Municipal News & Jobs

The tourism district Loretto Companies has planned in Olathe, featuring an ultra-accessible amusement park and a sports complex focused on youth sports, is still happening, the developer says, but the timeline is uncertain.
Source: Johnson County Post

The city of Wichita opened its first accessible playground on Wednesday, marking the first of a series of planned improvements to L.W. Clapp Memorial Park. At a ribbon-cutting late Wednesday morning, city leaders celebrated the opening of the playground and the installation of a piece of public art.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

Wichita school district leaders say some student records at Southeast High School were changed — possibly to meet graduation requirements — and the district is investigating allegations of grade fixing at the school. Southeast High’s principal, Claudia Cooper, was replaced unexpectedly last week. In an email to employees, Lauren Hatfield, assistant superintendent of secondary schools, said Connie Redic would serve as Southeast’s principal for the coming school year.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

Major energy provider Evergy has filed a rate increase that could lead to higher bills for customers in the Wichita area, and stakeholders will soon have the chance to comment on the request. Evergy is requesting a $196.4 million rate increase for Evergy Kansas Central, which includes customers in Wichita, Manhattan and Topeka. The new rates would begin in September and come out to a 8.62% rate hike for residential customers, about $13 more per month.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

A town about an hour and a half drive from Wichita has a main street you might not want to miss, according to USA Today readers. Emporia, Kansas, with a population of just exceeding 24,000 residents, was recognized by the publication as having the second best main street in the U.S., ranking just behind Pennsylvania city. “Whether you’re looking for unique shopping, mouthwatering dining, or a lively night out, Commercial Street in downtown Emporia is the place to be,” the April 16 10Best Readers’ Choice piece reads.
Source: Homepage

Reviving a department after a 12-year layoff can be a daunting task for any city operation, but once in a while, things just fall into place. Larned City Manager Brad Eilts noted that for some time, he and the city council had realized not having a department for regular repair and maintenance of city vehicles and equipment was a drawback.
Source: Homepage

With seven measles cases now on record in Pawnee County, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday added the current total to its outbreak status. Its latest dashboard posting noted that last week, seven more cases were added to the state’s list, bringing the total to 71 since the beginning of the year. Measles was first reported in a Pawnee County resident by the Pawnee County Health Department to KDHE the last week of May.
Source: Homepage

The so-called “dark store” controversy over big-box property values may have seemed settled with a Kansas Supreme Court ruling in Johnson County’s favor three years ago. But in Johnson County, haggling over big box property valuations has returned in a big way over the site of one of Olathe’s most highly visible stores — the Bass Pro shop at 12051 South Renner Blvd. Phoenix-based Arciterra BP LLP, the owner of three parcels of land where the outdoor retailer is located just off Interstate 35, is delinquent on property taxes for every tax year since 2018, according to county records.
Source: Johnson County Post

Supporters of Prairie Village’s new city hall project came out in force at Monday’s city council meeting, this time urging the city to pay for “green” sustainable features that critics say is driving the cost up. Those same critics also mobilized at the meeting to outright oppose the entire $30 million project altogether, arguing that it’s a waste of taxpayer dollars and that Prairie Village voters should get a say in whether the plan should move forward.
Source: Johnson County Post

Kansas health officials reported seven new measles cases in the past week, bringing the total to 71 statewide. Most of the cases, 69, are linked to an ongoing outbreak in southwest Kansas. Three people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have occurred. The outbreak now includes Pawnee County, making it the ninth affected county.
Source: KCLY Radio

Abilene is continuing to monitor low aquifer levels as water supplies remain stagnant despite recent rainfall. Although eastern Kansas isn’t facing the same aquifer depletion seen in the west, Abilene’s underground sources—the Sand Springs Aquifer and Smoky Hill River Alluvium—are not at healthy levels.
Source: KCLY Radio

The State of Kansas ended May 2025 with total tax collections of $657.7 million, exceeding estimates by $158.3 million, or 31.7%. However, this total marks a slight 0.2% decrease compared to May 2024. Individual income tax collections totaled $314.7 million—85.1% above the estimate and 3.1% higher than last year. Corporate income tax collections reached $29.2 million, falling 2.8% below expectations and down 26.8% from May 2024. Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts came in at $282.1 million, 4.1% above the estimate and unchanged from the previous year. Source: KCLY Radio

The annual birthday celebration of the city happens every year the first weekend of June. It’s an annual fundraiser for the Galena Volunteer Fire Dept.
Source: www.koamnewsnow.com – RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

The history of settlement in Pawnee County predates the county’s official organization in 1873, as the eighth of 65 counties organized in that year. As an official township, Ash Valley was organized in 1881, with a community of the same name first opening a post office in 1877.
Source: Homepage

The Great Bend City Band had its first concert of 2025 Thursday evening, performing in the Clayton L. Moses Memorial band shell on the courthouse square. It was the final concert for conductor Grant Mathews, who is leaving for other opportunities. The concert was dedicated to the late Joe Boley, who passed way Sept. 4, 2024.
Source: Homepage

