Kansas Municipal News
Roeland Park considers banning smoking in public parks — which Johnson County cities already do?
Roeland Park could soon become the next Johnson County city to ban smoking and all tobacco products in or near its public parks. Five councilmembers at a city council workshop this week voiced support for bringing such a measure to the full council for consideration. Ward 2 Councilmember Jennifer Hill said she preferred a smoking ban in all parks “as we would in any public domain, any public property.” “Really, I think at this point in 2021, the only place that smoking is allowed is in your own home, and that is to protect other people and the environment,” Hill said. If enacted, Roeland Park wouldn’t be the first Johnson County to ban smoking in its public parks.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
New Home Turf: Great Bend wants to move on Sports Complex
The City of Great Bend would like to proceed with plans to install artificial turf at its Sports Complex. That was the consensus of the City Council following a Tuesday night work session. The city seeks a partnership with the Great Bend Recreation Commission and Unified School District 428 for the project, City Administrator Kendal Francis said. The city is willing to kick in a tick over 60%, or $920,000, of the $1.4 million endeavor, with the rec commission ponying up $200,000 (as well as annual maintenance of the turf) and the school district $280,000.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Atchison adopts ordinance to create a vacant property registry
Atchison City Commissioners unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 6650 during Tuesday’s regular meeting, which is designed to make it more difficult for property owners to leave buildings vacant and in disrepair. The ordinance creates a vacant property registry, which has a fee associated and penalties for non-registration. The ordinance requires the owner of a vacant building to register within 60 days of vacancy. The registration fee is $25 for residential buildings and $100 for commercial buildings – unless the property is bank or commercially owned foreclosure property. If the property is a foreclosure, the registration fee is $1,000 per residential building and $2,000 per commercial building.
Source: Atchison Globe Now
Fed officials see economy ‘far from’ where it needs to be, meaning easy policy won’t change soon, minutes show
Federal Open Market Committee members at their most recent gathering reaffirmed that the central bank will be keeping policy loose well into the future, according to meeting minutes released Wednesday. With the economy continuing to shake off the effects from the Covid-19 pandemic, the committee, which sets monetary policy for the Federal Reserve, kept policy unchanged. That meant holding benchmark short-term borrowing rates near zero and maintaining the minimum $120 billion of asset purchases each month.
Source: CNBC
Muni yields finally rise, but record inflows linger
Municipals sold off Wednesday after a weeks-long steady period during which they barely budged a basis point or two up or down, even as U.S. Treasuries pared back recent losses and equities were mixed. The municipal secondary gave way to higher-yield trades on high-grade names and triple-A benchmarks rose two to five basis points as a result. New deals still fared well, though some issues moved to the day-to-day calendar as participants wait to see whether the correction Wednesday was a one-off event. The fundamentals are strong, though, with supply still light on a relative basis.
Source: Bond Buyer
Finney County mulls unauthorized dumping
Unauthorized dumping has been occurring in Towns Riverview South, and the Finney County Commission discussed the dumping at its regular meeting Tuesday. No action was taken on the issue, other than agreement to look into solving the problem. Roger Calkins, Finney County Public Works director, said the location of the dumping has been involved in the countywide spring and fall cleanup events.
Source: GCTelegram.
Wastewater plant lost power during rolling blackouts. Fire station couldn’t open door. Evergy apologizes.
Oakland’s wastewater plant lost power and Fire Station No. 6 was unable to open its garage door to respond to a call if one had come in as rolling blackouts came to Topeka on Tuesday. Jeff Martin, vice president of customer and community operations at Evergy, apologized to frustrated Topeka City Council members for how the company handled rolling blackouts as some neighborhoods were without power longer than others. “Is water and wastewater treatment not a priority to keep powered up?” Councilmember Neil Dobler asked Martin at Tuesday night’s meeting. Martin said it was essential to reduce power as quickly as possible and that Evergy will learn from this event.
Source: CJonline.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for February 17, 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.
