Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Jail time for owners whose dogs bark loudly? One Ohio city councilman thinks so

The Akron City Council has scrapped legislation that could have imposed jail time on dog owners whose pets bark loudly.

City Council on Monday voted to follow the recommendation of its Public Safety Committee to not approve legislation calling for the increased penalties. Councilman Russ Neal Jr.’s proposed legislation included increasing nuisance barking from a minor misdemeanor with a $100 maximum fine to a fourth-degree misdemeanor with a $250 maximum fine and up to 30 days in jail.

Councilman Donnie Kammer says the citywide conversation about loud barking dogs will continue, but says he does not expect legislation coming back to the council any time soon.

(Read more: Government & Politics News |)

New BravoTV series “Welcome to Waverly” brings “seven professionals from major metropolitan areas” and transports them to the small town of Waverly, Kansas, population 563

Get ready to break out of your bubble. Bravo’s new four-part event series, Welcome to Waverly, will open your eyes to new people and experiences when it premieres every night at 10/9c from Monday, October 22 through Thursday, October 25.

Welcome to Waverly will explore a major issue facing the United States today: the country’s divide among big cities vs. small towns and how to bridge that gap. How will this new series accomplish such a seemingly huge undertaking, you ask? Well, we’re taking a diverse group of seven professionals from major metropolitan areas and transporting them to the small town of Waverly, Kansas, population 563. For six weeks, they’ll live and work alongside a local counterpart in their respective industries.

Buckle up, because this experience is sure to be a bit bumpy when the incomers of all different types of backgrounds and political beliefs come together with the residents of Waverly, a town with a mayor that has held office for the past 16 years and where 99 percent of the population is white and nearly all identify as heterosexual. Along the way, there will be moments that will make you laugh, cry, and hopefully foster a better understanding of your fellow Americans.

Learn more, if you dare: Welcome to Waverly.

Garden City responds warmly to documentary

More than 120 people gathered in the Garden City High School auditorium Wednesday for the world premiere of “Strangers in Town,” a documentary about Garden City from out-of-town filmmakers, getting a taste of the layers of the area’s blend of cultures and getting a glimpse of their city as viewed from the outside.

The documentary, created by co-directors Stephen Lerner and Reuben Aaronson and director of photography Jim Jewell, explored the immigrant experience in Garden City, from the diverse school district local children grew up in, to what the city, police department and other local entities did to offer support, to the stories of individual families or individuals, such as a student who returned to El Salvador rather than be deported.

Lawrence city leaders plan to continue conversation about consolidation of city and county governments

The city’s interest in consolidating city and county governments has created some tension between the two governing bodies, but Lawrence city commissioners plan to continue the conversation.

Lawrence city commissioners raised the topic with Douglas County commissioners during a joint meeting last month, but county commissioners said they were not interested in the possibility and that they didn’t think county residents who live outside Lawrence would support it. City commissioners, though, would like the two governing bodies to have an informed conversation about the pros and cons of unification and how it might benefit all local taxpayers.

City satisfies requirements for ADA compliance; File closed

Independence Safety and Code Enforcement Director David Cowan has received official notification from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) acknowledging the city’s successful compliance with the department’s mandate for Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements.

The original “Project Civic Access” (PCA) settlement agreement dated April 29, 2011, required a major city-wide improvement effort to improve accessibility to sidewalks, municipal buildings and facilities. With the help of grant funding and City of Independence investment, a multi-year phased project was implemented with ongoing progress reporting to the DOJ. The ADA projects to date total more than $3 million, and have included more than 650 ramps and sidewalk repairs and remedial improvements to city owned buildings.

Salina to reconsider reprimand of former commissioner

City commissioners also are scheduled to reconsider the 2017 sanction of former commissioner Jon Blanchard. According to meeting packet information, at the commission’s September 17, 2018, meeting, city staff was directed “to assemble a factual record of the ethics sanction given to former Commissioner Blanchard in 2017 and schedule a reconsideration of the sanction” for Monday’s meeting.

On November 20, 2017, the city commission, by a 3-2 vote, approved reprimanding “Blanchard based on a violation to the City of Salina Ethics Section 4(e)(2),” according to the minutes from the November 20, 2017, meeting. At the time, Blanchard was accused of violating the city’s ethics policy because following a candidate forum on October 17, 2017, he released unredacted correspondence between city officials and Salina Area Chamber of Commerce that detailed the city’s concerns about the way former Chamber CEO Dennis Lauver handled economic development initiatives. At the time, the city had only released redacted copies of some of the correspondence.

At issue now is whether Blanchard deserved the reprimand given that the Kansas Attorney General’s office has determined that the City of Salina violated the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) by not releasing full documents of the correspondence between the city and the chamber when such were requested.

(Read more: The Salina Post)

Dodge City Boot Hill Museum plans expansion project

Groundbreaking for an expansion project at the Dodge City Boot Hill Museum is scheduled for Nov. 1.

Plans are to construct a new 12,000-square-foot building to house nine new exhibits, a gift shop and a 3,000-square foot temporary exhibit hall.

Daily gunfights, shows, and dinners will continue during the summer season as they have for more than 60 years.

The museum expansion project will have an estimated cost of $5.5 million. STAR bond money will cover about 78 percent of the new building, leaving the museum to fund the rest.

The museum has raised $1 million to fund most of the interior costs of the new building. It will be the largest expansion project in the history of the museum, which opened in 1947.

(Read more: The Salina Post)

Letter carrier drives onto freshly laid road surface in Prairie Village causing thousands of dollars in damage

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor clearly marked traffic barrier was going to keep one U.S. Postal Service worker from delivering the mail in Prairie Village yesterday.

Road crews had recently completed a road microsurfacing project on 72nd Street east of Nall Ave. on Thursday when a mail carrier looking to make deliveries on the street arrived. The crews had put up barricades to keep traffic off the street while the thin layer of fresh asphalt emulsion cured.

The driver apparently didn’t think those barricades were applicable to the U.S. Postal Service vehicle, though, and maneuvered around the barricade leaving tire marks in the fresh surface for hundreds of feet.

“The postal employee drove on the surface before it had cured,” said Prairie Village Public Works senior project manager Melissa Prenger, noting that curing time for a microsurfacing installation varies based on temperature and humidity.

Public Works Field Superintendent James Carney said the police officers were able to identify the driver who caused the damage.

“PVPD officers did a great job of locating the driver and vehicle after the incident, so I expect the USPS to be paying for the repairs,” he said.

Certified voting machines?

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s office failed to produce records this summer showing it had certified the voting equipment used by hundreds of thousands of Kansans.

Kansas statute requires the Secretary of State to certify equipment before counties purchase it and to keep such certification on file. But the office, responding to a Kansas Open Records Act request in June, could provide only two letters of equipment certification that Kobach issued in the past five years.

Yet some counties – including Reno and Finney, as well as Sedgwick, Wyandotte, and Shawnee – have purchased systems since October 2013 that were not the systems mentioned in the two certification letters in Topeka. Counties individually choose their election machines. The list of what system a county is using was last revised on the Secretary of State’s website in October 2007. A survey is gathering current data from county clerks. The new list, however, may not be available until after the election.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

City of Leavenworth auctions old vending machines

When the Leavenworth City Commission purchased a vacant downtown building this summer, the city inherited dozens of old vending machines.

The machines, which were in the basement of 301 Delaware St., are now being sold by the city through an online auction service.

“We’re not looking to make a lot money or anything on it,” said Mike McDonald, public works director for the city of Leavenworth.

But McDonald said it would be a shame to dispose of the machines without giving collectors an opportunity to bid on them.

There are 34 vending machines. Nineteen of them were designed for hot or cold beverages. Fifteen are snack or cigarette vending machines.

McDonald believes most of the vending machines are from the 1970s and early 1980s. He said there may be some machines from the 1960s.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Grievance policy makes comeback in Winfield

A new grievance policy could make its way back into the City of Winfield employee handbook after the previous one was removed earlier this year.

Winfield city commissioners were presented with recommendations for a proposed policy by Human Resources Director Jamie Chism at their Thursday work session. Chism said members of the city’s Employee Action Committee made changes to the previous policy, then took it back to their respective departments for feedback.

“We didn’t want to just put the old one back in,” Chism said. “We wanted to make it the employees’ policy.”

Chism said the feedback from other employees on the revised policy has been good.

Chase County’s handbook discussion covers residency and paid time off vs. sick leave and vacation

The Chase County Commission continued discussion on suggested updates to a county employee’s handbook during a meeting earlier this week at the courthouse.

The commissioners have been discussing edits to the publication for several weeks with Deputy Clerk Tiffany Harshman, who has been in charge of the project. Department heads were invited to bring concerns to the discussion before the handbook undergoes its next round of edits.

Some of the proposed changes include dropping residency requirements for county employees, which would open the pool of prospective workers to include people from outside of Chase County. Department heads agreed with the change, saying it had the potential to attract more people to positions they haven’t been able to fill. Commissioners also discussed allowing new employees to take vacation days after their 90-day introductory period had concluded. Commissioner Bill Fillmore said he believed this would also attract quality employees to the county and reward them for their work. Committee chair Chris Burton suggested that instead of offering sick leave and vacation time, to switch to a paid time off system that would allow employees to earn time based on their length of service to the county each month.

(Read more: Emporia Gazette)

Gardner has new management team

Gardner has a new management team on board, with at least one familiar face to long-time Gardner residents.
Laura Gourley was named as interim city administrator, effective Sept. 17, 2018.
Gourley is the granddaughter of Melvin Argo, who was Gardner’s mayor from 1957-1959. One of Gourley’s first jobs was working as typesetter for The Gardner News while still in Gardner Edgerton High School. She recalls typing into a machine and the type printed out on long, white sheets that was pasted to the page. She and Ruth Lundy, formerly of the Gardner Police Department, would then proofread, she said.
Gourley has been a Gardner city employee for nearly 30 years, spending the past 13 years as the finance department director. During her tenure, she has played an instrumental role on numerous projects and initiatives, including but not limited to, developing the annual budget and first biennial budget, evaluating incentive packages to support economic development projects, serving on strategic planning teams, and helping the city maintain an AA- bond investment rating through refinancing and wise investments. As the finance director, Gourley oversaw the accounting, utility billing, and municipal court divisions as well as the city’s grant program.
Gourley attended Baker University where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, graduating summa cum laude.

(Read more: Gardner News)

Justice Center construction on track in Gardner

Countdown for completion of Gardner’s new justice center is on track.
Gardner voters approved a new justice center by about 71 percent and issued 13.75 million in bonds to construct the facility near 167th and Moonlight in August of 2017.
It will house both the police department and municipal court.
Originally scheduled to open in August, 2019, it may squeak up to July, according to Sgt. Steve Benz, public information officer for the Gardner Police Department.

(Read more: Gardner News)

Bourbon County Commissioners get volunteer fire fighters input on ambulance service

As Bourbon County Commissioners continue to work on a solution to bring an ambulance service after Mercy Hospital closes its doors Dec. 31, on Tuesday, they heard from officials from the Bourbon County Fire District 3.

District 3 Chief Delwin Mumbower, Hiattville Fire Chief Lou Howard and volunteer firefighter Shawn Wyatt attended the meeting to share their concerns on the future of ambulance services in Bourbon County.

“We’re not an ambulance service by no means, but I think we provide a valuable service out there in first response,” Mumbower said. “You know, we spend a lot of time with a patient out there waiting on an ambulance. We have a lot invested in it.” “I think my concern, personally – and a lot of those in our department – is when it comes to private services, you don’t have a say,” Mumbower said. “And some of them don’t necessarily involve a first responder.”

(Read more: Fort Scott Tribune)

Newton City Commissioner speaks at rail summit

About a hundred people gathered at Great Overland Station for the Kansas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Summit to talk about the state of, and future of, passenger train service in the area.

Barth Hague, former mayor and city commissioner of Newton, was the morning keynote speaker. If Amtrak can keep the Southwest Chief, and extend the Heartland Flyer, Newton would become a rail hub.

Hague spoke of the regional need to see an extension of the Heartland Flyer, and why cities along the proposed line have banded together.

“There is a real attitude of what is good for one is good for everyone,” Hague said. ”… It is almost more critical for our region for Wichita to have this than it is for Newton to be a connection for the Southwest Chief.”

(Read more: Newton Kansan)

Conflict over Haysville’s rules for campaign signs

Saturday, Sept. 22, marked 45 days until Tuesday, Nov. 6: Election Day.

A state law the Kansas Legislature passed in 2015 says that cities and counties, including Haysville, now have to allow political signs on both private property and unpaved city or county right-of-way.

That is a straightforward enough requirement, but just two weeks after the Kansas law, KSA 25-2711, was signed by Gov. Sam Brownback in June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling that cast doubt on its constitutionality.

The ruling, in “Reed v. Town of Gilbert,” held that municipalities can apply “content-based restrictions” – restrictions based on what a sign says – only in very limited situations.

In a statement, Haysville’s city attorney said the city’s position is that the Supreme Court ruling made the Kansas law unenforceable.

City of Topeka, Corps of Engineers to hold meeting on Shunga Creek flooding study

After flooding occurred in 2007, the city asked the corps to conduct a study on flood control options, city spokeswoman Molly Hadfield said. In the 50/50 cost-shared study, the corps developed hydrologic models of past flooding, including the 2007 flood. They also carried out real estate assessments, surveys, plan formulation, construction cost estimates and economic analyses. The corps then used the data to evaluate alternatives to reduce flood risk in the watershed.

The corps will present options for potential improvements. Some of the alternatives may be eligible for federal cost share. Projects that qualify under the federal program are eligible for a 65/35 split cost between the corps and the city. There is a $10 million cap on contributions made by the corps, which includes the cost of the study and design, Hadfield said.

Lyon County takes next step toward Reading Wind Farm

The Lyon County Commission signed two agreements with Reading Wind Energy, LLC related to an ongoing wind farm project in Reading during a meeting Thursday morning at the courthouse.

The wind farm is a project of RES Americas and has been a point of discussion off and on for nearly a decade. Planning and Zoning Director Sam Seeley said the county needed to sign a Road Use Maintenance Agreement and Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement in order to move forward with the project.

“In process of doing [the Reading Wind Farm project] they’ve been using county roads,” Seeley said. “There may be some maintenance that needs to be done to either repair or fix up a road or a structure on that road. This is an agreement usually done with wind construction companies so that the assets that are out there are protected and taken care of during this process. This is not a normal use of our roads.”

(Read more: Emporia Gazette)

Wichita water hearing postponed, locals organize to block regulation changes

Wichita might have to wait a little longer for a decision on whether or not it can take more water from the Equus Beds Aquifer, which provide drinking water for all of Harvey County, as well as Wichita and 14 other municipalities it serves as customers.
The Groundwater Management District Two (GMD2), in charge of regulating the aquifer, was successful in postponing a public hearing into Wichita’s proposed regulation changes until Dec. 11. The hearing will be held at 9 a.m. at American Ag Credit, located at 4105 North Ridge Road, in Wichita.
Tim Boese, director of GMD2, said the request came, due to a need to look over water models used by the city of Wichita. While discussions about proposed regulation changes have been going on for more than a year, the GMD2 only received the technical computer models on Sept. 28.

Going electric: North Newton looks at purchasing hybrid police vehicle

The City of North Newton is exploring the possibility of getting a hybrid police vehicle.
During its regular council monthly meeting on Monday night at North Newton City Hall, Police Chief Randy Jordan told the council City Administrator John Torline approached him and said there was an interest in the town having an electric car-charging station and asked if the next police car could be at least partially electric.

City of Lawrence working to increase number of women on city advisory boards

The City of Lawrence has begun working with a foundation to get more women involved in the advisory boards that help inform city decision-making.

About 40 boards provide the city recommendations or oversight on a broad range of topics, including affordable housing, public transit, fair policing, economic incentives and the arts. The results of a voluntary diversity survey conducted by the city indicate that only 39 percent of respondents said they were women.
The Lawrence City Commission approves at-large appointments to city advisory boards, and Commissioner Jennifer Ananda said efforts to diversify board membership were overdue.

Man lied about quality of Garden Plain’s drinking water to EPA, indictment alleges

Garden Plain’s former water system operator is in trouble for allegedly lying to the Environmental Protection Agency about where got tap water samples used to test the quality of the city’s drinking water.

An indictment filed Thursday in federal court says Arthur Wolfe, 62, certified bacteriological reports that said he’d collected tap water from four homes in Garden Plain last winter, when he really got it all from 411 Loomis — the City of Garden Plain’s shop.

Samples are typically taken from more than one location to make sure bacteria is not seeping into the water lines.

Garden Plain, which has around 900 residents, is required to collect at least two water samples a month for testing.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Holcomb OK’s annual Finney County Economic Development Corp payment

After nearly 10 months of debate over fees and fairness, the Holcomb City Council approved the $25,000 2018 membership contribution payment to the Finney County Economic Development Corp. and suggested councilman Ron Schreibvogel to sit on the FCEDC’s board of directors, filling a seat the city has left vacant since January.

The decision means business will “go back to the way it used to be” for the city and FCEDC, said Lona DuVall, FCEDC president and CEO. With Schreibvogel’s addition, she said, the board will have seven members again and stronger communication with the city.

“We’re very excited that they’ve made the decision to make their annual contribution and that they’ve selected somebody to serve on the board,” DuVall said. “I think that’s the best way we can serve them is to make sure they have somebody who’s able to communicate what we’re doing and communicate their needs to us, quite frankly, as well.”

Salina to host Water Summit

The Kansas Water Office’s (KWO) Smoky Hill-Saline Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) and the city of Salina will host a Water Conservation and Efficiency Summit Oct. 19 from 12:30-3:45 p.m. at the Salina Chamber of Commerce Annex, 218 N. Seventh St. in Salina. The public is encouraged to attend and learn about the area’s water resources, how it is being maximized within local industry, municipalities, and irrigation and how the public can help.

(Read more: News – Salina Journal)

Well contamination could be problematic once flood waters recede

Many rural properties that have faced flooding over the past week will have many issues to deal with once the water recedes.

That includes water wells. Most wells that are inundated with flood water will need to be cleaned to make sure they are free of coliform bacteria or other contaminants that can leech into the well, especially on farmsteads where there is animal waste from livestock.

There are a number of steps that must be taken to disinfect a well. According to the Reno County Health Department, the well cover must be removed. The well will have to be flushed out with bleach and then run through the entire system of your house.

The water and bleach must sit for a period of time and then run through the system until the bleach is removed, then shut down for up to 24 hours before it is safe to use.

The KDHE recommends that the well be tested again one week after clean up is completed. Until the water is deemed safe, residents should use bottled water.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Cheney Reservoir filling up fast

Cheney Reservoir is filling up quickly as the Ninnescah River runs full.

At last check on Thursday afternoon, the lake was up nearly six feet at over 1,427 feet above sea level. Normal pool is 1,422. The flood pool is reached at 1,429 feet. Officials with Cheney State Park report that many of the east side areas are closed. Heimerman, Wichita and M&M points are closed, as well as all east side campgrounds. Hookups behind the marina are also closed off because of high water.

According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the spillway gates are closed to control downstream flows as the river merges with the South Fork Ninnescah River near Mulvane.

The area is expected to see falling river levels over the next couple of days, which should allow the Corps to release water from the reservoir.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Group pushes for extension of citywide sales tax to fix Topeka streets

Voters may feel some disappointment that Topeka’s city government hasn’t done more to fix its streets using the revenue from a citywide half-cent sales tax, a leader for the campaign to renew the tax acknowledged Thursday.

Still, Jim Parrish said, the predominant message he is hearing from people in this community is that “we need to continue the march.”

