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Municipal News & Jobs

Municipal News & Jobs2026-08-07T10:07:18-05:00

Kansas Municipal News

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s money will help run Sedgwick County’s 2020 elections

Sedgwick County is turning to private funds to help run its 2020 election. Sedgwick County, the second-largest county in Kansas by population, has been awarded $816,458 from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonprofit foundation, to boost the efforts of the county election office to hold an election in the midst of the pandemic. The money comes from a $250 million donation by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, and his wife, Priscilla Chan. The billionaire married couple said in a news release that they hope the money helps “ensure that every voter who intends to cast a ballot is able to, and ultimately, to preserve the integrity of our elections.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Harvey County speeds up voting equipment upgrade

Thanks to a grant, the Harvey County Clerk’s Office was able to take a bite — about 12 percent — out of a planned upgrade to voting equipment upgrades planned for 2021. The Center of Tech and Civic Life awarded a grant of more than $67,629 to the Harvey County Clerk’s Office to use for elections. The county commission will be asked to consider a purchase of $45,475 — new ballot tabulation and auditing equipment — Oct. 6. That purchase comes early, and removes the equipment purchase from capital improvement funds for the county clerk’s office.
Source: Newton Kansan

Sabetha sees increased sales tax distributions

Sabetha’s sales tax distributions are above last year’s distributions for September. This is according to the September County/City Local Sales Tax Distribution Report released by the Kansas Department of Revenue. The state issues these distributions two months after collection, so the September distribution is a reflection of July sales. Sabetha saw increased sales tax distributions in the month of September alone — with distributions of $40,202.07, a 7.3 percent increase from the $37,480.93 distributed in September 2019. Sabetha’s local sales tax rate is 1 percent.
Source: Sabetha Herald

It’s a ‘new normal’ at Iola High School

It’s 7:57 on a Monday morning, and Brett Willis and his friends are walking up the sidewalk to the high school. Brett forgot his mask. He throws his water bottle into the courtyard and stomps away, while his friends make their way through the line of fellow students waiting to get their temperatures checked before they can enter. “It made me really mad because I had to go back out to my car,” Brett says. This is just a “new normal” day at Iola High School during the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought several changes in terms of safety and hygiene to prevent its spread.
Source: The Iola Register

Neosho County’s economic recovery stumbles

Neosho County’s economic recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic suffered a hiccup during August in unemployment numbers and sales tax totals. In August, Neosho County had 5,772 people working and 527 unemployed for a preliminary rate of 8.4 percent. Revised figures for the previous month showed 71 more jobs but 58 more people unemployed for a higher rate of 9.1 percent. Since April, the county has recovered 313 jobs, but the number of people out of work is still more than twice what it was before COVID-19.
Source: www.chanute.com

Paint the town: Spread the Love duo unmasked as project concludes in Hutchinson

Hutchinson’s vigilante artists have finally unmasked. Over the last few months, heart-shaped murals featuring the number 13 cropped up around town. The street art features the same image and message — spread the love. Last week, the duo responsible for sharing the message of love and positivity unmasked and answered questions the community had about their mural work. The “secret heart ninjas” — Kylee Baldetti and Shaelee Mendenhall — live on the same street. They noted how odd it is for two artists to live so close. The duo started painting when they teased out ideas about new mural projects in Hutchinson.
Source: Local – The Hutchinson News

Health officials say 60% of JoCo public schools have had to use quarantines to try to stop COVID-19

Less than a month after schools around Johnson County began reopening for in-person learning, about 60% of the county’s public school buildings have had to put least one person in quarantine for exposure to the novel coronavirus. That’s according to Johnson County health officials, who briefed the Board of County Commissioners Thursday. Public Health Director Sanmi Areola, Ph.D, said 104 of the 169 public school buildings in the county have “something going on related to COVID,” while community transmission overall remains high. Elizabeth Holzschuh, an epidemiologist with the county health department, told county commissioners that quarantines linked to schools include students and staff, and that there are a variety of reasons, including school athletics, for positive cases and exposures. The schools and the county have been working together to handle the overwhelming workload of contact tracing, she said.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

Despite the pandemic, or perhaps in part because of it, Wichita new home sales thrive

As the coronavirus pandemic struck in March, there was a collective holding of breaths in many industries about what the impact might be. New home builders and developers braced themselves for potential catastrophe. “I’m like, oh, great, is this going to be like the 2009 recession again?” said developer Jack Ritchie of Ritchie Development. “We thought the world was going to come to an end, and we wouldn’t have any sales,” said developer Jay Russell of J. Russell Communities.
Source: Carrie Rengers: Business Columns & Blogs |

Kansas counties prepare to send advanced ballots ahead of election

Counties across the Sunflower State are preparing for the 2020 General Election on November 3. Due to the pandemic, county clerks are noticing a major focus on mail-in ballots. “We are sending out close to 10,000 ballots which is huge for our county,” said Butler County Clerk, Tatum Stafford. Inside the Butler County Election Office there is an assembly line of envelopes. Workers are stuffing them one at a time. “October 14 we will be mailing this whole state of Kansas will be mailing all advanced ballots and last I knew we have close to a little over 400,000 ballots going out in the state of Kansas,” Stafford said.
Source: KSN-TV

Girard Fall Festival commences amid pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has halted many activities, but the Girard Fall Festival will not be one of them. Taking place October 1-3, the Girard Fall Festival has made some precautionary changes, but is still going on as planned.  Celebrate Girard! has organized several events to be held as part of the Festival, including Paint the Town, vendors, food trucks, kids games, and more. A full list of the scheduled events can be found on Celebrate Girard!’s website.  “I think that the town has been very appreciative in seeing how much we all pulled together with this pandemic this year with the fall festival coming together, and everybody in the entire town, really, pitching in, to make sure that this happened for normalcy,” said Nelle Lehman, Celebrate Girard! vice president. “It brings everybody together as a community to support each other, pulling their part.”
Source: KSNF/KODE

WSU police department starts bicycle patrol

Wichita State campus police began a bicycle patrol on Monday to allow officers to interact more and be able to patrol places vehicles may not be able to access. Officer Matthew Feldt asked Police Chief Rodney Clark if there was interest in a bicycle patrol program and was the one who led the initiative to bring it to campus. Clark said the bike patrol will add another level of safety. “It’s hard to approach someone in a vehicle, it’s much easier to approach someone on a bike and that’s what I want students to take from the bike patrol, it’s just an additional method of safety,” Clark said.  Being more visible and more approachable is a goal Clark says the campus police is hoping to achieve with this form of patrol.
Source: The Sunflower

Hutch library glad to see visitors back in the stacks

Although their hours have changed and some of their services have changed, the staff at Hutchinson Public Library want residents to know the library is open and able to serve them. “People can come in and browse,” said Nathan Towle, a public services assistant at the library. The library opened back up in July. During October, its store is having a half-off sale. They also offer virtual story time on Fridays through Nov. 27. “It’s good to see people back in the library,” Towle said.
Source: Local – The Hutchinson News

100 Years of Women Voting: Boot Hill host new exhibit

Boot Hill Museum will welcome a traveling exhibit starting Oct. 4 and running through Oct. 18 that will tell the life of the women’s suffrage movement in the lead up to women gaining the right to vote. According to Jacqueline Lightcap, co-chair of the League of Women Voters of Kansas, the exhibit has visited dozens of towns across the state over the last year in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. The theme of the seven-paneled mobile museum is “Learning from the Past, Imagining the Future.”
Source: News – Dodge City Daily Globe – Dodge City, KS

Restoring Salina downtown a constant throughout 2020

As years go by and downtown continues to be remodeled, it can be hard to recall or to see the history that is a significant element of most downtowns. When you are on S. Santa Fe, if you look up to the roof line, you will see the names of buildings that date back over 100 years. At ground level, you may also notice an effort being made to retain history, while adding a fresh modern style. One of the current projects is being done by Restore Construction in a stretch of buildings from 137 — 143 S. Santa Fe. This includes the historic Thomas Watson, T.W., Roach Building at 141-143. This will be the new home of Apron Strings, a kitchen store that is opening in October.
Source: News – Salina Journal

