Kansas Municipal News
Independence officials ask residents to cut back on water usage
Due to persistent drought conditions, Engineers with the City of Independence ask residents to conserve water heading into the Fall months. According to City Engineer, John Garris the Verdigris River which is the City’s primary source of water has been struggling to meet the City’s needs. In the upcoming fall months, the water demand will lessen and he said, the citizens should conserve as much water as possible since the forecast still shows a lack of heavy rainfall.
Source: KOAMKOAM
Baxter Springs fundraiser serves food to equip reserve officers
The Baxter Springs Police Department and Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office held the annual Back the Badge Fundraiser outside of American Bank. The group planned to feed 1,000 people. … This event helps fund all the necessary equipment for reserve police officers, who completely volunteer their time serving the community. Without fundraisers like these, reserve officers have to pay for their own uniforms and equipment.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Some extra help for the Baxter Springs Police Department, in Reserve Officers
A Southeast Kansas community has some extra help for its police department. “27 years ago I started as a reserve police officer here in Baxter Springs Kansas, so it has a very special place because from there, I built a career that has spanned the course of different departments to, you know, led to me retiring from Joplin Police Department to becoming Chief of the department I started at, so it’s very special,” said Brian Henderson, Chief of Police, BSPD.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Shawnee to study traffic in city’s increasingly busy K-7 corridor
Because rapid growth along Kansas Highway 7 is causing a noticeable uptick in traffic, the Shawnee City Council has decided to commission a study of traffic patterns that could help them decide which roads need upgrades and when. Driving the news: The city council voted unanimously last week to award a $77,580 contract to Olsson Associates of Overland Park to look at the seven-plus miles of the highway that runs from the northern county line to just south of West 83rd Street.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Bishop Miege, other JoCo private schools would move up a class in sports with new ‘multiplier’ rule
A proposed rule change to how Kansas high schools are classified for sports competitions could have a big impact on some Johnson County private schools that have had a lot of recent on-field success, including one of the state’s winningest athletic programs, Bishop Miege. Driving the news: The Kansas State Board of Education earlier this month voted 6-4 to send the Kansas State High School Activities Association’s proposed class “multiplier” rule to the state legislature, which will have the final say on whether to enact it.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
OZtoberfest fills Wamego with lions, witches and little dogs, too
Downtown was filled with little lions and green-faced witches during Wamego’s annual OZtoberfest Saturday. The community fall festival celebrates the legacy and influence of the classic 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” and 1900 book it was based on, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” by L. Frank Baum. Parts of the book and film are set on a farm in rural Kansas that is home to the main character, Dorothy Gale, and her dog, Toto. Kara Holle, Wamego Chamber of Commerce director of events and tourism, said she estimated 3,000 to 4,000 people roamed downtown Wamego Saturday. She said it’s hard to determine exactly how many people attend the event each year.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article
Treasury yields tumble for a second day, with 10-year rate below 3.6%
Treasury yields fell across the board on Tuesday as stock markets rose to kick off the fourth quarter while investors continued to digest the unexpected slowdown of U.S. manufacturing. The benchmark 10-year Treasury was down 6 basis points to 3.5854% at around 4 a.m. ET, after having surpassed the 4%-mark last week. The yield on the policy-sensitive 2-year Treasury fell to 4.0224% as it traded 8 basis points lower.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Great Bend OKs sidewalk cost-share program
With the understanding that sidewalks are important to the community, the Great Bend City Council Monday night approved the SAFE (Safer Access for Everyone) Sidewalk Program. “We know this is a key need in our community,” said City Administrator Kendal Francis. A survey conducted earlier this year by the city’s Quality-of-Life Committee identified the public’s desire for a cost share program to assist property owners with needed repairs of public sidewalks. The plan provides both residential and commercial property owners a 50% reimbursement of labor and materials up to $800 (corner lots are eligible for up to $1,600). If the repairs are self-performed, the plan will only reimburse for materials, City Administrator Kendal Francis said.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
‘It’s been too long without picking up people’s trash’: Haysville city leaders calling for solution to trash problems
After months of complaints against a local trash service, Haysville city leaders are calling for the owner’s license to be revoked. … The owner of the company blames a lack of staff and broken-down trucks. Problems he says he’s been dealing with since early this year. “Right now, it’s just blowing around creating a health hazard,” said Haysville Mayor Russ Kessler. The mayor says it’s time. He’s going to ask the council to revoke Best Value’s license at the next city council meeting.
Source: KAKE – News
Wichita BOE given proposed solutions for overcrowding at Southeast High School
The Wichita Board of Education (BOE) was given a presentation on proposed solutions for the concern of overcrowding at Wichita Southeast High School at their meeting on Monday, Oct. 3. The presentation reveals that the school is more than 100 students over capacity this semester. Possible solutions provided include allowing special transfers to Northeast Magnet High School and allowing some students to attend Heights High School. Another possible solution would be changing district boundaries. That solution would have to be further discussed and voted upon.
