Kansas Municipal News
More than 100 first responders called in to control El Dorado prison uprising
The uprising at El Dorado Correction Facility Sunday warranted a larger response than past incidents, according to emergency responders.
The Kansas Department of Corrections says about 100 inmates refused to come in from the yard and started several small fires. Everything was resolved within a few hours without any injuries. We know up to 125 emergency responders were called in to help get the situation under control.
This is the second straight year flare ups have caused concern at the prison. But first resopnders say Sunday’s situation was different and called for a much larger response.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Growing population brings changes to Garden City hospital
A growing population means changes for Garden City’s hospital as, for the first time in years, its emergency room is getting a makeover.
More than 18,000 visitors come through the doors at St. Catherine Hospital each year and the hospital says it was time for a change.
“We have to grow with the population,” St. Catherine COO Joben Rieth says. “So one of the things that we were seeing is our ER volumes were growing about 3 to 4 percent in every year. So we knew we needed to make changes in processes, our flow and also, just update the department itself.”
The last time St. Catherine’s emergency department saw any renovations was in the late 1980s. Hospital administration say changes to the emergency room have patients feeling more welcomed. The remodeling comes with a new computer system to help the ER run more efficiently.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Harvey County looks at Wichita water plan
Water, and who is using what from the Equus Beds, was one of the top topics of discussion for the Harvey County Commission July 2.
Members of the commission and county staff attended a meeting in Halstead last week to learn about proposed changes to the Wichita aquifer recharge project — and those in attendance left a bit confused.
“My concern is they changed their bottom line number three times in their meeting,” said Commissioner Chip Westfall. . ”… What we have heard from them in the past year, it has changed a lot.”
The city of Wichita has the state’s only ASR project, developed and approved in two phases within the Equus Beds Aquifer. Wichita has proposed changes to the conditions associated with its existing permits for Phase II of its ASR project including a new method to accumulate recharge credits during times of limited recharge capacity, as well as a series of new applications to allow the city to recover recharge credits at existing production wells.
(Read more: Newton Kansan)
Lawrence officials to consider marijuana law changes
City leaders in Lawrence say they will consider lowering fines for people caught in possession of marijuana.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the current city law allows for fines of up to $1,000 for first-time offenders. A resident, Laura Green, recently presented a proposal to the Lawrence City Commission that would call for reduced fines and make other changes.
The commission agreed to discuss the issue at an upcoming work session.
Lawrence adopted its marijuana ordinance more than a decade ago. Green says attitudes toward marijuana have shifted in recent years.
(Read more: Politics & Government News |)
Fireworks permits fund various budgets in Hutch and surrounding towns
Fireworks stands are in full operation as the Fourth of July approaches.
In Hutchinson, the city took out five permits for fireworks stands. The permits cost $2,500. All the proceeds will help fund the city fireworks display at the fairgrounds. Sales and discharge of fireworks in Hutchinson is limited to six feet in height.
In South Hutchinson, the city processed seven permits at $2,500 each. That $17,500 in revenue goes straight into the general fund. The city of South Hutchinson is not under the safe and sane rule, so aerial fireworks can still be discharged.
Nickerson has just one fireworks stand. That permit cost $250. Buhler has none. Both allow aerial fireworks. Residents are asked to check community guidelines to make sure they are following all ordinances.
(Read more: Hutch Post)
How many tickets has Wichita written for illegal fireworks?
Wichita has gone through its first weekend of enhanced fireworks regulations with nobody getting cited for illegal celebration, a city fire official said Monday.
The promised crackdown on things that go boom in the night hasn’t really started yet, said Deputy Fire Chief Stuart Bevis.
Fireworks sales began in and around Wichita on Friday and some skyrockets did fly over city neighborhoods, even though they’re illegal here. In May, the Wichita City Council rewrote its fireworks ordinance to make it easier to enforce.
Illegal use of fireworks can now be punished with a $250 citation against the user or the owner of the property where the violation occurs.
Upgraded enforcement won’t start in earnest until Tuesday night, Bevis said. He said City Hall authorized enough funding for as many as 22 extra employees to patrol for illegal fireworks and to write citations. But the actual number will depend on how many want to work night shifts on overtime pay to do it.
(Read more: Wichita Eagle)
Local government suits accuse opioid makers of turning ‘patients into drug addicts’
Cities, counties and Native American tribes across the nation are filing lawsuits against opioid manufacturers in an effort to recover damages from the widespread opioid epidemic.
The suits largely accuse pharmaceutical companies of aggressively pushing painkillers while falsely representing the danger of addiction, turning “patients into drug addicts for their own corporate profit,” one suit said.
In Kansas and Missouri, at least 16 cities and counties have filed suits. Nationwide, more than 400 separate lawsuits have been filed, according to The New York Times. The suits are reminiscent of those that led to the 1998 settlement between the five largest cigarette manufacturers and the attorneys general of 46 states, resulting in billions of dollars sent back to states and new restrictions on advertising, especially to kids.
But in the tobacco cases, a significant portion of that money never made it back to the communities that were directly affected.
So now, local governments are hoping to get a piece of potential billions in settlement money.
(Read more: Wichita Eagle)
Downtown brewery, city of Wichita agree to compromise in parking battle
Some old-fashioned political diplomacy has resulted in a compromise between the city of Wichita and a local brewery whose owners were upset over parking fees in the lot adjacent to their just-opened business.
Last month, I reported about a battle between Nortons Brewing Company, a new brewery and restaurant that opened in April at 125 N. St. Francis, and Wichita Transit, the city department in charge of enforcing parking in the lots that surround the brewery.
But the two sides have reached a temporary compromise thanks to the help of two Wichita City Council members who decided to intervene.
(Read more: Wichita Eagle)
Police drones could soon be flying over your backyard
Wichita police will soon have a drone to fly over crash scenes, SWAT standoffs and Riverfest. But could it also fly over your backyard?
That’s what members of the Citizen Review Board asked when police proposed a drone policy at last week’s meeting.
Capt. Doug Nolte said police are already purchasing one drone for the department. “Before we actually deploy it or ever use it, we want to have a policy in place so people are aware of the fact that we have it, what we are going to use it for, what they can expect, and I think if you listen to what (board members) were mentioning today, there are definitely concerns about privacy,” Nolte said.The nine-page proposed policy says drones will assist “the Department in the prevention of crime, the apprehension of criminals, the preservation of the public peace, and to protect the personal and property rights of the citizens of Wichita.”
“These operational procedures are designed to minimize risk to people, property, and aircraft during the operation of the SUAs (small unmanned aircraft) while continuing to safeguard the right to privacy of all persons,” the policy states.
(Read more: Wichita Eagle)
Missouri River at Atchison not likely to swell amid water release
Atchison isn’t likely to see any significant flooding from the Missouri River as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepares to release more water downstream, the corps says.
Corps spokeswoman Eileen Williamson said Monday the Corps will increase, throughout July, water flowing through the Gavins Point Dam in stages up to about 50,000 cubic feet per second (cf/s).
“In Atchison, you’re looking at five to six days before that release affects your area,” said Williamson, deputy chief of public affairs for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division, based in Omaha, Nebraska. “It’s like watching a kink move down the hose.”
(Read more: Atchison Globe Now)
Poultry plant controversy signaled Tonganoxie’s demographic transformation
Last September, the ground shifted under the small town of Tonganoxie, Kansas, about 35 miles due west of Kansas City.
When word got out that Tyson Foods, Inc. was ready to announce it would soon break ground just outside town on a $320 million poultry complex — a processing plant, hatchery and feed mill — opponents organized immediately.
Allies multiplied exponentially as social media amplified their concerns. Within a stunning two weeks, Tyson had announced it was putting its plan “on hold.” But nine months later, residents are still grappling with some of questions the explosive controversy revealed.
(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)
Outdoor warning sirens upgrade complete in Spring Hill
All five of our outdoor warning sirens have received upgrades.
In March this year, City Council approved upgrading the siren software and equipment.
The outdoor sirens — which are designed to alert people outside of an impending storm — are now upgraded to a new two-way system, allowing the sirens to communicate with the Johnson County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The upgrade sends a signal back to the EOC, stating whether the siren sounded or not.
(Read more: City of Spring Hill news)
Inmate Workforce Program generates interest across northwest Kansas
Presently, across the state of Kansas, there are several non-prison-based workforce programs which are serving to reduce the likeliness of recidivism by allowing offenders the opportunity to develop and improve upon their job and life skills, and become tax-paying, law-abiding citizens.
Since its inception last fall, an Inmate Workforce Program agreement, entered into by the Norton Correctional Facility (NCF), a correctional facility of the Kansas Department of Corrections, and Husky Hogs, LLC, a private sector business located in Long Island, Kan. (Phillips County), has been met with a mixed array of opinions from members of the surrounding communities. The program has generated a plethora of interest – and, likewise, has sparked concern – as those unfamiliar with inmate employment have searched for answers to their most sought-after questions.
(Read more: Hays Post)
PrairieStar Health Center in Hutch readying for nearly $5 million expansion
Just three years after moving into new digs, PrairieStar Health Center is expanding.
The project at the federally-designated health clinic will grow the current 31,400-square-foot operation at 2700 E. 30th Ave. by nearly 60 percent, and add vision services to its already myriad healthcare offerings.
The center’s board of directors voted last week to award the project to Weins Constructions of Hutchinson, which submitted the lowest of about a half-dozen bids at $4.217 million, said Jackie Johnston, Director of Marketing & Public Relations.
Equipment to furnish the expansion is estimated at another $500,000 to $600,000.
Construction is expected to start by mid-July, with completion targeted for the fall of 2019.
The project will be financed primarily through 25-year notes from Prairie Bank, with the balance of it paid for with charitable gifts and PrairieStar reserves, Johnston said.
(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)
Hutch City Council will consider amendments to city planning codes
Long desired by area business owners, potential developers and some members of the Hutchinson City Council, some changes could be coming to city codes during the agenda session Tuesday.
The council had asked late last year to make planning and zoning regulations more user-friendly for potential developers.
Areas that will be amended include: parking regulations, landscaping requirements, site plan reviews, conditional and special use permits, and matters concerning the board of zoning appeals. It is hoped that the action will condense the broad range of categories and regulations currently in place.
(Read more: Hutch Post)
Sales tax pitch in Ark City
The first town hall meeting to inform voters about the proposed sales tax changes for South Central Kansas Medical Center was met with a small turnout on Thursday night at the Ark City Senior Center.
Fewer than 30 people gathered to listen to a presentation by Mayor Dan Jurkovich, more than half of the attendees were commissioners and medical center employees.
Jurkovich narrated a short slideshow presentation illustrating problems the hospital faces in meeting its construction debt.
He then discussed other suggested options, including closing the hospital down or selling it, which he said are not viable options because the city would still be saddled with the debt.
Voters will be asked to approve a one-cent sales tax — with no expiration date — through a mail-in ballot with a Sept. 6 deadline.
The campaign to educate voters has begun, with more town halls scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursdays.
(Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com – RSS Results)
Eureka community remains positive after tornado
Hundreds of people exhausted from cleaning up after Tuesday’s tornado gathered tonight in Eureka. The hope is to make sure everyone gets the help they need. “People remember what it was like last time, and they want to make sure that they get taken care of,” said Eureka resident JoAnn Craighead.
Joann and John Craighead moved to Eureka five years ago.
In their short time here, they’ve seen two tornadoes and straight-line winds damage the small community. “Surprisingly, with as hot as it’s been, long of days as we’ve been working, I’m still impressed, because everybody seems to just want to work, want to be getting stuff done,” said Greenwood County sheriff Heath Samuels.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Lansing plans to withdraw from fire district
The city of Lansing plans to withdraw from Leavenworth County Fire District No. 1 at the end of next year.
That is according to a letter signed by Mayor Mike Smith and most of the members of the Lansing City Council. Fire District No. 1 provides fire department services to the city of Lansing and Delaware and High Prairie townships. The district has a five-member governing board with three members from Lansing and one member from each of the two townships.
The district is supported financially through its own property tax levy.
The fire district has been in existence since 2004.
“The Lansing City Council feels a new start would best serve the people within our city limits as well as those just outside the City’s boundaries,” the letter from the mayor and City Council states. “From a financial standpoint, efficiencies would be gained through shared tasks including inspections and public safety cooperation at incidents covered by police, fire and EMS personnel.”
(Read more: Leavenworth Times)
Barton County Emergency Manager wants to see more wildfire education
A legislative audit says Kansas’ wildfire suppression system is underfunded and understaffed and operates with a fragmented leadership.
Barton County Emergency Risk Manager Amy Miller read through the audit and felt that most of the audit’s issues came from the State of Kansas’ response to emergencies with the Kansas Department of Emergency Management, Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the Kansas Forest Service. Auditors recommended the legislature choose one agency to lead the state’s wildfire response and appropriate the money to ensure enough resources are deployed to fight fires. Miller would like to see more public education distributed to keep residents informed and safe in case of a severe wildfire. She reminds property owners in rural areas to avoid planting or having red cedar trees, referring to the vegetation as “fire bombs.”
(Read more: Great Bend Post)
Neosho County reorganizes 911, emergency management
Neosho County Commissioners considered resolutions Friday to reorganize 911 dispatching and emergency management.
With the retirement of Emergency Management Director Byron Shultz, Emergency Management and 911 dispatching become separate departments no longer under the Sheriff’s Department.
The commission approved four resolutions to establish the two functions as departments and to appoint Lori Nally as 911 Director and Melanie Kent-Culp as Emergency Management Director. The resolutions also established a five-member 911 advisory board.
The board will consist of the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center EMS Director, Chanute Fire Chief, police chiefs of Chanute and Erie, and the Neosho County Sheriff. County Counselor Seth Jones said the board is modeled after one in Allen County.
(Read more: The Chanute Tribune – news,news/)
Water transfer plan meets challenge from local irrigators
Hays’ long-anticipated bid to transfer water from a city-owned ranch in Edwards County for municipal use hit an unexpected obstacle, as a local organization dedicated to protecting farmers’ water rights presented its case last Thursday afternoon.
In a scheduled meeting of the Kansas Division of Water Resources at the Twilight Theater in Greensburg, KWR Chief Engineer David Barfield, along with representatives from Hays and Russell as stakeholders, presented the draft proposal outlining both the conversion of the R-9 Ranch’s agricultural water rights to municipal use and approval under the state’s Water Transfer Act.
The draft summary was presented as the public phase of the process allowing for statements in support or in opposition, including written statements directed to the KWR by July 12 as part of the public comment phase.
In an hour-long presentation that included supportive statements from representatives from Hays and Russell as well as Brian Meyer, representing the firm providing impact study information utilized in the transfer application, Barfield led the audience of about 100 farmers through the draft proposal, with contingent changes made since its filing on Jan 7, 2016.
(Read more: Pratt, KS – Pratt Tribune)
Douglas county no longer using schools as polling places
The Douglas County Clerk’s Office sent letters this week to the more than 10,000 affected voters who will now be assigned to different polling places than they’ve used in the past, the Lawrence Journal-World reported .
County Clerk Jamie Shew said Wednesday he made the change after Lawrence school district officials expressed concerns over allowing people easy access in and out of school buildings while classes were in session.
“Now that we have put secure entrances in all of our buildings, we are finding it very difficult to provide an adequate level of security at the elementary buildings during polling,” said Ron May, the district’s operations director, in a December 2016 email to Shew. “We also find it difficult to provide appropriate spaces that (weren’t) causing a disruption to the school day.”
(Read more: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF)
Dog park design named, approved by Spring Hill Parks Advisory Board
The dog park at the new Veterans Park has received a name: Melvin Murry Dog Park.
At their May meeting, the Parks Advisory Board approved the design of the new dog park and its name. The dog park is planned to feature fire-themed items to honor the former, longtime Spring Hill fire chief, who died in 2014. The Murry family was present at the meeting in support of renaming the park.
Currently, a different City park is named after Murry — Melvin Murry Park located in the Woodland Ridge subdivision. The Parks Advisory Board agreed to move the name to the new dog park because of its more prominent and well-traveled location. The board plans to discuss renaming the ponds in the Woodland Ridge subdivision, formerly known as Melvin Murry Park.