Parrish is chairman of the nonprofit group Future Forward, which is running an advertising campaign to promote passage of a ballot question that would extend the tax for 10 years. Topeka governing body members voted July 17 to schedule the ballot question vote.

After JoCo voting system update, officials hope for ‘dazzlingly fast’ election results

Election officials hope new software for voting machines will provide swift results in Johnson County on Nov. 6, unlike the overnight vote count delay that plagued the county in August.

The updated software has received both federal and state certification, Johnson County Election Commissioner Ronnie Metsker said Thursday. The new software resolves the issue that caused painfully slow reporting of Johnson County’s results following the Aug. 7 primary election.

In fact, Metsker said, this new vote reporting software can deliver results very rapidly.

“We have exhaustively tested this,” he said. “It will be dazzlingly fast.”

(Read more: Government & Politics News |)

Pittsburg Fire Department Delivers Pizzas

The Pittsburg Fire Department set out with Dominos to deliver pizza. The fire marshal tagged along and was checking smoke alarms. If residents had working smoke alarms, the pizza was free. If the smoke alarms did not work, they were replaced or fixed for free.

(Read more: KOAM – Local News)

Mall owner curious about hotel-convention center in Hutch

A familiar name in hotel management and the owner of the Hutchinson Mall form the fifth party intrigued by Hutchinson’s search for someone to establish an upscale hotel and convention center.

Steve Olson is the chief executive officer for the Johnson County-based Leisure Group of Companies. Leisure once managed a Holiday Inn & Express here and managed the now-Atrium Hotel, 1400 North Lorraine St., for a period. Weiner is president of the Houston-based RockStep Capital, which owns the mall. Efforts to reach Olson and Weiner were not successful.

Hutchinson City Manager John Deardoff said Olson and Weiner did not submit a proposal when the city issued a request for proposals and credentials. Olson and Weiner and three other parties contacted the city to express interest. All of them, plus the Atrium Hotel and Conference Center owner, Joshua Joseph, Dallas, will be invited to meet with local officials here at the end of October.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Marysville city clerk resigns

City Clerk Debbie Price will leave her post Friday after 10 years.

Price is taking a job as an accounting clerk with Blue Valley Tele-Communications, Home City.

She told City Council farewell at their Monday meeting.

As her voice broke and eyes filled with tears, Price thanked all council members and mayors she’s worked with, her city coworkers and the community.

“A huge thank you to the citizens and community of Marysville,” she said. “The support has been unwavering during the good, the bad and everything in between.”

(Read more: The Marysville Advocate)

Durham cheese company ships coast-to-coast

A family-owned farm in Marion County doesn’t sound like the typical location for a national cheese company, but Jason Wiebe Dairy is just that.

Located in Durham, the Wiebes ship cheeses to more than 16 states across the country.

The products are very popular, and customers will visit Dale’s Supermarket just for the cheese, owner Dale Franz said.

“There are people who come in from all around,” he said. “They’ve had it somewhere and they come in because they’re specifically looking for a certain cheese.”

The store has featured Wiebe cheeses for three years, Franz said.

“It’s something that promotes the area, more local stuff that promotes,” he said. “We try to do that with as many things as possible that come locally.”

The Wiebes received a state permit to sell cheese in 2003. Prior to that, they sold raw cheese from their home in small portions under the state’s raw milk laws.

They now sell two tons per month, but it is a meticulous process to find the right balance.

(Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)

Retired city clerk indicted on stealing $36,500 from city

A retired city clerk from the south-central Kansas town of Caney was indicted Thursday on charges of stealing more than $36,500 from the city, U.S. Attorney for Kansas Stephen McAllister said in a news release.

Carole Sue Coker, 69, of Oronogo, Mo., was charged with one count of mail fraud and one count of bank fraud. According to the news release, the indictment alleges that Coker, who served as city clerk for about 40 years, employed a so-called “check for cash” embezzlement scheme to conceal the crimes.

McAllister said the indictment alleges Coker embezzled a portion of cash payments made to the city and covered up the crime by recording only a portion of some checks made out to the city. In this way, prosecutors allege, Coker made the city’s books appear to balance.

