible from the Kearny County Wellness Coalition’s reception of a grant in 2019 to start the garden. “We just started thinking, ‘we are an agriculture community, that’s kind of what the industry is around here, and it just really felt right to repurpose the courts in that manner,” said Kearny County Wellness Coalition Director Jenny White. The hope is to give community members a place to grow fresh produce and also to educate students.
Source: KWCH
Kiel Mangus tabbed to be Derby’s next city manager
Derby has its next city manager, and it didn’t have to search far and wide to find him. In a special meeting on Aug. 27, the Derby City Council formally approved an employment agreement with current deputy city manager Kiel Mangus to serve as the next city manager – following Kathy Sexton’s pending retirement. Sexton announced her intent to retire (on Dec. 10, 2021) in mid-July, leading the city council to start the search for her replacement.
Source: Derby Informer
Stephen King mentions Kansas towns in new book
The small Kansas town of Protection, about 140 miles southwest of Wichita in Comanche County, is excited about world-renowned author Stephen King’s newest book. In it, King mentions Protection’s motel and the town’s popular restaurant, Don’s Place, where two of his characters visited. The town of Quinter in Gove County has makes an appearance in the book. … Seeing Don’s Place featured in King’s latest novel, Billy Summers, shocked the restaurant’s owner, Don Dellinger.
Source: KWCH
Fiedler begins job as North Newton city administrator
Kyle Fiedler oversees entities in his personal and professional life. At home, he watches over his rural Harvey County property, which he said he calls a farm as it’s on five acres. … With his new job as North Newton city administrator, he oversees the town’s government. His first day was Aug. 9, and right now, the 2011 Newton High School grad is getting his feet wet, getting to know the duties of his job. … he worked on his master’s degree in public administration part-time, graduating in 2019. Then, he gained employment with the Sedgwick County Manager’s Office, working as an intern for nine months before being promoted to economic development analyst. He remained there until getting his current job with North Newton.
Source: Harvey County Now
Stray bullets fly in rural Johnson County. Now reckless shooters face $1,000 fines
In an effort to protect rural residents plagued by stray bullets, the Johnson County Commission decided Thursday to levy fines of up to $1,000 against reckless shooters. Many families in unincorporated areas of the county have reported bullets hitting their vehicles and homes and, in one case, even landing in a children’s play room. Last year, several residents joined together to demand the county stop the gun use that they say is putting their families in danger. Johnson County officials took up the issue, but Sheriff Calvin Hayden warned that county action was restricted because there is little state law regulating the use of firearms on private property in areas outside city limits.
Source: Joco 913 News
It’s designed to help firefighters. New station to open early September in Olathe
AA new fire station, expected to open the week of Sept. 6 to serve growing southwest Olathe, was built with firefighters, equipment and the surrounding neighborhood in mind, according to the Olathe Fire Department…. Fire department spokesman Mike Hall said the station is designed for firefighter convenience so crew members can work more easily. For instance, interior glass will allow employees to quickly locate materials and co-workers. In addition, the alert system features different volumes and light colors to reduce physiological stress on the firefighters. In their bunkrooms, firefighters can customize the alerts to what best suits them when awakened to answer a call.
Source: KC Star Local News
Baxter Springs police go high-tech to fight car break-ins
Chief Harper says the crooks are using a smart phone app to listen in on police scanners and determine what part of town the cops can be found…. But criminals aren’t the only ones using technology to get ahead in Baxter Springs. In addition to utilizing more plainclothes officers in unmarked vehicles, the Baxter Springs Police Department is also upgrading their vehicles. “We’re now purchasing a new system that goes on our vehicles. It’s like a flare that you see on the helicopter systems that will pick up heat sensations at night. So anybody that’s out hiding from a mile away in the middle of the dark, in the middle of the night, we’ll be able to see them,” said Chief Harper.
Source: KOAMKOAM
Wellington School District closing all school buildings, school-related events until Sept. 7 due to COVID
Starting Friday, the Wellington School District will close all of its buildings, suspend sports practices and all other school related events until Sept. 7 due to COVID-19. The moves comes after the school district and the Sumner County Health Department determined three of the district’s six buildings had COVID outbreaks. “We will continue to monitor this evolving situation and provide regular updates via the USD 353 website, email, and text alerts,” the district said in a letter to families.
