Kansas Municipal News
Andover is planning its next 10 years and wants to hear the community’s thoughts
The city of Andover is getting ready to plan its next 10 years and would like the community to weigh in. The planning process ahead of the 10-year plan allows Andover residents to discuss ideas for new development and services. Opportunities for new development could include new parks and more shopping choices and restaurant and dining options. “Community members will play an integral role in defining the characteristics that make our city unique,” said Assistant Director of Community Development Justin Constantino.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Prairie Village designates area near City Hall as ‘safe exchange zone’ to do Internet deals
Prairie Village recently designated two parking spaces near the City Hall as a “safe exchange zone” where residents can go to complete Internet deals. What is it? The newly dubbed “safe exchange zone” is where members of the public can now agree to meet people from whom they’ve agreed to buy or sell something on the Internet, police Capt. Eric McCullough told the city council on May 16. For example, someone who buys an item from Facebook Marketplace can meet the buyer at the designated spots to ensure their safety. The two, well-lit parking spots are painted bright green and are under 24-hour surveillance, police say. The city of Merriam features similar safe exchange zones near its police department, too.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Winfield Sears to close after nearly 20 years in business
After nearly 20 years in business, the Sears Hometown Store at 912 Main St. in Winfield will close later this year. The store, which sells appliances, tools and other equipment, is closing due to a lack of business and the inability to get products, said manager Kelli Osen, with customers having to wait months to receive orders. “People do not want to wait for refrigerators for eight months,” Osen said. The last day in business is scheduled for July 14, although the store could close earlier if the remaining inventory sells out before then. Osen said the Winfield Sears decided not to renew its franchise contract with the Sears corporate office once their current three-year term is up. Sears could have stepped in to keep the Winfield location open as a corporate-owned store, but declined to do that as well, said Osen. The Winfield Sears currently has three employees, but has had some trouble keeping a third employee, Osen said.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
K-State doctor gives eye exams to Wichita police K-9s
The animals that serve Wichita got a free eye exam on Wednesday, courtesy of a doctor from the Kansas State University (K-State) Veterinary Health Center. Dr. Jessica Meekins, associate professor of ophthalmology at K-State, stopped at McConnell Air Force Base in the morning and checked the service animals there. In the afternoon, she provided eye exams for the Wichita Police Department K-9s. She said she was looking for any eye problems that could potentially impact their ability to perform their jobs. “The major difference between a dog eye exam and a person eye exam is the ability of people to read the letters on a chart and actually describe what they’re seeing,” Meekins said. “So it’s a little bit more detailed and intricate for us to evaluate the acuity of vision in dogs.”
Source: KSN-TV
Generational poverty hurts the health of people in southeast Kansas and Wyandotte County
The disparities between Wyandotte and its neighbor to the south — Johnson County — remain the most dramatic contrast in the state. Residents of Wyandotte County and southeast Kansas face worse health outcomes than most of the rest of the state. A new report of annual health rankings from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute considers premature death, births of low-weight newborns, mental well-being and other factors. Southeast Kansas has struggled with poverty for generations — going back to the heyday of the region’s coal, zinc and lead mining industries. Those industries attracted immigrants willing to work dangerous jobs. The Kansas City, Kansas, area faces the cumulative effects of redlining and racism that have hindered financial investment in neighborhoods populated by people of color for decades.
Source: Wyandotte Daily
Sedgwick County Emergency Mgmt. Cautioning Drivers as Flood Risk Continues Thru Thursday Afternoon
Sedgwick County Emergency Management is reminding residents of the ongoing flooding that will continue through June 2nd. Tuesday night, 911 and first responders dealt with over 60 calls for help from people who had driven into high water and became stuck. Flooding kills more people than any other severe weather-related hazard. Most deaths associated with floods occur either at night or when people become trapped in automobiles that stall while driving in areas that are flooded. Most cars will float (and be swept away) in 18-24 inches of moving water. Trucks and SUVs have only 6-12 more inches of clearance. Sedgwick County Emergency Management strongly discourages motorists from driving into flooded roadways. Whether a water-covered road is closed with barricades or not, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!”
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Emporia approves tech grant funding
The Emporia City Commission offered partial matching funds toward a request from Emporia Main Street executive director Casey Woods for a tech accelerator program, Wednesday afternoon. Woods said Main Street needs $750,000 to match a possible grant from the Economic Development Administration. He asked the Lyon County Commission for the funding last month, but the county did not want to act without a funding partner. Woods said the grand would help Emporia’s effort to build and support tech jobs. He said the city and county have been known to support these types of things before. “The crux of what we’re asking for today is consideration by the city to join in with other partners and support tech based entrepreneurs,” he said.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Parts of Tampa evacuated after gas leak
Firefighters evacuated residents of several houses for nearly two hours after a driver hit a Tampa gas meter at 12:37 a.m. Saturday in the 200 block of 5th St. The accident caused the underground gas pipe to break, so deputies and Tampa firefighters blocked off the street until Atmos Energy technicians arrived and got the leak shut off. Deputies and firefighters were able to leave the scene at 2:40 a.m.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
Florence marks 150 years
Residents and past residents of Florence gathered Saturday to mark the town’s 150th birthday, and others came from near and far in anticipation of a Sunday motorcycle race. A discussion of days gone by at the Harvey House museum drew 23 audience members to hear former resident Doug Westerhaus talk about Florence history. Westerhaus then held the microphone out to audience members who grew up in Florence, asking them to share their favorite memories.