(Read more: City of Spring Hill news)
Sales tax decrease in Abilene starting Sunday
According to a release from the Abilene Area Chamber of Commerce, effective Sunday, the Abilene tax rate on retail sales will drop to 8.75%. The decrease is due to the expiration of the .35% special tax that was implemented in 2008 to pay for renovations to the Abilene Public Library and City Pool.
The Abilene sales tax will drop again in 2023 with the sunset of a 0.25 tax implemented for Abilene city streets.
(Read more: The Salina Post)
Hays approves new aquatic park play area
The Hays Aquatic Park will include a new play area when it opens next year, but the Hays City Commission’s 3-1 approval Thursday night didn’t come without some discussion.
The $185,000 structure with 14 play features including two slides and a large bucket drop will replace a starburst water sprayer in the zero-depth entry pool. Parks director Jeff Boyle said construction of the feature will begin Aug. 21 after the pool closes, with a completion date of Dec. 21, although the vendor, RJR Enterprises, would like to finish sooner.
A new feature was proposed in January, when city officials and Hays Recreation Commission staff met to discuss how to draw more visitors to the aquatic park.
The money for the structure will come from a reserve fund of $321,558 of the original sales tax initiated to construct and maintain Hays Aquatic Park.
That concerned Vice Mayor Henry Schwaller IV, who cast the lone vote against the improvement. The 18-year-old park will at some point need more expensive maintenance, he said.
(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)
Shawnee, Johnson County renew plans to fund low-income housing rehab
Shawnee has renewed its commitment with Johnson County to direct funds toward low-income housing. This year’s commitment brings about $100,000 in total to homes that needs rehabilitating, according to a June 25 memo from the city.
The Shawnee council approved in a 6-0 vote Monday, June 25, a three-year memorandum of understanding with Johnson County that supports Shawnee residents who own low-income housing.
Through this arrangement with Johnson County for 2019 through 2021, Shawnee residents can participate in the Johnson County HOME Consortium program, which allocates funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for rehabilitating low-income housing. This year marks the seventh time Shawnee has made this kind of arrangement with the county.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post – Community news and events for northeast Johnson County)
Hannes Zacharias Traveling Kansas via the Ark River
At 22 years old in 1976, Hannes Zacharias took a Bicentennial message from the mayor of Dodge City to the mayor of New Orleans.
He traveled by kayak.
“I’d never been down South before, never been by myself that long before, never been on the river that long before, and those six weeks were like a life-changing experience for me,” he said.
Zacharias reached New Orleans – surviving an incident in Oklahoma where the kayak was stolen but later recovered in pieces – and received the key to the city of New Orleans.
He promised himself if he had the opportunity, he would do it again but make it a complete journey, following a drop of water from the Continental Divide to the Gulf of Mexico.
Read more: Hutch News.
Tonganoxie residents still concerned over poultry plant issue
The $300 million Tyson project planned for the outskirts of Tonganoxie was canceled after residents of the town protested the pollution and the strains on local infrastructure they expected the facility would bring.
Republican Rep. Jim Karleskint of Tonganoxie, who drafted a bill that would have given locals more say about proposed poultry operations, said residents are still anxious about the issue.
“A lot of people are talking about it. It’s an anxious issue that people don’t want Tyson in the area,” Karleskint said. “I think there’s a fear that they may attempt to come back. I personally don’t think it’s an issue any longer.”
Karleskint is running for re-election in the 42nd District and said he isn’t expecting the plant to be an issue for him since he opposed it.
Democrat Stuart Sweeney said the plant is one of the reasons he decide to challenge Republican Rep. Willie Dove for his 38th District seat.
(Read more: Junction City Post)
Amtrak exploring ending Southwest Chief through service
During a meeting last week between Amtrak’s CEO and a small congressional delegation that included Kansas’ two senators, it was revealed that the train operator is exploring ending passenger train service between Dodge City and Albuquerque, and implementing a bus connection on the route instead.
The communities that would lose rail service if the bus service began at Dodge City would include Garden City; Lamar, La Junta and Trinidad, Colo.; Raton, Las Vegas and Lamy, N.M.
The proposal did not go over well with any of the lawmakers at the meeting, who had called the meeting to ask Amtrak to stand behind agreements it had previously made to upgrade and maintain its route through the south-central U.S..