Source: KSN-TV
Wichita announces two out-of-state finalists for police chief
The city of Wichita named two out-of-state finalists for the Wichita Police Department’s top position on Monday afternoon, according to city spokesperson Megan Lovely. The candidates are Mario Knapp of Miami and Joseph Sullivan of Philadelphia. Both candidates have decades of experience in law enforcement; neither is actively employed by a police department.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Developer wants De Soto to add 2,800 acres to its annexation
The boundary for redevelopment efforts on the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in De Soto could be expanded soon. On Thursday, the De Soto City Council will consider an amendment to the city’s predevelopment agreement with Sunflower Redevelopment Group to annex additional property into the city limits. In November, the City Council approved the annexation of roughly 6,000 acres within the former ammunition plant. Now, the developer is requesting the city annex an additional 2,800 acres — or about 2,100 football fields of land — south of 127th Street on the 9,000-acre former ammunition plant property.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Salina’s waste is being checked for COVID-19 and other diseases
As part of a nationwide initiative, scientists from two of the top research institutes in America are studying what is being flushed down the toilets of Salinans right now. Salina is taking part in the Wastewater Sewer Coronavirus Alert Network (WastewaterSCAN), a program led by researchers at Stanford University and Emory University, that monitors infectious diseases, such as the one that causes COVID-19, by sampling and analyzing the genetic material from the city’s wastewater treatment plant, one of only two places in Kansas.
Source: Salina Journal
Kansas Roads Are Among the Most Dangerous in the Country
Traffic deaths are on the rise in the United States, according to a recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. An estimated 20,175 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes from January through June 2022, the most in the first half of any year since 2006. (Here is a look at the deadliest year for car wrecks since seat belts became law.) The latest increase in traffic fatalities comes as Americans are spending more time on the road. U.S. drivers traveled 43.2 billion more miles in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year.
Source: Atchison Globe Now
How Wichita Public Schools handle concussions in high school football
There was a law passed back in 2011 that requires all schools to immediately remove an athlete from a game or practice in any sport if they are showing any signs of a concussion or head injury. That’s just part of the work done to try to ensure these athletes are suffering potentially life changing injuries. The handling of concussion injuries is on a lot of people’s minds after Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa took a hard hit and had to be carted off the field in Cincinnati Thursday night. “Everybody’s noticed that his hands went into spasm,” said Cody Barnett. “That’s a neurological reaction.” Barnett owns Bodyworx Physical Therapy in east Wichita. He says watching that hit, he could immediately tell what was wrong. “So automatically think either brain injury or spinal cord injury was something like that.”
Source: KAKE – News
Woofstock draws crowd to Sedgwick County Park
A large crowd filled Sedgwick County Park for the 2022 Woofstock celebration Saturday. The annual fundraiser helps provide care for over 16,000 animals every year. In addition, the event featured live music, food, vendors, freebies, games, and giveaways. The’s the Kansas Humane Society’s largest fundraiser of the year. “It makes a really big difference. We are a nonprofit, so all of our funding comes from either our adoption fees or donations. It really helps take care of the animals, their medical needs, just their basic care like food, and it also keeps our building running so that the animals can stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter,” said Carlene Dick with the KHS.
Source: KSN-TV
Mayor Whipple pushes for extra layer of oversight at Wichita Police Department
Mayor Brandon Whipple says it’s time for elected officials to step in and provide additional oversight of the Wichita Police Department amid an escalating feud between police leaders and the city manager’s office. The composition of the proposed task force and the scope of its authority remain to be seen. But some City Council members aren’t convinced the committee is necessary. Whipple, a Democrat, says he and two fellow council members will serve on the task force alongside a city lawyer and Wichita’s newly hired internal auditor, Kristina Rose.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
State Cornshucking Contest set for Oct. 8
One of the most celebrated agricultural events in Kansas will be taking place in Atchison County as the 2022 Kansas State Cornshucking Contest will be in Lancaster Saturday, October 8 at 8 a.m. Registration will be $10 at the entry beginning at 8 a.m. with diverse competitions including teams, novice, Golden Agers, Girls and Boys Youth, Women, and Men in ages of 21-49, and women and men ages 50 and over. Long-time competitor in the event John Scherer is hosting the event at his cornfield and said he is excited to have the contest in Atchison county instead of it usually being in Oakley which is an almost five-hour drive from Atchison.
Source: News | atchisonglobenow.com
Johnson County Commission approves pay raise for sheriff’s deputies
The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday unanimously approved raising the starting pay for deputy officers at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. County officials hope to reduce the number of vacancies in the sheriff’s office as a result of the pay bump. What’s different: Under the newly-approved pay plan, deputies will generally have a new minimum hourly wage of $27.50, which amounts to an annual salary of $57,200.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Emporia runway extension may provide economic boost
It’s not exactly a case of “give him an inch and he’ll take a mile.” But if you give Ken Adams five feet, he might ask for 500. “We’re now past the milestone of a 5,000-foot runway, at 5,004,” the Emporia Municipal Airport Manager said. The paving of five extra feet this past summer fulfilled a long dream for Adams. Federal Aviation Administration rules require a runway that’s 5,000 feet long and 100 feet wide for general aviation. “It hasn’t been cycled through and published into the charts yet,” Adams said. “It’s noted that it is there.” The next airport chart cycle should occur within the next six months. Adams believes the news of that extension will be an economic boost.
Source: Emporia Gazette