Municipal News & Jobs

A greyhound that has been on the run in Arkansas City has finally been captured. The City of Arkansas City says Wade, a skittish greyhound, had been living on the outskirts of town, surviving on its own for nearly two years. Numerous attempts to capture the dog had failed because the dog was too fast and clever, evading nets and other methods to capture it. Arkansas City says Animal Control Office Erica Petry, who joined the department in April, began efforts to bring Wade in. Wade was frequently spotted behind a Walmart. Using their equipment and with the help of volunteers, they tried numerous times to capture Wade, finally succeeding on Sept. 5. Wade has been reunited with her owners.
Read more: KSN-TV

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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, or Henry Schmidt.

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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, or Henry Schmidt.

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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, or Henry Schmidt.

Why did it take five years for officials to discover two Wyandotte County District Court bookkeepers had allegedly, and illegally, pocketed almost $1 million in public funds? The federal government has accused the two former government employees of conducting a criminal, widely profitable wire fraud scheme and committing identity theft by allegedly writing and depositing forged checks into the Bank of Labor, a Kansas City-area bank with ties to labor unions that was founded by the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers.
Read more: KC Star

At least one Johnson County city is supporting a push to make Spanish language voting materials more readily available, with more discussions in other cities underway. “We believe that democracy is strongest and most effective when more people can participate,” said Micah Kubic, the executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas. “When we get rid of barriers to participation by any group we believe that democracy is at its strongest, and that your ability to participate should not be based on your ability to surmount those barriers on your own.”
Read more: Homepage

Eisenhower High School entered a brief lockout period Friday morning after a student received a tip that a gun had been brought to school. The tip was later found to be unsubstantiated. At 12:30 p.m. Friday, USD 265 Police Chief Joe Camp notified staff and families that an Eisenhower student had received a message from an individual outside the school, who authorities also believed to be a student at Eisenhower. The message suggested that a student had taken a gun to school. In a statement, Camp said the student who received the message reported it to a teacher and then left the classroom. The school then entered a lockout period.
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The Maize school district plans to discuss additional security measures after a gun was found in a backpack at Maize High School on Thursday. It also plans to add more police officers during Maize High’s homecoming activities this weekend, Superintendent Raquel Greer said in a statement Friday. “Yesterday was an example that our school district is not immune to the reality and importance of school safety, and I know many in our community are feeling that today,” Greer said in the statement. “ School security is ongoing work, and we remain fully committed to these daily efforts. We are already working on what the next level of security looks like in Maize USD 266.”
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A new art piece, titled “Greetings from Winfield,” has been installed at 820 Main St., adding a vibrant and welcoming touch to the downtown area. The project was commissioned by Frontier Investment Group to cover a vacant display window and contribute to its ongoing efforts to make downtown Winfield more dynamic and engaging. The artwork was designed by area artist Lindsay Kernodle, who has a strong connection to the Winfield art scene. Kernodle is known for her detailed projects for clients ranging from the Sedgwick County Zoo to National Geographic. She has previously created three murals in Winfield at 1105 Main, 210 E. Ninth and 523 Main.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com

The city of Riley is considering merging its fire department with Riley County Fire District No. 1 as the city struggles to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. Discussions between the city and county began in August after council members were approached by residents citing concerns about a lack of volunteers. The Riley city council on Tuesday reached consensus to move forward on an official agreement with the county to merge operations. Riley is the only city in the county outside of Manhattan that has its own city-run fire department, which has been in place since 1922.
Read more: themercury.com

The future of Marmaton Market is uncertain as mounting debt and weak sales threaten to shutter Moran’s only grocery store. At a public meeting Wednesday evening, board members and residents gathered to weigh options for keeping the store open, acknowledging its financial challenges. “Basically, we’re here to see if we can save the store, and if not, what can we do next,” said board chairman Ken McWhirter as the meeting opened.
Read more: The Iola Register