Johnson County home prices approach new milestone

Limited inventory and skyrocketing demand have pushed up home prices across the Kansas City metro area. But Johnson County is approaching a new milestone: In August, the average sales price of new and existing homes reached nearly $400,000, according to the Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors. While the booming market is good news for sellers, it does underscore longstanding concerns that Johnson County homes are becoming increasingly out of reach for many working- and middle-class families.
Source: KC Star Local News

Inspired by Topeka leaders and community members, local artist creates portrait series

Like everyone else, local artist Becky Drager was handed a box of lemons when COVID-19 made its presence and caused many businesses to shut down. But instead of letting those lemons sour, Drager chose to turn them into lemonade and create a portrait series of Topeka leaders and community members that inspire her every day. Drager created 20 portraits from April 1 to Sept. 25, and the full collection will be on display from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at the NOTO Arts Center during the Decade of NOTO celebration. The people in Drager’s portraits range in age from toddlers to adults and capture a diverse group of people.
Source: Local News | Topeka Capital-Journal

Kansas Court of Appeals: “When you do business with a city in Kansas, you must be cautious.”

There is a lot of history and discussion about the Cash-Basis Law and the Budget Law in this opinion. The opinion begins:
When you do business with a city in Kansas, you must be cautious. It differs from doing business with an ordinary person or company. There are many complex laws and rules that govern a city’s actions that do not apply to others. A failure to understand this complexity can lead to losing what once was thought certain. This case is an example of that peril.
Farmers Bank & Trust thought it had a loan guaranty from the City of Junction City but later found it was unenforceable. Farmers also made tort claims against the City and some of its officers but disregarded a fundamental notice provision in the law. Farmers lost when the court granted summary judgment to the City and the individual officials. Because the laws and the cases that interpret them constrain what cities may do with tax expenditures and how they can be sued for redress, we hold the district court’s grant of summary judgment to the City and the other defendants was proper. We affirm.
Read the opinion of Farmers Bank & Trust v. Homestead Community Development, et al.

Rent a bicycle at parks and places across Lenexa

Lenexa’s new bike share program has arrived just in time to enjoy our parks’ stunning autumn scenery on a leisurely trail ride. The City of Lenexa has partnered with BikeWalkKC’s RideKC Bike program to offer electric-assist bikes — also known as E-bikes — and rental hubs at locations throughout the city. These hubs and bicycles were ready to use starting Oct. 1. The bikes will be available through Nov. 30 and stored indoors through the winter.
Source: Lenexa

As 60% of Johnson County schools report COVID cases, guidance for returning is eased

The Johnson County health department has issued more lenient guidance on whether school districts should allow older students back into classrooms when there is high community spread of COVID-19. Unlike under the previous criteria, districts could now allow middle and high schoolers to return to in-person learning in a hybrid model — going to class part time and taking online classes for the rest of the week — as long as safety precautions are implemented. The guidance for elementary students has remained the same, as officials continue to recommend they can return to classrooms full time.
Source: Joco 913 News

The historic Brookville Hotel announces closure

The Brookville Hotel, known for its family style chicken dinners, announced after generations under family ownership, it would close its doors. Owners Mark and Connie Martin announced on Facebook on Thursday that the restaurant would be closing due to COVID-19 and lack of traffic. “We hung on as long as we could , but the writing was on the wall,” the Facebook post said.
Source: KAKE – News

New Derby arts facility a hub of activity

Nothing in 2020 has been “normal,” and the opening of the new Hubbard Arts Center certainly falls into that category. Originally scheduled to have a grand opening in April, those plans had to be put off and the center – an extension of the Derby Recreation Commission – didn’t officially open for programming until mid-June. Even with those delays, the market for the Hubbard Arts Center and the programs it offers has been clear from the start – with the center drawing a number of individuals from Derby and the surrounding area for its classes since its summer opening.
Source: Derby Informer | News

