Municipal News & Jobs

The Marmaton Market, Moran’s grocery store, is closed “until further notice.” Store manager Marilyn Logan declined to comment further Wednesday. The market, which was purchased by the Marmaton Market Cooperative in 2018, has struggled to stay afloat financially, to the point Logan warned in 2021 it would close without greater local support. Several grants, including a $140,000 USDA grant that paid for construction of a commercial-grade kitchen, have helped keep the store afloat.
Read more: The Iola Register

You turn on the faucet, water comes out. What you don’t use runs down the drain and disappears. It feels simple, but every drop of water, whether coming in or going out, depends on a vast and complex system that keeps it safe for humans and the environment. It might seem invisible, but hundreds of public servants and billions of dollars in infrastructure work every day to: treat and transport water to your home; manage and dispose of your wastewater (sewage); direct stormwater away from neighborhoods, and preserve and restore natural streamways.
Read more: Johnson County Post

After waiting for months for the federal government to deliver promised funds, Overland Park is finally moving ahead with a traffic calming and safety plan. Last year, Overland Park was promised $500,000 to complete a traffic Safety Action Plan using the Safe Streets For All (SS4A) grant program. That’s a five-year, billion-dollar program established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed during the Biden presidency, designed to cut down on serious injuries and deaths in traffic crashes. Earlier this year, the money — delivered through the Federal Highway Administration — for the project was tied up amid federal grant process freezes, effectively stalling the project while the city was unable to access it. However, the city has now received the funds and is ready to begin the project this year.
Read more: Johnson County Post

More residents may soon become eligible for Overland Park’s property tax rebate pilot program this year. With roughly $110,000 left in the pot set aside for city property tax rebates this year, the city is looking at expanding the eligibility criteria to include more household income levels in the program. Currently, only extremely low and very low income households — defined under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s guidelines for the Kansas City metro area — are eligible for the rebate. However, the city could expand that to include low-income households as well.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Just one month into the pilot, the city of Prairie Village is expanding its drop-off composting program. The Prairie Village City Council on Aug. 18 unanimously agreed to purchase three more KC Can Compost smart bins for a total of five drop-off composting locations. Since launching on July 1, KC Can Compost has collected more than 8,000 pounds of food scraps (as of Aug. 18) from the two bins originally approved as part of the pilot program.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Weeks after the Olathe Planning Commission denied a proposal for a massive cold storage facility, residents who live by the proposed site poured into the City Council chambers, pleading with council members to deny the project over concerns of it posing an environmental hazard. In a meeting Tuesday night, the City Council unanimously approved tax incentives to help fund construction for parts of the project, but the development proposal itself still needs to come back to the dais for final approval.
Read more: Homepage

Twice in the past five years, supermajorities of voters have turned down proposals to build new high school baseball and softball fields in Louisburg, Kansas, home of the Wildcats. The school board had no intention of asking again. Its new plan was to fund a scaled-down version of the project by entering into a 10-year, $4 million lease-purchase agreement with First Option Bank. Adding in interest, the fields would cost about $4.8 million. Unlike proposals before it, though, the annual payments of more than $400,000 would be funded entirely through the school district’s capital outlay budget, meaning construction wouldn’t require a property tax hike. But 568 people signed a protest petition that was filed with the Miami County clerk in July — more than twice the threshold of Louisburg voters necessary to trigger a referendum vote on whether the project can proceed.
Read more: Homepage

A Shawnee police dog that was stabbed in Kansas City, Kansas, Aug. 5 is back to work after nearly a month of recovery. Dagger, a K9 police dog with the Shawnee Police Department, returned to full duty Tuesday after he was stabbed while responding to an aggravated robbery call on Aug. 5.
Read more: Homepage

The Kansas Supreme Court is seeking public input on proposed Rule 1405, which would create a standing Rural Justice Initiative Committee. If approved, the rule would set the structure for the committee, including membership and terms. The committee would oversee the implementation of recommendations from the Rural Justice Initiative Final Report, track the effectiveness of those efforts, and explore ways to improve access to legal services in rural areas.
Read more: KCLY Radio

“History was made here today.” That’s how one person described the test flight of a drone that delivered a piece of medical equipment to a rural hospital nearly 30 miles away. It was a pioneering effort to see how unmanned aircraft can benefit rural hospitals and patients in the future. 
Read more: KCLY Radio

A new vending machine in Garden City is offering free doses of Narcan to anyone who needs them. Compass Behavioral Health announced that its outpatient office at 1111 E. Spruce St. has partnered with DCCCA to provide the medication, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The machine is available to the public at no cost.
Read more: KSN-TV

