Kansas Municipal News
Video visits coming to Harvey County Jail
The Harvey County Jail is making technological changes that will affect the everyday lives of those in the jail — whether they are awaiting court appearances in Harvey County or are federal inmates housed under contract.
Some of those changes aren’t huge — such as the company handling the jail commissary and phone system. But those changes led to one that is big.
Upgraded technology will lead to the availability of video visitation kiosks.
“It will allow the inmate to video visit with their kids on Father’s Day or video visit their kids on their kids’ birthdays,” said Sheriff Chad Gay. “It is one of those things that will help us keep out of fights with them. It is a morale issue. It is a motivator. It is something to keep them motivated or occupied.”
(Read more: Newton Kansan)
Garden City Community College public safety students test out a day on the job
Framed by a flashing ambulance, firetruck and the smashed scene of a staged car crash, students in the fire, EMS and criminal justice departments at Garden City Community College moved and met in small packs of peers with similar uniforms, evaluating the accident.
Fire and EMS students had just arrived and all officers in training were still deciding what to do next.
“They saw that they needed EMS and fire … so now the idea is all that three disciplines have to figure out how to work together,” said Department of Public Safety instructor Brandy Unruh. “So we’ll see if they can figure it out.”
Similar faux-scenes, organized by instructors and starring drama students or mannequins, would pop up around campus in the hours to come. From 7 a.m. to noon, students sat in a makeshift dispatch in the John Collins Vocational Technical Building waiting to be called to the sites of homicides, missing children and pets, a stolen purse, car and chicken, all part of the Department of Public Safety’s annual Scenario Day.
For the next week, students will review the cases and draw conclusions, but the morning’s events all had one purpose: give GCCC public safety students a chance to experience the fast-paced jobs they are pursuing.
(Read more: News – The Garden City Telegram)
Clay County Commission agrees to renew NRP
County Commissioners agreed Monday to continue a tax abatement program as an incentive for commercial development after receiving feedback on the program.
County Appraiser Danny Mesalles met with commissioners Monday morning to discuss the continuation of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) on commercial Property in Clay County. Mesalles said he contacted several of the entities and they are still interested in having the NRP program, according to the minutes of Monday’s meeting.
(Read more: www.ccenterdispatch.com – RSS Results in news,local/* of type article)
Hays mayor encourages homeowners to be involved in 37th St. extension as part of roundabouts project
Before the Hays city commission voted 3-1 Thursday night to approve an engineering design supplement to the North Vine Street Corridor roundabouts project, two residents spoke during citizen comments against a portion of the project affecting 37th Street.
The $49,904.65 supplement agreement with WSP Engineers, Lenexa, includes the scope and fee for services related to right-of-way property acquisition. The original $396,895.26 engineering contract was approved May 25, 2018 with WSP. Both will be funded out of the Convention and Visitors Bureau contingency fund.
Four traffic roundabouts are to be constructed on Vine Street/U.S. Highway 183 at 32nd/33rd, 37th, 41st Streets, and a partial roundabout at the eastbound exit ramp of Interstate 70. Some nearby homeowners are concerned about increased traffic with the extension of 37th and the possibility of falling property values. Mayor Henry Schwaller noted the city commission has not taken action and has had only informal planning discussions about the project. He encouraged residents in the audience to attend the commission meeting when the street extension is on the agenda for discussion. “We want you to be involved as we move forward.”
(Read more: Hays Post)
Main Street Kansas: Sedgwick coffee shop provides place for teens to meet
Perhaps the only thing sweeter than the drinks and treats served at a coffee shop in Sedgwick is the community spirit that started it all.
“A few families just coming together and starting to dream how to make a difference in the lives of kids,” said Damon Young, president of the non-profit called Sedgwick Meeting House, Incorporated.
“For the longest time, except for the two restaurants in town, there wasn’t a place in town for kids to hang out, and there needed to be,” said board member, Kelley DeGraffenreid.
The DeGraffenreids bought an old building in town, and the brainchild of a few became a mission for many.
“Tons of volunteers,” said DeGraffenreid. “Most of the work done on the inside of this building was done with volunteer labor.”
Now called The Meeting House, it’s a fun place for teens who used to have few options.
“When I was younger, we would mostly just go to the gas station,” said student, Laurel Nicholson.
But at the coffee shop, kids are encouraged to loiter.
(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)
Banned in Kansas, kids can still use Missouri’s tanning salons. Will that change?
A friend from Overland Park was telling Amy Holdman recently about driving her daughter across the state line to go to a tanning salon, because Kansas bans anyone under 18 from those businesses.
The friend had apparently forgotten that Holdman, a skin cancer survivor, had testified for the Kansas law.
“I was like, are you kidding me? You’re telling ME this story,” Holdman said with a laugh.
