Kansas Municipal News
Abused dog finds award-winning new life working in Kansas law enforcement
An abused four-year-old German shepherd rescued in 2018 from the animal shelter in Junction City is now being recognized as the 2021 Detector Dog Case of the Year after she sniffed out 95 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop. The German shepherd was brought to the Junction City-Geary County Animal shelter in October 2018. The shelter’s staff named her Nova. They said she had a deep wound around her muzzler, which made them think she had been bound with a rope or wire. The Geary County Sheriff’s Office had discussed getting a second drug-detecting dog from a shelter. That’s when deputies found Nova. In March of 2019, Nova became certified in narcotics detection and tracking through the heart of the America Police Dog Association with her handler, Lt. Justin Stopper.
Source: KSN-TV
Here’s how Wichita public officials handled the water shutdown
Confusion reigned last Thursday evening as a major water main break that left roughly half a million Kansans without reliable drinking water for 36 hours spurred uncertainty. As city crews worked nonstop to address the burst pipe, the failure to communicate vital information between organizations and to the general public compounded the confusion of the moment. Officials knew early on that Wichita water couldn’t be deemed safe before Saturday morning, but that timeline wasn’t made clear for hours, keeping families and businesses guessing late into the night about what Friday may bring.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
USDA’s rural energy program a boost to family farms and small businesses
As legislators calculate the right balance on how much to spend on infrastructure and clean energy, they should take stock of both the environmental and the economic gains that everyday Americans earn through the transformation to an efficient, clean energy economy. And make no mistake: The transition is underway, built up from many small projects and successes. Congress can maintain momentum by funding smart policy choices, such as USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program. In its nearly 20-year history, this program has supported more than 20,000 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects for rural businesses and farms. These projects are mostly small in scale and cost, but they add up to a big impact.
Source: The Iola Register
Family receives $350K settlement from Wamego government after son’s death at city pool
The Wamego city government has reached a settlement with the family of a swimmer who drowned last year at the Wamego Aquatics Center indoor pool. In a joint news release Tuesday, the family and the Wamego city government announced that John and Seana Balman of Manhattan received $350,000 for the wrongful death of their son, Thomas “Wyatt” Balman, 20 in a pre-litigation settlement. On Oct. 13, 2020, Balman, a 2018 Manhattan High graduate, fainted while swimming laps and drowned.
Source: themercury.com
Lawrence’s Sustainability Advisory Board to revisit single-use bag fee
The Sustainability Advisory Board on Wednesday will revisit, and might vote on, a proposed ordinance that would require establishments to charge customers 15 cents per single-use disposable bag for any purchase. Talks about such an ordinance began in May 2018, when concerned students of the former Kennedy Elementary School made a presentation to the Lawrence City Commission about the damaging environmental effects of plastics. The SAB’s Single Use Plastics Subcommittee presented a report to the City Commission in August 2019 and then collected further public feedback. The topic was moved to the back burner while the Kansas Legislature considered a measure that would prevent such an ordinance at the city level, but that bill died in May 2020, according to the advisory board’s agenda materials. The pandemic, too, had implications — particularly early on, as uncertainty about whether COVID-19 could spread via surfaces spurred some stores to temporarily ban customers from bringing their own reusable bags.
Source: The Lawrence Times
USD 232 now tracks online how it will spend $7M in federal COVID-19 relief
USD 232 in De Soto has published an online platform to share how it will spend federal COVID-19 relief dollars. The district is participating in the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund, which Congress enacted in March 2020 to help out schools with financial support during the pandemic. In a brief presentation to the school board Oct. 4, Superintendent Frank Harwood shared about the platform and timeline for spending, and also offered some clarification on how the district can tap into the funding.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Festa Italiana returns to Frontenac for 22nd year
The city of Frontenac celebrates twenty-two years of bridging cultures, and celebrating their heritage. And they’re doing this at their annual, Festa Italiana. “There’s German food, Italian food, there’s more Italian food than anything, just because that’s the heritage of Frontenac,” said President of the Frontenac Education Foundation, Ann Brown. Plenty of people were gathered to taste good food and enjoy each other’s company, but the event had a larger impact, especially on children in the town.
Source: KOAMKOAM
Miami County Commissioners could render decision on proposed City of Golden at today’s meeting
Miami County commissioners could decide the fate of a proposed city named Golden in northwest Miami County as early as their regular 1 p.m. meeting Wednesday, Oct. 13. … The last item currently listed on the County Commission’s agenda for its regular 1 p.m. meeting Wednesday is to “consider authorizing to approve or deny the incorporation of a new third-class city named Golden in Northwest Miami County.” Commissioners would have to vote unanimously in favor of incorporation for the proposal city to be approved.
Source: republic-online.com
Municipal Bond Trends for October 12, 2021
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.
Kansas natural gas utility nears deal to pass on $100M in cold snap costs to wholesale customers
Kansas’ largest natural gas utility is close to reaching a deal to recoup more than $100 million from large-scale customers that failed to provide enough natural gas during a February cold snap that forced power outages across the Midwest. During the worst of the cold snap, which saw average temperatures in Kansas City fall below 15 degrees for 10 days, natural gas prices shot up to record levels and utilities scrambled to keep customers’ heat on. In some cases, natural gas marketers, companies that use Kansas Gas Service’s distribution system to provide natural gas to wholesale or transportation customers, failed to get enough gas for their customers into the system, meaning KGS had to supply gas or risk running out for its residential customers.