Former Kansas sheriff’s deputy sentenced for lying about machine gun

A former deputy with the Hamilton County Kansas Sheriff’s Department was sentenced Wednesday to a year and a day in federal prison for lying to investigators about a missing machinegun, according to U.S. Attorney Stephan McAllister. Robert W. Doty, 60, Guymon, Okla., pleaded guilty to one count of lying to a federal investigator. In his plea, Doty admitted that in March 2018 he was interviewed by an agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The agent was investigating a report by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office that an Uzi machinegun was missing from its inventory.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Downtown grocery TIF district approved

A downtown Kansas City, Kansas, grocery redevelopment TIF (tax-increment financing) district was unanimously approved at tonight’s Unified Government Commission meeting.

At a public hearing, two comments were heard in favor of the TIF district, from a Strawberry Hill resident and the Downtown Shareholders. There were no opposing comments.

Katherine Carttar, who will be the UG’s interim director of economic development, said the downtown grocery redevelopment district includes the entire block between 5th and 6th streets, from Minnesota to Armstrong avenues. A resident of the Strawberry Hill neighborhood said, “Downtown Wyandotte has been a food desert for too long.” This has affected the residents and businesses, he said.

(Read more: Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!)

Sheriff arrests county’s former economic development director

Former Marion County economic development director Teresa L. Huffman was arrested Monday on a charge of misuse of public funds.

Huffman, who posted a $10,000 surety bond and was released from jail four hours after her arrest, was charged in district court Thursday.

County clerk Tina Spencer said Huffman allegedly misused $46,870.89 in county money.

According to Spencer, Huffman worked for the county from November 2006 through May 2017, serving as county economic development director most of that time.

According to the complaint, Huffman knowingly misused public funds “by using, lending or permitting another to use public money in a manner not authorized by law, by a custodian or other person having control of public money by virtue of such person’s official position.”

(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

A brick wall on historic 1870’s building fell away, now City of Newton looks help owner move forward

There is a bit of a mess in the 500 block of Main Street, where about two weeks ago a portion of a brick wall fell away from the 519/521 building, leading to the closure of the sidewalk and one of two southbound traffic lanes in the middle of downtown. A portion of the brick facade fell away from the building Sept. 24 — tearing off an awning and closing the sidewalk and a portion of the southbound traffic and parking lanes on Main Street. The commission learned that city staff has been working with the building owner in the past two weeks, not only to get the street reopened but to work through challenges as the result of the building being part of a historic district and listed on multiple registries. According to a search of the Harvey County Appraiser’s records, the building was constructed in 1890. City staff believes the building was constructed even earlier — in 1878. “What fell off of the building is the 1930′s facade, which is what was called the buildings period of historical significance,” Kelly McElroy, assistant city manager for the city of Newton said. “The original brick that you see underneath is from the 1870s. What they are working to determine is with the rest of the facade that is left, what is the structural condition of that brick.”

Options for the building may include removing the 1930s brick, reinforcing the 1870s brick and moving forward. If that is not an option, it may be necessary to tear the wall down and rebuild it from the ground up. City staff has been looking for possible grant funds to assist with the reconstruction of the building due to its historical listings.

“Unfortunately the monies available at the state level, even though they would be awarded in November and December, would not be available until summer of the next year — and you can not start the project until the grant is awarded. That is not an option, we can not leave it like this all winter,” McElroy said.

(Read more: Newton Kansan)

Miami County endorses agreement to house Franklin prisoners

The Miami County Detention Center soon could start housing prisoners from another county.

County commissioners on Wednesday, Oct. 3, approved an agreement with Franklin County that would allow prisoners to be transferred to Miami County to alleviate overcrowding in the Franklin County jail.

The agreement calls for Franklin County to pay Miami County $45 per day per inmate. Franklin County commissioners have already signed off on the agreement. Any compensation Miami County would receive to house prisoners from another jurisdiction would go into the county’s general fund, County Administrator Shane Krull said.