If the American Cancer Society and survivors like Holdman have their way, teens soon won’t be able to just cross the state line to tan.
Missouri legislators are considering two bills like the one Kansas passed in 2016 that would ban anyone under 18 from using commercial tanning beds.
Supporters say it’s a public health issue, with research linking tanning to skin cancer and the Food and Drug Administration recommending kids not use tanning beds that emit ultraviolet, or UV, rays.
(Read more: KC Star Local News)
Planeview residents celebrate their community
Community pride…that’s what nearly a thousand Wichitans celebrated all day long as part of the love your community event.
City leaders, law enforcement, students and more got together in the Planeview neighborhood for a big block party.
It started with a neighborhood clean-up, then a parade.
Those who have lived in the area all their life say it’s a chance to show the city there are good people in all areas of Wichita.
“I grew up here. most people who grew up here realize it’s a family community,” Misty Loyd, a Planeview resident, said. “Most people knew people back then on every block whether they were blood relative or not.”
Organizers say they wanted to give residents the chance to have open conversations with police officers and other leaders in the area.
(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)
Leawood to commemorate first shopping area
Leawood will salute its first commercial development – a little shopping area at Lee Boulevard and Somerset Drive – with the dedication of a bronze plaque at 6 p.m. May 9.
George Martin and his cousin, Cliff Brisbois, built the Leawood Shops in 1951, the city said, and it was among the first shopping centers south of the Plaza.
Martin and his wife Dorothy operated Martin’s Finer Foods, which anchored the center, until they retired in 1980. Martin’s customers could run a tab at the grocery — a convenience in the days before ubiquitous charge cards. Parents could dispatch a child to pick up milk or bread without sending cash with them.
Dorothy Martin operated a gift shop in the grocery store, the city said, and provided seating where women could enjoy the coffee she served.
The first shops also included Bickley’s Pharmacy with its soda fountain, Joe Stoval’s Barber Shop where a child’s first haircut was free, Marvin’s Hobby Shop and Leawood Cleaners. The plaque will be dedicated by the Leawood Historic Commission and the owners of Leawood Shops. Members of the public are encouraged to bring photos and memorabilia to the event, where they can meet members of the Martin and Brisbois families.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Overland Park Orchestra, set to perform season’s final concert, a little-known secret
For 46 years, the Overland Park Orchestra has been striking a chord in Johnson County. The symphonic group will play its last concert of the season May 5.
Featured in the concert is a new work, “Cassini Overture,” by Timothy Rolls, an assistant professor of music at Fort Hays State University. It will have its world premiere the day before in Hays, but the Overland Park Orchestra got the chance to give it a Kansas City area premiere because conductor Shah Sadikov commissioned it for the Hays Symphony Orchestra.
“This is a great opportunity for the orchestra. It’s always super exciting to present a new piece. It’s bringing it to life — nobody’s heard it before,” Sadikov said. “It’s based on the chemical elements of the meteor Cassini. I think the composer did a fantastic job at devising a very interesting sound journey.”
Also on the bill is Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36.”
The performers are a mix of talented amateurs and retired professionals. Sitting at any given music stand could be a nurse, a college professor or a local business owner.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Ecotourism benefits ranchers, communities and prairie chickens
The birdwatcher set her eyes upon the lesser prairie chicken for the first time and her eyes lit up. She was looking at a creature she thought she might never see.
The tourists — known as birders — headed out from Scott City before the sun rose that morning, wheels pointed toward the Hoeme family ranch. The lesser prairie chickens were already conversing in their unique chatter as the group settled into the blind. Hunting has long drawn outsiders to Kansas, but wildlife like the lesser prairie chicken offers a new style of outdoor tourism.
“Kansas has the market cornered on seeing the lesser prairie chicken,” said Kansas Wildlife Parks and Tourism guide Mike Pearce. “The reason West Central Kansas is a bed for the lesser prairie chicken is because of landowners like Stacy Hoeme who take great care of the grassland.”
Stacy Hoeme has been involved with the conservation of prairie chickens on his ranch since 1998 when a study was done on the ranch. In 2013 or 2014, Kansas State University came back to the Hoeme ranch for another study.
“During that time the birds were put on the threatened or endangered list,” Hoeme said. “A lot of people kicked researchers off their land because they didn’t want the public to know they had lesser prairie chickens.”
But Hoeme didn’t, so displaced researchers ended up on his land. The land was the focal point of the largest study ever conducted on the bird.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Pawnee County, McNett sued by former county official
A Pawnee County Health Administrator who accused the county of mishandling grant dollars, and who notified the Kansas Department of Health and Environment about her concerns, was fired by the county in 2017 and now has filed a federal lawsuit.