Wamego power plant helps fuel city’s energy through rolling outages
The Wamego community was able to use its own power plant during rolling blackouts from Evergy this week. It’s something the city manager says she and her colleagues are proud to have. Stacie Eichem, city manager of Wamego, said it used to be more common for towns to have their own power plants decades ago. While many were removed or are out of service, Wamego’s is used when needed. The harsh weather and power outages presented an opportunity to turn it on. The town was hit twice during the series of rolling outages, and at one point contributed to powering the entire town. The first blackout came without warning, on Monday morning.
Source: KSNT News
Johnson County Drivers Skeptical Of Adding Toll Lanes On U.S. 69 — Could That Change?
The notion of paying a toll to use designated express lanes on U.S. Highway 69 will take some selling before it’s widely liked by Johnson County motorists. That’s according to focus groups held by the engineering firm studying potential solutions for one of Kansas’ most congested highways. Only about a third of focus group participants said they liked a proposal to use tolls to help pay to expand the capacity of U.S. 69 in Overland Park. Others said they’d like to see the traffic flow improved, but would rather other types of taxes be used to add lanes.
Source: KCUR News
Interest rates will continue to rise, but don’t blame it all on inflation, economists say
Interest rates are expected to continue their upward march, but for now they’re not expected to get high enough to harpoon the stock market. Treasury yields have been rising quickly in the last week, and the benchmark 10-year yield has been on a tear – reaching 1.33% in the early morning hours Wednesday before retreating below 1.30%. Yields move opposite price, and the 10-year has risen from about 1.15% just a week ago to levels that are close to where they were when the pandemic started hitting the economy last February.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Sedgwick County signs Disaster Emergency Declaration; KCC chairperson shares update from Topeka
Sedgwick County Chairman Pete Meitzner signed a State of Local Disaster Emergency Declaration for the county Wednesday due to the effects of the extreme weather and cold. The declaration is in effect starting Wednesday and will continue to remain in effect for seven days unless otherwise determined by the Board of County Commissioners. Sedgwick County stated thee Board of County Commissioners are expected to discuss this in the next few days. Sedgwick County residents are currently experiencing not only severely cold outdoor temperatures, which have led to a strain on utility services, but also experiencing water damage, water main breaks, the need for warming stations, and seeing an increase in the demand for natural gas and electricity.
Source: KSN-TV
Sedgwick County COVID-19 survey shows 65% plan to get vaccine
An anonymous survey conducted by the Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita on who would receive the COVID-19 vaccine was presented to the Sedgwick County Commission. The survey was conducted in a seven-county region in south-central Kansas. Of the 9,018 residents surveyed in Sedgwick County, 65% plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine while 19% said they may get it. The rest said they do not plan to get the vaccine. The survey in other counties had similar results. The survey was completed by 2.3% of the county’s total population of 18 years or older. Most of the respondents identified as female with a large majority reported being non-Hispanic and White/Caucasian (92%).
Source: KSN-TV
‘Peace of mind’: Many Kansas communities avoid blackouts by producing their own power supply
While a majority of Kansans rely on power companies to give them electricity, some do not have to because they have their own power supply. Dozens of Kansas communities are part of a public power group, and they each provide their own power almost like an engine. The engines are run by diesel in Mulvane at its power plant. “They are big, and they are loud,” said Brad Modlin, utility director. The engines can be anywhere between 600 to 800 degrees hot.
Source: KSNT News
Sedgwick County drops former Riverside Hospital as site for new government center
After kicking the tires, Sedgwick County has dropped a plan to buy the former Riverside Hospital to turn it into a government center. The old hospital building at 2622 W. Central had marked the most serious effort to date to move county government out of the downtown courthouse to clear space for more courtrooms and prosecutors’ offices. “A number of commissioners have walked through the facility, we’ve had our facilities folks take a look at the condition of the building . . . we’ve had architects over there looking at three or four different options on that building,” said Commissioner David Dennis. “What is obvious is that building does not meet the needs of Sedgwick County as we move forward.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
New health order expands mass gathering limit, bar hours in Douglas County
Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health issued a new public health order Wednesday, expanding the mass gathering limit to 25 people and extending the hours of operation for bars and restaurants. The new health order includes the following changes: The mass gathering limit is expanded from 10 people to 25 people. If there is an outdoor event, the gathering is limited to 200 people and attendees must comply with social distancing rules. An indoor capacity limit of 50% of the lowest occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy for the facility where the gathering is occurring is now added to the order.