Source: Kansas Reflector
50 new jobs will be available in Montgomery County from a new soybean processing facility
New jobs are coming to a southeast Kansas community. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says an agribusiness company called Bartlett is investing about 325 million dollars to build a new soybean crushing facility in Montgomery County that will employ 50 workers when complete. She says the new operation will be able to process about 38.5 million bushels a year, creating refined soybean oil for renewable fuels, food products and animal feed.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Wichita passes nondiscrimination ordinance, rejects religious carve out
After four months of delays, the Wichita City Council passed a nondiscrimination ordinance Tuesday aimed at banning discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations. The council voted 6-1 to approve the ordinance, with Jeff Blubaugh voting against. The council also rejected a carve out that would have allowed religious groups to fire or refuse to hire LGBTQ+ individuals at will, an amendment proposed by City Council member Jared Cerullo, the first openly gay man to serve on the council.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Overland Park considers plan to remake busy College Boulevard corridor into pedestrian-friendly ‘destination’
A linear park, pond side water features, intergenerational playground and signature pedestrian bridge are some of the ideas being considered in Overland Park’s efforts to reimagine the traffic-heavy College Boulevard area near the convention center. The city council’s Community Development Committee got a first look this month at some of a consultant’s concepts meant to make the College corridor more walkable and inviting, particularly to convention guests. The goal, among others, is to make the busy commercial stretch into a pedestrian-friendly “destination district,” used by convention-goers, local workers and residents alike. A survey of corridor users showed the biggest obstacle to walkability was Metcalf Avenue to the west of the convention center, said Marty Shukert, principal at Kansas City-based RDG Planning and Design.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Brown County Commission discusses security guard
The Brown County Commission held further discussions Monday morning about the need for a security guard at the main entrance. These discussions came after county resident Brian Hoskins spoke to the commission about his concerns on having a security guard in place. He felt that by having a security guard that prevented people from carrying arms inside of the courthouse violated his 2nd Amendment rights. He said he isn’t a violent person, but does carry several pocket knives and felt the government is continuing to overstep by implementing these securities. Hoskins also said that the Brown County Courthouse was the only one in this region with restrictions. He also noted he didn’t feel the temperature check was necessary and he thanked Commissioner William Pollock for upholding the Constitution.
Source: Parsons Sun
Sedgwick County considers eliminating three elected offices
In the not-too-distant future, you may have three less offices to vote on in Sedgwick County elections. … The specific issue before the commission at Tuesday’s staff meeting was whether to hire a consultant for an efficiency audit to focus on whether there’s waste and duplication of services between departments under commission control. The underlying issue is whether county voters should continue to elect their county clerk, treasurer, and register of deeds.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Mullinville, Kan., grassroots artist M.T. Liggett’s life work featured in new art center
Mullinville, Kan., celebrated (well, probably most of the town) the grand opening of the M.T. Liggett Art Environment & Visitors Center on Oct. 2. The sometimes controversial, more times than not comical, and most certainly quirky art collection left behind by M.T. Liggett was acquired by the Kohler Foundation after Liggett’s death in 2017. The Kohler Foundation has overseen the preservation, restoration and construction project, and it has gifted the 70-acre property to the 5.4.7. Art Center of Greensburg, Kan., for maintenance and long-term management of the property.
Source: Kansas Farmer
Marie Pyko says library can ‘be that next beacon’ for Topeka
Touring the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, it’s clear how proud new CEO Marie Pyko is of the building, especially the youth library. “When families turn the corner, they are just so in awe,” Pyko said. “It’s the place in the building where you hear laughter and just pure joy, where you really are exploring that sense of imagination.” Designed by TSCPL staff, the children’s library was renovated from 2008 to 2013. “Every single piece in that children’s library was through the vision of our youth staff,” Pyko said. “Every single piece of paint on that wall was done by a library staff member, who hand-painted those murals. There’s a lot of heart in that space. When I turn the corner, it just makes me smile.”
Source: CJonline
Lawrence City Commission to review draft policy for use of drones by police
City leaders will soon review the Lawrence Police Department’s draft policy for its use of drones and other camera systems, which is intended to prohibit uses such as invasions of privacy, targeted harassment and monitoring protests. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will receive a presentation from the police department on the draft “public safety camera” policy. Interim Chief Adam Heffley told the commission last month that the police department plans to pursue a drone program, and that the department had already developed a draft policy and would be seeking input on the policy from interested organizations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Keeping it clean for here and downstream
Its eye-catching bright colors inspire people to take a closer look at an educational mural painted along the south wall by the splash pad at Avenue A Park. Artist Vickie Hoskins, who was born and raised in Hutchinson, was commissioned to create the mural to teach people about how waste and trash in the city’s stormwater system can flow into Cow Creek and can directly impact wildlife and communities downstream from Hutchinson. Painted on top of the wall are the words ‘Creek, River, Lake, Ocean.’ In addition to the words, Hoskins painted a rainbow, animals, flowers, and a butterfly. It took Hoskins four days, from Tuesday to Friday last week, to paint the mural. Sean Thomas, Assistant Director of Parks and Facilities for the City of Hutchinson, said that a mural project had been in the works for a couple of years.
Source: Hutch News
Pandemic-inspired investment in broadband infrastructure signals new era of internet access
Daniel Friesen doesn’t want geography to be the determining factor of whether Kansas communities have access to high-quality broadband service. He started a company in Buhler dedicated to providing fiber-to-the-home internet and was prepared to leap when the COVID-19 pandemic exposed consequences of service gaps in education, commerce, health care and at home in Kansas. That’s when the federal government began pouring CARES Act relief money into the states, and Kansas officials earmarked $50 million of that largess for broadband expansion. Friesen, founder and chief innovative officer of IdeaTek, took on 66 broadband projects in rural, underserved areas of 17 Kansas counties. Contracts valued at $18 million unleashed dozens of plows and bore machines. It led to installation of hundreds of miles of cable and construction of 70 telecommunications towers.
Source: Kansas Reflector