[HILLSBORO Star-Journal
Topeka’s Little Russia district copes with closing of Porubsky’s eatery
The 1951 flood destroyed Topeka’s Sardou Bridge, but not the nearby Porubsky’s diner. Its owners rebuilt and reopened it. The family-owned eatery also survived a 1966 fire that forced it to temporarily close. Porubsky’s resilience inspired residents of North Topeka’s Little Russia community, for which it was the centerpiece, says Topeka City Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala. “Symbolically, that was huge for people to know that even after this horrific flooding, Porubsky’s stayed,” she told The Capital-Journal. “I think that there’s really something to be said about those markers like Porubsky’s that are able to weather the storms.”
Source: CJonline
Making a change after 30 years at the Reno County Museum
The wheels of change are coming to the Reno County Museum. The museum has received grants to improve the children’s area and to make changes to some of the galleries. The first changes are underway in the children’s area, called the Oodleplex, with a new, large, colorful train engine, tank car and caboose built with a grant from the BNSF Railway railroad company. “We wouldn’t be here without the Santa Fe railroad and that’s why when we did the train, we wanted to make it big and grand and right in your face because this is where it started with the expansion of the west with the railroad,” said David Reed, chief curator.
Source: Hutch News
Winfield Sears to close after nearly 20 years in business
After nearly 20 years in business, the Sears Hometown Store at 912 Main St. in Winfield will close later this year. The store, which sells appliances, tools and other equipment, is closing due to a lack of business and the inability to get products, said manager Kellie Osen, with customers having to wait months to receive orders. “People do not want to wait for refrigerators for eight months,” Osen said.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Municipal Bond Trends for May 31, 2022
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.
Leawood city administrator Scott Lambers dies unexpectedly at age 66
Leawood City Administrator Scott Lambers died unexpectedly at his home Tuesday morning, according to news release from the city. Lambers had worked for the city of Leawood for more than 20 years, first joining the city in 2001 after working in city management for other cities in both Kansas and California, the city’s statement said. “He was a champion of [Leawood’s] employees and a strong steward of the city’s finances,” the release said.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Total bond issuance down in May led by 70% drop in refundings
Municipal issuance dropped 9% year-over-year in May, again due to a decrease in taxable and refunding volumes amid continued market volatility and rising interest rates that dominated the front half of the month. May’s $32.2 billion figure is lower than the $33.884 billion 10-year average. As has been the trend in recent months, total issuance for May was down year-over-year. Pat Luby, senior municipal strategist at CreditSights, pointed to the sharp increase in yields in the three weeks of May as the biggest driver of the drop in issuance.
Source: The Bond Buyer
Derby officially designated as Purple Heart City
At the May 24 Derby City Council meeting, Mayor Randy White officially proclaimed Derby as a Purple Heart City – bolstering the city’s ties to the military community. Given the number of military veterans who call Derby home, as well as its proximity to McConnell Air Force Base, White noted the designation made sense. And according to American Legion Family Post 408 Public Relations Representative Mike Saindon, it all started with a sign.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Interim police chief wants more officers on Wichita streets, community’s help after violent weekend
A violent Memorial Day weekend in Wichita has the interim police chief wanting more officers on the streets and calling on residents to help curb the problem. Interim Wichita Police Chief Lem Moore was joined by several community leaders who echoed his concerns during a news conference on Tuesday. It was a message that was loud and clear, enough is enough. Leaders hope anyone who knows anything about any of the shootings will come forward. Police reported more than a half-dozen incidents of gun violence involving three deaths in the city over the holiday weekend. At around the same time same time Saturday night, two people were fatally shot and a teen was hit and killed by a vehicle fleeing one of those shooting scenes.
Source: KAKE – News
In some rural parts of Kansas, the loss of even one foster parent leaves a huge hole
More than half the counties in the state rely on 10 or fewer families to take in foster children. Roughly one-tenth of the counties in Kansas rely on one licensed foster home each. And those relatively few families looking after foster kids in its most remote corners struggle to get from court appointments to doctors’ visits to soccer practice where drives between appointments get measured not in minutes, but hours. Consider what Rebecca Applebee’s move from Liberal, Kansas, means to her community. Already, about half of the foster children in Seward County are living elsewhere. When Applebee leaves, there will be one fewer foster homes in the county.
Source: KAKE – News
“United We” launches Kansas women’s economic task force
If more Kansas women participated in the workforce, one study shows that Kansas could grow its economy by ten to fifteen percent by 2025. That desire for growth is part of why “United We”, a non-profit aimed at advancing women’s economic and civic leadership is launching a Kansas women’s economic development task force and series of town halls. The non-profit’s CEO Wendy Doyle says she’s looking to collect data to enact policy change. “We certainly hope it gets their attention just by hearing firsthand and hearing the personal stories, that really seems to resonate with policymakers versus a quantitative research report. So that will be our goal in our mission, and we’ll get to work quickly to start to educate policymakers that will then help identify a strategic and focused policy agenda.”
Source: KOAMKOAM
Bourbon Co plans projects in wake of grant program
Several cities in Bourbon County will be busy this summer. Along with festivals and celebrations, many will be focusing on economic development. “There’s a lot of great things going on throughout the entire county, not just in Fort Scott, and we’re excited about it,” said Robert Harrington, Bourbon County REDI Exec. Director. This is in part thanks to the launch of the grant program from Bourbon County Regional Economic Develop Incorporated. “Since last year, our organization has given out $135,000 worth of grants, that a majority of them have been spent outside of the Fort Scott area,” said Harrington. Places like Redfield are working on building a storm shelter. Mapleton and Uniontown are making their parks ADA accessible.
Source: KSNF/KODE