Municipal News & Jobs

In dry western Kansas, the sound of artificial rain spraying from center pivot irrigation sprinklers fills the spaces between the small towns. Irrigation has turned this region into a productive agricultural powerhouse, churning out millions of bushels of grain. Heath Koehn farms with his dad near Montezuma over the Ogallala aquifer that supplies farmers with irrigation and communities with drinking water. He knows that changes are coming to the way they farm. “Changes are going to have to be made with that aquifer. It’s like adapt or die,” Koehn said.
Source: Garden City Telegram

The Macksville City Library addition was completed in the spring of 2023. After having raised funds for over a decade, the dream was finally a reality – with space for programming, for a children’s area, for tornado safety, for community gatherings, and more.
Source: Homepage

Panasonic’s main customer — almost certainly Tesla — wants the Japanese company to move a little faster getting its gigantic EV-battery plant in De Soto up and running. Tesla no longer uses a Chinese-made battery for its ubiquitous Model 3 after pivoting to domestically produced cells last year to qualify for federal subsidies, the Financial Times reports. President Trump’s tariffs also make using Chinese batteries less profitable. When the 4.7 million-square-foot plant comes fully online, it’s expected to increase Panasonic’s EV-battery output by 60%, while other leading automakers, such as Honda and Toyota, delay launching their battery factories, the report says.
Source: Kansas City Business News – Local Kansas City News | Kansas City Business Journal

Tom Nass and BG Gilliam from Pineville, Missouri, completed their 891.7-mile journey along the Chisholm Trail today, arriving in Abilene, Kansas— named one of the Top 10 True Western Towns by True West Magazine. Their journey in the saddle began on February 14 near San Antonio, Texas, and spanned 88 days, testing them through all types of weather, including snow, dust storms, and intense heat. Gilliam had dreamed of this adventure for years, and it didn’t take much convincing for Nass to saddle up for the ride. Brenda Dyer accompanied the pair, scouting the route and providing critical support throughout their journey.
Source: KCLY Radio

The city of Andover is leaning into what one local writer called its “fling with the Wild West” as inspiration for a new community event on May 17. Several HeritageFest activities tie into Andover’s beginnings in the late 1800s as a stop on the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway and the July 16, 1898, robbery of both the train depot and the daily nighttime passenger train. The free HeritageFest is happening from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at The Heritage, a mixed-use development with a public plaza at Kellogg and Yorktown Road.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

A new internet project near Wichita State University is expected to bring faster, more reliable service to homes, schools, and businesses throughout south-central Kansas. On Thursday, Wichita State leaders joined state officials and representatives from the nonprofit Connected Nation to break ground on Kansas’s first “carrier-neutral” Internet Exchange Point (IXP). The facility, which will be located across from WSU’s Eck Stadium, is expected to be completed by spring 2026.
Source: KSN-TV

Public universities across Kansas are asking the Board of Regents for permission to raise tuition by 8% next fall. Only one university requested no rate change. The schools say they’re under financial pressure to keep up with inflation, and in some cases, a reduction in government funding. Wichita State University is asking for a 3.5% increase, 1% more than their average hike.
Source: KSN-TV

The City of Wichita is asking residents to sound off on local fireworks regulations through a brief online survey open now through May 30. The 2025 Fireworks Survey takes about five minutes to complete and is part of the city’s annual outreach on fireworks usage. Wichita’s fireworks season runs June 27–July 5. “Safe and sane” fireworks are allowed daily from 10 a.m. to midnight, while aerial fireworks are only permitted July 3–5.
Source: KSN-TV

A unique new sign has made its way to Route 66 in Galena. It’s located just as travelers cross the yellow brick road state line from Missouri Route 66 into Kansas Route 66. At the bottom of the “Welcome to Galena”, signs reads “Home of the Sea Slug King of Kansas”. Those behind the sign say the story of name, was an accident. It started as a joke when Dale Oglesby thought he was purchasing just one sea slug but ended up purchasing seven towable bladder sea slugs back in January.
Source: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

Topeka’s city leaders are using some cash to help decorate the North Topeka Arts District (NOTO). The Topeka City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, May 13 to send $52,000 to NOTO. The money will now go towards three separate project areas in the arts district. You may notice the cash at work in the coming days with some improvements to NOTO.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Although Wyandotte County has yet to see a reported measles outbreak, public health officials are readying public guidance and offering vaccine services as the disease inches north from southwest Kansas. As of May 7, Kansas’s 48 reported measles cases remained among eight counties in the state’s southwest corner, according to a state dashboard tracking the disease. The state’s northeast counties and others in the Kansas City metro had not reported any new cases as of publication time. The majority of patients testing positive for measles are unvaccinated.
Source: The Iola Register

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.

