Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Parsons seeks StormReady designation

The city of Parsons is preparing to be a StormReady community, a designation that could reduce fatalities and injuries in storms by sharing clear and timely details of storm or flood events.

Parsons Police Sgt. Jason Ludwig said he is about midway through the application process with the National Weather Service, which has a 32-page guide for seeking a StormReady designation.

Since the program’s inception in Oklahoma in 1999, over 2,000 counties, cities, towns, universities, Indian nations, commercial sites, government facilities and military installations have been recognized as StormReady. The program recognizes emergency management programs that meet the StormReady guidelines, demonstrating preparedness for hazardous weather and flooding. StormReady ensures jurisdictions have a standard level of emergency planning and communication capabilities. An effective StormReady Program is essential for NWS to fulfill its mission of protecting life and property.

The weather service approved seven communities and 35 Kansas counties as StormReady. Neosho County Community College in Chanute is a StormReady college, the only entity in 12 Southeast Kansas counties with the designation, according to the NWS website.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Frontenac, Arma schools included in Apollo Redesign Project

Two local school districts will be taking part in Apollo, the fourth phase of the Kansas Can School Redesign Project.

Forty-one schools representing 19 districts across Kansas will take part in Apollo, including local schools, Frontenac Junior High, Frank Layden Elementary and Northeast High School.

According to the Kansas Department of Education website, the Kansans Can School Redesign Project, “was announced in 2017 in support of Kansas’ vision for education” created in 2015 based on community and business feedback across the state. The principals at each of the schools said they are excited for the school redesign opportunity.
“We want to put our kids in the best possible situation and the redesign gives us that opportunity,” Martin said. “It’s the first thing in probably 30 years that education really is education and teacher driven.
“We’re really excited to be a part of that, something that will really make a difference in the lives of our kids.”

(Read more: Pittsburg Morning Sun)

Reno County commissioners divided on tax abatement for local company

Reno County commissioners made no decision on whether to grant 10 years tax abatement for Wifco Steel to build a new office building on its property. The plan is to build the 5,400-square-foot office building then tear down the current office space and add space for additional manufacturing. The plan would include adding at least 10 more employees in 2020 with an additional payroll of $250,000.

However, the commissioners cannot agree on how long the abatement should last. Commissioner Ron Sellers called it unfair to other taxpayers and wanted the abatement to be less than 100%.

Commissioner Ron Hirst says he’s leaning more toward eight years of abatement, while Commission Chair Bob Bush seemed to be in favor of the 10-year tax abatement. “In the long term, it will benefit the county,” Bush said.

Wifco plans to spend $845,000 on the project.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Recycling supporters address Crawford county commission

Several local residents showed up at Tuesday’s Crawford County Commission meeting to speak in support of Southeast Kansas Recycling, Inc., which recently requested funding from the county to keep its operations up and running.

Bert Patrick, of Pittsburg, said that recycling reduces the amount of trash that has to go into the landfill.

“The bulk of those items that we do take to the Recycling Center are non-biodegradable, and those items as a consequence are just going to be in that landfill for decades and decades,” Patrick said, “and long-term we don’t know the actual effect that that does have in terms of contaminating the soil or in terms of affecting the water table.”

Patrick added that the Southeast Kansas Recycling Center provides employment for some county residents. It’s “not a huge number of people, you know, who actually work there, but it does provide some employment for them,” he said. Jim Brumfield of Pittsburg said that recycling locally has an impact on the broader environment.

“I’m not going to go into a lot of examples about what’s happening in the world, but I do think that this is a global effort which it is part of my duty to contribute to, it’s not just a habit,” Brumfield said.
“I would be in favor of a tax, a small tax to help sustain this effort,” he added.

(Read more: Pittsburg Morning Sun)

City cleans storm drains to stop street flooding

Miguel Rivas has worked for the City of Wichita for close to 15 years. So it doesn’t take him and his co-workers any time to clean out clogged storm drains.

Once they are dispatched to a drain, they use water to blast the clog free. Then, they take a giant vacuum to suck out the debris, usually consisting of leaves and sticks.

In about 30 mintues they have the drain open and move on to the next clogged drain.

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Reno County sets tentative hearing date to take up NextEra permit

The Reno County Commission has tentatively set a special meeting for May 21 to take up the NextEra Energy application for a conditional use permit for its proposed wind farm in southeastern Reno County.

