Kansas Municipal News
With less teachers, low numbers, Hutchinson Schools looks at closing an elementary school
As enrollment dwindles in the Hutchinson School District, the need for buildings decreases. But this year, the largest school district in Reno County is facing a new problem − not enough applicants to fill their 14 open teacher slots. Because of this dilemma, the USD 308 staff met with community members at McCandless, Faris and Lincoln elementary schools on Wednesday and Thursday to try to figure out a solution. They threw out all sorts of possibilities, including closing an elementary school. Hutchinson’s superintendent, Dawn Johnson, Ed.D., wants to keep the community involved in what is happening. She is proposing a special board meeting, where community members can speak, be held next Monday evening to focus on this topic.
Source: Hutch News
On opening day, patrons discovered the gems inside new $25.6 million Olathe library
About 19 months after breaking ground, the city opened the doors of its new Olathe Downtown Library April 29 to an appreciative crowd. The $25.6 million building significantly increases the amount of room for events and study areas patrons had in the previous location. “We’re excited to have more space for people to just gather and study together, read together, work together,” said Sara Eccles, the library system officer for the Olathe Public Library. “At our old location, we were really running out of what I would call people space to just sit and work.” In addition to 37,000 square feet for the library, the building also houses the Olathe Chamber of Commerce.
Source: KC Star Local News
Trail systems now connected in Shawnee County
Trails are the number one amenity that people want in our local parks, according to the Shawnee County Parks and Recreation. That’s why Shawnee County Parks and Recreation is celebrating the connection of all trail systems in Topeka and Shawnee County this Saturday, May 6 at Dornwood Park. Currently, there are 60 miles of trails across Shawnee County, with about half of those being paved, and the other half being “natural surface” trails. But now, they have completed the Deer Creek Trail extension so anyone in the community is welcome to ride a bike, walk or run from SW 29th and McClure, all the way to Lake Shawnee and back.
Source: KSNT 27 News
These students are making a difference in their community
High school students in Southeast Kansas spend the day cleaning up their community. What could be better, than fresh air, clear skies, and no classrooms? How about seeing the difference you can make, in your own community? Well, that’s what students at Galena High School learned Wednesday while taking to the streets. “We decided to do a community service day, we’ve wanted to do this for several years and then things would just happen, weather would happen, the end of the year came so fast, so we scheduled community service day to get our kids out and about and give back to our community,” said Ashley Groves, Galena Mayor/High School teacher.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Sedgwick County unveils plan for Veterans Treatment Court
At its May 3 meeting, the Sedgwick County Commission accepted a grant from the Kansas Supreme Court Office of Judicial Administration (OJA), on behalf of Sedgwick County Department of Corrections, for $475,867. Grant funding received will support the creation of a Veterans Treatment Court in Sedgwick County District Court. The specialized court will offer qualified veterans convicted of certain felony offenses, related to mental illness or substance abuse, the option of serving time in treatment instead of prison. This rehabilitative probation recognizes the frequency that veterans suffer from untreated mental health conditions, like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and addiction, following their military service.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Innovative artist uses old brick as canvas for digital Dodge City murals
The Dodge City Convention and Visitors Bureau shall unveil a trio of new Dodge City murals on historic downtown buildings Monday at 3:30 p.m. These murals are not unlike traditional painted murals and yet are made of a media better suited to preserve the integrity of historic buildings. They each are vibrant in color, rich in local symbols and large enough to draw attention from drivers and walkers alike. When inspected closely, one may notice the appearance of digital brushstrokes that were printed on a material called Mighty Wrap and applied directly to the red brick walls.
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe
Chase County to be featured in PBS Kansas ghost towns documentary
Humanities Kansas recently awarded a $10,000 grant to PBS Kansas, based in Wichita, Kan., to support the “Kansas Ghost Towns Documentary, Part 2.” The documentary is part of a continuing exploration of towns that have disappeared across the state. Humanities Kansas is an independent nonprofit spearheading a movement of ideas to empower the people of Kansas to strengthen their communities and our democracy. “The humanities connect people to place over time and across generations,” shared Julie Mulvihill, Humanities Kansas Executive Director. “This documentary will create a space for important conversations that will help us see more clearly our past and plan for our future.”
Source: Emporia Gazette
Chase County voters to again decide on open saloon question
The question of open saloons will once again be up for a vote in Chase County. The Chase County commission passed a resolution at its meeting Friday, April 28 to include the open saloon question — which allows an establishment to sell alcohol by the drink without the requirement to derive revenue from food sales — on the November 2024 general election ballot. County attorney Bill Halvorsen told commissioners that the operation of open saloons within the county, which passed in the 2021 local election, was recently called into question by the Kansas Department of Revenue.
Source: Emporia Gazette
County approves drone purchases for Sheriff’s Department
The Lyon County Commission approved the purchase of a drone for the Sheriff’s Department at its meeting Thursday morning. The drone, in the amount of $26,000 will be used for search and rescue, suspect apprehension and scene documentation. The cost also includes training for deputies to operate the drone safely. The commission also approved a quote of Nortex Concrete Lift and Stabilization of Fort Worth, Texas, to lift and stabilize the approaches to the Neosho River Bridge on Road 175 with high-density polyurethane foam. The lift and stabilization will cost $30,420 from the Special Bridge fund.