Robin Rziha’s suit names the Board of County Commissioners of Pawnee County and County Attorney Douglas McNett. She seeks damages over $75,000 and wants a trial by jury in Wichita. During 2015, 2016, and 2017, Rziha claimed, the county mishandled federal grant dollars through the Aid to Local Program. Those dollars pass through KDHE to carry out various programs, such as Title X Family Planning, Title V Maternal Child Health, and Public Health Emergency Preparedness.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
City Hall to enter the curbside bike rental business, taking over Bike Share ICT
The next time you rent a bike to cruise through Wichita, you’ll probably be renting it from city government.
City Hall has agreed to a friendly takeover of Bike Share ICT, shifting the curbside bike rental program from the nonprofit management that started it to more of a partnership between government and the private sector.
The program had been run by Becky Tuttle at the Greater Wichita YMCA. But Tuttle resigned from the Y in January when she was appointed to the City Council.
Now, Bike Share ICT is following her to city government.
“We realized through what’s going on in the community that right now we’re really rethinking how we approach multi-modal forms of transportation,” Tuttle said. “So we’re working with transit, we’re thinking about walkability, we’re thinking about bikeability, we’re thinking about scooters and all these different aspects of transportation.
“So it was just a really timely and unique opportunity to move Bike Share ICT under the city of Wichita Transit Department, with people who are really experts in this type of work.”
(Read more: Local News |)
Citizens in Winfield voice opinion on sales tax to fund safety center and street improvements
Winfield citizens gave their opinion on a proposed 1-percent sales tax to fund a safety center and street improvements during a presentation Thursday at the Winfield Fire Station.
Ballots for the mail-in election will be delivered beginning May 14. They will be due to the county clerk’s office by June 4.
If approved, the new sales tax would replace an existing .4 percent sales tax for street and public library improvements. That tax was approved in 2014 and set to expire in 2021.
The city’s total sales tax would increase from the current 7.9 percent to 8.5 percent if the new sales tax were approved.
Total projected cost of the safety center, which will house the Winfield fire, police and EMS departments, is just more than $14 million, with an estimated bond payment of $995,000 a year for 25 years. Any remaining money generated by the tax would fund the street improvements.
(Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com – RSS Results)
Potential changes to Airbnb regulations to be discussed by Lawrence city leaders
Planning commissioners have some of the same concerns as city leaders regarding certain Airbnb rental properties, queuing up a discussion of potential changes to the city’s recently established short-term-rental regulations.
Last month, Lawrence city commissioners hit pause on the consideration of permits for some Airbnb rental properties to ask major questions about how the properties should be regulated. Specifically, the commission voted to defer considering permits for three whole-home short-term rentals, where the property owner resides elsewhere, so it could get responses to questions posed by Commissioner Stuart Boley regarding affordable housing, taxing rates and potential time limits on the permits, among other topics.
The City Commission directed staff to provide responses to those questions to the Planning Commission, whose recommendations or discussion points would be referred to the City Commission for consideration. The Planning Commission received a staff report on the topic and discussed the concerns as part of its meeting Wednesday.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Florence city councilman on new public comment policy: “Along with this, council members have to pick up their packets ahead of time and do their homework.”
Florence city council announced Monday that people who want to comment at future public meetings must first fill out a form detailing their request.
“I’m not having any more council meetings that are out of control,” mayor Bob Gayle said. “There is no provision in Kansas state law for city councils to hear anything from the public. The public’s right is to come and see, and hear what’s happening, and witness what’s happening.”
The decision is legal under Kansas open meeting laws as long as there is no discrimination accorded by topic, said Max Kautsch via phone, an attorney with Kansas Press Association. The council made the decision during a meeting April 8, but it was discussed again Monday. To be approved for comment in a city council meeting, applicants will have to summarize their statements and include copies of any supporting documents, and must do so by the Wednesday prior to the meeting. If the new system is to work well, council members will have to make sure they pick up their own paperwork before a meeting, councilman Ken Hoffman said. “Along with this, council members have to pick up their packets ahead of time and do their homework,” he said.
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(Read more: PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin)
Marion County recycling slated to be taken to Fort Riley
The possibility of once again being paid a rebate for recyclable materials has led county commissioners to send the county’s recyclables to Fort Riley.
A recycle center in South Hutchinson, which the county has been using for years, stopped paying for materials, based on the prices they get for materials.
“We’ve been cut off for the last year,” county recycling director Bud Druse said. “Prices are down.” Chris Otto, director of recycling at the military base, told county commissioners Monday that Fort Riley’s recycling operation will accept recyclable materials from the county on a trial basis. After a couple of months, Fort Riley will know what they will pay the county, Otto said. But they shouldn’t hold their breath. “It takes the Army a long time to write a check,” he said.