The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Atrium Hotel and Conference Center, 1400 N. Lorraine.

No public comment is expected to be taken during the meeting, though county staff will present a report to the commission on whether any new information “that could not have been known” at the time of earlier Reno County Planning Commission public hearings has been presented for consideration.

The County Commission, meanwhile, continues to be flooded with emails and phone calls that, under the commission’s own rules set up earlier this year, the commissioner’s cannot consider when making their decision on the permit.

Development opponent Amy Brown asked the commission about the issue after reading in The News Tuesday morning about the commissioners receiving emails and phone calls in favor of the project after the Planning Commission had voted to recommend denying the permit.

“We need a point of clarification on how we should or should not proceed moving forward,” Brown said. “We’re asking whether the commission is accepting emails and phone calls at this point.”

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

City to reconsider communications tower permit

A proposal to put up a 100-foot communications tower at 513/519 S.W. Taylor remains alive, despite Topeka’s mayor and city council’s having voted 6-4 on April 2 to reject it.

The mayor and council did not appropriately dispose of the matter because votes from seven members are required to overturn a recommendation by the Topeka Planning Commission, which recommended they approve the measure, Topeka attorney Glenda Cafer — representing AT&T — noted April 24 in a letter to Topeka City Attorney Lisa Robertson.

The mayor and council are consequently scheduled to consider reconsidering the matter when they meet at 6 p.m. May 7 in their chambers at 214 S.E. 8th, according to the agenda for that meeting made public last week by the city. City Planning Director Bill Fiander had recommended the mayor and council approve the permits for the properties on Fairlawn and S.E. 29th but deny the one on S.W. Taylor. He said the latter area was economically distressed and the tower’s presence could discourage investment there.

Small tornado damages Paola church, causes cemetery damage

The National Weather Service says a tornado near the eastern Kansas town of Paola was a small one, but it was still enough to cause damage.

The Kansas City Star reports that the twister with winds estimated at 80 mph to 85 mph was reported at 4:10 a.m. Monday just south of Paola. Jason Leighton of the National Weather Service says it was an EF-0, 15 yards wide, and lasted three minutes.

The tornado damaged the roof of Trinity Lutheran Church and toppled headstones in a nearby cemetery. It also bent a flag pole. No injuries were reported.

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

City of Topeka to consider approving $50,000 claim for backhoe damage to house

Topeka’s mayor and city council next week will consider voting to pay an insurance company $50,000 to settle a claim arising from extensive damage a city backhoe allegedly did in April 2018 to a house at 1111 S.E. 33rd Terrace.

Topeka city attorney Lisa Robertson’s office recommends the mayor and city council vote to pay the claim, according to the preliminary agenda for that meeting, which will begin at 6 p.m. May 7 in the council chambers at 214 S.E. 8th. hawnee County appraisal records indicate the house at 1111 S.E. 33rd Terrace has been owned since June 2013 by John and Tina Larson, with the property having an appraised value of $40,100.

The claim, submitted Jan. 11 to the city, asked specifically for damages totaling $62,569.46. On claims seeking more than $10,000, the city attorney’s office is required to make a recommendation to the city council on whether to grant or deny them. If no effort is made to initiate payment, such claims are considered denied at the end of the 120-day period.

Lawrence and firefighter union prepare for ‘lively debate’ on pay, staffing as part of contract negotiations

Discussions between city and firefighter union representatives will include wage increases, overtime pay and longevity bonuses, and both sides are preparing for a “lively debate.”

The current contract covers firefighters, fire engineers and fire lieutenants in the Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Department, and it expires at the end of this year. Representatives for the city and the association of Lawrence Professional Firefighters, Local 1596, agreed to open contract negotiations, and the first meeting was held Monday at City Hall.

Salina changes how they test and handle sewage sludge

Salina Utilities Director Martha Tasker said city staff has changed how they test and handle sewage sludge, a byproduct generated by the Salina Wastewater Treatment Plant.

This was done after the Environmental Protection Agency determined the city had broken a federal regulation regarding the amount of molybdenum the sludge can contain before it can be applied to farmland. Under the new procedures, no sewage sludge leaves the wastewater treatment plant until staff verify that it complies with federal regulations. City staff are also testing the sludge more frequently and taking multiple samples to ensure the results are representative of the entire batch. Tasker said staff are in the process of determining the source of molybdenum that makes its way to the wastewater plant.