Source: Emporia Gazette
2,100 students losing bus service in a JoCo school district. Another may do the same
As a Band-Aid solution to address an ongoing shortage of drivers, the Olathe school district will eliminate some bus routes next school year. Just to the west, Blue Valley school officials are considering similar cuts, as other districts in the Kansas City area have already done. And Olathe district officials may eventually revisit a broader, and more controversial, fix for the shortage: changing the times schools start and end.
Source: Joco 913 News
You can rent a kayak to use on the Arkansas River via an app now. Here’s what to know
New self-service kayak stations are open in three of Wichita’s riverside parks. These stations will be operated through the Rent.Fun app, which park and recreation partnered with to complete the project. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at Riverside Tennis Center on Friday, and to continue the celebration the Park and Recreation department is offering a 50% discount on all rentals May 6-12. Entering the promo code “ParkandRec” in the app will automatically add the discount.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
What sales taxes on food am I still paying in Johnson County?
Now that the dust has settled from the 2023 session of the Kansas Legislature, it’s time to sort out what, finally, to expect when it comes to the sales tax on food. Although an early end to the state food sales tax was discussed, the idea failed after it was folded into a larger tax bill that would have, among other provisions, set a single rate for individual income tax. That measure passed both chambers of the GOP-dominated Legislature but was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Humboldt tackles issues, large and small
For all of its successes — and there are many — Humboldt faces challenges similar to countless other rural communities these days. Local employers are unable to keep fully staffed because of a dearth of quality and affordable housing, a lack of quality daycare centers; and an ongoing “brain drain” wave in which the best and brightest students often go elsewhere to find their niche in life. For that matter, too many youths are the unwitting victims of a digital society, in which they’ve become accustomed to spending hours of screen time instead of play time — and their mental health has begun to suffer.
Source: The Iola Register
Skaters from Lawrence and beyond celebrate new vert ramp at Centennial Park
Corey Lawrence would have loved the vert ramp built in his honor at Centennial Park, several attendees at the ramp’s dedication on Saturday agreed. Lawrence, from the Kansas City area, died in May 2021 after suffering injuries from a fall while skateboarding in Florida. Justin Shiney, of River Rat Print and Skate; Sean Ingram, of Merchtable; Dan Askew, of Escapist Skateboarding; and members of the Lawrence Skate Association raised funds and worked with the city to make the ramp in Lawrence’s honor a reality. The new half pipe is the only one of its kind within a 500-mile radius, project organizers have said.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Municipal Bond Trends for May 5, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. 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, Beth Warren or Henry Schmidt.
Finding ways to save rural Kansas hospitals
JoLynn Foster isn’t happy about it, but she’s convinced the only way to save her hometown hospital is to shut part of it down. “There’s no other alternative,” said Foster, a longtime resident of Arkansas City, a town of about 12,000 people south of Wichita. Foster and about 100 other residents of the southeast Kansas town recently attended a meeting about the fate of SCK Health, Arkansas City’s only hospital. They listened as hospital officials explained their decision to restructure SCK Health so that it can qualify for enough federal money to keep it open and delivering limited, but essential services.
Source: LJWorld
Proposal to revamp pay structure for Lawrence teachers calls for $3M to increase salaries
The Lawrence school board will soon get its first look at a proposal to revamp the pay structure for teachers and provide about $3 million in pay increases — amounting to an average raise of about $3,000. Should it move forward, the proposed new salary schedule would increase the earning potential for the district’s most experienced teachers, as well as address other problematic areas of the current salary schedule. As the Journal-World previously reported, a committee that has been studying the issue said that the district has been losing teachers at particular times in their careers due to the structure of the district’s pay schedule, which maxes out after 13 years of service. There are also other times in teachers’ careers where the schedule falls behind pay offered by comparable districts in the area.
Source: LJWorld
Municipal Bond Trends for May 4, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. 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, Beth Warren or Henry Schmidt.
Zoning change triggers neighbors: Proposal for more senior housing in Topeka will get a closer look
Topeka’s mayor and city council asked for further analysis late Tuesday when faced with a proposed North Topeka zoning change supported by the Topeka Planning Commission but opposed by residents of the area involved. The measure’s passage would help clear the way for Eugene & Paramore LLC to carry out its proposed project to build affordable duplexes and fourplexes, which it intends to primarily rent out to senior citizens. The mayor and council voted to send the proposal back to the planning commission and direct that body to look at four potential concerns raised by neighbors.
Source: CJonline
Cultures of Garden City to be showcased at multicultural event Saturday
The people and their different cultures of those that make up southwest Kansas will be honored at the third annual Cinco de Mayo Multicultural Community Celebration this Saturday at Stevens Park. Marco Rodriguez, secretary for the Cultural Empowerment and Development Foundation’s Multicultural Community Celebration Committee, said the event has been a lot of work to put together, it’s all done by volunteers from the community, but he’s really excited for it.
Source: GC Telegram