Source: KAKE – News
City of Golden could prevent warehouses
Petitioners for the proposed city of Golden have sought to create a city to keep intermodal warehouses from being built on land used primarily for rural residential living and agriculture in northern Miami County. Planning Director Teresa Reeves told county commissioners Aug. 18 petitioners could use that strategy if the County Commission votes in favor of incorporation. The vote would have to be unanimous. The approximately 9-square-mile proposed city would be located north of Hillsdale Lake. Reeves told commissioners in her testimony during their Aug. 18 study session — as well as in her written responses to commissioners’ questions — that formal approval by the Miami County Board of County Commissioners is not required if the city of Edgerton, or any other city, annexes land in Miami County by consent.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
Municipal Bond Trends for August 26, 2021
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.
Leadership Kansas tours in Pittsburg to improve communities
Community leaders from across Kansas are in Pittsburg this week. They’re hoping to take what they learn in Pittsburg to change their communities for the better. And this could even have an impact in places like Leawood and Wichita. For more than seven months, these leaders travel to regions across the state to see how the communities operate, and speak with local leaders about what makes the area tick. This week, the Kansas Chamber brought 40 community leaders to Pittsburg as part of its annual Leadership Kansas program. Over the next few days, participants will be exploring local attractions, restaurants and industries. They’ll also be speaking with city leaders to discuss local initiatives — including Pittsburg’s efforts to increase housing.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Emporia sets aside $750,000 for staff raises in 2022
Emporia city staff will receive salary increases in 2022, but how much those raises will be and how they will be allocated remain undecided. The topic of city staff wages again came up during the city commission’s Wednesday morning study session as it discussed its 2022 budget. Increasing salaries has been a pressing issue as the commission has worked on its 2022 budget, with commissioners and city staff acknowledging that in the past several years wage adjustments haven’t occurred as often as necessary to keep pay rates competitive with those offered by other communities. In previous sessions, the commission had discussed bumping up the wage scale 12% — with no one’s actual salary being raised except for those on the low end of the old wage scale to bring their salaries within the new wage scale — as well as providing a $1 per hour raise across the board.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Kansas schools prioritize mental health for pandemic aid
Education officials overseeing more than $1.1 billion in federal pandemic aid for Kansas schools say districts are spending much of the money to meet the mental health needs of students and staff. Some Kansas districts are hiring additional counselors and social workers, while others are working with community mental health centers to provide services during school hours so students and staff don’t have to leave the campus, said Tate Toedman, assistant director of special education at the Kansas Department of Education who works with districts on relief fund expenditures. Another widespread practice is hiring “intervention specialists” who can work one-on-one or in small groups to fill in learning gaps that have become apparent following months of remote learning, he said. It reduces stress on the teacher by getting those students ready for the core curriculum.
Source: KAKE – News
Kansas ranking counties on COVID status
Kansas public health officials are issuing county COVID-19 rankings intended to help local leaders stop the spread of the coronavirus in their communities. Marci Nielsen, the governor’s chief adviser for COVID-19 coordination, told The Topeka Capital-Journal that local officials should use the ranking to work together in response to the pandemic. “You would want to take this information about your county and figure out who do I need to partner with, because … this isn’t the responsibility solely of local public health, or solely of doctors in in the community or solely of the county commissioners,” Nielsen said.
Source: Salina Journal.
Municipal Bond Trends for August 25, 2021
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.
Sedgwick city council grapples with how to spend excess funds
The City of Sedgwick is between administrators and has a looming budget deadline, so they’ve hired Kristine Polian, former Assistant City Administrator for Finance and Administration at Valley Center as a consultant to provide insight and direction for the budgeting process. Last week, Polian told the council during their monthly work session that what she sees in their financial statements is pretty impressive considering where the city was a few years ago. She presented four budget recommendations for the council to consider. First, establish minimum fund balances for the general fund (25% of fund expenditures), water/sewer (25% of fund expenditures), refuse (10% of fund expenditures), employee benefits (15% of fund expenditures), and bond & Interest (2.5% of fund expenditures).
Source: Harvey County Now
South Kansas designated defense manufacturing community
The Department of Defense has designated South Kansas as a defense manufacturing community, making the region eligible for $5 million through a community support program. The initiative is led by Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). As one of 11 U.S. defense manufacturing communities, South Kansas will strengthen the national security innovation base by expanding ultra-high and high-temperature material characterizations, capabilities, process tools, sustainment planning, technical workforce, and engineering competencies to enhance the defense industrial base capabilities and accelerated weapon system prototype development.