Source: KSNT News
Face mask requirements extended in Emporia and Jefferson County
Emporia city leaders and Jefferson County leaders voted to extend their mask ordinances on Wednesday. Jefferson County Commissioners voted 2-1 to continue the mask mandate until March 1, 2021. The ordinance was extended on Feb. 2nd and set to expire on Feb. 16. Commissioners re-evaluated it at their meeting on Tuesday to extend it again.
Source: KSNT News
New software allows Roeland Park residents to check their carbon emissions online
Roeland Park residents now have a way to check their household’s and city’s carbon footprint in real time. The city’s new carbon emissions tracking software is up and running on the city’s website, less than a year after the city set a goal to reduce its overall carbon emissions by 28% by the year 2025. Last March, the Roeland Park City Council approved an agreement with Dynamhex of Kansas City, Mo., for the company’s carbon emission tracking system and action plan.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Lawrence City Commission wants more information about cost, legal issues involved with taking over sidewalk maintenance
Before Lawrence city leaders consider taking over certain sidewalk maintenance responsibilities, they have a couple of questions for city staff, including how the city might fund a maintenance program and what kinds of legal issues it might face if it tried to enact one. At its meeting Tuesday, the City Commission received a report about the potential costs of taking over sidewalk maintenance after property owners had repaired the sidewalks to a certain level. Commissioners then directed city staff to do further research on what the ramifications of such a program might be.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for February 16, 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.
Regional power shortages, record chill force more blackouts in Kansas
Operators of the regional power grid again ordered utilities to implement rolling blackouts Tuesday morning to conserve natural gas and electricity as bitterly cold temperatures plunged further than ever before. The rare, emergency action is a response to skyrocketing natural gas prices, high demand for power and an unprecedented week of extreme wintry conditions for the middle swath of the country. The National Weather Service office in Topeka recorded an overnight low of -21, the seventh-coldest day ever. Low temperatures combined with moisture created problems with wind turbines, access to natural gas and the burning of coal across the Southwest Power Pool, which manages a 17-state power grid. The SPP on Monday declared its first-ever emergency and ordered all utilities to shut off power to rotating blocks of customers for 30-60 minutes. The order was reissued Tuesday morning.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Virtual Discussion on Lindsborg, child care and economic growth
Two years ago, Lindsborg’s town leaders and community partners took a hard look at what was needed to ensure that their community could thrive into the future. They surveyed residents and determined if they didn’t act soon, their town’s viability would be in doubt.
The big problem? It wasn’t a lack of jobs. It was not enough child care. In the latest edition of The Journal, a magazine published by the Kansas Leadership Center, correspondent Beccy Tanner profiles how Lindsborg is working across factions to tackle its child care challenges and upending established narratives about the future prospects of small-town America.
Read the story and join a panel that features Lt. Gov. David Toland for a livestream video discussion at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24, to discuss how child care can nurture economic growth. The event, which will be broadcast on KLC’s Facebook and YouTube pages, is free of charge and no registration is required.
Add it to your calendar by visiting the event page at the KLC website.