Derby preparing for transition to city of the first class

As Derby prepares to transition to a city of the first class, staff is managing the inherent changes to operations – with that process coming before the Derby City Council at its Sept. 22 meeting. With that first class status – a mandatory transition once a city’s population reaches 25,000 – comes a number of statutes that apply to cities of that size. Those statutes though, City Attorney Jacque Butler pointed out, predate the Home Rule Amendment of the Kansas Constitution, which allows cities to exempt themselves from non-uniform statutes. Charter ordinances allow for those exemptions, but Butler pointed out Derby’s current ordinances will be invalid after the transition as they apply to second class cities.
Source: Derby Informer | News

Spirit Aerosystems to close Oklahoma plant, some work will move to Wichita

Spirit Aerosystems has announced it will be closing its plant in McAlester, Oklahoma. The closing is due to the downturn in the commercial aviation market caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the grounding of Boeing’s 737 MAX jetliner. The company said it now has an excess of production capacity. Spirit plans to consolidate some operations over the next few months and the work in McAlester will be moved to facilities in Wichita and Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The McAlester plant has had around 175 workers.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI

Emporia moves forward with expanded COVID-19 testing initiative, discusses library reopening

The City of Emporia may soon be getting increased access to close-contact COVID-19 testing. During Wednesday’s meeting of city commissioners, City Consultant Jim Witt updated the board on his efforts to increase availability, saying the initiative would be a partnership between Newman Regional Health and Lyon County Public Health. As with other necessary health resources during the pandemic, Witt said the added tests will also be funded through SPARK funds and are expected to total around $105,000. “We’re at the point where [the organizations] would like to be able to start the close contact testing by Monday …” Witt said. “There were questions from the commission that came up as to how this would affect our overall positivity rate, and I received an answer which was more or less that it should, but might not depending on who’s tested … If you’re doing just people that have been in close contact, you could see an upswing in positivity rate.”
Source: Emporia Gazette

Johnson County health department updates school gating criteria

The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment has updated their school gating criteria after some districts opted out of following previous guidance, saying it was too strict. The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment will now include the incidence rate category, or the number of new COVID-19 cases added per 100,000 people over the prior two-week period, as well as the positive percentage rate in the county. The new guidance comes after several districts opted out of previous guidance to move students to in-person learning and allow extracurricular activities, like sporting events.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF

Kansas has $73 million tax surplus; official still sees uncertainty

Kansas reported Thursday that it collected nearly $73 million more than expected in taxes in September but its top revenue official said the economic outlook in coming months remains uncertain because of the coronavirus pandemic. The state Department of Revenue said Kansas collected nearly $729 million in taxes last month, when it expected to take in $656 million. The surplus of 11% for the month was tied largely to better-than-expected income tax collections. The September collections allowed the state to finish the first three months of the 2021 budget year that started July 1 with $108 million more in tax collections than anticipated. The state collected $2.25 billion during those three months, 5.1% more than projected.
Source: KAKE – News

NEJC communities receive grants to improve walkability, major corridors

Projects in Overland Park, Merriam and Westwood that address walkability and improvements to major corridors have earned grant funding from the Mid-America Regional Council. “It is exciting to see local governments focus on planning for and creating vibrant assets for their residents,” said Beth Dawson, a senior land use planner at MARC. MARC’s Board of Directors and Total Transportation Policy Committee approved $877,825 in grant funding for 14 projects in the Greater Kansas City area, including eight in Kansas and six in Missouri. The grant funding is directed at efforts to create sustainable development.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Near-zero interest rates may be needed for up to 3 years, says Dallas Fed’s Robert Kaplan

Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan told CNBC on Wednesday that it is likely appropriate to keep interest rates anchored near zero for up to three years to aid the U.S. economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. “I think we’re going to need to keep the Fed funds rate at zero for the next probably 2½ to three years years,” Kaplan said on “The Exchange.” ” It could be that long that until we get on track, to have weathered the crisis and are on track to meet our full employment and price stability goals.” Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve’s policymaking committee voted to keep short-term rates targeted at 0%-0.25%, where they have been for the last six months, and indicated they would remain there until inflation rises consistently. Kaplan was one of two Federal Open Market Committee members to vote against the policy action, but he stressed Wednesday it is due to his desire for the central bank to have more leeway to its monetary approach.
Source: CNBC – Bonds

Cowan appointed Assistant City Manager in Independence

During a special Independence City Commission meeting Wednesday evening, City Manager Kelly Passauer announced the appointment of long-time City leader David Cowan as Assistant City Manager. Prior to this promotion, Cowan served as the City’s Director of Safety and Code Enforcement. In his new role, Passauer explained, Cowan, who is now in his 34th year of service, will oversee the operations of Fire/EMS, Park & Zoo, Public Works, Utilities, the Building Department, Code Enforcement and Memorial Hall – some of which have already been under his supervision for several years. “David is a hard worker, is passionate about the City and has excellent customer-service and problem-solving skills. I am excited to see David in his new role,” Passauer said.
Source: Independence, KS – News Flash

Governor Kelly orders flags at half-staff in honor of Rep. Leonard Mastroni

In accordance with Executive Order 20-30, Governor Laura Kelly has ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff at all state buildings, grounds, and facilities beginning today, Wednesday, Sept. 30, until the day of interment, in honor of Kansas Rep. Leonard Mastroni. Mastroni, La Crosse, has represented Kansas House District 117 since 2017. “I was saddened to hear of the passing of Representative Mastroni, who was a dedicated public servant during his tenure in the Kansas House of Representatives,” Governor Kelly said. “I respected and admired his commitment to working with his colleagues in the Legislature to improve the lives of his constituents. I offer my sincerest condolences to his wife, Linda, their four children, and all of his friends and loved ones during this difficult time. Leonard will be missed on the House floor, and throughout his district.” Representative Mastroni graduated from Fort Hays State University, and in 1981 was elected as a District Court Judge for the 24th Judicial District. After retirement he served as a Rush County Commissioner for six years before being elected as State Representative. He and his wife, Linda, lived in La Crosse for over 40 years.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

Wichita police launch new program to catch drivers running red lights

Wichita police have launched a new program in hopes of reducing the number of drivers running red lights at a high-accident intersection. Capt. Brent Allred said Wednesday that the Blue Light Crash Reduction Project was funded by a grant through the Kansas Department of Transportation. Here’s how it works. WPD installed six blue lights on traffic signals at Kellogg and Rock Road. When a traffic light turns red, its corresponding blue light illuminates. That lets nearby officers in the area know that the traffic light is red and they can see who, if anyone, is running it. Capt. Allred said it’s difficult for officers to minor at the intersection because of its complexity and traffic volume.
Source: KAKE – News

Peabody seeking new logo design

Peabody will be taking contest entries for an updated city logo, and councilman Lindsay Hutchison is wasting no time getting the ball rolling. Entries are due by Dec. 15 to be approved by the council Dec. 28, and the new logo will be rolled out in January, according to Hutchison’s proposed plan. “It would have been great to do that in March when everybody was stuck at home and they could just color pictures for the whole day,” she said. “We don’t necessarily have to retire the logo we have currently but we need something that has fewer colors and less fine detail.”
Source: Marion County RECORD

Merriam seeks information about names found in time capsule at old community center

The city of Merriam is searching for interesting stories about — or living relatives of — the names found in the Irene B. French Community Center’s 1911 cornerstone time capsule. The city of Merriam is seeking information about names found in a time capsule at the Irene B. French Community Center. Denton Excavating crews stumbled upon the time capsule in the 1911 cornerstone when demolishing the old community center last month. Now, the city is looking for any information — interesting stories or living relatives — about the names of students and Merriam residents.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