According to Tasker, EPA officials say no remediation of the soil or groundwater is required.

(Read more: News – Salina Journal)

Journalism Class Provides News For Town Without Newspaper

As the media landscape continues to change across the country, more communities are finding themselves in news deserts, without the coverage where they once had thriving newspapers. Meanwhile, journalism students are looking to learn their craft and gain real-world experience. In Kansas, one community is close enough to campus for the two to partner to provide coverage and lessons in today’s media realities.

University of Kansas students from the William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications are providing news coverage for Eudora, a city of roughly 6,300 residents about 10 miles from campus. The project began as a way to give students social media experience with a professional client and has grown into a news site providing coverage of events, local businesses, sports teams, schools and people. While the project is part of a class, students said it’s meant more than turning in an assignment for a grade. Riley Wilson, a reporting student, said the idea of covering Eudora reminded her of her hometown of Wamego.

“I think small towns have a lot of interesting aspects that people don’t know about because there’s not good news circulation, and I think small towns are really interesting and have good stories to tell,” Wilson said. “The experience of writing for the Eudora Times is the first time a story I wrote has been seen by people other than my professor. What I like most about the project is really just talking to the people of Eudora. They’ve all been so excited to talk and tell their story. It really is fun every time I go to Eudora to do a story.”

Shawnee Chamber of Commerce board issues unanimous endorsement of property tax increase for new community center

A week before ballots on a property tax increase to fund the project hit Shawnee residents’ mailboxes, the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors has come out with an endorsement in favor of the community center proposed for 61st Street and Woodland.

The board voted unanimously in favor of endorsing a yes vote on the property tax increase at a meeting on Thursday.

“As stated in the Shawnee Chamber Strategic Plan, we support economic development initiatives that demonstrate investments in our community which includes public amenities that enhance quality of life,” said chamber board chair Heidi Thummel, who works for the engineering and architecture firm GBA. “Thus when brought before the full Board of Directors we determined it was imperative to support a project of this nature. A positive vote is an investment in healthier Shawnee families.”

Hill’s expansion approved by Shawnee County Commission

Changing demographics and sales trends in recent years have shown a move to people owning smaller dogs, and Topeka-based Hill’s Pet Nutrition is aiming to stay up with the changes.

To that end, Hill’s requested and was granted approval Monday from the Shawnee County Commission for a new 23,000-square-foot research building at its location at 1035 N.E. 43rd.

All three commissioners — Bob Archer, Kevin Cook and Bill Riphahn — voted in favor of the project.

The building will house up to 80 small dogs of 20 pounds or less, Gary Semjenow, facilities director at Hill’s Pet Nutrition, said at Monday morning’s meeting.

While the building will be considered a “research facility,” Semjenow said, it will mainly test the types of foods smaller dogs prefer. Hill’s officials said the flavor, shape and size of the dog food would be among areas of focus.

City leaders address recent incidents in which Topeka was in national media spotlight

The national media spotlight hasn’t been kind to Topeka the past two weekends, but city officials tried Monday to reassure a grieving community that is still trying to process the loss of 23-year-old Washburn University football player Dwane Simmons.

Simmons’ shooting death and the injury to recent New York Giants draft pick and former WU player Corey Ballentine early Sunday morning in central Topeka came only eight days after a Topeka Zoo worker was attacked and seriously injured by a tiger. The incidents were splashed everywhere — from websites belonging to the Washington Post and New York Times to broadcasts produced by the likes of CNN, CBS and ESPN.

In just over a week, Topeka made plenty of headlines — but for all the wrong reasons. Mayor Michelle De La Isla conceded as much Monday morning during her monthly news briefing at City Hall.

“I regret very much that for the last two weeks the media has been looking at Topeka at the national level with regard to what happened,” she said. ”(Those) are two very small incidents compared to all the great things that are happening in our community.”

Sedgwick County launches new career website

Sedgwick County unveiled a new website for job vacancies, directing candidates to apply for careers at https://careers.sedgwickcounty.org/.