Being a helpful member of your community doesn’t have an age limit, as shown by second grader Tiffany Hernandez from Burrton. She’s been coming to the Newton and Burrton public libraries since she was 18 months old. Now, the 7-year-old is giving back to places she says are a couple of her favorite places in the world. “The kids section, and the books,” Tiffany said when asked what her favorite part of the library was. But Tiffany has another passion; earlier this year, she got into making hair bows. But Tiffany wasn’t going to just give these handcrafted bows away. This second grader also has an entrepreneurial spirit, so she decided to sell these at the Burrton farmer’s market. But instead of saving the money for herself, Tiffany decided to donate all of the earnings, around $100, to both libraries.
Read more: KSN-TV

The City of Haysville has been ordered to pay a $250 fine for violating the Kansas Open Records Act. The Kansas Attorney General’s Office says the city violated the KORA when it didn’t produce photographs requested by a resident without providing any explanation as to why they were not provided. He realized he did not receive all of the requested records when the photos were presented in a jury trial.
Read more: KSN-TV

A federal judge determined the City of Topeka did not discriminate against a former Topeka firefighter. Brentley Dorsey was not selected for promotion because he scored lowest amongst seven candidates, not because he was disabled and Black, according to Wednesday’s ruling by Holly Teeter. Dorsey filed the claim in 2023, claiming he was not promoted to fire inspector, fire marshal or fire chief because of his race and because he had leukemia. He claims white employees with less experience were promoted instead.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

The Junction City Police Department is unveiling a new mural highlighting the cultural history of the city’s Ninth Street District. Painted by local artist Cierra Marrero, the new mural transforms the police department’s memorial display area into a story of honor and community pride. One side features a Junction City police officer representing duty and service, while the other side depicts a jazz musician with a saxophone paying tribute to the jazz scene the Ninth Street District was once known for.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

The City of Topeka reports that more than 500 people in the Capital City are experiencing homelessness this year following a recent head count. The City of Topeka reported on Wednesday, Sept. 3 the results of its summer 2025 Point in Time Homeless Count. More than 40 people participated in the one-day count that occurred on June 25 to take a measure of the city’s current homeless population. A total of 524 people and 413 households are experiencing homelessness in Topeka and Shawnee County, according to the county. A total of 180 are considered to be unsheltered or not living in an emergency shelter or transitional housing.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

Police in Carbondale say some local residents are preventing utility workers from doing their jobs by scaring them off their properties. The Carbondale Police Department (CPD) posted to social media on Aug. 29 saying that there are some reports locally of residents “chasing off” utility workers while they are trying to perform their job duties. Police said the workers are wearing identifiable clothing, are driving in marked vehicles and possess valid identification. The CPD reports that, in one situation, a firearm was involved and that “this is dangerous and not okay.” Police are encouraging residents to respect utility workers who are in the area and say that people who threaten or point firearms at them could be arrested.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

The ground vacuuming will cease as Newton Fire and EMS take over the monitoring of Fox Ridge’s mystery gas emission. That’s about all for new developments into the situation, which prompted a voluntary evacuation request and emergency declarations from both the Harvey County Commission and Gov. Laura Kelly. “Newton Fire/EMS will continue to monitor above-ground levels every four hours,” City Communications Director Erin McDaniel stated. “Since monitoring began, gas levels have only been detected below the surface.” On Aug. 22, Kansas Gas detected a flammable gas in the soil at the Fox Ridge site while doing testing in the area. The company then began to attempt to determine if it was responsible for the emission or if it came from another source.
Read more: Harvey County Now

How do you want Newton to change, grow and develop? That’s the question the City of Newton is asking residents as it creates a new comprehensive plan titled “Newton Next.” The plan will replace the ReNewton plan, adopted in 2010. “This is a chance for Newton to come together and imagine what’s next,” Mayor Rich Stinnett said. “We want every resident, business owner and community partner to be part of this journey.” According to the city’s announcement, “the plan will serve as a roadmap for how the city grows, preserves its unique character and prepares for future needs in areas such as housing, transportation, land use and economic development.” The ReNewton Plan was slated to stretch from 2010 to 2030.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Three children played in a colorful, engaging room Friday morning at Sedgwick Elementary School while a song about bumblebees played in the background. The kids were at the Cardinal Kids Learning Academy at the school. “We are a licensed childcare,” Director and Childcare Provider Merry Kirkpatrick said, adding that mostly teachers’ children and community members’ children are enrolled. This is the first year for the daycare. There are a total of seven children enrolled.
Read more: Harvey County Now

On August 21, 2025, Hays city staff were asked to research and making recommendations regarding implementation of an Ordinance requiring SafeBar Alliance and Bystander Training as part of future liquor license renewals. The direction to explore implementing an Ordinance aimed to prevent alcohol-facilitated sexual violence, like the program required by Lawrence’s 2020 Ordinance 9566, followed a half-hour presentation to the Hays City Commission Work Session from representatives of Jana’s Campaign and Options Domestic & Sexual Violence Services.
Read more: Hays Daily News

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.