New energy crucial to a town’s survival

Heather Horton has a few pandemic messages for her fellow Kansans. “Don’t give up. Take each day as it comes,” she says, which is good advice in any situation. But also: “Think about the people, not the profit margin, because that’s what matters in the end.” Horton and her husband, Roger, co-own two small businesses in Pittsburg. They opened Sweet Designs Cakery, where they bake party-type desserts, in 2009. A block away is Toast, which they opened last October, with a concept that was unusual for Pittsburg.
Source: The Iola Register

‘We’re still open’

With a smile and a wave, Paola Free Library Director Emily Burgdorf greets regular patron Bob Ayres as he takes a seat at one of the library’s computers. It’s a scene that’s happened countless other times at the library, but everything is just a little bit different during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ayres is wearing a mask, the computer next to him is off limits due to social distancing protocol, and the library is far from bustling with activity because there is a limit of 10 patrons at any given time. “The library is not closed, we’re still open” Burgdorf said.
Source: The Miami County Republic

Kansas airports face years of recovery after coronavirus slowdown

Katie Hansen’s recent trip from Columbus, Ohio, through Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Wichita felt pretty familiar. Sure, several restaurants sat closed, but O’Hare looked busy and her flights were full. “If people didn’t have masks on,” Hansen said, “there would be nothing different.” The sense of bustling airports is a mere illusion, the result of a smaller number of air travelers grouped into a reduced number of flights.
Source: News – Dodge City Daily Globe – Dodge City, KS

Extended unemployment benefits program to begin

Gov. Laura Kelly announced Wednesday that the state’s Lost Wages Assistance Program is set to start Friday. The program will give Kansans already receiving unemployment benefits an additional $300 per week. “Short term, the Lost Wages Assistance program will help provide critical support to unemployed Kansans due to the coronavirus pandemic,” the governor said in a statement. “I urge the Senate to pass legislation to extend federal benefits to those still in need.”
Source: News – The Garden City Telegram

Kansas governor backs new guidelines on nursing home visits

Gov. Laura Kelly says she supports new federal guidelines detailing how nursing homes can begin allowing visits to patients. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services last week said nursing homes should continue to follow COVID-19 related protocols, such as social distancing and temperature screening. But it said indoor visitations can be allowed at facilities that take Medicare and Medicaid if they have not had any new COVID-19 cases for 14 days and are not conducting active outbreak testing. State officials said Tuesday that it will take some time to implement the new guidance because each facility will have to respond according to their own circumstances.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Kansas still in ‘first wave’ of coronavirus according to top doctor

Kansas has experienced another spike in coronavirus cases over the last week. The state’s top doctor says Kansas has possibly not seen the worst of it yet. Since Monday, the state has seen an increase of 1,120 cases; that brings the total number of cases since the beginning of the pandemic in Kansas to 59,749. Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said he believes Kansas is still in the first wave of the virus. The state is currently seeing an average of 500-600 new cases each day. Secretary Norman anticipates cases will begin to level off before a second wave of the virus hits. He said the second wave could bring 800-900 new cases each day.
Source: KSNT News

USDA Provides Over $2.65 Million to Kansas Cities to Promote Economic Development

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Kansas Lynne Hinrichsen today announced that the USDA is investing $2,659,746 in loans and grants to support rural economic development.

“This economic development funding is a great asset for rural communities to save and grow jobs,” Hinrichsen said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA has been working tirelessly to be a strong partner to rural Kansas in building stronger and healthier communities, because we know when rural America prospers, all of America prospers.”

Alma – This project will provide a $600,000 loan to Grandma Hoerner’s Foods, a food processing facility, to make building improvements and purchase additional equipment. The applicant will provide an additional $150,000 toward the project and the project will create 19 jobs.

Cheney – This project will provide a $422,800 loan to SPK Grocery Inc. and SPK Holdings LLC to make purchases and improvements to a grocery store in Cheney, Kan. The borrower will provide an additional $56,000 and private/commercial sources will provide an additional $49,700 toward the project for a total project amount of $528,500. The project will save 16 jobs.

