Municipal News & Jobs

To enhance broadband access across Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly announced $10.4 million in grants through the Advancing Digital Opportunities to Connect Kansans (ADOPT) program Monday, including $48,989 for the Emporia Public Library (EPL) to install five solar-powered Wi-Fi benches in key locations, expanding free public Wi-Fi.
Read more: www.emporiagazette.com – RSS Results in news,government/*

Efforts to reduce the speed limit along U.S. 24 Highway in Basehor, Kansas, have ramped up following the death of 16-year-old Cody Lamping in June. Previous reporting states that on Tuesday, June 17, Lamping was driving southbound on 155th Street when he drove through a red light at State Avenue and 24 Highway and was hit by a truck. In the years leading up to the crash, and in the months following Lamping’s death, residents have expressed concerns about the stretch of road – calling it dangerous and requesting that the city change its 65 mph speed limit.
Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports

The City of Great Bend is doubling its mosquito spraying. City Administrator Logan Burns announced Monday that, going forward, foggers will be working from 8 p.m. to midnight on Mondays and Thursdays. In the past, spraying was only on Thursdays.
Read more: Homepage

During the 1800s, train travel was the fastest way to travel coast-to-coast. Now, a private sector wants to bring railroad travel back to the mainstream with a proposed line spanning from New York to Los Angeles. AmeriStarRail has proposed using existing track for its Transcontinental Chief line, a diesel-engine powered railroad system that would allow people to travel from one side of the country to the other in 72 hours. Newton would be a stop on this travel line, slated for opening in 2026.
Read more: Harvey County Now

The Jackson County Commission revisited a resolution they recently approved that gives county employees and contractors the authority to inspect the outside of private homes and buildings in certain instances. At a recent commission meeting, Commissioner Keith Kelly said that, after speaking with members of the public about the “right of entry” resolution, he questioned if the county really needed the resolution.
Read more: The Holton Recorder

After a two-year legal fight that began with disagreements over housing and zoning in Prairie Village, a citizen petition question asking whether to “abandon” the city’s form of government will officially go before voters this November. On Monday, the city council voted 11-0 to approve placing the question, “Shall the City of Prairie Village, Kansas abandon the mayor-council form of government?” on this November’s ballot. Councilmember Ian Graves was absent. That question was the thrust of one of three petitions put forward by a resident-led group in 2023 that opposed the city’s efforts at addressing housing affordability and tweaking zoning codes.
Read more: Johnson County Post

The city of Lenexa is expanding its property tax rebate program after launching it last year as a pilot. Last last week, the city announced it was now accepting applications for the second year of the program, which offers homeowners who are older or disabled veterans a rebate worth up to 75% of the city’s portion of their property tax bill, which for a typical homeowner could range from $500 to $1,000 annually. Originally launched in 2024 as a pilot program, the rebate initiative began after the Lenexa City Council approved $100,000 for it to provide eligible older homeowners and lessen the tax burden resulting from rising home values.
Read more: Johnson County Post

A new public art project by A Mural Movement is planned for the north wall of the Common Ground building (709 5th St.) in downtown Clay Center.  Beginning in September, artist Moses Park will transform nearly 900 sq. feet of blank wall space into a vibrant mural, directly across from the iconic Coca-Cola mural.
Read more: KCLY Radio

On May 18, an EF-3 tornado swept into the small town of just over 240 people around 6:30 p.m., leveling a west-side neighborhood with more than 28 houses and outbuildings. The elementary school and a city-owned golf course were damaged, along with a Frontier Ag grain facility.  Rubble from the May tornado could still be seen on July 9, 2025, in Grinnell. The town has continued cleaning up and making repairs but it will take months to recover. Under tarps in the background, Frontier Ag is storing grain after after its Grinnell facility sustained $5.5 million in damage.
Read more: Kansas Reflector

Rita Bennett remembers the day a twister ripped through Topeka, Kansas, like it was yesterday. The 1966 Topeka tornado killed 17 people, injured more than 500 people and caused $2.3 billion in damage, adjusted for 2023 inflation, making it one of the nation’s costliest tornadoes. The twister tested the longstanding urban legend, based on an oral story passed down by Potawatomi tribe spiritual leaders, that Burnett’s Mound could deflect tornadoes and spare Topeka from incoming storms.
Read more: News