The City of Lawrence is planning to ban people from camping “anywhere in Lawrence” effective in mid-August, representing a change that has long been in the works. Still, the change has come as a surprise to some. Katie Kraus, who is currently experiencing homelessness in Lawrence, said she’s worried about her friends after learning of the camping ban.  “Things are changing really fast and it’s scary,” she said.  Effective Aug. 15, though, “Camping will no longer be allowed anywhere in Lawrence, including Brook Creek Park, Burcham Park and Sandra Shaw Park,” according to a city flyer given to people living outside. 
Source: The Lawrence Times

Kansas Court of Appeals judges have upheld the City of Lawrence’s ordinance intended to ensure voucher recipients can secure housing, finding that “State and local governments have a legitimate interest in protecting the affordability and quality of housing.” The Lawrence City Commission in February 2023 approved an ordinance change that creates a protected class based on renters’ source of income, as well as their status as a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking or stalking. It also disallows discrimination based on prospective tenants’ immigration status. The ordinance went into effect June 1, 2023. 
Source: The Lawrence Times

The city of Leavenworth and CoreCivic will take their fight to court June 9 to determine whether the company can reopen its prison facility as an ICE detention center without going through a permitting process. Attorneys for Leavenworth filed suit in March in U.S. District Court against the Nashville-based company, which ran the Leavenworth Detention Center before it was closed in 2021. CoreCivic announced its intent to reopen its prison facility as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, which would be named the Midwest Regional Reception Center. 
Source: The Lawrence Times

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that longer-term interest rates are likely to be higher as the economy changes and policy is in flux. In remarks that focused on the central bank’s policy framework review, last done in the summer of 2020, Powell noted that conditions have changed significantly over the past five years. During the period, the Fed witnessed a period of surging inflation, pushing it to historically aggressive interest rate hikes. Powell said that even with longer-term inflation expectations largely in line with the Fed’s 2% target, the era of near-zero rates is not likely to return anytime soon.
Source: Finance

Overland Park could soon join other Johnson County cities in offering compost drop-off locations through a partnership with KC Can Compost. If the city moves forward with the pilot, then self-service kiosks would be set up in the parking lots of the Matt Ross and Tomahawk Ridge community centers for individuals to drop off their material for composting. People who want to use the composting service must pay for a $13/monthly subscription with KC Can Compost.
Source: Johnson County Post

USD 422 Kiowa County is out of school on Monday due to a continued power outage from Sunday’s tornado. At 9:53 p.m., a large tornado moved just south of Greensburg, damaging power lines in the county. The City of Greensburg posted that the town was safe after the storm. Southern Pioneer Electric Company said they are working to address outages in Greensburg. Crews said lines were damaged, including areas near Greensburg, Coldwater, Haviland, and Medicine Lodge.
Source: KSN-TV

A tornado hit the town of Plevna in Reno County late Sunday into Monday morning. Reno County was already under a tornado warning when the National Weather Service issued a tornado emergency for Plevna around 11:50 p.m. on Sunday. The tornado that was headed for the town was described as large, destructive, and moving at 35 mph. “Large tornado traveled through … at one point, we believe it was at least a mile wide,” Travis Vogt, Reno County Fire administrator, said. “It hit several houses. Plevna took a direct hit. So far, we have no reports of injuries or fatalities, which is incredible, but we’re still checking all houses and trying to account for all the residents.”
Source: KSN-TV

The town of Grinnell in Gove County was hit by a tornado shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday. The State Fire Marshal said that he has not heard any reports of severe injuries or deaths. NWKS Radio is asking listeners to stay away from Grinnell because they will not be able to see the downed power lines in the dark.
Source: KSN-TV