Municipal News & Jobs

Despite resident apprehension and pushback over the years, Lenexa continues to march westward with its development. The latest will be discussed during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Referred to as Solera, Lenexa-based civil engineering company Schlagel & Associates is applying on behalf of Prairie Star Land Associates LLC to develop retail, a grocery store and more than 500 housing units on the southeast corner of Prairie Star Parkway and the K-7 Highway.
Source: Homepage

Nine months after Monroe County Hospital in rural South Alabama closed its labor and delivery department in October 2023, Grove Hill Memorial Hospital in neighboring Clarke County also stopped delivering babies. Both hospitals are located in an agricultural swath of the state that’s home to most of its poorest counties. Many residents of the region don’t even have a nearby emergency department. Nationwide, most rural hospitals no longer offer obstetric services. Since the end of 2020, more than 100 rural hospitals have stopped delivering babies, according to a new report from the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform, a national policy center focused on solving health care issues through overhauling insurance payments. Fewer than 1,000 rural hospitals nationwide still have labor and delivery services.
Source: Kansas Reflector

After the Hen House Market closed in 2018 following its two decades in Merriam, residents have said they wanted to see a replacement come forward, no matter what it takes. Nearly seven years later, they could see its replacement come to fruition if the Merriam City Council approves a new project plan, tax incentives and rezoning for a sprawling redevelopment during a special meeting on Monday.
Source: Local Kansas City Missouri & Kansas News |

A Kansas City auto plant will be part of a $4 billion investment to boost production of gas and electric vehicles in the United States. General Motors announced in a news release that the Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas, will be part of the two-year investment plan, which will allow for 2 million more vehicles to be built each year.
Source: Local Kansas City Missouri & Kansas News |

The Chapman Center for Rural Studies and the Riley County Genealogical Society (RCGS) are collaborating to present ‘Big Dam Foolishness: The Drowned Settlements of the Blue River Valley’ in the Manhattan Public Library Auditorium on Sunday, June 22nd at 2:30 p.m. The Presentation, presented by KSU senior Dakota Boyles, will speak about the lost town of Carnahan Creek and other communities due to the construction of the Tuttle Creek Reservoir.
Source: KCLY Radio

Kansas hospitals continue to face financial challenges, straining their ability to serve communities. To better understand the situation, the Kansas Hospital Association partnered with national CPA firm PYA to evaluate hospital finances, commercial insurer strength, and regional comparisons.
Source: KCLY Radio

Federal Reserve officials get to voice their outlook this week on the future path of interest rates along with the impact that tariffs and Middle East turmoil will have on the economy.
While any immediate movement on interest rates seems improbable, the policy meeting, which concludes Wednesday, will feature important signals that still could move markets.
Source: Economy

The city of Prairie Village is locked in on a $30 million municipal complex project, despite some resident calls for a public vote on the issue. On Monday, the Prairie Village City Council in two separate 9-2 votes made critical decisions that moved the $30 million project — for a $23 million city hall and a $7 million police department renovation — forward.
Source: Johnson County Post

Thunderstorms moving through south-central Kansas Tuesday morning caused wind damage, flash flooding and power outages across the region, including in Wichita. The National Weather Service recorded a 101 mph wind gust at 4:22 a.m. at the Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita. Several other locations reported gusts of 60 mph or more.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

The city of Westwood wants the public’s input on the future of the former Westwood View Elementary property, months after a public vote effectively scuttled a previous plan that would have turned it into a park. Now, the city finds itself going back to the drawing board to have a say in what happens in one of the last blocks of green space in Westwood. That process is beginning with a community input survey, available online through June 25.
Source: Johnson County Post

The month of May brought a stomach-turning moment to the residents of Greensburg, a rural Kansas community that was 95% obliterated by a tornado on May 4, 2007. On May 18, a storm bearing a vivid tornadic signature on radar seemed to be aimed at the town, prompting the second time in Greensburg’s history that a tornado emergency was declared. The one other time was 18 years earlier. But what Greensburg accomplished after a 1.7-mile-wide EF-5 tornado ripped through the town, killing 12 people and flattening public buildings, businesses and private homes, is a testament to what can happen — and will become necessary — as temperatures rise and weather patterns shift.
Source: KLC Journal

Debate in Prairie Village over the cost of building a new city hall and other improvements. But the suburb says “yes” on moving forward with the massive plan. City council members on Monday night approved authorizing the project and the issuance of bonds for the City Hall and the Municipal Complex Project. Bottom line, the project is moving forward.
Source: KSN-TV

A pending agreement means state lines won’t be a barrier to first responders when the worst happens. At next Monday’s Galena City Council meeting, approval for an updated “mutual aid agreement” with several neighboring communities is expected to be voted on. Galena has worked with several of these communities in the past, and Mayor Ashley Groves says this updated agreement would make sure they were all on “the same page” with when and how to respond. The agreement would be with several communities, like Columbus and Baxter Springs, even reaching across state lines to Joplin and Carl Junction.
Source: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