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(Read more: PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin)
Decision time as Hutch Rec digests GreenPlay’s report
Now that the city and Hutch Rec have the full study from GreenPlay, it’s time for a lot of decisions to be made about what the report means for the city’s parks and recreation facilities.
“The 130-plus page plan will be made available online at the Hutch Rec website,” Tony Finlay, director of Hutch Rec, said. The study will then go before the Hutch Rec Board for approval before it moves on to the Hutchinson City Council for action. That is expected in May.
Finlay says any such study ultimately comes down to the dollars that can be invested. “It comes down to funding. The community has told us through numerous plans that sidewalks, trails (and) neighborhood parks are what they want to see in the community,” Finlay said. “So now it’s just to prioritize those things.”
(Read more: Hutch Post)
Reno County Commission could keep plans for proposed wind farm alive
Multiple heated meetings over the past several weeks culminated Tuesday night with the Reno County Planning Commission recommending not to grant a conditional use permit to Next Era Energy to build a wind farm in the southeast part of the county near Cheney Lake.
The recommendation is intended to help the Reno County Commission with its final decision on whether or not to give the proposed wind farm the green light. However, the county has the final say and commissioners don’t have to follow the planning commission’s recommendation.
Tuesday night’s decision by the planning commission was a win for some against the wind farm, but the deal isn’t dead.
Reno County Commissioner Ron Hirst says the commission now has three options it can take regarding the proposed wind farm.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Great Bend Fire and Police awaiting the arrival of new drones
The Great Bend Police and Fire Departments are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new drones that will be implemented in both departments in the near future.
According to Great Bend Fire Chief Luke McCormick, the new drones will be arriving any day now and will be an important tool for both Police and Fire. Last year, the Great Bend City Council authorized funds to purchase drones for both departments. In early January, McCormick and firefighter Mike Smith along with Great Bend Police Chief David Bailey and Detective Heather Smith attended and passed the certification test that was taken after an FAA course at Fort Hays State University.
The Barton County Sheriff’s Office is already utilizing a drone, a law enforcement tool that Brian Bellendir says has been extremely helpful with missing persons.
(Read more: Great Bend Post)
Miami County jail to house some Wyandotte County prisoners
Miami County Detention Center will soon be taking in inmates from Wyandotte County.
Miami County Sheriff Frank Kelly told county commissioners during their April 17 study session that Wyandotte County was interested in sending 20 prisoners initially, as soon as the agreement is approved by Miami County commissioners. Commissioners approved the agreement that afternoon at their regular meeting.
Wyandotte County’s sheriff and administrator have already signed the agreement. Kelly said the jail has had more than 60 inmates in the past. The detention center’s capacity is 96 inmates, but Kelly said the rule of thumb is not to let the jail’s population exceed 85 percent of its capacity in order to provide room for additional Miami County inmates.
The county will receive $45 per day for each inmate from Wyandotte County.
(Read more: The Miami County Republic)
City of Leavenworth discusses stormwater fees
When they met last week, Leavenworth city commissioners reached a consensus to revisit the fee structure for a stormwater system maintenance program.
But when they met again Tuesday, Commissioner Nancy Bauder proposed forgoing any additional study of the issue and reducing one of the fees charged for the program.
“We’ve studied it,” Bauder said. “How much more do we need to study it?”
In the end, commissioners reached consensuses to review a fee charged to property owners for each unit in apartment buildings and take a separate look at the rest of the fee structure.
Commissioners approved annual fees for the stormwater maintenance program last year. The fees are charged to property owners in the city and appear on annual property tax bills.
Currently, the city charges an annual fee of $84 per year for each single family residential home. The city also charges $84 for each unit in apartment complexes. Fees for commercial properties range from $162 to $3,125 per year depending on the size of buildings. Fees for industrial properties range from $337 to $3,125 depending on the size of buildings.
(Read more: Leavenworth Times)
Town hall meeting highlights different opinions on new Saline County jail
Local residents expressed wildly different visions for their criminal justice system during a town hall meeting Tuesday evening.
Some people supported additional resources for inmates to address substance abuse and mental health problems. Others wanted jail to be a harsher punishment to deter inmates from committing additional crimes. Several people opposed building a new jail.
Saline County officials held the town hall to receive feedback on whether the Saline County Commission should build additional jail capacity for inmates in Saline County. The commission is considering four options, one of which is building a new jail. About 30 people attended the meeting.
During the fall of 2011, Saline County officials began transporting inmates to other county jails because the Saline County Jail was already full. Every year since then, Saline County has paid other counties to house its inmates. In 2018, Saline County spent $1.1 million dollars on these expenses.