The new website has additional functionality to assist the County with attracting and communicating with potential employees. The site interacts with major job websites, including LinkedIn and Indeed. Users may apply using their tablets or mobile devices. The website replaces the 19-year-old www.HRePartners.com.

The new site is part of an overall recruitment campaign for Sedgwick County. Strategic Communications has created digital ads to share careers across the organization, with special consideration for positions with historically high turnover, or positions that require specialized training.

The campaign highlights several career paths with Sedgwick County and the Sedgwick County Zoo including corrections officers, dieticians, maintenance employees, IT specialists, and zoo keepers.

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Community art project gets started in Pratt

The first step in Pratt’s next big art project got under way Thursday when two dozen Pratt High School students piled into Kerry Thieme’s art room and presented their right arms for casting.
The ultimate goal of this project is to create a bronze sphere made up of arm casts of students and community members. The final sculpture will be from five to six feet tall with a location yet to be decided, said artist Tim Joseph.
The Vernon Filley Art Museum is sponsoring this activity and writing the grants to pay for the project, said museum director Brittany Novotny, who helped with the silicone rubber preparation process. Novotny said they will use grant money to pay for the project. Donations are also being accepted for the project. The donations are tax deductible.

(Read more: Pratt, KS – Pratt Tribune)

Wamego Tulip Festival held as city kicks off spring

This year’s 32nd annual Wamego Tulip festival marked the third year helping organize for Wamego Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Daryn Soldan. He’s been attending since he was a child. Tulip Festival Volunteer Sarah Pacheco, who was at the information booth during the event, says a lot of hours go into helping vendors set up the Friday before. Although the work is hard, Pacheco said it’s worth it to see all the happy, familiar faces. Wamego Mayor Tom Beem says the Tulip Festival is important to the town and it’s fun to show off a little.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

USDA Accepting Applications to Fund Rural Broadband Services

Technology usage generally requires a robust broadband connection that many communities in rural America currently lack. The Agriculture Department hopes to strengthen and expand those weak broadband services and infrastructures through the recently established loan and grant-based ReConnect Rural Broadband Pilot Program. The funds will support the development of modern broadband infrastructure in places with insufficient internet service, which the agency defines as “connection speeds of less than 10 megabits per second download and 1 megabit per second upload.”

Agriculture is making at least $600 million available in rural broadband projects through this first round of funding. The agency will turn appropriations from Congress into $200 million in grants, $200 million in loan and grant combinations and $200 million in low interest loans.

The deadlines for each of the funding packages span between late-May and mid-July. Telecommunications companies, rural electric cooperatives and utilities, internet service providers and municipalities are encouraged to apply.

(Read more: Route Fifty – All Content)

Crawford County told to quickly relocate sewer line for Highway 69 expansion project

The Crawford County Commission approved a $36,000 contract with Earle’s Engineering and Inspection, Inc. at its Friday meeting for the first phase of a project to relocate a sewer line in the Franklin area to facilitate work by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) on the Highway 69 expansion project. “It basically sets out the scope, covers meetings,” said County Counselor Jim Emerson, “they’ll do three sets of final drawings to give to KDOT and really that’s all their role is, is for the design phase, to make sure that that’s in a format acceptable to KDOT, and then KDOT will take it from there on the bidding phase and inspection, so we did not include that in the contract.”

The commission was informed by KDOT in March that Crawford County would be responsible for the sewer line relocation work, which could cost somewhere around $1 million and has to be done relatively quickly. “Well, this is going to be an interesting process to be a part of and watch,” said Commissioner Tom Moody.

(Read more: Pittsburg Morning Sun)

Neosho County urged to make decisions on wind project

Possibly growing weary of weekly Thursday night meetings and months of discussion, supporters have started calling for decisions to be made soon on the proposed Neosho Ridge Wind energy project.

At least one concerned southern Neosho County resident, however, told county commissioners they still haven’t received enough information from Apex Clean Energy to make any decisions on the project.

“There’s so much information that you’ve asked for, but you’re not getting it, and they’re not even apologizing for not getting it,” Bryan Coover said.

Coover’s comments came during the commission’s regular meeting, which followed a special session earlier in the day during which commissioners spoke with Wichita attorney Patricia Blankenship. It was the second consecutive week the commission consulted with Blankenship about setbacks and other requirements that could be included in agreements with Apex for the Neosho Ridge project. The meeting with Blankenship called for attorney-client privilege for a total of three hours and 15 minutes.