Iola Public Library’s new assistant director has a deep passion for service, a love of books, and a knack for community building. Laura Force stepped into her new role on April 14, bringing with her a unique blend of nonprofit leadership, outdoor education, and artistic creativity. “I really love living here,” said Force, 41, who moved to Iola in 2021 with her husband and their eight children after years working in summer camp operations. “We found a great place to live here and we wanted to stay in Kansas.”
Source: The Iola Register

A new three-level parking garage to be built on the surface lot behind Olathe City Hall is being considered by county and city officials as a way to ease a parking shortage and improve handicap accessibility for the courthouse. Johnson County commissioners on Thursday voted to enter into a 50/50 agreement with Olathe to build the garage, which would provide parking for the public and city and county employees and is intended to address the ongoing lack of parking space on the north side of Olathe’s downtown.
Source: Johnson County Post

Park City is the latest Kansas community to give the green light to golf carts on city streets. The Park City Council approved the change on May 27, and the new ordinance officially took effect June 5, according to the Ark Valley News. Under the new rules, golf carts are permitted on streets with speed limits of 25 miles per hour or less and can cross over higher-speed roads. Worksite utility vehicles and utility terrain vehicles have even broader access—they’re allowed on any street within city limits.
Source: KSN-TV

You could smell it before you saw it — the charred remains of the city park restrooms, torched and melted from the inside out. Udall Police Chief Erik King is calling it arson and says it’s unlike anything he’s dealt with in town before. The damage is estimated at around $10,000. Police say it happened Thursday around 4:30 in the afternoon. Then, just hours later, it happened again. He says the timing couldn’t be worse, with the Fourth of July just around the corner.
Source: KSN-TV

A new data center coming to southeast Kansas will generate sales tax and franchise fees in exchange for the big energy it will take to operate. Wildcat Data Infrastructure, a Texas company, is building the first data storage facility in the Industrial park near the Pittsburg Airport The idea was proposed to the City Commission back in late January. Now, the company and the city are working with Evergy to expand the electrical infrastructure at the site on 10 acres of land.
Source: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

Emporia residents will notice a slight increase in their monthly water bills starting next year following action by Emporia City Commissioners during their regular action meeting Wednesday. The specific action taken by commissioners was a 4-1 approval of a new Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) structure, a fee that will be added to residents’ water bills to create a dedicated revenue stream for stormwater improvements across the community. During an interview with KVOE News on Thursday, Deputy City Manager Mark Detter noted that previously, there has not been such a revenue stream with the city traditionally using sales and property tax dollars to cover those costs. He noted that while nobody likes additional fees, the ERU will mean less impact on property taxes.
Source: d2430

Members of the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Monday will hear a presentation on the city’s proposal to implement membership fees to use rec centers. The city has not yet shared specific numbers for how much memberships would cost, and no details about the proposal were included in the meeting agenda as of Sunday afternoon. The Parks, Recreation and Culture department is proposing charging fees as a way to offset its $1.8 million portion of the city’s projected budget shortfall of more than $6 million.
Source: The Lawrence Times

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.

From digital literacy training in a Topeka neighborhood to enhancing the use of artificial intelligence and other technology by farmers, a Kansas government program is investing in digital skills training and workforce readiness across the state.
Source: CJonline

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.

Floodwaters across Chase County have left roads submerged, residents displaced, and emergency crews working around the clock. Among the rescues was an elderly Strong City man saved after his life alert triggered a welfare check, prompting a specialized task force to bring him to safety. Chase County Emergency Manager Scott Wiltse said road closures have been widespread, though a full count isn’t yet available.
Source: KSN-TV

Mini bikes may be small, but the concern around them is growing. The Liberal Police Department says they’ve seen a growing number of young people riding mini bikes and pocket bikes on city streets, sidewalks, and trails — and it’s becoming a problem.  The pint-sized vehicles may look like toys, but under Kansas law, they’re considered motor vehicles. That means they need all the bells and whistles of a real motorcycle — lights, mirrors, brakes, turn signals, insurance, registration, and a licensed operator — none of which mini bikes typically have. Police say they’ve had several close calls lately involving children darting into traffic or ignoring stop signs. While no injuries have been reported, officers say it’s only a matter of time if the trend continues.
Source: KSN-TV

The City of Russell is scaling back part of its recycling program, announcing it will no longer accept plastics at community recycling trailers starting Aug. 1. The city’s recycling vendor announced it could no longer find buyers for plastic, making collection unsustainable. The City Council approved the decision on June 3 after staff outlined several options and current market impacts.
Source: KSN-TV

El Dorado Lake rapidly rose on Tuesday after heavy rain in the area. The US Army Corps of Engineers reported that the level was 1,344 feet on Wednesday. For comparison, at midnight on June 3, the lake was 1,339, a 5-foot increase. On Tuesday, the inflow to the lake reached 50,000 cubic feet per second or 22 million gallons per minute.
Source: KSN-TV