10-year Treasury yield hits highest level in a year
Treasury yields drifted higher on Tuesday morning, as U.S. markets reopened following Presidents Day. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note climbed to 1.27% at around 10:45 a.m. ET, breaking above a the key level of 1.25% for the first time since March 2020. Meanwhile, the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond rose to 2.08%. Yields move inversely to prices. ” Given the fact rates are edging higher on a combination of bearish underpinnings as opposed to a distinct driver, the technical landscape is useful in gauging the extent to which any repricing may extend,” Ian Lyngen, head of U.S. rate strategy at Bank of America Capital Markets told clients.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Evergy suspends rolling blackouts — for now. More outages could come without warning
Evergy and other major energy companies implemented rolling blackouts again Tuesday morning, cutting power across Kansas and Missouri to avoid a large-scale power outage in the Midwest, where subzero temperatures are wreaking havoc on power generation and driving people to use more energy to heat their homes. Evergy suspended the rolling blackouts mid-morning Tuesday, but more rounds of temporary emergency electricity shutoffs could be on the way if the region’s electricity demands continue outpacing power generation. Southwest Power Pool, which controls energy flow in Kansas and several other states, downgraded its energy emergency Tuesday afternoon, saying “all available resources have been committed to meet obligations.” But with more high energy use and a continued deep freeze in the central United States, “it is likely the system will fluctuate” until at least Thursday, meaning rolling blackouts could continue if conditions worsen.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
After 15 weeks of full hospital ICUs in Wichita, Sedgwick County reports available beds
Wichita’s two major hospitals now have available beds in their intensive care units after 15 weeks of full ICUs, the Sedgwick County Health Department reports. The health department’s weekly local hospital status was changed to “good” on Monday as Wesley Medical Center and Ascension Via Christi St. Francis reported available ICU beds for the first time since Oct. 26. For more than three months, the hospitals used contingency operations as all approximately 208 ICU beds were full. As of Monday, 18 ICU beds were available, up from zero the week before. Of the 190 in use, 30 were occupied by COVID-19 patients, which was down from 45 last week. The total COVID-19 patient count was 93, down from 126 a week ago.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Remote learning during pandemic renews fight for school choice in Kansas
As Kemper Whitlow spoke to lawmakers about his struggles with remote learning, his internet cut out. The Gardner-Edgerton High School junior was one of several students and parents who came before a Kansas House panel last week begging for a solution, or an end, to the online learning imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whitlow complained of faulty internet, disengaged peers, constant screen time and social isolation.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
5 reasons Evergy is cutting power to 100,000 residents at a time
Up to 100,000 Evergy customers were without power this morning, February 16, as record low temperatures gripped the area and much of the Great Plains. These outages were intentional, created by Evergy at the request of the Southwest Power Pool as a way to conserve energy across a multi-state grid. Chuck Caisley, Evergy’s senior vice president and chief customer officer, explained five main reasons why residents are experiencing rolling power outages on one of the coldest days in decades. 1. Coldest day Temperatures early this morning plunged to record lows. In Wichita, Eisenhower Airport dropped to -17 degrees early this morning which smashed the previous record low of -6 degrees in 1903.
Source: KSN-TV
Housing leaders announce $200 million in statewide rental assistance
Kansans struggling to cover rent and utility payments due to COVID may qualify for up to 12 months of emergency assistance thanks to new federal relief. The initiative, funded through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, provides the state of Kansas with $200 million to support housing stability and prevent evictions and homelessness. Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) and the City of Wichita will administer the funds. “Home has never been more important,” said Ryan Vincent, KHRC Executive Director. “Home has always been a place of shelter, but in the midst of the pandemic it’s also become our virtual workplace, classroom, and gathering space. Rental assistance protects Kansans’ access to home when they need it most.”
Source: KSN-TV
‘Bitter, dangerous, arctic’ chill disrupts power grid
Public officials pleaded Monday for Kansans to turn thermostats down and conserve electricity as utilities warned that severe cold would force coordinated power outages across the Midwest. Gov. Laura Kelly declared a state of emergency Sunday in anticipation of sub-zero temperatures and wind chills that reached the -30s. The extreme conditions knocked wind turbines and natural gas plants off the grid as power consumptions soared, prompting concerns about skyrocketing natural gas supplies and an inability to meet demand. Evergy, which serves eastern Kansas and western Missouri, announced plans Monday afternoon to begin shutting off power for rotating blocks of customers for 30-60 minutes at a time. The rolling blackouts were directed by the Southwest Power Pool, which markets the power supply for a 17-state region.
Source: The Iola Register
Kansas struggles to fix vaccine reporting issues
Kansas is working to fix its troubled system for sending vaccine data to the federal government, saying glitches caused about 100,000 doses that were given to not be registered as being administered. The state’s vaccination rate has consistently ranked as among the lowest in the country. As of Monday, 10% of the state’s population had been vaccinated, with 394,523 people receiving at least the first of two required doses, state health data showed. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows the state administering only 67% of the 581,975 doses it has received. The state, however, puts the figure at 68.9% and says it has received 572,275 doses. Both were an improvement from Friday.