Source: Derby Informer | Area
Sedgwick County officially denotes support for Amtrak expansion
In conjunction with the Amtrak Connects US Plan released earlier in 2021, the Sedgwick County Commission officially approved a resolution supporting an extension of Amtrak services from Oklahoma City to Newton – through Wichita – at its Aug. 18 meeting. Amtrak’s plan to expand transportation infrastructure over the next 15 years includes a goal of adding 160 communities to the national passenger rail network – with Wichita (and Arkansas City) among those as part of the proposed Heartland Flyer connection north from Oklahoma City. “Our effort is to make sure that we’re in the top projects on their list, meaning top five or 10, so they can get started right away on this,” said commission chair Pete Meitzner. “I think it’s just important that Amtrak keeps hearing from our region because there will be a lot of competing projects in these 160 projects. Ours is an easy one to do. We’re not going over mountains, tunnels or rivers and the tracks are already there; they just need to be improved.”
Source: Derby Informer | Area
Sedgwick County approves $2,500 signing bonus for EMS paramedics amid staffing crisis
Sedgwick County commissioners approved $2,500 sign-on bonuses for paramedics Wednesday, the latest move in a massive overhaul of the county’s Emergency Medical Services division following a Wichita Eagle investigation into the troubled department. Dr. John Gallagher, former EMS director, and Dr. Carolina Pereira, assistant medical director, resigned last month after a flood of complaints by street-level EMS workers, who said the two leaders were driving the once nationally renowned department into the ground, chasing away experienced paramedics and putting lives at risk.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Property tax sales can take as long as 5 years
Marion County property owners can get as many as five years behind before their property is seized and sold for back taxes. Some owners have learned to game the system by paying one year, which pushes back the process. State law requires delinquent property to be put on the tax sale list when owners become three years delinquent. Once that happens, however, it can take two more years to bring the tax sale to fruition, treasurer Jeannine Bateman said.
Source: Marion County RECORD
KDOT’s cost share program applications being accepted
The KDOT Cost Share Program provides financial assistance to local entities for transportation projects that improve safety, support job retention and growth, improve access or mobility, relieve congestion and help areas across the state improve the transportation system. The Cost Share program is one of KDOT’s most flexible funding opportunities for communities, allowing communities to apply for assistance with a wide range of highway, local road, bridge, rail, airport, bicycle, pedestrian and public transit projects – as long as they can provide at least a 15 percent local cash match. KDOT funds are used exclusively to match construction costs for these projects. The Cost Share Program application will be available only on the KDOT website, beginning Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. All 2021 KDOT Cost Share Program applications must be completed through the online application available at http://www.ksdot.org/CostShare/CostShareProgram.asp by Friday, Sept. 24, 2021.
Armed guards hired for court security
County commissioners unanimously agreed Monday to pay an Abilene-based firm about $49,920.00 for a year to provide guards at the courthouse. S.D. Security guards will work a minimum of 90 hours a month, primarily at district court but also in other portions of the courthouse, at $40 an hour starting Oct. 1. The expense will be paid from the county general fund.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
Johnson County considers joining plan to zero out KC metro’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
An ambitious climate action plan intended to get the Kansas City area to zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is making its way through local governments, including the Johnson County Commission. Commissioners are due to look at the Kansas City Regional Climate Action Plan at its meeting Thursday, Sept. 2. The plan — the product of two years of work spearheaded by the Mid-America Regional Council and Climate Action KC — has been making the rounds of different metro governments and civic groups with an increasing sense of urgency among its purveyors.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Roeland Park becomes 2nd JoCo city to require masks in indoor public spaces
Roeland Park is now the second Johnson County city with a city wide mask mandate, following Prairie Village, which instituted a similar measure that took effect Tuesday. The Roeland Park City Council unanimously approved a mask resolution at its Monday night meeting, effective Tuesday, Aug. 24, and currently set to expire Oct. 19. The order requires masks for all people indoors in public places or in crowded outdoor public places, with some exceptions. The city started complying last summer with Gov. Laura Kelly’s mask mandate, which took effect July 3, 2020.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Mission mail-in election asks residents to approve sales tax increase to fund road repairs — when and how to vote
Mission residents will soon have the chance to decide whether more sales tax money should go towards maintaining the city’s streets. The issue before voters: The city will hold a mail-in election in September asking voters whether to approve a slight increase in the city’s sales tax from one-quarter cent to three-eighths cent. The added revenue would be dedicated to repairing and improving road infrastructure in town. The city says this increase would put an estimated $950,000 more toward annual street maintenance.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Talk is heating up on a 3,000-acre solar panel farm along the Douglas-Johnson County line; it would power 40,000 homes
There really might be a 3,000-acre solar panel farm — the largest in the state — developing along the eastern edge of Douglas County in the near future. … Those are exactly the types of discussions that the planning commissions in both Douglas and Johnson counties have been having over the last several months, and it is clear that those discussions are being driven by the desire of a Florida-based energy company to build a large solar farm that would straddle parts of the border between Douglas and Johnson counties. Officials with NextEra Energy are actively planning for a project that would be several miles east of Baldwin City and would stretch from about North 700 Road to North 300 Road in Douglas County, according to a document submitted to the Johnson County Planning Commission.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Salina ordinance for emergencies heads to court, ballots
A petition asking for a new Salina city ordinance will move forward in two ways, at the ballot box and to court. The ordinance would limit the Salina City Commission in its ability to make decisions during declared state and county emergencies. The commission voted on two decisions related to the ordinance during its meeting Monday, one was to take the ordinance to a court for a judgement on its validity. Also during the meeting, the commission voted to send the ordinance to the Nov. 3 ballot as a referendum.
