Kansas Municipal News
Kansas governor signs bills dealing with wind turbine lighting, Evergy charges
Gov. Laura Kelly announced Thursday she has signed a bill meant to reduce the appearance of blinking red lights on wind turbines. The law requires the installation of wind turbine light systems that are still visible to pilots but don’t ruin the night sky for Kansans living next to wind farms. There are about 4,000 wind turbines in the state. The House passed Senate Bill 49 118-6 in late March, after the Senate passed the bill 39-1 in February. The lights are meant to prevent low-flying aircraft from flying into wind turbines, but several lawmakers have said the lighting is an unnecessary nuisance. Starting in July of this year, new wind turbine developers need to apply to the Federal Aviation Administration for lighting system mitigation installations. … Kelly also announced Thursday she had signed three other bills into law.
Source: Kansas Reflector
City of Atchison vs. Atchison County Sheriff
The sheriff or the keeper of the jail in any county of the state shall receive all prisoners committed to the sheriff’s or jailer’s custody by the authority of the United States or by the authority of any city located in such county and shall keep them safely in the same manner as prisoners of the county until discharged in accordance with law. … K.S.A. 19-1930(a) requires a county sheriff to accept detainees without exceptions. This court cannot rewrite the provision to include an exception where the sheriff of a county believes a detainee requires medical attention prior to being booked into the jail. It is solely within the bailiwick of the Legislature to amend the statute should it see fit to include such an exception.
Source: Kansas Court of Appeals
Groundwater supply looks different across Kansas, a critical source during the drought
A lack of rain across the state means more reliance on groundwater. That resource is now critical for farms and homes across Kansas. Experts say the amount of groundwater is completely different depending on where you are in Kansas. Some advancements have made irrigation more efficient. Mark Rude, the Executive Director of Groundwater Management District 3 in southwest Kansas, says less water from the sky means taking more from the ground, especially in western Kansas, where they rely heavily on groundwater.
Source: KSN-TV
Belle Plaine officially recognizes Quiet Zones with ribbon cutting… 50-plus train horns have now been silenced
It was nearly a decade-long effort to create the federally regulated Quiet Zone, but as of April 5, the trains are a muted sound from the distant crossings outside the city. The 98-decibel horns are silenced as they travel through the three crossings impacting the community’s west side and Belle Plaine Township. The effort to create the quiet zone began with a joint effort of the Bartlett Arboretum and the City of Belle Plaine. The committee was fortunate to have the assistance of Mike McKay, a retired civil engineer whose entire career centered on noise and zoning on both the local and federal levels. McKay is a rural community resident and a frequent visitor at the Bartlett Arboretum. The group worked on options and began educating the community on the process.
Source: Sumner NewsCow
Overland Park gets $1.35M to make College and Metcalf area more walkable
Overland Park’s plan to eventually make the area around College Boulevard and Metcalf Avenue more pedestrian-friendly has received its first major shot of funding. The city announced earlier this month that the Mid-America Regional Council approved $1.35 million in federal funds to go towards making the highly trafficked area around the Overland Park Convention Center more walkable for residents, workers and visitors who come there for events and conferences.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Large wildfire breaks out in Washington County, Kansas near Haddam
Multiple agencies in Kansas are working to put out multiple wildfires that broke out across the state on Tuesday, including one not far from Nebraska’s southern border. Thursday evening, the Kansas Forest Service said they were responding to a fire that broke out in the afternoon hours in western Washington County, south of Haddam. KFS says taskforce members, two tankers, and multiple KFS personnel were at the scene, along with other volunteer firefighters. The Kansas Division of Emergency Management was also assisting with the response, according to KFS. Dry conditions and high winds are mainly to blame.
Source: KAKE – News
Friday marks anniversary of 2012 Wichita tornado
It’s been 11 years since a tornado ripped through parts of southeast Wichita, destroying or damaging hundreds of homes and businesses. The tornado formed over southern parts of Haysville the evening of April 14, 2012. The National Weather Service reports it produced up to EF-3 damage as it continued northeast. The tornado was a half-mile wide as it moved across Oaklawn, where some of the heaviest damage was inflicted to the Pinair Mobile Home Park, according to KAKE archives. Assessment teams rated the tornado an EF-3 as it passed through Oaklawn.
Source: KAKE – News
Fed Official Backs Higher Interest Rates as Banking Stresses Fade
A Federal Reserve official said he was prepared to approve another interest-rate increase because recent banking-system stresses haven’t produced a significant pullback in lending while high inflation remains supported by strong growth. “Monetary policy needs to be tightened further,” Fed governor Christopher Waller said in a speech Friday in San Antonio. “I would welcome signs of moderating demand, but until they appear and I see inflation moving meaningfully and persistently down toward our 2% target, I believe there is still more work to do.”
Source: WSJ.com: US Business
Homes for Wichita’s future: Is the area ready to house more workers?
William Ott and Kelsey Debes flew into Wichita from Florida in March to spend two days house shopping after Ott accepted a job at Textron Aviation. They fell in love with one home and made an offer, then jetted back to their rental in Tampa. By the time they landed, the seller had moved onto another buyer. “We knew this is a seller’s market,” Debes said. “We were not under any ideas that that’s not the case. But that really humbled us pretty quickly.”