(Read more: News – Salina Journal)
Haysville groundwater contamination update
Since 2017 the state has known the groundwater off 412 Grand street in Haysville was contaminated with cleaning chemicals considered toxic.
Some in Haysville are asking when the cleanup begins. This week the Kansas Department of Health and Environment says it has a plan.
“KDHE anticipates excavating as much soil contamination as possible. Remediation funding has been allocated for the site,” said Kristi Pankratz with KDHE Communications. “Remedial design engineers will also evaluate the use of other options to clean up any remaining contamination after the excavation.”
KDHE has also been working on studying the site. That includes looking into possible vapor intrusion to see if toxic chemicals in the groundwater are seeping into the soil and air. KDHE found no evidence of toxic levels of vapor intrusion.
While KDHE also plans to work at reducing a groundwater plume of contamination, some residents say they have waited a long time for action.
“These contaminants leaked into the groundwater many, many years ago,” said Lott. “In my opinion I don’t think enough has been done. The water hasn’t been cleaned. The ground/soil hasn’t been cleaned.”
(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)
Residents come together to brainstorm ideas to create more affordable housing in Douglas County
…several local experts on homelessness and affordable housing shared ideas on how to address an issue that has become a concern in Lawrence. The panel included Ron Gaches, chair of the City of Lawrence’s affordable housing advisory board, as well as representatives from KU, Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, the Lawrence Home Builders Association and other local organizations.
Last year, the City of Lawrence hired BBC Research & Consulting to complete a housing market analysis that found about 5,300 Lawrence renters were cost-burdened, defined as those who spend more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities. The study also found that about 2,300 renters earning between about $35,000 and $75,000 would like to purchase a home, but few affordable homes are available.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Lawrence’s 23rd Street construction project leads to land dispute with homeowner, lawsuits
The ongoing project to widen a portion of 23rd Street has the city at odds with a homeowner along the roadway.
The city is widening 23rd Street between Louisiana and Massachusetts streets to install a center turn lane, requiring the city to acquire easements from several property owners, including the owner of a home at 23rd and Vermont streets who has since filed a lawsuit against the city. The project required easements from 12 properties totaling about 7,500 square feet, and the disputed land is the only unresolved easement, according to a city memo.
City memos state that the property at 23rd and Vermont streets is not platted and therefore required an in-depth review of property records to determine the property’s lot lines. At the center of the dispute is whether the city right-of-way extends 30 or 33 feet from the center of the road, and the homeowner and the city both claim to have documents indicating different locations for the property line.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Curb-side recycling could be coming to Barton County in the near future
Currently there is no curb-side recycling offered in Barton County but Sunflower Diversified Services hopes to change that in the future.
Executive Director Jon Prescott updated Barton County Commissioners Monday on the organizations activities over the past year after Sunflower received a $15,000 recycling grant from the county in 2018.
Prescott told the board that they are very interested in providing curb-side recycling in the future after the Barton County Young Professionals organization survey showed there was very high interest in curb-side service. He says of the 278 surveys that were sent out, there was a 96.8% response rate that indicated they were interested.
(Read more: Great Bend Post)
Salina unlikely to ban plastic shopping bags
It appears unlikely Salina will ban the sale of plastic shopping bags.
During a study session on Monday, three city commissioners, Karl Ryan, Mike Hoppock, and Melissa Hodges, expressed opposition to further exploring the proposal at this time. Further consideration of the plastic bag ban would require city staff to spend less time on other priorities, which concerned commissioners who support putting the proposal on hold.
Two commissioners, Joe Hay Jr. and Trent Davis, expressed support for continuing to consider banning plastic shopping bags.
Hay passionately advocated for the ban, which he said would benefit the environment. Hay estimates Salina residents use 60 to 70 million plastic shopping bags every year.
“That number is mind blowing,” He said. “Look at the plastic bags at the landfill. That’s not Christmas decorations on that fence, that’s a lot of plastic bags. We have a big windstorm in town and they’re everywhere”
“I know there is a lot of important stuff to do out there,” Hay added. “But I think this is just as important as any of the other stuff we’ve got to.”
(Read more: News – Salina Journal)
Riley County commission approves letter to be sent to state concerning Senate Bill that would cancel Local Ad Valorem Funds and County/City revenue sharing for local highway projects
The Riley County commissioners approved a letter to be sent to the state in regards to Senate Bill 190 on Monday.
County Counselor Clancy Holeman says the county specifically has an issue with Section 3 Three of the bill. This would cancel the Local Ad Valorem Funds (LAVRF) and County City Revenue Sharing (CCRS) statutes for local highway projects.
During the Joint City/County/County meeting on April 18th, the commissioners discussed writing a letter to the state. Holeman drafted the letter and presented it to the commissioners. The letter is to show the objection the commissioners have and get the support from other government entities on their side. Chairman Ron Wells was very vocal about the the subject saying he was not happy the way the state is heading.