As the 150th anniversary of Pittsburg’s founding approaches, community leaders and private citizens are planning birthday celebrations throughout 2026. The executive committee, which is made up of the heads of the subcommittees, met on Wednesday to compare notes. While still in the planning stages, Pittsburg 150 is exploring several options across several categories to celebrate the auspicious occasion.
Read more: – Latest Stories

The Environmental Sustainability Advisory Board plans to urge Lawrence city commissioners to adopt an environmentally friendly ordinance that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions while saving renters money. The policy would require owners and landlords of certain covered properties to submit energy consumption data to the city annually, a process known as energy benchmarking. Then, the data would be available in the public record to increase transparency for tenants about a building’s energy efficiency.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

The City of Winfield is proposing a ban on mini-bikes in the city limits, with an ordinance doing just that on the City Commission agenda Tuesday. City Manager Taggart Wall explained that mini-bikes are best described as miniature motorcycles, low to the ground and often difficult for other motorists to see.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com – RSS Results

Several weeks ago, Girard Police Chief Jesse Snider approached the Girard City Council, notifying council members of a potential project in which the police department donates bicycles in their custody, so new homes can be found for them. “Under our code 10-203, and many cities have this, if we have property that the police department takes custody of, however they take custody, at some point we can dispose of it after 90 days,” said city attorney Steve Angermayer at the meeting on Aug. 11. “… Code says if they are less than 100 bucks, they can be disposed of in a manner which benefits the public as approved by a majority of the council.” Snider provided further details on the bike initiative. “We have 33 bicycles, some from 2001,” said Snider. “… We got ahold of Brian Jackson through the Girard Chamber. He works to restore; they fix up bicycles and hand them out to kids. He’s accepted to come over and pick them up and go fix them and hand them out.”
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.

Both City Commissioner Alaina Cunnigham and Mayor Sandy Jacobs used a portion of their Commissioner Comment time on August 14th to ask the public to watch out for kids on scooters as school begins. And on August 18, 2025, an Ellis resident asked the Ellis City Council to address the same problem, kids on scooters darting out between cars, before someone gets hurt.
Read more: Hays Daily News

The Kansas attorney general’s office issued a $250 fine to the Haysville City Council for violating the Kansas Open Records Act, officials said Wednesday. City employees declined without explanation to release copies of photographs requested under the state government transparency law. The photographs should have been released under KORA. The photographs were subsequently presented in court during a jury trial and led to the examination of whether the city committed a KORA violation.
Read more: Homepage

Many streets north of Waterman downtown soon will have paid parking meters installed. The city will begin to place meters after Labor Day on many of the north-south streets downtown, as well as the remainder of Douglas Avenue and other east-west streets. “Installation is expected to take several weeks,” a city news release said. This phase of parking will include some 15-minute parking spots that are free for visitors. Some of those spots will be on South Topeka near the Kansas Leadership Center and the Hilton Garden Inn Wichita Downtown.
Read more: Homepage

In part of east Wichita, a gun crime was 9.4 times more likely to happen at or within 300 feet of a gas station. It was 5.2 times more likely within 300 feet of a bar and 3.6 times more likely within 300 feet of a phone store. That’s what Wichita police learned from one of the department’s latest strategies to curb gun violence, the risk terrain modeling program. Risk terrain modeling software, from a company called Simsi, looks at the underlying factors of an area that might lead people to go there to commit crime. Wichita police are focusing on gun crime now.
Read more: Homepage

The dream of turning the old tennis courts at Wilson Park in Arkansas City into pickleball courts scored a big victory last week with the city announcing it had been awarded a $115,840 grant from the National Park Service.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com – RSS Results

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.

There’s a certain comfort that communities take in being able to pick up the phone, dial 911 and get help on possibly the worst day of their lives. Elijah Robinson of Newton is one of those people at the other end of the call who rush to help, and he’s doing that as an EMT with Hesston Fire/EMS.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Girard Events, gearing up for its annual Fall Festival celebration, visited the Girard City Council Monday evening to discuss common consumption at its annual event. Scheduled to take place Friday, Oct. 17 through Saturday, Oct. 18, the annual Girard Homecoming and Fall Festival is a longstanding tradition, offering a parade, live music, kids’ games, and much more. During Monday’s meeting, Girard Events/Chamber Board member Kylie Smith and Girard Chamber Director Greg Scott visited city hall to seek approval from councilmembers. The council and Smith first talked about the city’s common consumption ordinance. Read more: – Latest Stories