LaHarpe voters will decide in November whether to approve a 1.5% sales tax for street repairs and other capital projects. City Council members approved a resolution Wednesday, putting the question on the ballot. The city’s 1% sales tax expired in April after voters rejected an extension last November that would have bumped the local rate to 1.5%. Council members noted there may have been confusion in the 2024 question, that led some voters to believe the 1.5% would have been tacked on to the 1%, and not a replacement.
Read more: The Iola Register

The Girard City Council is soon expected to make a decision on which burning ordinance to move forward with. The council mulled over three ordinances during Monday’s regular meeting. City administrator Johanna O’Brien presented three ordinances. Two were very similar while the third differed. O’Brien noted that the Girard Fire Chief Jeff Turner expressed his support for the third ordinance, which included a permit for open burning.
Read more: – Latest Stories

Brent Clark, City Administrator for the City of Valley Center, has announced his resignation effective October 24th, 2025. Clark has accepted a position with SEH, Inc. to serve as the Civil Client Service Manager. Clark has served as City Administrator since July 2019, leading Valley Center through a period of significant growth and progress.
Source: City of Valley Center

Today, in remembrance of Charlie Kirk, Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, and all victims and survivors of political violence, Governor Laura Kelly, in accordance with Executive Order #20-30, directed flags throughout the State of Kansas to be lowered to half-staff effective immediately Friday, September 12, 2025 until sundown on Sunday, September 14, 2025.
Read more: Kansas Governor

This panel is unanimous in our opinion of potholes: they are abysmal. But, in Kansas, making a successful claim against a city for damages resulting from a driver hitting a pothole is a different subject that requires compliance with the law. When we apply two legal principles to this case—the public duty doctrine and discretionary function immunity—it means any recovery is barred by law on this claim.
Source: Court of Appeals: Martin vs. City of Topeka

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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, or Henry Schmidt.

The Wichita City Council has added five municipal crimes that city prosecutors can use to ban what police call “problem people” from the Old Town Entertainment District. The city can now ban from Old Town anyone caught in public — specifically, in Old Town — urinating, defecating, being nude, having sex or engaging in other sex acts, or exposing themselves without consent. The change imposes a $500 mandatory minimum fine for any of those crimes, if committed in Old Town. In addition, anyone caught in Old Town after being banned “shall be punished” by a maximum fine of $1,000 or by imprisonment up to one year, or both, according to the ordinance approved by the council Tuesday.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

The Halstead school Board approved spending about $30,000 for the installation and implementation of the school safety alert system known as Centegix. With the continued concern for incidents like school shootings, school districts are starting to look for solutions that can help keep them safer. Superintendent Ron Barry said that after the board asked him to look into an alert system for the district, he considered several options before deciding on Centegix as his recommendation.
Read more: Harvey County Now

On the edge of town next to the railroad tracks, the sound of pads crunch and whistles echo. A train chugs by toward the grain elevator that backdrops the football field that features only a handful of players. But it’s getting harder to field a football team year after year. More towns across western Kansas are adopting six-man football, a version of football with smaller teams to help keep the sport alive.
Read more: Hays Daily News

In addition to helping private landowners conserve and protect natural havens for the public’s benefit, a Douglas County program could potentially branch into protecting some urban agricultural land in perpetuity. The pilot Douglas County Land Protection Program is the result of a partnership between the county and nonprofit organization Kansas Land Trust aimed at protecting biodiversity, supporting local farming and more.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

Lawrence city commissioners directed the police chief Tuesday to work with community members to implement safeguards with the use of advanced surveillance camera integration and technology.  Commissioners heard from 42 people about the Axon Fusus program Tuesday evening, and 38 of them directly asked the commission to pause further integration of cameras around the city with police technology. The discussion lasted more than four hours. Dozens of residents have spoken out during public comment and in writing to the commission asking that the rollout of the program be paused so the public can discuss concerns.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

The city of Wichita has launched a survey to get feedback from residents on priorities for the next city manager. It’s the first opportunity residents have to engage in the search process after the current manager, Robert Layton, announced his retirement earlier this year. “The survey will provide another qualitative snapshot into what residents’ priorities are for the next City Manager,” a release by the city said.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

The Newton City Commission has adopted updates to the City’s building codes to bring them up-to-date and more closely match the City of Wichita, where most Newton contractors also do business. The updates included the 2024 editions of the International Building Code, the International Mechanical Code, and the International Existing Building Code, and the 2018 edition of the International Residential Code. The new code adoption followed multiple work sessions to solicit feedback from local contractors and building owners. It also followed adoption of the new International Fire Code earlier this year.
Read more: Ad Astra Radio | Your Hometown Radio Stations & Local News Source

On the heels of a particularly rainy week in early September, water conservation was a focal point of the Derby City Council’s Sept. 9 meeting. Following recent action taken by the city of Wichita — Derby’s water supplier — to impose permanent watering restrictions, the council was left to follow suit, adopting an ordinance enacting similar restrictions throughout Derby as of Sept. 15.
Read more: www.derbyinformer.com – RSS Results in news,news/* of type article

The City of Lawrence is raising the tax it charges for hotel rooms and short term rentals. The Transient Guest Tax (TGT), now set at 6% and going up to 8%, could be a money maker next summer with hundreds of thousands of fans expected in the Kansas City-area for the World Cup. Lawrence plans to use money raised by the tax to fund events and improvements the city wants to make for the World Cup.
Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports

While being formally introduced to the Barton County Commissioners Tuesday morning by Administrator Matt Patzner, one adjective was used on several occasions to describe the new Assistant County Administrator / Human Resources Director Casey Hubbard. That word was “professional.” Hubbard officially took over his new role with the County on Monday, Sept. 8.
Read more: Great Bend Tribune

Governor Laura Kelly has ordered flags across Kansas to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Thursday, September 11, 2025, under Executive Order #20-30. The tribute honors the lives lost in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. “We will never forget the horrific tragedy that occurred 24 years ago, taking the lives of nearly 3,000 Americans and injuring thousands more,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “In the face of a terrorist attack, we reflect on the valor and bravery demonstrated that day by our nation’s first responders, who saved the lives of many despite losing more than 400 of their own. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their selfless service and sacrifice.”
Read more: KCLY Radio

It’s a Monday morning at the Wilson County Citizen, and the paper’s staff is chasing breaking news: The annual Fall River barbecue won’t be held this year. Staff might be an overstatement. The family-owned paper in Fredonia is run by Meredith Odell, with help from her sister, Ginger, and Ginger’s two dogs, Biscuit and Pepper. Meredith Odell has worked at the paper since she was 4, more than 50 years ago. The Wilson County Citizen is one of four papers listed for sale on the Kansas Press Association’s website. And KPA director Emily Bradbury said all of them share a common thread: The owners are aging and want to retire.
Read more: News

A stolen vehicle alert from the Parsons Police Department’s Flock Safety license plate recognition system led to the arrest of a Texas man on multiple felony charges Sunday evening.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com – RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

Two log jams are clogging rivers in north central Kansas, one just south of Tescott in Ottawa County and another still in Salina in Saline County. James Peterson, Tescott’s head of maintenance, says the log jam formed during Monday’s rain and contributed to widespread flooding. But for residents, it’s not the top concern. “Everything I’ve been dealing with and hearing is people taking care of their own house and own property, and their neighbors and anybody else that needs something. Most of them don’t care about a log jam in the river,” he said. Peterson says similar log jams have formed in that spot before. Ottawa County commissioners, however, are taking it seriously and plan to discuss solutions at their next meeting on Monday.
Read more: KSN-TV

Wichita residents are being asked to share their priorities for the city’s next manager as the search to replace longtime City Manager Robert Layton continues. The City Manager Selection Advisory Committee, working with CPS HR Consulting, has launched a community survey to gather feedback on what qualities and goals residents want in the city’s next chief executive. Layton announced earlier this year that he plans to retire on Dec. 31 after serving as city manager since 2009.
Read more: KSN-TV

The Wichita City Council approved two ordinances Tuesday aimed at addressing crime in Old Town and prostitution activity along Broadway. One ordinance sets a $500 mandatory fine for crimes in Old Town, including assault, drug offenses, trespassing and public nuisance violations. Judges can also bar offenders from the district during probation or diversion, with violations carrying up to $1,000 in fines or a year in jail. The second ordinance updates prostitution-mapping rules first created in 1995 for the Broadway corridor, identified decades ago as a hotspot for prostitution. Courts can now ban offenders from the area not only after convictions but also in diversion cases. Violations could bring fines up to $2,500 and jail time.
Read more: KSN-TV

County commissioners decided Monday to restrict wakeboarding boats on the county lake and to draft a policy on blasting after Orsted blasted a blade off a wind turbine a week and a half ago.
Lake residents often complain about the potential for damage to docks and tied boats because of the large waves wakeboarding boats produce. “Nobody likes them unless they have one,” lake superintendent Isaac Hett said.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

After almost six months on the job, Robert Reece has resigned from his position as Nemaha County Administrator effective Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. This announcement was made during the Monday, Aug. 25, Nemaha County Commissioners meeting. Reece was hired during the Jan. 7, 2025, Nemaha County Commissioners meeting by the former board of commissioners, which included Ben Glace, Dylan Keim and Jason Koch. Reece was hired on a 2-1 vote, with Koch voting nay.
Read more: The Sabetha Herald

The Hutchinson Planning Commission voted unanimously to rezone the property at 714 Cloverdale Drive to allow for goats on the property. The 9.26-acre property was rezoned from R-4 Residential Neighborhood Conservation District to R-1 Suburban Residential District. The property owner, Tammy Depperschmidt, was issued a zoning violation on July 24, 2025, as a result of having goats on the property. Under new R-1 zoning, she could theoretically host a total of 45 goats; however, a protective overlay was put in place to limit that number to ten. “By all means, I do not want 45 goats,” Depperschmidt said.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

With two absences Monday night and a supermajority required to pass a charter ordinance, South Hutchinson City Council needed a 4-0 vote to reduce the size of the council from six to five members. Instead, the measure failed, 3-1, with Kyle Cokely voting against it and Matt Nisly, Valerie Griffin, and Matthew Elliott voting for it, City Administrator Jeff Schenk said Tuesday. Schenk said the change in council structure would have made the mayor a voting member. Currently, the council elects one of its members to serve as a non-voting mayor, he said.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

The sun-faded sign with missing letters of Camptown will soon have a flashy new look, much like the building’s interior. After decades of sitting empty and unused, the former dog track at 313 U.S. 69 Highway is being revitalized as Camptown Event Center.
Read more: – Latest Stories

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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, or Henry Schmidt.

Three miles outside of Newton sits the third busiest airport in Kansas, according to the number of operations, according to airport director Brian Palmer. Palmer and the other seven airport employees work for the city of Newton, but the city and county co-own the airport, each contributing $90,000, which makes up eight to nine percent of the airport’s annual revenue. Palmer said that according to the Kansas Department of Transportation, the airport provides about $187 million in economic impact to the city and the county on an annual basis. The airport doesn’t have any commercial traffic, but has 90 T-hangars and around 30 corporate planes based at it. They contain 14 employers in the field, accounting for a little over 500 employees.
Read more: Harvey County Now

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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, or Henry Schmidt.

Water Smart Hays, the water resources department for the city, took to social media to share the message that the wipes labeled as “flushable” often aren’t. While these products often point to features like being biodegradable, that doesn’t mean they can’t clog your pipes or create backups in sewer systems.
Read more: KSN-TV

The applicant hopes to establish the facility on his property in Danville. He has already invested in kennels and wants approval to house dogs specifically for blood donation, with plans to sell the blood to veterinary clinics.
Read more: KSN-TV

Adding esports could cost the district between about $8,000 and $10,400 per building the first year of implementation and $314 each of the following two years… Purchases will include Nintendo Switch consoles, team uniforms, an annual participation fee and other smaller gaming equipment and platforms.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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, or Henry Schmidt.