“The direction the state is going, it’s not going to get better. They’re going to continue taking money and dumping more and more responsibility on cities and counties,” said Wells.
(Read more: 1350 KMAN)
Beer garden to expand at Marion county fair
The Hillsboro City Council approved the plans to have a larger beer garden at the Marion County fair this summer in their meeting on Tuesday, April 16.
Brent Unruh explained that last year was the first year for a beer garden at the fair and it went well.
“We didn’t have a single issue with the alcohol. It was the cleanest spot in the arena,” said Unruh.
Several of the council members chimed in that they had heard positive feedback about the garden as well.
Unruh asked permission to hold the beer garden again with a few modifications.They first asked if the space where beer consumers could be expanded.
“Some people like me would like to take a beer back and sit with their family rather than be confined to an area where they buy it. We’d like to open up the East side to beer sales only and we would block it off and inspect the area.”
They also asked if they could sell more than three beers.
(Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)
Marion County Firefighters given praise following burn project
Marion County commissioners heard from local firefighters at Monday’s meeting and how their task force scored high marks as part of a burn project at Quivira Boy Scout Ranch in Sedan.
Lester Kaiser, Lincolnville fire chief, said as volunteers they were graded on their performance with the highest marks given for attitude.
In addition, Erik Johnson, whose home unit is the Colorado River Fire Rescue stated the Marion County firefighters were prompt in arriving and in duty areas.
“The crew boss for the students advised me that the task force of personnel were engaged in their work. They integrated well with the crew and learned new techniques to improve their own response duties,” he said.
Johnson said: “I recommend the Marion County task force for future assignments and deployments. (It was) a pleasure to work with the staff.”
(Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)
Garden City Rec Commission breaks ground on O’Brate Gymnastics Center
Nearly two years after the Garden City Recreation Commission bought GC Gymnastics Center on VFW Road, GCRC Superintendent Aaron Stewart on Monday stood before the organization’s board, coaches and stakeholders to break ground on a newer, larger facility.
“We knew we needed a new facility basically within a month of being in the current facility, but it was hard to see this one coming,” Stewart said, referring to the nearly 12,000-square-foot building behind him compared to the much smaller, cramped and outdated gymnastics facility on VFW Road.
Construction for the more than $1.34 million renovation project will continue throughout 2019 and is expected to wrap up no later than the end of January 2020, Stewart said. The grand opening of the new O’Brate Gymnastics Center, located at 909 Fulton St., is scheduled for Feb. 1, 2020, he said.
(Read more: News – The Garden City Telegram)
Reno County Planning Commission will not recommend permit for wind farm
The Reno County Planning Commission voted 4-3 against recommending a conditional use permit for NextEra Wind Energy to build a wind farm in the southeast part of Reno County. The sticking point was over setbacks with most not able to agree on what the setbacks should be. Some ideas included a mile from the property line to 2,000 feet from the foundation of a non-participating landowner.
After the vote to deny recommending the conditional use permit, the planning commission voted 4-3 to send the recommendation to the Reno County Commission for consideration. The commission can go against this recommendation, agree with it and deny the conditional use permit, or send it back to the planning commission for further consideration or study.
(Read more: Hutch Post)
Chanute hears plans about solar-voltaic project
Chanute city commissioners discussed solar energy with energy officials and the neighbor of a proposed project Monday evening.
The commission met with Brandon Sack of Westar Clean Energy Development and Scott Shreve of consultants Energy Management Group about a proposed solar-voltaic project to be built near the city’s south energy plant on south Plummer.
The commission also heard from neighboring resident Kathy Wicker.
Commissioners said after the discussion that they wanted to talk about it more, and Mayor Sam Budreau said the consensus seemed to be to bring it back to the table.
Westar has proposed working with the city on the 8.89 kilowatt solar power project to provide electricity to Ash Grove. The project would be on the city’s property, and the city would have the option to purchase the project after seven years.
(Read more: The Chanute Tribune)
Schlitterbahn Water Park, part of $80 million Star Bond district in KC, has uncertain future
The future of Schlitterbahn Water Park is uncertain as summer approaches.
There are questions about whether the park will open for the 2019 season. The water park tore down the Verruckt waterslide after the 2016 death of Caleb Schwab, 10. The rest of the park’s rides remain.
Schlitterbahn’s corporate website still lists the KCK location, but there is no place to apply for 2019 jobs at the park.
Mayor David Alvey believes the facility will come back as a water park.
“It’s a good site. It’s a good working park. I believe it will come back — not sure when or how, but I believe it’s going to,” Alvey said.