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Wichita-area colleges tout scholarship that can help retain talent
A pair of area two-year colleges say a Kansas scholarship in its second year is paying off for students who are needing a financial hand and are interested in working in specific high-need industries. Particularly relevant for local businesses looking for talent, it’s a program that also ensures participants stay in the state for two years after they complete their degree or certificate.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Company behind plans for solar array north of Lawrence anticipates contributing $110M in tax revenues
The company hoping to build a huge solar energy electrical-generation plant north of Lawrence said Thursday evening it expects the facility will add $110 million in property tax and business tax revenue for Douglas County over its expected 25 years of operations. In addition, an official of the company, Savion Energy LLC, said via email that the project, called the Kansas Sky Energy Center, would employ 175 construction workers to build the solar array, but just a handful of workers — two to five — to operate it.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Tulip Festival returns to Wamego this weekend
Wamego’s annual Tulip Festival returns this weekend, one of the community’s biggest tourism draws each year. More than 160 craft vendors will set up inside Wamego City Park, including about 20 food vendors, a petting zoo and bouncy houses. There will also be a new family fun area with interactive activities. Wamego Area Chamber of Commerce Event and Tourism Coordinator Tiegan Kreider says there will also be plenty of live entertainment throughout the weekend.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Municipal Bond Trends for April 13, 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.
Herington couple opens new restaurant & entertainment venue
A Herington restaurant and venue owner believes in the old adage, ‘Build it and they will come.” By the end of April, Andy Urbanek, plans to open a new restaurant, Broadway Station, on Broadway in downtown Herington, which will feature locallygrown beef – raised on ranches just outside of Herington and Hope. Herington, a little more than 30 minutes from Gypsum, boasts a population of slightly more than 2,000. … When he saw the location at 1 N. Broadway for sale, he decided to transform the building.
Source: Hutch News
Hutchinson license plates are coming soon
Hutchinson residents now have an additional opportunity to show community pride while benefitting recreation programs and facilities in Hutchinson and Reno County. Later in 2023, Hutchinson and Reno County vehicle owners will have the opportunity to purchase a HutchFlag Tag through their renewal process or new license plate purchase. Cost for the Hutch Flag Tag will bean additional $30 through the renewal/new purchase process.
Source: Hutch News
See inside the new Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison, celebrating Kansas’ famed aviator
The glistening, brightly polished metal of the world’s last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E, a twin engine, American-made aircraft named Muriel, is the centerpiece of the new Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum opening Friday in Atchison, Kansas. The airplane is the same make and model that Amelia Earhart, an Atchison native, was flying in 1937 when she disappeared. “The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum was a vision, actually, of my husband,” said Karen Seaberg, the founder and president of the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation. “He (the late Ladd Mannan Seaberg) met the restorer of the plane in the eighties, and his vision was that it would come back to Atchison,” Seaberg said. … In 2016, that vision became a reality as the aircraft was acquired for just two cents over $1.2 million by the foundation and then transported by truck from El Cajon, California, to Atchison. The foundation then began a capital campaign to raise funds to build the new 17,000 square-foot hangar museum in which to showcase the airplane…. Dignitaries, school children, politicians and aviation enthusiasts will be on hand Friday as the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum celebrates its’ grand opening. Family-friendly events will continue Saturday and Sunday at the museum, which is located at the Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport, 16701 286th Rd., in Atchison.
Source: KC Star Local News
Researchers want to know where foxes and coyotes are roaming Wichita
Have you spotted a coyote or a red fox in Wichita recently? If so, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks wants to know. The Wichita Urban Coyote and Fox project, which launched March 1 in partnership with Utah State University, has the goal of measuring coyotes and fox populations in the area. The department is asking anyone who spots one of the two species to report it so it can use the data for the survey. “We don’t really have much data and information on our coyotes and red fox populations in the city of Wichita,” said Jon Beckmann, Region 3 wildlife supervisor with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. “We know we have them here. We know that we get calls on them, but we really don’t have a lot of data, which makes it a little more difficult to manage a population.” … “Some wildlife can survive and even thrive in cities,” the project’s page reads. “Coyotes and red foxes are two such canids that are able to take advantage of the perks of the city … However, we know very little about how these canids are successful at living among humans in the Great Plains. This lack of data impedes management.”
Source: Wichita Eagle
Distinct visions unfold in Wichita’s shifting Fairmount neighborhood
Fairmount sprang up in the late 1890s, with close ties to its college neighbor, now known as Wichita State University. Over a series of transitions, which included Fairmount becoming a largely Black neighborhood, their relationship changed. Now developers who hope to serve a growing student body are remaking Fairmount’s northern edge with high-end student apartments. Is there a way to resolve stakeholders’ competing visions for the future?
Source: KLC Journal
Governor Kelly Announces Funding to Create Health Care Apprenticeship Programs in Southeast and Western Kansas
Governor Laura Kelly today announced $100,000 to support the two new health care apprenticeship programs at Pratt Regional Medical Center and Labette Health. The programs build on the Governor’s creation of the Office of Registered Apprenticeship last fall and include training opportunities for positions such as Certified Nursing Assistant, Phlebotomist, Surgical Technician, Medical Coding Specialist, and other high-demand, high-wage health care occupations. The program will be developed and administered over the next year by Hamilton Ryker, a staffing and workforce solutions agency partnering with the Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship, and will be supported by the Kansas Hospital Association. Funding for the program was made available through the Patterson Family Foundation.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Special election planned for Holton city sales tax
Ten years ago, Holton residents voted to approve a half-cent addition to the city’s municipal sales tax that would be used to fund infrastructure improvements and debt reduction in the city, and the addition passed by a three-to-one margin. This June, city residents will go to the polls to decide whether that sales tax addition will remain on the books for another 10 years. During Monday’s regular Holton City Commission meeting, commissioners approved a resolution setting a special city election on Tuesday, June 6, at which time voters will consider extending the half-cent sales tax from Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2033, noting that the existing sales tax has allowed the city to reduce its indebtedness and improve its water, sewer and electrical services to city utility customers.
Source: Holton Recorder