Colby – This project will provide two loans of $870,000 and $150,000 to Citizens Medical Center Inc. to purchase an MRI machine and make building improvements to the MRI department at the hospital. The $150,000 Rural Development investment will be used to create a revolving loan fund through Rural Telephone Service Company Inc.  The initial loan through this revolving loan fund will be made to Citizens Medical Center.  Both loans through Rural Telephone will then be loaned to Citizens Medical Center Inc.  The applicant will provide an additional $217,500 toward the project and it is expected to save 14 jobs.

Leavenworth – This project will provide a $116,946 loan to Next to Nature Farm to construct a new facility and purchase extraction and harvesting equipment. Next to Nature Farm is a bee farm of 58 hives. They also produce fresh fruit, fruit products and operate two area farmer’s markets. The applicant will provide an additional $29,236 toward the project and the project will create four jobs.

Wellington – This project will provide a $500,000 loan to assist the city of Wellington with necessary improvements to the existing emergency department so that the facility can reopen. The applicant will provide an additional $200,000 toward the project, Ascension via Christi will additionally provide $1,134,914 and the project will create 25 jobs.

The funding is being provided through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) Program which provides zero-interest loans to local utilities that they, in turn, pass through to local businesses (ultimate recipients) for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. The ultimate recipients repay the lending utility directly. The utility then is responsible for repayment to USDA.

The REDLG program also provides grants to local utility organizations that use the funding to establish a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF).  Loans are made from the revolving loan funds to projects that will create or retain rural jobs.

Contact USDA Rural Development

Information on programs available through USDA Rural Development is available by visiting www.rd.usda.gov/ks, or by calling (785) 271-2700.

Governor Laura Kelly Announces Nearly 1,000 Permanent Jobs and $8 billion of Total Investment to Kansas

Governor Laura Kelly today joined Kansas Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary for Business Development Bill Murphy and Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for Invenergy Kris Zadlo to announce Inevergy’s new Grain Belt Express transmission line.

“Kansas is uniquely positioned to be a regional and national leader in the development and expansion of clean and renewable energy,” Governor Kelly said. “The Grain Belt Express will be instrumental in helping to power Kansas and other states, and will bring nearly 1,000 jobs and billions in economic investment and energy savings to our state. My administration is committed to rebuilding our foundation and supporting key investments that will continue to boost economic development, recruit businesses, foster a healthy workforce, and produce sustained growth.”

According to an analysis on behalf of the company, the Grain Belt Express will create up to 22,525 jobs supported over the three-year construction period, 968 full-time, permanent operations jobs, and $8 billion of total, long-term economic investment in Kansas. Additionally, the project will save up to $7 billion in electricity costs for Kansas and Missouri consumers through 2045, and produce $3.7 billion in economic output during construction and $235 million in annual economic output once operations begin.

“All of us in the Kelly administration are extremely proud of our state’s position as a national leader in wind energy production – and we know the future is even brighter on this important front,” Deputy Secretary Murphy said. “Not only is Kansas wind energy production good for the environment, it’s also good for business. Wind energy is a proven job creator that employs thousands of Kansans, and has helped to fuel our state’s economy with billions of dollars in capital investment.”

Grain Belt Express will begin in Spearville, Kansas, and continue through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. The project will deliver significant advantages in access to affordable energy, added infrastructure for broadband, and significant capital investment.

“Economic recovery and long-term economic competitiveness in Kansas and Missouri depend on new investment, more jobs, and tapping into low-cost, homegrown clean energy, which Grain Belt is moving full speed ahead to deliver,” Zadlo said. “Grain Belt is proud to increase our investment in Kansas and Missouri to rebuild the economy, deliver billions of dollars in energy cost savings, and meet growing renewable energy demand.”

About Grain Belt Express

Grain Belt Express is an approximately 800-mile high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line being developed by Invenergy Transmission. It will deliver up to 4,000 megawatts (MW) of low-cost, homegrown clean energy from western Kansas to millions of Americans in the Midwest and other regions. Learn more at: www.grainbeltexpress.com

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