(Read more: The Miami County Republic)
GCPD, Sheriff, County Attorney will partner in Project Safe Neighborhood
Local law enforcement agencies will be teaming up with federal prosecutors and state and federal law organizations that will target violent crime in Garden City and Wichita.
That announcement came Thursday morning by U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister in a press conference held in Wichita for a program titled Project Safe Neighborhoods.
William Votypka, Deputy Finney County Attorney, attended the press conference on behalf of the office, which will be involved in the new program.
“It’s a great, great opportunity for collaboration with state and federal authorities,” Votypka said in a telephone interview. “It’s a greater financial mechanism with other agencies and gives us more avenues to deal with violent crime in our area.”
The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative will prioritize federal prosecutions of repeat offenders and convicted criminals who carry firearms in the two cities, where violent crime rates are higher than average for Kansas.
“Violent crime rates are on the rise in both cities,” McAllister said. “By working together, we can size up the problems and concentrate our resources where we get the best results. Our goal is to make both communities safer.”
(Read more: News – The Garden City Telegram)
Newton debating ‘blowback’ of tax increase
When it came to possible tax increases for the city budget, Commissioner Glen Davis said the city commission should at least earn the blowback if it raises next year’s taxes.
“We’re going to get the same blowback for two mills or six mills,” Davis said. “If I’m going to get blowback, I’d as soon get it at a higher amount.”
Such was a budget session where the commission weighed what exactly the public would do following another tax increase.
City Manager Bob Myers had suggested the commission increase taxes by 5.8 mills to cover increasing bonded debt, as well as a cost of living pay raise for employees for the first time in three years, as well as additional police positions.
Davis hoped that a larger tax increase would get the city on better financial ground.
(Read more: Newton Now)
Hutch will push against proposed Amtrak service cuts
After providing nearly $40,000 in matching funds on three TIGER grantsconnected to Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, City Manager John Deardoff expressed disappointment in Amtrak’s plans to curtail service along the route. Amtrak and BNSF threatened cities along the route that they would discontinue service if major upgrades were not made. Three major grants and a lot of track improvements were done at Amtrak’s request. The grants were matched with funds from cities and the state, including three $12,500 allocations from the city of Hutchinson.
Now under new leadership, Amtrak is wanting to step away from the efforts to keep the route in place. BNSF maintains the line, but Amtrak is the only train that runs on it from La Junta to Albuquerque.
(Read more: Hutch Post)
Poultry plant controversy signaled Tonganoxie’s demographic transformation
Last September, the ground shifted under the small town of Tonganoxie, Kansas, about 35 miles due west of Kansas City.
When word got out that Tyson Foods, Inc. was ready to announce it would soon break ground just outside town on a $320 million poultry complex — a processing plant, hatchery and feed mill — opponents organized immediately.
Allies multiplied exponentially as social media amplified their concerns. Within a stunning two weeks, Tyson had announced it was putting its plan “on hold.” But nine months later, residents are still grappling with some of questions the explosive controversy revealed. Freelance writer Anne Brockhoff had heard that Tyson officials were talking about how the new plant would make Tonganoxie the center of the Tyson universe.
“(That) statement says ‘We’re rebranding your community,’” she said.
Our makeshift circle of couches and chairs included a part-time farmer, a construction project manager, a nurse, an academic coach and a florist.
The notion of Tonganoxie’s “brand” came up a lot; that question of what Tonganoxie is, and what it wants to be.
(Read more: Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!)
Hoisington Council gives nod to dog park grant
A suggestion made nearly three years ago to open a dog park in the city of Hoisington hasn’t been forgotten. Monday night, the Hoisington City Council took a significant step toward making the dream a reality when it approved allowing the city to apply for a $25,000 grant to be applied toward fencing and amenities for a dog park similar to those in neighboring cities. In 2015, Sarah Hinman, Hoisington, asked the city to consider installing a dog park. The council was supportive of her proposed efforts but no city dollars were committed. Then, in July, 2017, the Dr. Lindsey Mitchell, who operates Hoisington Veterinary Hospital, began looking into what it would take to install a dog park at her facility south of Hoisington. While the city council was receptive of that idea and it appeared grant money could be applied for to cover the costs of the installation, it was soon discovered that the cost of routine maintenance would be prohibitive.