It’s not your average parade — it’s a splash-filled showdown. The annual “Water Wars” parade in Humboldt lived up to its name once again, turning the town’s streets into a giant water fight between floats and spectators.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com – RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

The Emporia Police Department has transformed an unused space at its station into a new “soft interview room”— a quiet, trauma-informed space designed to make crime victims and witnesses feel safe, supported, and heard. “Having to come to the police station can be a scary thing for anybody,” Captain Lisa Hayes of the Emporia Police Department said. “We want them to feel more comfortable, and we don’t want to put them in a room where we would normally put a suspect.” The room, designed in partnership with the national nonprofit Project Beloved, features thoughtful touches meant to ease stress and anxiety. That includes warm lighting, soft furnishings, and identical swivel chairs to give individuals freedom to choose where they sit.
Read more: KSN-TV

Wichita Police say new technology is helping them reach shooting scenes quicker — and it’s already making a difference. The Raven gunshot detection system uses sensors to pinpoint the location of gunfire. Deputy Chief of Investigations Paul Duff said it recently reduced officers’ response time by three minutes.
Read more: KSN-TV

A memorial scholarship has been established in honor of a Kansas sheriff’s deputy who died in the line of duty. The Colby Community College Endowment Foundation and the family of Brandon Gaede have established the Brandon Gaede Memorial Scholarship. Gaede died in late June following an exchange of gunfire with a suspect he was taking into custody during an investigation into the illegal discharge of explosives.
Read more: KSN-TV

In just three days, the Hutchinson Fire Department raised $55,757.43 during its annual School Supply Drive to help students in Reno County. Now in its seventh year, the drive teams firefighters with local teachers to identify school supply needs. Firefighters collect donations outside local stores, then sort and deliver supplies to schools. This year, 34 schools — including public, private, and alternative — will receive supplies on August 6 and 7.
Read more: KSN-TV

Iolans came together Tuesday evening to share ideas on how to overcome barriers and promote growth in the community. The Iola High School cafeteria was buzzing with ideas and optimism at Thrive Allen County’s “Community Conversation” Tuesday evening. Iolans pulled up chairs, rolled up their sleeves, and got down to business discussing opportunities for growth and how to overcome obstacles.
Read more: The Iola Register

More than 20 public commenters railed against Lawrence city commissioners Tuesday night for approving a camera integration program the city rolled out last month without public input. The police department announced the Axon Fusus program last month. It has two components, including an option for residents to register their security cameras with the police and an integration option allowing businesses to purchase a custom device and subscription enabling the police department live access to camera feeds. Experts have said the program constitutes a violation of community privacy. Commenters brought up a host of concerns Tuesday, including data security, environmental impacts, AI errors and privacy protections.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

The Pottawatomie County Commission’s decision to approve a conditional use permit for a rock quarry in the north-central part of the county was affirmed Friday by the Kansas Court of Appeals.
The quarry sits on a portion of an 853-acre plot, just over one and a half miles south of Wheaton. Mid-States Materials is requesting a permit for a rock quarry on six tracts of land approximately a half mile west of Wheaton Road. The tract sits inside a boundary created by Reves Road, Belleville Road and Clear Creek Road.
Read more: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

The Finney County Commission approved a resolution for a half-cent sales tax election at its regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 4. Gary Meagher, Interim County Administrator, said the resolution calls for a special election to submit a question to the county’s electors about imposing a half-cent sales tax to finance the construction, furnishing and equipping of a new jail and remodeling of the Finney County Law Enforcement Center, authorizing bonds to finance the costs and giving notice of the election, which will be on Nov. 4.
Read more: Garden City Telegram

The City of Sedgwick could soon be posting most of its legal notices, ordinances, and other official city documents on its website instead of the newspaper. The suggestion came from City Administrator Kyle Nordick, who introduced the idea during a city council workshop on Wednesday evening as a way to reduce the budget. Nordick said that from 2018 to 2025, Sedgwick has spent approximately $10,187 in publishing fees. He said the fees fluctuate based on the length of the notice and the requirements of publishing.
Read more: Harvey County Now