At Tuesday morning’s county commission meeting, the commissioners discussed establishing a Reinvestment Housing Incentive District (RHID) somewhere in the county. According to the Kansas Department of Commerce, RHID is a program designed to aid developers in building housing within communities by assisting in the financing of public infrastructure improvements. RHID captures the incremental increase in real property taxes created by a housing development project for up to 25 years. The revenue can be used for reimbursement for incurred costs or to pay debt service on bonds.
Read more: – Latest Stories

Friday’s booming rally turned into Monday’s reality check as investors weighed just how aggressive the Federal Reserve will be on lowering interest rates and how the moves might impact the broader business and economic climate. Chair Jerome Powell, in his annual address at the Jackson Hole, Wyoming, symposium, gave Wall Street hope of easier days ahead when he said conditions “may warrant adjusting our policy stance,” which is generally seen as “Fedspeak” for cutting rates.
Read more: Finance

As a regional librarian for the Johnson County Library, it’s Chris Koppenhaver’s job to be around books inside. As a dad of two boys, it’s been Koppenhaver’s joy to be around books outside. Koppenhaver and his sons have been among the countless patrons of the library system’s Walk and Read — a program that takes storytelling outside a library building. Walk and Read posts pages from children’s books on a series of real estate signs placed along walkways. This fall, Walk and Reads will be offered in seven parks and the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center.
Read more: Homepage

Iola City Council members discussed Monday a proposal to handle requests if someone wishes to have a person’s remains moved from either of the city’s two cemeteries. Iola will likely soon have an ordinance in place to follow in case the city receives a request to have a person’s remains removed from either Highland or Iola Cemetery. The discussion is both proactive and reactive, Parks and Cemetery Superintendent Robby Droessler said at Monday’s City Council meeting. He relayed a discussion he had with an individual in June who had inquired about having a relative’s urn removed from a cemetery plot in Iola.
Read more: The Iola Register

The COVID-19 pandemic boosted the microschool movement across the country, as families sought alternatives during shutdowns and remote schooling. The trend has continued post-pandemic, as part of a broader desire for educational choice. Last summer, the district reached out to several families who had planned to pull their kids out of Wichita schools. Some were headed to private or religious schools, others to homeschool. They changed their minds and instead enrolled at Creative Minds Academy.
Read more: The Iola Register

A grant that was initially meant to establish one more free Narcan vending machine will now support eight machines around Lawrence, and the first three were installed this week. Lawrence’s Homeless Solutions Division received $200,000 in grant funding from Kansas Fights Addiction to set up one Narcan vending machine. A partnership with Schmidt Vending allowed the city to repurpose used machines rather than purchasing brand new, meaning the money will stretch to cover eight machines. Narcan or naloxone, the FDA-approved, over-the-counter nasal treatment, blocks the effects of opiates on the brain and restores breathing. It’s effective against all opiates and opioids — heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, and similar prescription and street drugs — although some overdoses may take multiple doses to reverse.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

The City of Lawrence is seeking community feedback on a draft policy that details how the city will invest in affordable housing projects and what criteria developers must meet. The 54-page draft policy lays out details such as definitions of affordability; requirements that proposals must meet; various types of incentives the city will consider providing for projects; how long housing units must remain affordable and much more. The policy is a piece of larger city and county initiatives intended to increase housing availability in Lawrence, particularly for financially stressed households, and to reduce homelessness.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

How is it that a political candidate is simultaneously in the running for two local boards? And, can a public utilities board member also snag Wyandotte County’s top leadership role? In Lisa Walker-Yeager’s and Rose Mulvany Henry’s cases, government ethics and elections officials say the distinction between whether someone can put their hat in the ring for multiple spots — which they can — and whether they can actually serve in those roles is subject to legal interpretation. In other words, it’s not immediately clear if someone who runs for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas’s commission and the Board of Public Utilities can win and keep both positions.
Read more: Homepage

A portion of Route 66 in southeast Kansas has a new feature. It’s a Centennial Arch on Front Street in Galena. In case you’re unaware, The Mother Road turns 100 years old next year. And, the idea for this project has been brewing for quite some time. Former mayor, and self-described Route 66 roadie, Dale Oglesby came up with it in 2011.
Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

Carolyn Caiharr is running unopposed for re-election as mayor of Edwardsville in November. In September, her Wyandotte County constituency will grow about five times larger. Caiharr faced no challengers earlier this month when local Republican precinct committee members chose her to replace outgoing Rep. Mike Thompson, who is retiring from politics to care for his ailing wife. House District 33 includes Edwardsville, much of Bonner Springs, the southwest corner of Kansas City, Kansas, and the northernmost tip of Lake Quivira.
Read more: Homepage