City Manager Jonathan Mitchell, Dr. Mitchell’s husband, addressed the issue with council members that night.
The additional cost of mowing and cleaning the dog park was estimated to be an additional $100 per mowing, which would add up to several thousand dollars each year. The couple quickly abandoned the idea of requesting the city assist with the mowing because of the perception the public might adopt considering the close ties between the city and the Mitchell family.
Instead, Mitchell proposed two sites at existing parks within the city limits, and a possible funding source to build the park, noting that the dog park would then be part of the city’s already existing maintenance schedule.
(Read more: Great Bend Tribune – Local News)
Leavenworth County approves EMS agreement
County commissioners have approved an agreement regarding Leavenworth County EMS’ continued use of a fire station in Basehor.
EMS has been operating an ambulance unit out of the Fairmount Township Fire Department station since 2016. But the document approved by commissioners Tuesday marks the first time the arrangement has been addressed in a written agreement between the County Commission and Fairmount Township Board, according to County Administrator Mark Loughry.
Loughry said the agreement outlines some of the responsibilities of the parties.
Commissioners approved the occupancy agreement by a vote of 2-1. Chairman Louis Klemp voted against the agreement. But he signed the document as the commission chairman.
Under the agreement, the Fairmount Township Board provides space at the fire station, located at 2624 155th St. in Basehor, for Leavenworth County EMS employees and an ambulance. EMS is not charged rent for the use of the space.
(Read more: Leavenworth Times)
Water transfer plan for City of Hays meets challenge from local irrigators
Hays’ long-anticipated bid to transfer water from a city-owned ranch in Edwards County for municipal use hit an unexpected obstacle, as a local organization dedicated to protecting farmers’ water rights presented its case last Thursday afternoon.
In a scheduled meeting of the Kansas Division of Water Resources at the Twilight Theater in Greensburg, KWR Chief Engineer David Barfield, along with representatives from Hays and Russell as stakeholders, presented the draft proposal outlining both the conversion of the R-9 Ranch’s agricultural water rights to municipal use and approval under the state’s Water Transfer Act.
(Read more: Pratt, KS – Pratt Tribune)
Marysville continues to discuss site for disc golf
Marysville City Council planned Monday to have its ad hoc committee on disc golf set specifications and find a course designer to visit Marysville, determine a good place for a disc golf course and draw up a plan.
Council members also discussed locations, and one council member said the city should move ahead with at least a test course in City Park. The city has been considering a plan by local resident Kyle Goracke, who had an experienced course designer, Dennis Vasholtz of Herington, draw up a course in Marysville City Park.
Since then, Grund and some council members have protested, saying the park’s not safe because it’s a multi-use area.
Several local residents and experienced disc golf players spoke at last council meeting in favor of the City Park location, saying it has all the amenities for a small 9-hole pocket disc golf course.
(Read more: The Marysville Advocate)
Plans for dog park moving forward in Lindsborg
Good things come to those who wait.
That is the hope of the Lindsborg Dog Park Committee, whose members are pushing to raise funds for the construction of a dog park for the city’s residents and visitors to use.
A dog rodeo will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. July 22 at the dog park site, next to the Lindsborg Recycling Center at the intersection of East McPherson and South Kansas streets.
The event, which is open to the public and dogs on leashes, will feature dog agility demonstrations, a hot dog supper and the opportunity to buy dog-related items in support of the planned park.
Lindsborg donated the land on which the dog park will be built. After soliciting suggestions for possible names for the new dog park from the public, “Scentral Bark” was the winner.
Lindsborg Mayor Becky Anderson, who is a member of the Lindsborg Dog Park Committee, praised the efforts of her fellow volunteers.
“This is a great group of people,” Anderson said.
(Read more: News – McPhersonSentinel – McPherson, KS)
Bidding over, waiting on paperwork for Great Bend Airport repairs
Much of the talk surrounding the Great Bend Municipal Airport now is centered on Great Bend Airfest which will bring over 30 historic aircrafts to town September 28 – 30.
Airport Manager Martin Miller realizes another large project will take place following the show that will affect the longevity of the runway. Miller says the bidding process for the repaving project on Runway 17/35 is over and now the City of Great Bend is waiting on approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. The total project will cost over $11 million. The FAA agreed to pay 90 percent of the reconstruction for 5,500 feet.