Source: The Iola Register
Pottawatomie County opens five warming stations
Pottawatomie County has opened warming stations across the county in response to widespread controlled power outages the past two days. County officials say short-term temporary areas are available while citizens make longer term arrangements at fire stations in Olsburg, Wheaton, St. George and Havensville as well as the Sunflower Room at the Public Works/K-State Extension Office in Westmoreland. Anyone needing additional resources or information should contact the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Dispatch at 785-457-3353. The City of Manhattan has opened a warming shelter in the conference room at the Four Points Sheraton at 530 Richards Drive.
Source: 1350 KMAN
How resources are depleted by winter weather, causing power issues
Evergy leaders described how the three major energy resources are all depleted with the harsh winter weather this week, at their press conference on Tuesday morning. The first is our coal power; because coal is stored outside and on the ground, it’s now wet and needs to be broken up manually. It also doesn’t get hot enough to produce electricity as well as they hoped. The wind has also caused an issue. It’s not quite as windy as it normally was Tuesday, and less energy was produced, therefore it could not pick up any of the slack to help power our homes. Additionally, some of the turbines can’t operate because of freezing fog and icing and thus have not been able to produce as much electricity. The hydraulic fluid inside the turbines is also freezing. The third issue comes with the sheer amount of natural gas that we have in the nation. The entire middle of the country, and other parts too, are trying to access it.
Source: KSNT News
City of Wichita closing select facilities to conserve energy
The City of Wichita said in an effort to conserve energy it will close multiple public facilities through the end of the day Wednesday, Feb. 17. The shutdowns are temporary and a precautionary measure that the city is taking to preserve power supplies for residents and critical operations. The following facilities will be closed. City Arts, Mid-America All-Indian Museum, Old Cowtown Museum, OJ Watson Park, All Wichita Public Library locations, and All aesthetic lights that do not impact the safety of pedestrian and motorists, including spotlights on City hall and in Old Town.
Source: KAKE – News
Municipal Bond Trends for February 12, 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.
Evergy plans power outages as cold weather disrupts regional grid
Kansas legislators weigh bills to extend, revamp rural workforce recruitment tool
Rolling Blackouts Hit Kansas And Missouri As Arctic Temperatures Drive Up Power Demand
Rolling electrical blackouts rippled across the Midwest Monday while the region shivered in an arctic blast and suddenly found itself short on electrical power. Record-cold temperatures across the region led to an extraordinary winter demand and a limited supply of electricity across the central United States. To prevent a major uncontrolled power outage, the regional grid operator known as the Southwest Power Pool asked utilities mid-day to begin rolling blackouts. The request lasted about an hour. While cold temperatures increased demand, they also hurt utilities’ ability to crank out electricity. Some wind turbines got knocked out of commission by freezing fog. Power plants couldn’t crank out their usual electrical output because of freezing coal stacks. Natural gas-burning electrical plants had equipment malfunctions while the price of fuel skyrocketed as much as 150 times the normal wholesale price as people cranked up their furnaces to fight off the chill of sub-zero temperatures.
Source: KCUR News
Kansas Electric Cooperatives ask Co-op members to conserve energy where possible, service interruptions possible
The Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which balances electricity production and use for a 14-state region including Kansas, declared an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 3. SPP has directed its member utilities to be prepared to implement controlled interruptions of service if necessary. Extreme cold weather has led to regionwide electricity use that exceeds available generation across the SPP service territory. SPP declared an EEA Level 3 at 10:08 a.m. CT on Feb. 15, signaling that its operating reserves are below the required minimum. Earlier Monday, Kansas electric cooperatives asked their members to conserve energy wherever possible to avoid a potential Level 3 declaration, which would force the SPP to implement controlled service interruptions, also called “brownouts.”