During the regular meeting, Coover said the county needs engineering reports for the project so that an outside expert can read and interpret them before the commission can make important decisions.

That information should include sound maps, Coover said. He doubts Apex’s comparison of the sound of one of the 600-foot turbines to the sound of a refrigerator.

“Nobody really believes a wind turbine really makes the same noise as a refrigerator,” Coover said. “I want to be able to sleep in my house at night and not have to move. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”

(Read more: The Chanute Tribune)

Butler County Commission denies CUP for AT&T

Citing the vagueness of “substantial evidence” the Board of Butler County Commissioners voted to deny a request for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) on Property Located at 4819 SW Santa Fe Lake Rd. Towanda. On Feb. 26 the Board of County Commissioners discussed the application and felt the request should be remanded back to the Planning Commission for further discussion after receiving a Letter from Legal Counsel representing AT&T. The Commissioners stated they had received calls from residents who were concerned with the Tower and felt the request should be denied based up on aesthetics, potential health effects associated with radiation and reduction of property values.
On April 2 the Planning Commission re-visited the case. The evaluation of the request included input from Legal Counsel, Huelskamp from AT&T and included a response from Terry Huelskamp, Legal Counsel for Butler County. After hearing what Terry had to say it was determined in was in the best interest of the County to approve the request based upon the fact that the reasons for denial would not be considered “substantial evidence”. After being advised by County Attorney Huelskamp on the requirement of law for “substantial evidence” needed to deny the request, Commissioner Masterson stated, “substantial evidence is pretty vague…so I feel we have received substantial evidence.” The request was denied.

(Read more: Augusta Gazette)

Airplane operator sues city over alleged maintenance issues at Lawrence Municipal Airport

An airplane operator at the Lawrence Municipal Airport is suing the city of Lawrence, claiming that the city hasn’t properly kept up some airport infrastructure and that disrepair damaged one of the company’s airplanes.

Great Planes Inc., which operates an airplane hangar and offices at the airport on space leased from the city, recently filed the lawsuit in Douglas County District Court. The lawsuit alleges that the city breached its contract with Great Planes, and it is seeking damages of about $19,000, plus interest and legal fees.

Harvey County Commissioners agree to make changes to Prairie View board

The Board of Harvey County Commissioners will change the process for how it makes appointments to the Harvey County Community Mental Health Center Advisory Committee.

Instead of appointing every member to the advisory committee, commissioners agreed that they appoint one county representative and possibly another at-large member.

County Administrator Anthony Swartzendruber said he arranged for Jessie Kaye, Prairie View Mental Health Center president and CEO, to come to the meeting to answer commissioners’ questions.

Prairie View’s board of directors recommended changes to its guidelines that set terms for one year with no term limit. Advisory committee officers also would be replaced with a facilitator, and the committee no longer would be limited to seven members.

However, the suggested changes would conflict with a policy adopted by the commission in 1997 that set terms for all commission appointments at three years. A committee or board member, regardless to which organization one is appointed, is limited to three consecutive terms.

(Read more: Newton Now)

Overland Park man says city didn’t offer nearly enough to take his land. Court agrees

An Overland Park homeowner didn’t think the city was paying him nearly enough to take a chunk of his land and decades-old trees for a road-widening project.

A court agreed with him.

Appraisers appointed by a Johnson County judge determined this month that Scott Hamblin should get $19,000 — more than twice the $9,200 the city initially offered.

The differing amounts should prompt concerns about whether the city “low-balled” residents when it condemned property for the road project, said Hamblin, who lives with his family east of 177th Street and Quivira Road.

“At this point, I’m more concerned about the city talking about what happened here,” Hamblin told The Star. “Why did this happen and how it’s not going to happen to everybody else.”

His attorney, Michelle Burns, also said the “low offer” called into question the city’s appraisal process.

City spokeswoman Meg Ralph said the city’s original offer was based on an independent appraiser’s determination of fair market value of the property.

(Read more: Government & Politics News |)

New Overland Park fire station will increase coverage, help Blue Valley develop fire program

To help fill in a coverage gap in booming southwest Overland Park, the fire department is building a new station at 179th and Quivira.