Permits from the Kansas Department of Labor for the park’s remaining 11 rides are still active until late June, and in some cases, late July.
The rides are inspected by private contractors. Kansas audited those ride inspections in May. No other state inspections are set at this time.
Schlitterbahn is part of an $80 million financial incentive package for the area, which used Kansas STAR bonds.
“You know, there is so much other economic activity tied into that STAR bond district, I think it’s a temporary decline, but nothing that is going to put the STAR bonds in jeopardy,” Alvey said.
(Read more: KMBC)
Hays looks at draft Parks Improvement Plan
At the suggestion of Hays city commissioners, a policy has been drafted for determining priorities in park improvements as well as how matching funds from outside entities are considered.
The draft includes a new park amenities schedule created with the assistance of Jeff Boyle, director of parks. The total cost is approximately $3.35 million.
“We would anticipate updating that every year with high, medium and low priority projects,” City Manager Toby Dougherty told the commission last week. It would be adopted as part of the annual budget of the Parks Department after review by the commission.
(Read more: Hays Post)
McPherson superintendent addresses backlash with new online curriculum
A Kansas superintendent makes efforts to clear things up about a learning program which has received backlash from some parents and students. This comes after The New York Times released an article about several Kansas districts using it. The new curriculum, called Summit Learning, is centered around an online program in which students complete assignments online and then demonstrate what they’ve learned in the classroom. McPherson school district superintendent Gordon Mohn explains the curriculum is designed for students to learn and progress at their own speed. A piece in the New York Times highlighted multiple parents against the Summit Learning program, some of which even pulled their children from the district altogether. Mohn says Summit Learning is part of a district-redesign process and certain grades are selected to use the web-based curriculum aimed to make individualized instruction for each student.
“I think the (New York Times) article was accurate in (that) we have some people who are very passionately opposed to what we are doing. We recognize that,” Mohn says.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Some cities stop chalking tires after court rules practice unconstitutional in 4 states
Marking tires to enforce parking rules is like entering property without a search warrant, a federal court said Monday as it declared the practice unconstitutional in Michigan and three other states.
Alison Taylor had received more than a dozen $15 tickets for exceeding the two-hour parking limit in Saginaw. The city marks tires with chalk to keep track of how long a vehicle is parked. Her lawyer argued that a parking patrol officer violated the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches.
A three-judge panel of the appeals court agreed.
The purpose of marking tires was to “raise revenue,” not to protect the public against a safety risk, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said.
“The city does not demonstrate, in law or logic, that the need to deter drivers from exceeding the time permitted for parking — before they have even done so — is sufficient to justify a warrantless search under the community caretaker rationale,” the court said.
The decision sets a new standard for Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, the states covered by the 6th Circuit. The court overturned an opinion by U.S. District Judge Thomas Ludington, who had called the legal theory “unorthodox” and dismissed the case in favor of Saginaw.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Lawrence City Commission selects Craig Owens as city manager
The current city manager of Clayton, Mo., will soon take over as Lawrence’s top nonelected official.
At a special meeting Monday, the Lawrence City Commission announced that Craig Owens had been selected as the city’s next city manager. Reading a prepared statement, Mayor Lisa Larsen said that the commission was impressed with Owens’ 25 years of progressive experience in city management, which includes serving in several states and other community involvement.
“Craig will be a great asset to our community, and I look forward to working with him as we continue to work toward creating a better city for all of our community members,” Larsen said.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Greenwood County Commissioners approve junk property code to prevent junk properties in previously incorporated towns
Monday, Greenwood County commissioners approved the health and welfare code aimed at preventing junk-properties
from cluttering previously incorporated towns. After discussing the idea of this code multiple times over the years, it was brought
back to the attention of the commissioners several weeks ago when residents of Neal filled the room to ask them to revisit the code
once again. Frank McCollum explained, “I think you should have more than one person that can file a complaint against somebody. Everybody has enemies out there.” Chuck Spradlin commented on the complaint and review process, as at least one commissioner will be responsible for visiting the site of each complaint before taking action. Spradlin explained, “If someone turned in something trivial, we would have to interpret that.” After discussing the drafted code last week and opening it to the public for comment, commissioners approved the code this week, with several minor grammatical changes. Commissioners plan to sign the corrected code next week
and publish the document in the county newspapers.
(Read more: Eureka Herald RSS)
Kansas cracks down on nursing home operators with shaky finances
The state of Kansas had to take over 22 financially struggling nursing homes last year — the most anyone connected to the industry could remember.
Officials with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services said they had no choice. Nursing home managers — most of them from out of state — had fallen behind on bills for basics like food and utilities, putting residents’ health and safety at risk.
Now the Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly have come together on a plan to keep it from happening again.