A local park in Emporia is set to get a makeover in the near future with the addition of new equipment to make visiting the space more exciting. 27 News spoke with Deon Morrow, Lyon County Healthy Pathways coordinator with the United Way of the Flint Hills (UWFH), on Thursday, June 5. The UWFH recently made it to the top three for Evergy’s People’s Choice Energizing our Environment Hometown Grants program, taking in $10,000 to go towards environmental and sustainable initiatives.
Source: KSNT 27 News

MakeMyMove, an online marketplace for relocation programs, on Monday proposed a conditional contract with Riley County to encourage people to move into rural communities like Ogden and Leonardville. “We think that this is a great opportunity for the area and region,” said Ben Ledo, vice president of enterprise sales from MakeMyMove, at the commission meeting.
The MakeMyMove website offers a list of communities that offer incentives to attract new residents. Ledo said about half of the people interested in relocating are bringing a job with them, and the rest are seeking jobs.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

Multiple factors merged to create a fuel shortage affecting western Kansas and three other Midwest states, and one expert expects it to take months for fuel storage capacity to return to normal. Brian Posler, executive director of Fuel True, said the complex system that maintains fuel stores to avoid shortages was hit by several unusual events this year. Fuel True is a nonprofit trade association representing Kansas fuel distributors and convenience stores. 
Source: Kansas Reflector

The Girard City Council recently approved amending the city’s code of ordinances, adjusting the sale and discharge of fireworks in response to action Governor Laura Kelly took in early April.
Under the new ordinance, those looking to sell fireworks through a permit are allowed to do so between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. June 20 to July 2 and 8 a.m. to midnight from July 3 to July 7.
Source: – Latest Stories

Kansas public health officials have reported seven new cases of measles in the past week as the outbreak in the southwest corner of the state continues to grow.
Source: Hutch News

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.

Senate Bill 199 allows the sale of fireworks at any time during the year for brick-and-mortar stores. It also expanded the timeframe seasonal retailers can sell by a week.
Source: CJonline

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.

Governor Laura Kelly announced Monday that the Freestate Middle Mile Network, a program aimed to close digital gaps across the state, will officially break ground this month. “The Freestate Network represents yet another transformative step in strengthening our digital future by laying the groundwork for long-term growth and connectivity in our communities,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The network underscores my administration’s commitment to making Kansas a national leader in broadband innovation and infrastructure.” The project is funded by a nearly $43 million federal grant from the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA). The Freestate Network will allow providers to connect Kansas communities by enabling high-speed internet infrastructure for residents and businesses across Kansas.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

Over Memorial Day weekend, we celebrated the 90th Birthday of the Macksville City Library. Alumni and community members were invited to visit our growing space, look at old yearbooks, and peruse memorabilia from Macksville’s history and our 90 years of service. We also had a special author talk by Cheryl Unruh, MHS graduate, Class of 1977.
Source: Homepage

The City of Bentley held a ribbon cutting for its new ball field, just east of the senior center, last Friday evening. City Administrator James T. Bryan thanked a few dozen people for coming out. He said the ribbon cutting was something they wanted to do to unveil what’s taking place with the field officially. Bryan said the city was put in the position of finding an alternate location for rec sports, because Bentley Primary School is undergoing major renovations that include the elimination of the t-ball field. The renovations are part of the USD-440 bond project.
Source: Harvey County Now

Kansas is the only state or local government to pass a plan to fund a Kansas City Chiefs or Royals stadium project. Dysfunction in the Missouri General Assembly might also mean the Show Me State has nothing to offer. A last-minute plan by Gov. Mike Kehoe to help finance stadium projects for the Royals and Chiefs wasn’t even debated in the Senate. Missouri lawmakers return June 2 for a special session to, among other things, pass a stadium proposal. But as it stands now, Kansas is in the driver’s seat to get, in theory, both the Royals and Chiefs. Notably, an affiliate of the Royals recently purchased a mortgage in Overland Park secured by the Aspiria campus, which is at 119th Street and Nall Avenue.
Source: Johnson County Post

The city of Westwood has bought more time for a new plan to emerge to repurpose the old Westwood View Elementary School property off Rainbow Boulevard. Still, it remains to be seen whether some residents’ hopes the school site can become part of a larger park will come to fruition.
Source: Johnson County Post

The Overland Park City Council on Monday unanimously approved a resolution that names the Johnson County Post’s print edition as an official city newspaper. The move clears the way for Overland Park to begin publishing legal notices in the Post, which has the biggest community news audience in Johnson County, reaching approximately 200,000 users each month.
Source: Johnson County Post

The first of many public discussions about a new billion-dollar project in Overland Park will kick off next month. Global engineering firm Black & Veatch proposed a redevelopment plan for its headquarters and the surrounding area including multiple forms of housing, retail and a park. The first public hearing — scheduled for July 7 at 7:30 p.m. — will focus on tax incentives and creating a community improvement district for the proposed area, which could add special taxes to pay for special services or upgrades in the district, located off 115th Street and Lamar Avenue.
Source: Homepage

Clay Center was incorporated 150 years ago on June 11th, 1875. To celebrate the town’s 150th birthday, this year’s Piotique theme will be “Stars, Stripes, & Small-Town Pride.” The event will take place on Saturday, September 27th.
Source: KCLY Radio