The Miami County Detention Center, 209 S. Pearl St., can accommodate up to 96 prisoners, with each cell capable of holding two inmates. The detention center averages around 60 to 65 prisoners a day, Undersheriff Wayne Minckley said.

(Read more: The Miami County Republic)

Osawatomie enters home stretch of sidewalk project

The second phase of the Osawatomie sidewalk project was moving at a steady pace last week, much to the delight of some residents who used Facebook posts to express those sentiments and display photos of the work.

Kansas Heavy Construction workers spent the week installing sidewalks on the north side of Main Street, starting at Seventh Street and working west. By Thursday, Oct. 4, crews had reached the John Brown Memorial Park entrance.

Residents weren’t the only ones heralding the progress. City officials were pleased to be moving forward, after red tape that had tied up the project for months was untangled in September.

(Read more: The Miami County Republic)

Prairie Village city councilman highlights support of local faith leaders for non-discrimination ordinance

Chad Andrew Herring is highlighting the support of Prairie Village faith leaders for the proposed non-discrimination ordinance he and fellow Prairie Village City Councilman Tucker Poling will introduce on Monday.

The duo had planned to introduce the measure, which would provide legal protections for LGBTQ individuals in matters of housing, public employment, and service from businesses that are not provided under current state or federal law, last month. But an unexpected slew of late absence notifications forced the cancelation of that meeting due to a lack of quorum.

Now, with the proposed NDO set to come before the council for a first discussion Oct. 15, Herring is taking preemptive measures to dispel any notion that there is widespread objection to such ordinances on religious grounds. He posted letters of support for the Prairie Village NDO authored by leaders from five Prairie Village churches and one synagogue.

Wichita to replace Lawrence-Dumont Stadium

Wichita plans to raze the 84-year-old Lawrence-Dumont Stadium this fall and replace it with a new $75 million stadium that will play host to a AAA minor league team.

(Read more: Local News |)

Topeka Police Department receives international recognition at conference

The Topeka Police Department received international recognition at a recent conference.

TPD attended The International Association of Chiefs of Police in Orlando with around 50,000 other law enforcement leaders and agencies from around the world.

The police department was first recognized for its work in the Strengthening Police and Community Partnerships program with the Department of Justice, said Gretchen Koenen, TPD public relations specialist.

A video of the recognition created by the DOJ can be viewed here.

TPD was also recognized as a featured agency and a video was created to tell the story and mission of the TPD along with the city of Topeka.

Students from Fort Scott Community College Building Trades Program build gazebo for Community Health Center

A gazebo built specially for the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is getting its final touches in preparation for building day on Thursday.

The structure is being built as a community project by Fort Scott Community College’s Building Trades students at the Southeast Kansas Career and Technical Education Center of Crawford County.

In a few short months, the students measured, cut and designed a gazebo which will sit near the pirate ship playground equipment which CTEC students also built. The materials for the gazebo project were purchased by CHC/SEK, which construction trades students assembled inside CTEC’s construction labs. Arma High School CTEC student Colin Monaghan said he remembers his parents promising to go to the park after a “stressful” doctor’s visit. Monaghan said he’s glad he could help make it easier for parents when they are faced with those types of visits.

“I absolutely love this,” he said. “It’s good for everyone and making an impact on many people.”

(Read more: Pittsburg Morning Sun)

Saline County applies for grant to renovate Senior Center

The Saline County Commission voted Tuesday to apply for a grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce (KDOC) to help pay to renovate the Salina Senior Center.

Senior Services Director Rosie Walter will apply for $60,200 in grant funds and Saline County will provide $60,200 in matching funds for the project. The community development block grant is administered by KDOC’s Kansas Small Cities Program.

Walter said the funds would be used to remodel two restrooms at the Salina Senior Center, replace the toilet fixtures and plumbing in all of the building’s restrooms, and restore or replace the building’s roof. Commissioner Bob Vidricksen said he supports the proposed renovations.

“I obviously think it’s important to update our facility over there,” he said. “We’ve gotten into this business of senior services, and we need to make our facilities equitable and feasible to use for the senior citizens. I think it is money well spent in the long run.”

(Read more: News – Salina Journal)