Downtown Manhattan is inching closer to having an established area where patrons can legally consume alcohol outdoors. City commissioners will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall. City officials will consider an ordinance that establishes the boundary and regulations for a downtown common consumption area. That boundary, according to agenda documents, would include all of Poyntz Avenue from 5th to 3rd Street and the area near the west entrance of the mall.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

A recent report highlights the growing challenge of unrecognized costs and workforce shortages threatening rural maternity care in Kansas, potentially leading to more service closures. Unrecognized costs refer to expenses rural and critical access hospitals face beyond what is recorded in their official cost reports, which are always a year behind. Karen Weis, PhD, RNC-OB, FAAN, dean of KU School of Nursing Salina and lead author of the report, said, “Some of those costs that aren’t realized are when they don’t have the necessary workforce, be it nurses, anesthesia, lab, respiratory therapy, sonography. Then they must hire costly temporary workers, often called travelers.”
Source: KCLY Radio

The Hillsboro City Council met on Tuesday, June 3, and learned that the Hillsboro Community Child Care Center (H4C) is nearing its opening date with a current enrollment of 61 out of 99 potential spots filled. “One thing that needs attention is the parking lot and the surrounding areas. It’s bad. There’s been rock there for decades, but after the construction process, it’s pretty rough,” said Hillsboro City Administrator Matt Stiles. Stiles said that city street crews estimate that up to 200 tons of rock would be needed to complete the parking area and some other areas around the building.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press

Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland today announced five grant recipients will share $250,000 funding through the Residential Opportunities On Main Street (ROOMS) program. Five projects in designated Kansas Main Street communities have been awarded $50,000 each to create a total of 29 new residential units in the upper floors of downtown buildings.
Source: Press Releases – Kansas Department of Commerce

The Sheraton Hotel in Overland Park is no longer being considered as a possible location for a World Cup team base camp, city officials have learned. The hotel had previously been one of three in the Kansas City area being considered as a home base for a visiting national team during the 2026 international soccer tournament. But tournament organizer FIFA recently notified city and hotel officials that the Sheraton, which is connected to the Overland Park Convention Center at 6000 College Blvd., has been ruled out because of the large size of the property.
Source: Johnson County Post

For years, police officers have used drones to assist their responses at the scene of emergencies. But now, the Lenexa Police Department is using drones as first responders, sending them out ahead of human responders to more quickly understand the situations that police are getting called into.
Source: Up To Date

In a dispute stemming from Marion withholding incriminating open records, a judge awarded more than $75,000 Thursday to the District Judge Ben Sexton had ruled April 4 that the city acted in “bad faith” and ordered it to pay the legal fees of Bernie Rhodes, who represents the Among the documents the city concealed was a text message from then-Mayor David Mayfield saying he had met with Sheriff Jeff Soyez and then-Police Chief Gideon Cody three days before police raided the paper’s newsroom and told Cody he “was behind him and his investigation 100%.”
Source: Marion County RECORD

Following a public hearing Thursday, Riley County officials nullified the city’s plan to use tax incentives for a duplex development.
County commissioners unanimously denied the proposal from the Manhattan City Commission. The plan would have authorized the use of a state program called Reinvestment Housing Incentive Districts, or RHID.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

A bicyclist who had suspected drugs in his backpack was arrested Tuesday. According to the Great Bend Police Department, an officer stopped Shon Rome, 49, at 6:14 p.m. following a traffic infraction at Ninth and Heizer.
Source: Homepage

The Harvey County Commission decided it wasn’t worth the extra effort and possible risks involved to allow fireworks sales in the county. In April, the commission was asked by Michelle Green, a Burrton resident, to lift the current ban on firework sales in rural Harvey County. Green said the current vendor for fireworks was no longer selling them at his location. In April, Sheriff Chad Gay said he would be in favor of lifting the ban. Gay said he spoke to his department, and they felt issues arose from people setting off fireworks, not usually from stands selling them. The commission asked for the planning and zoning department and emergency management department to look into the history of the ban more and share concerns they might have.
Source: Harvey County Now

The Johnson County juvenile services department will begin taking in youths from other Kansas counties as a way of recouping some of the costs of running the detention center at 915 W. Spruce St. in Olathe when it is not at full capacity. Commissioners were told last Thursday that officials from several Kansas counties that are overcrowded or don’t have facilities have expressed interest in bringing juvenile detainees to Johnson County for temporary housing while they await court proceedings.
Source: Johnson County Post

The city of Lenexa will expand a new program that uses drones to respond to emergency calls before police or firefighters arrive. On June 3, the Lenexa City Council voted 7-0 to approve adopting a resolution amending the 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to include the Drone as a First Responder Program. The resolution included an agreement with Paladin Drones Inc. to purchase six drones along with other operational infrastructure. Councilmember Chris Herron was absent.
Source: Johnson County Post

Cyclists will be able to ride nearly 100 miles of uninterrupted trail in eastern Kansas thanks to a new bridge near Ottawa. The Flint Hills Trail runs from Osawatomie to Council Grove. It offers views of riverside bluffs, woods, rolling farmland and the largest remaining tallgrass prairie region — one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. “There’s a six-mile stretch without any crossroads through the heart of the Flint Hills,” said Jeff Bender, a region supervisor for state parks at the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. “And you’re up pretty high — there’s some incredible great viewpoints and landscape out there.”
Source: News