Source: KSN-TV
KCC issues emergency order to ensure adequate natural gas and electricity is available
In a special meeting Monda morning, the Kansas Corporation Commission issued an emergency order directing utilities under its jurisdiction to do all things possible and necessary to ensure adequate amounts of natural gas and electricity to meet the needs of Kansas customers including interconnected non-jurisdictional utilities that depend on them for power. The prolonged stretch of extremely cold temperatures has increased demand, created natural gas supply constraints, and potential reliability issues. “It’s in every Kansan’s best interest to conserve electricity and natural gas over the next few days when possible,” said KCC Chairperson Andrew French. “Reducing your usage will help ensure everyone continues to receive these services, and it will save you money on future utility bills.”
Source: KSN-TV
NO POWER: Andale businesses respond to townwide power outage Monday morning
On Monday morning, the town of Andale had a power outage — which ended up having quite a lasting impact of some businesses in the small town. Business owners said around 8 a.m., the entire town of Andale went dark with the unexpected power outage. With subzero temps, Steve Hilger, the owner of Small Business Auto Repair said his efforts to save some of his plumbing came to a sudden halt. “The lights went out but we were already fighting frozen pipes so we were getting the heaters going and then when it blacked-out we were like well that will be the nail in the coffin I suppose,” Hilger said. Hilger said when the power was out, his phones didn’t work, so people who needed emergency repairs couldn’t get through.
Source: KSN-TV
Contagious UK coronavirus strain found in Sedgwick County, Kansas’ 2nd variant case
Kansas public health officials have identified the first known case of a coronavirus variant in the Wichita area. It’s the second case in the state of a more contagious strain of the virus that was first detected in the United Kingdom. The U.K. variant was identified in Sedgwick County, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Monday afternoon. The first case of that particular strain of the virus was identified earlier this month in Ellis County. “A case investigation has been conducted and close contacts notified,” a news release from KDHE said. “The case investigation indicates that the person likely became infected while traveling out of state. Further details concerning the patient, including demographics, will not be released.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Frigid weather sees utilities urging customers to conserve
Frigid weather that has sent temperatures plunging across Middle America also had power and gas utilities urging customers to dial down the thermostat. Utility companies serving Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri issued pleas Sunday and Monday for customers to conserve power as temperatures plummeted and demand for energy soared across the Plains. “Much as it does in summer, high demand can put additional strain on our system,” a message from Omaha Public Power District to customers read. “We are seeing similar effects now, only this time with record cold instead of heat.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Topeka City Manager will get help in the form of a chief of staff
Topeka City Manager Brent Trout told KSNT News that the selection of Chief of Staff was suggested by the governing council and former Topeka Police Chief Bill Cochran came to mind. Topeka City Manager Brent Trout announced during a Topeka City Council meeting last week that retired Police Chief Bill Cochran would become Chief of Staff to the City Manager. The position pays anywhere from $125,000 to $135,000 annually. Trout said the money for his salary will come from budgeted salary dollars from positions that have not been filled.
Source: KSNT News
Extreme Temps Result in Southwest Power Pool Issuing Level 3 Alert KEC Urges Electric Consumers to Reduce all Unnecessary Electricity Usage
The Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which balances electricity production and use for a 14-state region including Kansas, has declared an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 3 just hours after issuing a Level 2 alert. The Level 3 declaration requires the SPP to direct its member companies to prepare to implement controlled interruptions of service if necessary. Your electric cooperative will be preparing to implement controlled interruptions of service if the SPP deems it necessary to safeguard continued reliability of the regional grid. Kansas electric cooperatives are asking their members to conserve energy wherever possible and safe to do so to prevent worsening system conditions that could impact a broader area or have longer-lasting effects.
Source: Western Kansas News
WaterOne in Johnson County Wins National Contest, Declared “America’s Best Tasting Drinking Water”
WaterOne has been declared “America’s Best Tasting Drinking Water” in the Great American Water Taste Test, a nation-wide contest for water utilities sponsored by the National Rural Water Association (NRWA). In the Great American Water Taste Test, water systems are judged by a panel of experts on the clarity, bouquet, and taste of their water. The award was presented at the NRWA Virtual Water Rally on Thursday, February 11th. WaterOne competed against 24 other entries from across the country.
Source: WaterOne.