Source: Salina Journal
Kansas can enforce COVID-inspired limits on officials’ power
People who oppose mask requirements or restrictions on public gatherings imposed by Kansas counties can challenge them in court and obtain a ruling within 10 days — at least for now — because of a decision Tuesday by the state’s highest court. The Kansas Supreme Court’s ruling could discourage counties from imposing mask mandates to deal with the two-month surge in COVID-19 cases tied to the more contagious delta variant. Most local school boards aren’t directly affected but could hesitate to act as well. The court’s ruling also came the morning after Wichita’s school board voted to require anyone age 3 or older to wear a mask inside its buildings, starting Monday. While only a few counties have imposed mask mandates, at least 15 school districts that serve about a third of the state’s students have a requirement for at least some students or staff.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Wichita budget sets $15 minimum wage for city workers
The Wichita City Council finalized its $670 million annual budget Tuesday, setting a $15 minimum hourly wage for city employees and putting the Century II Performing Arts Center and the city’s golf system squarely on the path to privatization. The approval came after a final hearing where union leader Esau Freeman and Mayor Brandon Whipple traded shots over wages, and Save Century II activist Celeste Racette accused Whipple of being too deferential to developers and acting like a character from a Harry Potter novel. City staff originally projected a $10 million to $11 million shortfall because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But that was before a $70 million infusion from the federal American Recovery Plan Act and unexpected increases in sales tax revenues.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Municipal Bond Trends for August 24, 2021
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.
Most of Kansas’ top 10 cities grew in population over decade
Eight of the 10 largest cities in Kansas grew in population over the past decade and now are home to nearly half of the state’s residents. New census figures show that 1.34 million of the state’s 2.9 million residents live in the 10 largest cities, or nearly 46%. That’s up 87,021 people or 7% from the 2010 population of 1.25 million. The two large cities that didn’t grow were Topeka, which lost 0.7% of its residents, down to 126,587, and Salina, where the population dropped 1.7% to 46,889. Topeka dropped from No. 4 to No. 5 in size, while Salina remained at No. 10. Olathe jumped from No. 5 to No. 4 by growing 12.3% to 141,290 residents. Lenexa jumped from No. 9 to No. 8 by growing 19.2% to 57,434 residents.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
Limits to Kansas governor, health officials’ emergency powers restored — for now
Major revisions to the Kansas emergency management law, ruled unconstitutional last month by a Johnson County judge, will remain in place while the state Supreme Court considers an appeal. The Kansas Supreme Court on Tuesday granted Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s request that district court judge David Hauber’s ruling be stayed until the higher court made its decision. The stay follows more than a month of uncertainty in Kansas as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise and the power of local health officials and Gov. Laura Kelly was uncertain.
Source: Wichita Eagle
State of Disaster Emergency issued for western Kansas wildfire
Governor Laura Kelly issued a State of Disaster Emergency for a wildfire in Clark County. The Kansas Forest Service has been at the scene of the fire, and an agricultural pilot is helping with fire suppression over rough terrain. “Wildland fires can cause widespread destruction and present a very real threat to life and property,” Gov. Kelly said. “They destroy crops and grazing land, and may threaten homes and lives. This declaration will allow the state to use whatever resources we have available to mitigate the risks and respond to fires in support of local emergency responders.” “Our wildland fire staff and the aviation resources we work with are focused on supporting local resources on the ground in Clark County” said State Forester Jason Hartman. “Those firefighters on the ground are the first and best line of defense during a wildfire.”
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
After 50 COVID cases, 200 quarantines, Johnson County district toughens mask mandate
The Gardner-Edgerton district began the school year last week with a mask requirement for younger students, but not high schoolers. Now 50 students and staff have tested positive for the virus, and more than 200 have been required to quarantine. After one week of classes, the district is facing staffing issues due to a substitute teacher shortage, said Jody Marshall, human resources director. Given the trends in COVID-19 transmission, the school board voted 4-1 Monday night to mandate masks for all grade levels. “Last week reflects the worst COVID-related absenteeism, or positives and quarantines, since the first week in January. So that’s pretty significant in my mind, and it is having an impact on our staffing,” Marshall said.