Lawmakers this month passed a bill requested by the Kelly administration that will require much more financial information from people who apply for licenses to operate nursing homes.
“It gives us a better opportunity to maybe know in advance if somebody coming in is maybe in financial difficulties,” said Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican who chairs the House Health and Human Services Committee. “It’s never going to solve it (completely) but there should be fewer we have to take over in the future.”
Fifteen of the 22 homes the state had to take over last year were run by Skyline Health, a company owned by a family of investors and headquartered above a pizza parlor in New Jersey.
(Read more: KC Breaking News, Sports & Crime |)
Neighborhood group in Emporia hosts annual fish fry to fund community improvements
The sounds of laughter and the tell-tale sizzle of fried fish could be heard during the Emporia Eastside Community Group’s annual fish fry fundraiser Saturday at the Emporia Recreation Center.
The group raised $900.
Founded in 1998, members of the Emporia Eastside Community Group have dedicated their time to making sure their neighborhoods are friendly, safe and enjoyable. Members range from lifelong Emporians to those who came to the area from Pennsylvania, New York, California and more. The group uses the money raised to fund its scholarship programs, the Memorial Day Community barbecue, purchasing equipment for the Eastside Memorial Park and helping out with other community events throughout the year.
“We still provide the Memorial Day barbecue for the community and we supply all of the meats and drinks and entertainment and just ask that everyone brings a covered dish,” Slappy said. “In the winter, we put together a Christmas basket for seniors. What this does is help us to continue to fund those things instead of having to use money that’s stored in the Emporia Community Foundation.”
(Read more: Emporia Gazette)
Commissioners OK issuing $13 million in industrial revenue bonds for retail development
Shawnee County commissioners on Monday morning approved by a 3-0 vote a resolution to issue about $13 million in taxable industrial revenue bonds for a shopping development in west Topeka.
The industrial revenue bonds would be used by Equity Investment Group Wanamaker LLC for its proposed $31.4 million project to redevelop retail properties it owns at the southeast corner of S.W. 17th and Wanamaker Road. A building formerly occupied by a Kmart store is located on the property.
Bob Perry, the county’s bond counsel, told commissioners the issuance of the industrial revenue bonds would generate “substantial” ad valorem taxes for the city and county.
He said the resolution acknowledges EIG’s request for the bonds expresses the commission’s intent to issue the bonds. Perry said he would begin negotiating terms of the agreement in the next few weeks.
“EIG is buying its own bonds, so we don’t have to worry about selling bonds to third-party investors,” Perry said. “Reduces everybody’s risk.”
(Read more: Political – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Salina city leaders explore possibility of plastic bag ban
Salina city leaders are exploring the possibility of a ban on plastic shopping bags.
City staff was briefing commissioners Monday on other communities with bans and what it would take to gather public input on such a policy.
Salina City Commissioner Joe Hay proposed the ban. He told KAKE-TV earlier this year that the city should be a leader in the state. He says the bags fly like kites and blanket fences and trees after a wind storm.
California and Hawaii already ban disposable plastic bags. So do many cities including Chicago, Seattle and more than a dozen local communities in New York state.
(Read more: Great Bend Post)
Challenging claims: a look at NextEra’s economic impact
A pro-wind group out of Lenexa this weekend purchased a full-page color ad in The Hutchinson News claiming NextEra Energy’s proposed Reno County wind farm would add more than $130 million to the county economy, including $50 million in land payments for local farmers. NextEra made a similar claim in a half-page ad in The News on March 31.
The claims in both ads are based on an economic impact study by a fellow at the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University.
Opponents of the 80-plus turbine wind farm, however, challenged the numbers during public hearings earlier this month on NextEra’s application for a conditional use permit.
A separate cost-benefits study by the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State University came to a different, much smaller conclusion, though that analysis did not include all the same data.
There are also questions The News has asked NextEra about the employment levels it has promised — a key element of each study — but that NextEra officials declined to respond to until after the hearing process is over.
(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)
Hutch USD’s bus costs to surge
Hutchinson USD 308′s cost for contracting a school bus service provider will accelerate next year.
Three vendors submitted sealed bids for a new five-year contract. The current provider, Durham School Services, won the contract Monday night by offering the lowest price, which still will be nearly 18 percent higher than the 2018-19 price structure.
The price offered by Apple Bus Co. would have brought a 25 percent increase, and First Student Inc.’s price would have meant a 50 percent increase. The five-year grand total for Durham’s bid amounted to $7,018,238.
USD 308 uses school buses to transport special needs students, elementary students living east of K-61, and students being shuttled between the two middle schools. Buses also transport students to sports events and activities, as well as field trips. USD 308 Director of Operations Randy Norwood said all school buses are required to have the same safety features. He had no complaints with Durham’s service.
(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)