Crawford County will serve as a testing ground for a new AI-driven railroad crossing alert system, thanks to a $450,000 grant awarded through the Kansas Transportation Innovation Program. The project is one of 20 selected statewide for funding by Governor Laura Kelly, who announced a total of $4.5 million in awards to support cutting-edge transportation initiatives across Kansas.
Source: www.koamnewsnow.com – RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

Arkansas City is taking steps to update its historic downtown district designation, a move aimed at preserving key buildings and opening new opportunities for reinvestment. The city has selected Davis Preservation, a Kansas-based firm, to lead the effort. The $20,000 project will reexamine which buildings qualify for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, based on a prior resurvey that identified areas for expansion and revision.
Source: KSN-TV

The prospects of higher education just got a lot more affordable for future Humboldt-USD 258 graduates. The Humboldt Promise, announced at Monday’s USD 258 Board of Education meeting, is a scholarship that provides nearly every Humboldt student the opportunity to continue their education beyond graduation. The scholarships — paying up to 100% of the cost of enrollment in college, university, or technical training — was created and funded by The Works Family Foundation, a nonprofit organized to support community development and education in Humboldt.
Source: The Iola Register

Major changes are coming to how inmates at the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility communicate with the outside world. Beginning Monday, June 16, the jail will roll out a series of changes to its phone, video visitation, and mail systems. The jail is partnering with ICS Corrections, Inc. to handle all inmate communications in a move officials say is aimed at improving security and modernizing services. The inmate telephone system will be the first to transition, with brief service interruptions expected on June 16 while the upgrade is completed in each housing unit.
Source: KSN-TV

Kansas is putting artificial intelligence to work on its roads, skies, and sidewalks. Governor Laura Kelly announced Tuesday that more than $4.5 million will be awarded to 20 projects across the state through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s (KDOT) Innovative Technology Program—many of them powered by AI. From AI-driven street assessments and radar detection to automated alerts for blocked railroad crossings, this year’s funding round emphasizes the state’s growing focus on smart infrastructure and data-driven safety.
Source: KSN-TV

The City of Topeka is ready to make some improvements to multiple intersections after getting cash from the State of Kansas. Governor Laura Kelly announced in a press release on June 11 that Topeka was selected as a recipient of $75,000 in cash to improve radar traffic detection technology in the city. Topeka is one out of 20 recipients of the $4.5 million Kelly released to various projects across Kansas.
Source: KSNT 27 News

The Topeka governing body gave its input on the “readiness to serve” charge Tuesday night at city council. It’s a monthly fee for people on all water meters, whether it’s used or not. Part of the discussion was an ordinance, primarily targeting properties that owe money. Last month, letters were mailed to delinquent customers for 792 accounts, and that totaled to more than 446-thousand dollars owed. As of Tuesday, that number has gone down to 724 accounts with more than $424,000 owed. City leaders say this isn’t about usage, but rather about fairness and access. Source: KSNT 27 News

Six months after Tyson Foods and Holiday Resort announced their closures in Emporia on back-to-back days, Mayor Erren Harter says the city fared a lot better than it could have when jobs and potential ex-migration is concerned. Numbers aren’t being released, but Harter says all the Holiday Resort staff have found jobs and most are staying in or close to Emporia. Harter also says nearly all the 200-plus Tyson employees offered jobs at the Holcomb plant decided against that option and are staying put. He credits the work of the city’s Rapid Response Team in several ways, including two jobs fairs but extending beyond that.
Source: d2430

Recent heavy rains in the area have filled Winfield City Lake to more than a foot above capacity, according to numbers provided by the city of Winfield. As of Monday morning, the level of the lake was 15.5 inches above full pool. As recently as May 27, the water level was 3 feet below full. In March, the lake had reached its low this year of 42 inches below full. It was last at full pool in July 2024.
Source: Local – Cowley Post

The border war is heating up as Missouri comes to the table with its own plan to keep the Chiefs and Royals on their side of the state line. Now, all eyes are on both pro-sports teams as they weigh their options. Some Kansas lawmakers are vying for the teams to cross over, calling out Missouri’s months of deliberation over a final proposal. However, some advocacy groups are skeptical of whether a move to Kansas will pay off in the end.
Source: KSNT 27 News

A road work project that would have created a nearly 70-mile detour in central Kansas is officially delayed. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) announced on social media that a road work project set for K-177 Highway is delayed until next year. The project was originally set to start on June 16 and lead to the closure of 21 miles of K-177 between Strong City and Council Grove, creating a large detour route.
Source: KSNT 27 News

The City of Lawrence has approved a change in city code to allow private ambulance companies to perform non-emergency medical transports to and from the hospital to alleviate some of the burden on Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical crews.
Source: LJWorld

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

Outside of small towns these feedlots look like miles of fences with cattle standing end to end. But some people have started to be wary of these expansive developments.
Source: High Plains Public Radio

Western Johnson County is experiencing a significant housing boom. Developers are betting on a surge in interest in the area thanks to the $4 billion Panasonic electric-vehicle battery plant.
Source: KC Star