Source: Joco 913 News
Roeland Park Becomes Second City In Johnson County To Require Masks Indoors
Roeland Park is now the second Johnson County city with a citywide mask mandate, following Prairie Village, which instituted a similar measure that took effect Tuesday. The Roeland Park City Council unanimously approved a mask resolution at its Monday night meeting, effective Tuesday, Aug. 24, and currently set to expire Oct. 19. The order requires masks for all people indoors in public places or in crowded outdoor public places, with some exceptions. Roeland Park started complying last summer with Gov. Laura Kelly’s mask mandate, which took effect July 3, 2020. The city changed its mask mandate in April to “strongly recommend” masks, in line with Johnson County’s then-new guidance, Assistant City Administrator Erin Winn said in an email Tuesday morning to the Shawnee Mission Post.
Source: KCUR News
Want to race the Wichita police? Now you have a chance
Do you want to race the Wichita Police Department? You will now have your chance this Friday night. Wichita police and Mel Hambelton are teaming up to provide an opportunity in a controlled and safe environment at the Kansas International Dragway. According to Wichita police, drag racing has become a problem here and nationwide. Officer Paul Cruz said so far in 2021, two deaths in Wichita have been related to street racing. “We are excited to bring this together. As much as the street racing is an issue, we want to bring this community back together where the street racers are at the track doing it in a safe environment,” said Phil Nightingale, Mel Hambelton general manager Police plan to have three officers racing a patrol car.
Source: KSN-TV
Sheriff’s Office seeks assistance in purchasing drone
The Brown County Sheriff is requesting assistance from the public for purchasing a drone for the Sheriffs office. Brown County Sheriff John Merchant said that last week, two boys were lost in a cornfield near Fairview. “With the aid of a drone, they could have been located in a more timely manner,” Sheriff Merchant said. “With high temperatures and humidity, dehydration could have set in within a short amount of time.” In the situation with the lost boys, Sheriff Merchant said a local farmer assisted and with information obtained from the dispatcher who stayed on the phone with the boys – keeping them calm and obtaining location info – and with Undersheriff Brian Guilliams, the situation was resolved without a bad outcome.
Source: hiawathaworldonline.com
Childcare deserts in Kansas
“We have one in-home provider in Wichita County, and they don’t take infants,” Baker said. While the entire state has a lack of child care options, the problem is particularly bad in western Kansas where practically every family has a story like Elder and Baker. The problem is scaring away potential new Kansans, chasing away young families who might otherwise stay in the state and even sometimes closing down companies.
Source: KAKE – News
Municipal Bond Trends for August 23, 2021
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.
Wichita Public Schools to require masks starting next week, with 194 students and 51 teachers already positive for COVID
Wichita Public Schools will require masks indoors starting next week for everyone 3 years old and older as district data shows more than 3% of students are in quarantine less than two weeks into the school year. The Wichita Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the measure Monday night after Superintendent Alicia Thompson told board members that 1,612 students, or 3.4%, were in quarantine because of close contact with COVID-19. The mask mandate will go into effect Monday, Aug. 30.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Urn from 1908 is being renovated in Parsons
An urn that’s over a century old is being renovated in Parsons. In 1908, an urn was placed in Forest Park only to be removed around a decade ago due to the installment of a new playground. Sunday morning, members of the community were invited to stick rocks around the vase of the urn as part of the restoration process. David Mattox, Parsons 150th Anniversary Committee, says, “It’s just always been there. It’s kind of a constant, so you like to have those things. People remember playing on these urns. There’s hundreds of pictures of people posing by these urns from a hundred years ago. I know my grandfather stood next to this when he was eight years old and now i can take my picture there as well. It’s kind of a neat deal.” Mattox says the project could not have been done without the Parsons Area Community Foundation, which paid for the project.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Debate over requiring masks, vaccinations heats up in Kansas
Debates about mask mandates and vaccine requirements have intensified in Kansas amid the surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the highly contagious delta variant. In Lawrence, a homeless shelter and theater decided to require vaccinations. “It just isn’t safe in a congregate setting — we don’t have walls, nobody has a room,” said Meghan Bahn, the director of community engagement at the Lawrence Community Shelter. She said most of the shelter’s 40 guests were either fully vaccinated or had received one shot. But she added that there were some people who said they did not plan to return to the shelter under the new requirement. Meanwhile, Theatre Lawrence became the city’s second major event venue to announce it would require patrons to show proof that they have been vaccinated.
Source: KAKE – News