Kansas Municipal News
Limits to Kansas governor, health officials’ emergency powers restored — for now
Major revisions to the Kansas emergency management law, ruled unconstitutional last month by a Johnson County judge, will remain in place while the state Supreme Court considers an appeal. The Kansas Supreme Court on Tuesday granted Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s request that district court judge David Hauber’s ruling be stayed until the higher court made its decision. The stay follows more than a month of uncertainty in Kansas as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise and the power of local health officials and Gov. Laura Kelly was uncertain.
Source: Wichita Eagle
State of Disaster Emergency issued for western Kansas wildfire
Governor Laura Kelly issued a State of Disaster Emergency for a wildfire in Clark County. The Kansas Forest Service has been at the scene of the fire, and an agricultural pilot is helping with fire suppression over rough terrain. “Wildland fires can cause widespread destruction and present a very real threat to life and property,” Gov. Kelly said. “They destroy crops and grazing land, and may threaten homes and lives. This declaration will allow the state to use whatever resources we have available to mitigate the risks and respond to fires in support of local emergency responders.” “Our wildland fire staff and the aviation resources we work with are focused on supporting local resources on the ground in Clark County” said State Forester Jason Hartman. “Those firefighters on the ground are the first and best line of defense during a wildfire.”
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
After 50 COVID cases, 200 quarantines, Johnson County district toughens mask mandate
The Gardner-Edgerton district began the school year last week with a mask requirement for younger students, but not high schoolers. Now 50 students and staff have tested positive for the virus, and more than 200 have been required to quarantine. After one week of classes, the district is facing staffing issues due to a substitute teacher shortage, said Jody Marshall, human resources director. Given the trends in COVID-19 transmission, the school board voted 4-1 Monday night to mandate masks for all grade levels. “Last week reflects the worst COVID-related absenteeism, or positives and quarantines, since the first week in January. So that’s pretty significant in my mind, and it is having an impact on our staffing,” Marshall said.
Source: Joco 913 News
Roeland Park Becomes Second City In Johnson County To Require Masks Indoors
Roeland Park is now the second Johnson County city with a citywide mask mandate, following Prairie Village, which instituted a similar measure that took effect Tuesday. The Roeland Park City Council unanimously approved a mask resolution at its Monday night meeting, effective Tuesday, Aug. 24, and currently set to expire Oct. 19. The order requires masks for all people indoors in public places or in crowded outdoor public places, with some exceptions. Roeland Park started complying last summer with Gov. Laura Kelly’s mask mandate, which took effect July 3, 2020. The city changed its mask mandate in April to “strongly recommend” masks, in line with Johnson County’s then-new guidance, Assistant City Administrator Erin Winn said in an email Tuesday morning to the Shawnee Mission Post.
Source: KCUR News
Want to race the Wichita police? Now you have a chance
Do you want to race the Wichita Police Department? You will now have your chance this Friday night. Wichita police and Mel Hambelton are teaming up to provide an opportunity in a controlled and safe environment at the Kansas International Dragway. According to Wichita police, drag racing has become a problem here and nationwide. Officer Paul Cruz said so far in 2021, two deaths in Wichita have been related to street racing. “We are excited to bring this together. As much as the street racing is an issue, we want to bring this community back together where the street racers are at the track doing it in a safe environment,” said Phil Nightingale, Mel Hambelton general manager Police plan to have three officers racing a patrol car.
Source: KSN-TV
Sheriff’s Office seeks assistance in purchasing drone
The Brown County Sheriff is requesting assistance from the public for purchasing a drone for the Sheriffs office. Brown County Sheriff John Merchant said that last week, two boys were lost in a cornfield near Fairview. “With the aid of a drone, they could have been located in a more timely manner,” Sheriff Merchant said. “With high temperatures and humidity, dehydration could have set in within a short amount of time.” In the situation with the lost boys, Sheriff Merchant said a local farmer assisted and with information obtained from the dispatcher who stayed on the phone with the boys – keeping them calm and obtaining location info – and with Undersheriff Brian Guilliams, the situation was resolved without a bad outcome.
Source: hiawathaworldonline.com
Childcare deserts in Kansas
“We have one in-home provider in Wichita County, and they don’t take infants,” Baker said. While the entire state has a lack of child care options, the problem is particularly bad in western Kansas where practically every family has a story like Elder and Baker. The problem is scaring away potential new Kansans, chasing away young families who might otherwise stay in the state and even sometimes closing down companies.
Source: KAKE – News
Municipal Bond Trends for August 23, 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.
Wichita Public Schools to require masks starting next week, with 194 students and 51 teachers already positive for COVID
Wichita Public Schools will require masks indoors starting next week for everyone 3 years old and older as district data shows more than 3% of students are in quarantine less than two weeks into the school year. The Wichita Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the measure Monday night after Superintendent Alicia Thompson told board members that 1,612 students, or 3.4%, were in quarantine because of close contact with COVID-19. The mask mandate will go into effect Monday, Aug. 30.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Urn from 1908 is being renovated in Parsons
An urn that’s over a century old is being renovated in Parsons. In 1908, an urn was placed in Forest Park only to be removed around a decade ago due to the installment of a new playground. Sunday morning, members of the community were invited to stick rocks around the vase of the urn as part of the restoration process. David Mattox, Parsons 150th Anniversary Committee, says, “It’s just always been there. It’s kind of a constant, so you like to have those things. People remember playing on these urns. There’s hundreds of pictures of people posing by these urns from a hundred years ago. I know my grandfather stood next to this when he was eight years old and now i can take my picture there as well. It’s kind of a neat deal.” Mattox says the project could not have been done without the Parsons Area Community Foundation, which paid for the project.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Debate over requiring masks, vaccinations heats up in Kansas
Debates about mask mandates and vaccine requirements have intensified in Kansas amid the surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the highly contagious delta variant. In Lawrence, a homeless shelter and theater decided to require vaccinations. “It just isn’t safe in a congregate setting — we don’t have walls, nobody has a room,” said Meghan Bahn, the director of community engagement at the Lawrence Community Shelter. She said most of the shelter’s 40 guests were either fully vaccinated or had received one shot. But she added that there were some people who said they did not plan to return to the shelter under the new requirement. Meanwhile, Theatre Lawrence became the city’s second major event venue to announce it would require patrons to show proof that they have been vaccinated.