Overland Park Fire Station 48 will be located on the Blue Valley Southwest High School campus, offering some unique learning opportunities for students down the line.

Construction on the station will start in 2021, with an opening date in 2022.

The Overland Park Fire Department held a public meeting Thursday afternoon to give community members information about the new station. They also talked to people about an upcoming fire science program.

“Obviously the proximity of the location itself has opened some opportunities that we are pretty excited about,” said Kristi McNerlin, a spokesperson for the Blue Valley School District. “In 2020 we are looking at a fire science program, and that’s in partnership with the Overland Park Fire Department.”

The Overland Park Fire Chief Bryan Dehner said he’s excited about the new opportunity.

(Read more: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF)

County rejects proposal to buy cabanas for aquatic center

The Shawnee County Commission rejected a proposal Thursday to spend nearly $59,000 to acquire and install 11 pool cabanas at the county’s Midwest Health Aquatic Center, 2201 S.W. Urish Road.

Commissioners Bob Archer, Bill Riphahn and Kevin Cook voted 3-0 to disapprove the measure after Tim Laurent, deputy director of the county’s parks and recreation department, said that department was re-evaluating the proposed move and looking at alternatives.

Commissioners deferred action April 18 on that department’s request that they award a bid to Playscape Recreation LLC to provide and install the 11 pool cabanas at the aquatic center at a cost of $58,971.

Archer suggested April 18 that the facility lacks the room for that many cabanas, adding that the county could find better ways to spend that much money on parks and recreation.

“I don’t think this is Miami Beach,” he said.

Lindsborg featured on Vacation Rental Show

What does Lindsborg, Kansas have in common with Bali, Montevideo and Lisbon? The Vacation Rental Show with Matt Landau, sponsored by Booking.com.

Now in its second season, Lindsborg is one of ten exceptional locations from exotic locales around the world that are featured online. In each episode, a vacation rental owner warmly welcomes Landau, who is a passionate advocate for this hospitality alternative, to the best people and places each destination has to offer.

“In the world of vacation rentals, being featured on this show is a really big deal,” said Jum Prugh. “Owners and guests from around the world will go onto the show’s YouTube channel and discover that Lindsborg and central Kansas are fantastic travel destinations.”

Prugh owns three vacation rentals in downtown Lindsborg. Each is a spacious studio apartment with a living area for relaxing, fully equipped kitchen for preparing meals, a large bathroom, onsite laundry and private parking. Two of the vacation rentals have their own elevator! A fourth vacation rental will be completed this summer. Information and pictures can be found on the website below or on Airbnb.

Regarding Lindsborg, Landau wonders, “How does a place in the middle of nowhere effectively put itself on the map?” The answer? “By being truly exceptional.”

(Read more: McPherson Sentinel)

Halstead Cemetery doesn’t keep beautiful by itself

Once a year in March, the cemetery association meets to discuss what it can do to improve the Halstead Cemetery.

Although the board consists of four officers and three trustees, it’s mostly an informal group that focuses on the beautification of the cemetery.

City Administrator Ethan Reimer attended the most recent meeting to see what the city might be able to do as far as cost sharing.

The challenge is that the city keeps up the general maintenance of the cemetery, while the association works on the appearance, which Reimer admits are overlapping interests.

“We talked about getting more formalized, what falls under their purview and what ours is,” Reimer said.

(Read more: Newton Now)

Lyon County to discuss communications tower Thursday

The Lyon County Commission will again Thursday consider a recommended approval of a cell phone tower that has stirred controversy among landowners.

The application is for an agriculture conditional-use permit for a communications tower from AT&T and Network Real Estate. The tower would be built on a 100-foot-by-100-foot piece of land in the 400 block of Road 190 — about three miles west of Emporia.

Lyon County Planning and Appeals Board members said the tower would meet code regulations for agricultural land use and recommended approval a second time earlier this month. The planning board originally voted in favor of recommending approval at its Feb. 13 meeting. At its meeting on April 2 the Lyon County Commission instructed the board to gather more information after a valid protest had been filed — with 20 percent of landowners within 1,000 feet of the structure voicing their opinion against the tower.

Landowners in the area who are against the 180-foot tower being built cite loss of property value as their main cause for concern.

(Read more: Emporia Gazette)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)