(Read more: Great Bend Post)
Hospital Board discusses five-year plan with Lyon County Commissioners
The Newman Regional Health Board of Trustees welcomed Lyon County Commissioners to its meeting Wednesday afternoon for a discussion about the facility’s ongoing initiatives.
CEO Robert Wright told commissioners the board had come up with strategic plans for meeting its service and financial goals through 2022 during a May meeting. Wright said the hospital would have to operate under a “strict diet” with its funds, saving around 40 percent of its total cash flow,to reach the mark. Beside general finances, Wright said the facility’s second area of focus would be in recruiting and retaining quality staff.
(Read more: Emporia Gazette)
Clay County Commissioners buy tasers for $14K
Sheriff Chuck Dunn reported that the quote that was reviewed last week concerning the purchase of tasers covers all of the cartridges, batteries and warranty coverage for five years.
The total cost for seven tasers with five years of warranty coverage is $14,013.00. This cost will be paid over a five-year period of five payments. The first initial payment for the first year will be $2,953 with the remaining four years being $2,765 each.
Commissioner Thurlow made the motion to purchase the seven tasers with the five-year warranty to be paid for over a five-year period.
(Read more: www.ccenterdispatch.com – RSS Results in news,local/* of type article)
Future of Marion county recycling unclear
Whether the county will continue to recycle is in doubt now that commissioners have learned the county is no longer being paid for goods recycled.
Refuse director Bud Druse told commissioners that Waste Connections, the South Hutchinson company that accepts paper, cardboard, glass, aluminum and steel cans, and plastic items recycled by county residents has notified him it won’t be paying for such items. Druse said the county made a profit on its recycling program, clearing $11,000 to $12,000 annually a year ago. At that time, Waste Connections paid an average of $64 per ton for recyclable goods.
Tipping fees at the landfill used by the county have risen from $36 per ton to $40 per ton during that time.
(Read more: PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin)
Lawsuit over fatal beanbag shooting by officer can go forward in Barber County case
A federal judge has decided to allow a wrongful death lawsuit to continue against Barber County Undersheriff Virgil Brewer, who fired a so-called “less lethal” beanbag round at close range into the chest of 42-year-old Steven Myers.
Although the judge dismissed Barber County Sheriff Lonnie Small as a defendant in the federal lawsuit, the judge ruled that the sheriff could be sued in state court, according to a court order filed Wednesday.
An attorney for Myers’ family, Michael Kuckelman, said Thursday that the family plans to file suit against Sheriff Small in Barber County District Court next week. The planned lawsuit in state court against the sheriff will contend that Small was negligent in supervising Brewer and is responsible for Brewer’s actions, while the federal lawsuit will continue to argue that Brewer violated Myers’ constitutional rights, Kuckelman said.
(Read more: Wichita Eagle)
Deal to bring license office to Winfield advances
Cowley County commissioners on Tuesday approved a contract with the Kansas Department of Revenue that would bring a drivers’ license office to Winfield.
The contract would need to be approved by the state, which approached the county about wanting to find a new facility for the DMV office, according to county administrator Lucas Goff. They do not want to own a facility but to lease it, he said.
The county has space in the Albertson Annex, across from the courthouse on Ninth Street, which was formerly used by Juvenile Corrections and needs a new tenant. At the June 19 county meeting, commissioners gave Goff permission to begin negotiations with the Department of Revenue for leasing the west suite in the Albertson Annex.
Goff worked with Kevin Fulton of the Department of Revenue to develop a lease agreement that would go into effect on Dec. 1 if it is approved by the state.
Goff said improvements needed in the space, including HVAC and bathrooms, would cost the county about $100,000.
Rent would be $6,063.75 per quarter for 10 years. The area contains 2,310 square feet for office use at $10.50 per square foot per year. With those figures, Goff said the county could begin to see a return on its investment in seven years.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)
Drone video of tornado damage in Eureka, Kansas
A tornado caused widespread damage in the town of Eureka, Kansas on Tuesday night. A few injuries were reported from the storm. Drone footage the next day shows the damage from the air.
(Read more: Wichita Eagle)