Source: KAKE – News
Pott County approves draw down of federal funds to support ‘overwhelmed’ health department
Pottawatomie County commissioners agreed Monday to use $100,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support up to four additional positions for its overwhelmed health department. Health Department Director Leslie Campbell says her nursing staff, which includes she, the local health officer and two nurses, have been fielding a growing number of concerns and questions from school officials daily. Many, she says, are trying to navigate uncertainty as transmission rates and quarantines increase. Campbell says her department has fielded numerous phone calls the past few weeks from school officials, including superintendents about what protocols they should be following.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Stray Bullets Keep Hitting Homes In Johnson County, So Sheriff Threatens To Fine Shooters $1,000
Education and brochures haven’t reduced the number of stray bullets flying in parts of rural Johnson County. Now law enforcement, the county commission and its legal department are considering a measure that will make firing bullets onto or over property without permission a code violation that could carry a maximum $1,000 fine. The new violation is meant to enforce safety measures that have not always been used by target shooters in the unincorporated area of the county, Sheriff Calvin Hayden told commissioners Thursday.
Source: KCUR News
Wichita schools to require masks for students
The Wichita school board has unanimously approved an indoor mask requirement for students. During their meeting Monday night, the board approved the requirement for all students ages 3 and older, starting August 30th. The decision is based on recent recommendations from local health officials and from the Centers for Disease Control. Sedgwick County’s Local Health Officer, Dr. Garold Minns, called for a mask requirement last week, but county commissioners voted to receive and file the recommendation rather than put it into effect. Wichita Superintendent Alicia Thompson told board members that 194 students and 51 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. Out of 7,633 employees, 74 are in quarantine.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Louisburg launches Hometown Heroes street banner program
Military veterans and active-duty personnel from the U.S. Armed Forces can now be honored through the Hometown Heroes street banner program in downtown Louisburg. This new program, in partnership with the Louisburg American Legion, the Louisburg Chamber of Commerce and the city of Louisburg, honors veterans (living or deceased) and active-duty personnel who hail from Louisburg or Miami County, according to a city news release. … Each banner costs $75 and will hang for two years from light poles located in downtown Louisburg. The banners will be displayed for several weeks during the Memorial Day and Veterans Day holidays, according to the city.
Source: republic-online.com
Municipal Bond Trends for August 20, 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.
Police chief who took down Excel shooter begins statewide law enforcement role
Doug Schroeder, the former Hesston police chief who stopped the Excel Industries shooter, has taken over a statewide organization that reviews law enforcement training curriculum and has the authority to investigate and revoke officer licenses. Schroeder started earlier this month as the executive director of Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training. The appointment comes in the wake of a tumultuous 2020, where the argument over the role the police play in American life was hotly debated and defunding the police became a national issue.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Forget The Cities, Are Rural Kansas And Missouri Ready For Electric Vehicles?
Optimism is growing that country residents could benefit by switching to electric vehicles (EVs). “The research has shown that people in rural areas drive as much as 50% longer than those in urban areas,” says energy reporter Brian Grimmett. “It’s cheaper to charge your electric vehicle than it is to put gas in your car,” he observes about rural drivers. Worries over the range of EVs are lessening as new models now can go between 250 and 400 miles on one charge. Grimmett acknowledges that there are not enough charging stations in rural areas. In Kansas specifically, Grimmett reports, “There’s a whole corner of the state, the southwest corner of the state, where there are no high-speed, fast chargers at all.”
Source: KCUR
Mask mandate defeated in Sedgwick County
The Sedgwick County Commission voted Friday evening to effectively reject a mask mandate in indoor public spaces — after multiple physicians pleaded with the commission to require face-coverings and an anti-mask activist threatened to show up outside commissioners’ homes if they passed a measure aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The decision came after County Health Officer Dr. Garold Minns proposed requiring masks as the COVID-19 delta variant surges and local hospitals fill with younger, sicker patients.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
How the Sedgwick County Zoo grew from an empty field to 115 acres of animals and fun
It a was drizzly, uncomfortably chilly day in October 1969, and the one-time milo field that would soon be home to the Sedgwick County Zoo was a muddy, mucky mess. A little over 50 years later, though, all Barb Hoppins remembers is the cold, the dirt and her mother’s instructions: “Get Mr. Blakely’s autograph.” Hoppins, then a fourth-grader at Peterson Elementary School, was one of about 75 schoolchildren chosen to serve as ambassadors at the “Commencement of Work” ceremony on the Wichita site of the future zoo, which would open almost two years later. All the kids present that day got small glass jars and tiny silver scoops and were invited to fill their containers with dirt from the site. When Hoppins got hers, she did what her mother requested, asking zoo director Richard Blakely — a bona fide local celebrity by then — to sign the jar.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle