Kansas Municipal News
Soybean processing plant brings more jobs to Cherryvale area
A new industry is coming to Cherryvale, Kansas as a grand opening takes place for the Bartlett Soybean Processing Plant. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is just one state official to attend the opening of the facility. She was joined by the likes of Sen. Roger Marshall and Lt. Gov. David Toland. The soybean plant is expected to process up to 49 million bushels of soybeans annually, creating products for foods, animal feed and renewable energy. The plant has already created more than 60 new jobs within the facility alone.
Source: KOAM News
Fort Scott approves demolition of rundown homes for community beautification
The Fort Scott City Commission has approved the demolition of several rundown homes that have been a concern for the community. Earlier this month, they reviewed six homes that are either abandoned or need many repairs. “Honestly, some of these houses are places I wouldn’t want to see anyone living in, especially kids,” he said. He explained that these dilapidated homes hurt the property values in the area, making it harder for everyone” said Leroy Kruger, codes technician. If a house is found to be in bad shape and the city is considering demolition, the the city will send a letter to the owner, giving them a chance to fix things. If nothing changes, the city can move forward with the demolition. “A house in that condition can make people think twice about buying nearby,” said Kruger. City Commissioner Matthew Wells says many of the homes are considered unsafe. “The majority of these homes are unlivable and have become flop houses or houses where drugs or other illicit activities take place within those neighborhoods. Needles have been found on the porches, drug paraphernalia scattered across the yards of broken glass,” said Wells. One of the goals of this demolition plan is allow new businesses and safer homes in Fort Scott, especially since there’s a need for housing in the area.
Source: KOAM News
New City Administrator appointed in Fredonia, Kansas
The city of Fredonia, Kansas announces a new City Administrator during its commission meeting. According to the city’s Facebook page, the new City Administrator is Evan Bolt. “Evan meets all of our preferred qualifications. He will arrive with a successful track record of managing infrastructure projects in municipalities in Colorado and Utah.” said Mayor Miller. “And Fredonia will also benefit from the practical research he conducted for the Environmental Finance Center at Wichita State University while working on his graduate degree.” According to Mayor Miller, after extensive resume screening, candidate and reference interviews, department head consultation, and background checks, he and Commissioners agreed that Bolt was the most qualified to be Fredonia’s next City Administrator. He replaces Wesley Young who resigned in May to take a similar position in southeast Missouri.
Source: KOAM News
Wichita Public Library now offering birdwatching kits
The Wichita Public Library continues to expand its unique offerings that can be checked out for free with a membership card. The latest is perfect for anyone interested in birds. The library has announced a new partnership with the Audubon of Kansas to offer birdwatching kits. The kits are packed with pamphlets and guides to birdwatching, other information, and maps of excellent viewing areas across Sedgwick County. They also include one pair of adult binoculars and two child binoculars. The kits can be checked out for 14 days, with two renewals available. Click here for more information or to reserve one for your family. The birdwatching kit is just the latest addition to the Library of Things offered by Wichita Public Library.
Source: KSN-TV
Paxico’s 20th annual blues festival draws in their largest crowd
Main street in Paxico was filled with people from all over for the 20th annual Paxico Blues Festival. Festivals have always been a big part of what Paxico does and a music festival was on that list. So, when one of the festival co-founders took a trip back to his hometown, following owning blues clubs of her own in Kansas City, Kansas, he knew they had a hit event in the making. “I’ve had people describe it as ‘well it’s kind of like being with your family,” Bud Hund, one of the co-founders said. “It’s like all your family, go to a family event and everybody is so friendly and nice and everybody enjoying’ that’s the kind of vibe it brings.” Despite the weather, the festival saw the largest crowd they’ve ever had and hopes to continue this tradition for many more years to come.
Source: KSNT 27 News
$100,000 in grants will revitalize barns for Kansas agritourism
Kansas Tourism has announced that $100,000 in grants will be distributed to businesses across the state to promote agritourism. The businesses are the first recipients of the new Barn Adaptation and Restoration Needs (BARN) grant program. The program was created to help restore and revitalize old barns across the state and further efforts to expand agritourism across Kansas. The state began promoting agritourism in 2004 after the passage of the Kansas Agritourism Promotion Act. The act provides free agritourism promotion through the Kansas Tourism office, a layer of limited liability for agritourism businesses and education and resource opportunities. “The BARN grant is vital to our efforts to foster and support innovation and sustainability in our agricultural communities,” said Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland. “These funds not only will help preserve the rich agricultural traditions of Kansas but also pave the way for new and creative agritourism ventures that will benefit local residents and visitors alike.” The BARN grants are matching-cost grants, meaning a total of $200,000 will be spent on the six projects across the state. “We are excited to see these projects come to reality and contribute to the future of Kansas agritourism,” said Kansas Tourism Director Bridgette Jobe. “By revitalizing these unique structures, we are not only preserving our past, but also creating new economic opportunities that will draw visitors to experience the heart and soul of Kansas.” Source: KSNT 27 News
Forums for Sedgwick County Commission candidates will focus on affordable housing
The Wichita Journalism Collaborative is organizing candidate forums for the Sedgwick County Commission races in Districts 2 and 3. The forums, which will be in the Alumni Auditorium at Friends University, will focus on housing issues within the commission’s purview. District 3 candidates Celeste Racette and Stephanie Wise will participate in the forum on Monday, Sept. 23, while District 2 candidates Sarah Lopez and Jeff Blubaugh are scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 24. Both forums start at 6 p.m. When the collaborative hosted a listening session on housing earlier this year, participants who completed a post-event survey highlighted affordability issues, such as why housing and rents have been increasing, as a concern that called for additional coverage.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
An update from the Nemaha County Administrator, Part 1
To everybody who calls Nemaha County home, as I come to the close of my first year in my role, I appreciate your patience as I build relationships and gather the necessary information to execute the role of County Administrator. This includes diagnosing the situation, energizing others, managing myself, and intervening thoughtfully and skillfully. This first year has fully met my expectations with all the challenges and rewards that were promised. I was asked frequently during my first few weeks if I’m quitting or if I am disappointed coming here. I am not quitting, and I am not disappointed. I’ve met dozens of wonderful people including many leaders. Still, it is a challenge to balance the expectations of many of the people I work with who don’t want to change anything and the others who think I’m moving far too slowly. I am building relationships and growing fond of many teammates from the Nemaha County Government. My overall goal for the county government is to promote harmony, build confidence, regain faith and to create a sense of hope — even when there seems to be little cause for hope. This goal is connected to my life priorities and world view which is: There is a God of the universe, the same God Moses served, and I serve Him first — with my priorities being: God, Family, Job, Ministry, other things. Easy to write, but this is still my goal. I do mess it up occasionally.
Source: Sabetha Herald
Municipal Bond Trends for September 20, 2024
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.
12 schools in NE Kansas have been targeted by school threats
Law enforcement agencies across Kansas have been on high alert after a series of school threats that have targeted at least 12 schools in the northeast Kansas area. Six northeast Kansas school districts have had threats made against them recently, prompting some law enforcement agencies to heighten enforcement efforts.
Source: 1350 KMAN
‘A breakdown’: Kansas missed signs dead ex-official worked both sides of $425k grant
A former Kansas Department of Commerce official suspected of embezzling public funds handled money for a community foundation that received a $425,000 grant while he oversaw the same grant at the state agency that awarded it, an apparent conflict of interest now coming under scrutiny. Two top Commerce officials — Lt. Gov. David Toland, who leads the agency, and Robert North, the agency’s general counsel — signed off on the grant amid warning signs that the official was working on both sides of the grant. The former official, Jonathan L. Clayton, died in August in a single-vehicle crash as he faced mounting suspicion of wrongdoing and as a past felony conviction in Pennsylvania became more widely known in Kansas. Until October 2023, Clayton had been the director of economic recovery at Commerce, where he oversaw more than $100 million in programs funded by federal pandemic dollars. The agency didn’t conduct a criminal background check before hiring him. Clayton’s death has attracted significant attention, coming after he went missing on Aug. 3 and before an apparently posthumous email from him made allegations of misconduct involving Commerce, which the agency denies. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation in late August said it had found no evidence of foul play, but the investigation was continuing.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Lawrence adds 11 new city services for residents to request in city’s app, including pothole repairs
The city of Lawrence’s app now allows residents to make 11 new types of service requests, including pothole and pavement repairs and stormwater issues. The city announced the expanded service requests offered by the web app, called SeeClickFix…
Source: LJWorld
Wichita to continue Stage 2 water restrictions, increase enforcement
The City of Wichita said it will increase enforcement as it continues Stage 2 water restrictions. … “During the last two months, efforts on education were prioritized over issuing fines,” said the city. “Going forward, staff plans to increase enforcement, including issuance of fines if warranted, while still continuing educational efforts on ways to cut back on water use.”
Source: KWCH
Lyon County Commission discusses VisionFirst Economic Development report
The Lyon County Commission reviewed the findings and recommendations found in the VisionFirst Economic Development Report, Thursday morning. The report outlines recommendations for streamlining economic development efforts in Emporia and the surrounding areas by bringing entities like RDA, the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce, Emporia Main Street, and Visit Emporia under one umbrella organization. The report, which was commissioned by the City of Emporia, was recently presented to the county and several key stakeholders, including the Regional Development Association and Emporia Enterprises. According to Chair Rollie Martin, the VisionFirst report outlines a more unified, strategic direction for economic development in Emporia and Lyon County. The key recommendation suggests consolidating economic development efforts, which currently involve multiple entities, under one primary organization. It proposes dissolving Emporia Enterprises and shifting its responsibilities to the RDA, which already has the authority to handle many of these tasks, including acquiring property for economic development purposes.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Board of County Commissioners discusses next steps following Lenexa City Council vote on homeless services center
Following the Sept. 17 Lenexa City Council denial of a Special Use Permit for the proposed Homeless Services Center, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners voted today to terminate the real estate purchase agreement with MAA Krupa Lenexa LLC for the La Quinta property. Given the timeliness of contractual requirements, the Board took special action outside of its previously published calendar. “While I’m deeply disappointed in the Lenexa City Council’s denial of the SUP application, we needed to take swift action today to preserve as many federal COVID-19 relief funds as possible,” said Mike Kelly, Chairman of the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners. “Because we know there is a clear need to serve our unhoused population, we will work diligently to reallocate these resources toward investments that help vulnerable residents find permanent housing, employment, mental health services, and assistance with rent and utilities. While this project would have been a monumental step toward each of those needs, we knew that more work would always be necessary, so we will continue to collaborate with willing partners to address the housing crisis in our community.”
Source: Johnson County Kansas |
Olathe Police partnering with FBI on new firing range training facility
The Federal Bureau of Investigations will contribute some funds to the Olathe Police Department’s new firing range planned in southern Olathe. On Tuesday, the Olathe City Council voted 6-0 to approve a 20-year memorandum of understanding with the FBI for shared use and shared cost of building the facility near 167th Street and Interstate 35. Additionally, the city council approved an agreement with Turner Construction for the design and construction of the firing range. Councilmember Matt Schoonover was absent from the meeting. Firing range project to cost around $15M.
All the features of the new firing range planned in southern Olathe are still being settled, but on Tuesday, Olathe Police Chief Mike Butaud showed pictures of a police firing range under construction in Michigan off of which Olathe could base theirs. The plan is to build a range with some indoor and outdoor training spaces. In its capital improvement plan list, the city has budgeted just over $13.1 million for the project. The FBI will kick in another $2 million to help build it.
Source: Johnson County Post
Officials celebrate Kansas’ ‘economic transformation’ at new soybean plant
While this southeast Kansas town’s population peaked more than 100 years ago, the opening of the region’s largest ever economic development project means its best days are ahead, Lt. Gov. David Toland said Thursday. Toland spoke to a crowd of more than 100 state and federal lawmakers, economic development officials and construction company representatives who gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Bartlett soybean crushing plant just south of Cherryvale. The town’s population peaked at 4,700 in 1920 and is now 2,200. Toland, a Democrat and Iola native who also serves as commerce secretary, said the project reminds him of southeast Kansas’ “glory days.” “When heavy industry was pouring into this region and our towns were booming,” Toland said of the early 20th century, “it looked a lot like this, and we’re doing it again.” The $375 million plant, which began accepting shipments of soybeans in February, can house 49 million bushels of the crop and will help create food, animal feed and fuel, officials said. Now that it’s operational, Bartlett executives said, it will employ about 60 full-time workers.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Changes are coming to the housing voucher program in several Kansas counties
Changes are coming to the housing voucher program in several Kansas counties. Sedgwick, Butler, and Harvey County, excluding Newton, are moving to payment standards set by ZIP code for their housing voucher programs. In Wichita, people previously received a flat rate for their voucher. Starting Jan. 1, the amount someone receives will be based on ZIP code. The change is happening through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Wichita City Council member Brandon Johnson is concerned about landlords who don’t have good motives
I always think about the ways they try to get out of dealing with people, and one of those per this change is that these rates don’t apply to those already under a lease or a contract,” said Johnson. “It only happens when you renew or a new person enters the system.” Johnson says this could allow residents to afford to live in an area with a higher median income. Officials say the change will not only be complicated to administer for city staff but will also require education for residents. That’s why the city’s housing department is developing a tool similar to the one already used in Boston. It lets you enter your income, bedroom size, and whether you pay for utilities like electric, gas or trash. It also will tell you the affordability of that home.
Source: KSN-TV
Mulvane officials say water is safe to consume
Mulvane residents are assured that their water is safe to consume despite a more pronounced chlorine smell. The City of Mulvane normally gets its water from Augusta. However, recently, the line running from Augusta to Mulvane under the Walnut River failed, leading Mulvane to switch to its groundwater reserve system. That water is treated through Reverse Osmosis, which passes it through a filter that removes minerals, salts, and other impurities and disinfects it with chlorine. The water from Augusta is surface water, which was first treated through lime softening, then chlorine. That process removes calcium and magnesium from the water, along with some organic material. The water is then disinfected with chlorine. The chlorine typically binds with residual organic material, creating harmless chloramines, which also reduce the strength of the chlorine smell. Mulvane says until repairs are made, residents may notice a stronger chlorine smell in their water. However, it is safe, and there is no cause for concern. The city is waiting on a boring crew to put a new line underneath the river. There is no timeline on when that will take place.
Source: KSN-TV
Washburn law school receives funding for rural practice program
A local law school receives $1 million to expand rural legal practice across the Sunflower State. Washburn University School of Law has received a large grant to expand the school’s Rural Legal Practice Network and Externship Program. This $1 million grant comes from Patterson Family Foundation in Kansas City Missouri, according to a news release from Washburn University. With the funding, the program is able to be developed by creating a more diverse network of rural practitioners that gives access to legal resources and an opportunity for students to connect and learn from mentors.
Source: KSNT 27 News
City of Topeka loses gender discrimination lawsuit, has to pay nearly $500,000
The verdict for a gender discrimination lawsuit involving the Topeka Police Department (TPD) came down on Thursday. A jury in a federal court delivered unanimous agreements on Sept. 19 for the cases of two plaintiffs, Jana Kizzar (formerly Jana Harden) and Colleen Stuart, who sued the City of Topeka and former TPD Police Chief Bryan Wheeles in early 2023. The women made accusations that the TPD was a “good ol’ boys system” with a pattern of gender discrimination. The lawsuit was filed under the Title VII Civil Rights Act of 1964. Court documents obtained by 27 News show both women will be awarded large sums of cash in the lawsuit from the City of Topeka.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Salina K-9 killed in the line of duty
A K-9 member of the Salina Police Department has died in the line of duty. “It is with a heavy heart that the Salina Police Department announces the passing of one of our canines, K-9 Tyrann,” the SPD said in a news release. Police say “Ty” died Wednesday in an accidental fall from an elevated position. He was on duty at the time. “Ty was an active and faithful public servant, serving since February of 2021,” the department said. “His loss will be felt by the department members and the community.” The SPD is working on services for Ty and will notify the public of the date, time and location. Services for Tyrann will be arranged, and the public will be notified of the location, date, and time.
Source: KSNT 27 News
City of Topeka invites community to help celebrate ‘Good Neighbor Day’
Topekans are being invited to take part in National Good Neighbor Day at a local library later this month. The City of Topeka posted to social media Wednesday, Sept. 18 about the special upcoming event which will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library’s Learning Center. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about community engagement and getting involved in their local neighborhoods. People will also be able to learn how to use the SeeClickFix app to help improve the city and get safety tips from the Topeka Police Department. Activities for children, such as face painting and a balloon artist, will also be on site. You can find the library at 1515 Southwest 10th Avenue in Topeka. For more information on Good Neighbor Day at the library, you can contact Bianca Burnett at lburnett@topeka.org or call 785-368-3663.
Source: KSNT 27 News
City may take another look at its animal ordinance
A new city of Parsons law that increased penalties for dogs at large that bite people or attack other animals may be revised again in the future. Parsons City Commissioner Tom Shaw on Monday brought up the dog ordinance and said he thought it needed to have more stringent penalties for owners allowing their dogs to run at-large. Now the penalty for having a dog at-large is a $30 fine plus $110 in court costs. That didn’t change when the ordinance was amended earlier this month. The recent ordinance change offered penalties for dogs that bite. If an at-large animal bites a person, the owner will have to pay a minimum fine of $500 in addition to other penalties allowed in the ordinance. If an at-large animal attacks or wounds another domestic animal, the owner will pay a minimum fine of $400 in addition to other applicable penalties.
Source: Parsons Sun
Municipal Bond Trends for September 19, 2024
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.
Municipal Bond Trends for September 18, 2024
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.
Fed slashes interest rates by a half point, an aggressive start to its first easing campaign in four years
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday enacted its first interest rate cut since the early days of the Covid pandemic, slicing half a percentage point off benchmark rates in an effort to head off a slowdown in the labor market. With both the jobs picture and inflation softening, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee chose to lower its key overnight borrowing rate by a half percentage point, or 50 basis points, affirming market expectations that had recently shifted from an outlook for a cut half that size. Outside of the emergency rate reductions during Covid, the last time the FOMC cut by half a point was in 2008 during the global financial crisis. The decision lowers the federal funds rate to a range between 4.75%-5%. While the rate sets short-term borrowing costs for banks, it spills over into multiple consumer products such as mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. In addition to this reduction, the committee indicated through its “dot plot” the equivalent of 50 more basis points of cuts by the end of the year, close to market pricing. The matrix of individual officials’ expectations pointed to another full percentage point in cuts by the end of 2025 and a half point in 2026. In all, the dot plot shows the benchmark rate coming down about 2 percentage points beyond Wednesday’s move. “The Committee has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent, and judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are roughly in balance,” the post-meeting statement said.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Cyber attack on city of Wichita limited to police records, internal investigation finds
A ransomware attack that crippled the city of Wichita’s network for more than a month starting in May was limited to a Wichita Police Department records system, city officials said Wednesday. That means the Russian hacker group — LockBit — that claimed credit for the attack did not access bank card numbers, social security numbers or other private information about city customers or residents — unless the Police Department kept those records as part of an investigation. The breached records include potentially sensitive information about witnesses, victims and suspects in 77,000 police cases. They included incident reports, arrest reports, supplemental reports, property reports, accident reports and traffic citations, City Manager Robert Layton said. Layton, who has previously avoided disclosing key details about the cyber attack, said on Wednesday that the city’s internal investigation is now considered closed, so he can provide more information to the public. “We haven’t really been able to get out the information on the data itself, and I think that was one of the most important things we wanted to talk about, to kind of ease people’s concerns about their water bill information, for instance, and payment information, that type of thing,” Layton said.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
What the ongoing worker shortage looks like in Kansas
Where people in Kansas are moving to most. Fewer Americans moved in 2022, according to the latest Census data, but of those who did, 1 in 5 moved to a different state. Population growth has returned to pre-pandemic norms; Southern states continued to record influxes in population, while the Northeast saw the biggest drops, particularly in New York and Pennsylvania. These trends largely continued into last year, according to United Van Lines’ annual movers study. States with the most outbound moves in 2023 were New Jersey, Illinois, and North Dakota, which moved up 15 spots from the year before. Stacker compiled a list of states people from Kansas are moving to the most using data from the Census Bureau. States are ranked by the number of people who moved from Kansas to a different state in 2022. By now, the headlines are likely familiar: The “most unusual job market in modern American history.” The “Great American Labor Shortage.” The massive disruption to the job market wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, when by the latter half of 2021 almost half of American companies were reporting a worker shortage, impacted every corner of the nation. Since then, however, the job market has shifted back to more typical levels of employment, giving many Americans a renewed sense of normalcy. But some industries and parts of the country are still hurting for workers—a trend with ongoing ramifications for consumers and workers alike. JobTest.org analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics data compiled by the Chamber of Commerce to illustrate the current state of Kansas’ ongoing labor shortage based on a national analysis. The analysis uses the most recent data available at the national and state levels, from July and June 2024 respectively. According to government jobs data, there were 8.2 million open jobs in the U.S. in July and only 7.1 million unemployed workers. Even if every unemployed worker had a job, the nation would still have millions of unfilled positions.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
City launches survey about downtown
The city’s Choose Newton Main Street is asking residents, visitors and business owners to spend 10 minutes to fill out the online survey. If you provide an email, you will also be entered to win one of four $50 gift cards. According to the city’s release, the survey will prepare them for a visit from Kansas Main Street and Main Street America staff in October, aimed at crafting a “2025 Transformation Strategy,” which will be a plan to revitalize or strengthen downtown Newton’s economy. “The goal is to get community engagement and input for our downtown so that we can set priorities that our community truly sees as the priorities,” stated Jen Lehman, the city’s convention and visitors bureau coordinator. “We are hoping to get as many responses as possible.”
Source: Harvey County Now
Savonburg speaks
Residents seek progress on goals from a community conversation hosted by Thrive Allen County. This year’s event addressed matters brought up last year , with small steps made toward their top concerns. Savonburg residents want to see more action taken towards their goals for improvement. Since they met a year ago, small steps have been made towards what they deemed the top three concerns at the time — electrical grid improvements, community involvement, and the town’s appearance. A small group of citizens gathered in the community building Tuesday evening to revisit and revise these goals during Thrive Allen County’s latest community conversation.
Source: The Iola Register
1969 fire truck to retire
A 1969 fire truck is being retired and the Solid Waste Department has purchased a 1996 Ford F350 Brush Fire Truck from the city of Wilson for $14,300. Solid Waste Director Jennifer Hamby asked the Barton County Commission to officially approve the purchase at Tuesday’s commission meeting. The truck was purchased through the Purple Wave online auction site and the funds will come from the budget for the county landfill. There are areas at the landfill that are prone to fires even though the Solid Waste Department has taken measures for fire suppression. Some time back, the department bought an old truck from the Claflin Fire Department and that is being replaced. Hamby said it is smaller than the brush truck and can get stuck easier.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Olathe moves ahead with STAR bond district for ‘ultra-accessible’ amusement park, sport arena
Loretto Properties’ plan to build an “ultra-accessible” special incentive district featuring an amusement park, a 5,000-seat multisport complex, housing, retail, dining and a medical facility for individuals with disabilities easily cleared its first hurdle this week. The company — run by Lamar Hunt Jr. and his son-in-law James Arkell — has requested a Sales Tax and Revenue, or STAR, bond district. The total estimate for the price tag of the first planned phase of development at the southwest corner of 119th Street and Renner Boulevard covering about 64 acres costs about $300 million. An official amount has yet to be set, but Arkell estimated in an interview with the Post the project would request about $54 million through the incentive. The Olathe City Council on Tuesday voted 6-0 to start the process of establishing a STAR bond district comprising roughly 132 acres in the area known as Olathe Gateway.
Source: Johnson County Post
Prairie Village shuts down big changes to property tax rebate program
One Prairie Village program to provide tax relief for residents is remaining relatively unchanged, despite one councilmember’s proposed updates. The Prairie Village City Council on Monday during its committee meeting effectively shut down a proposal by Councilmember Greg Shelton to change the city’s property tax rebate program to emphasize helping young families. Currently, the property tax rebate program gives eligible residents — based only on income levels — the city’s portion of their individual tax bill back as a way to offer some tax relief. The city council discussed Shelton’s proposal to prioritize families as a way to provide relief for those dealing with high childcare costs in addition to an increased cost of living. (Shelton is the brother-in-law of Post publisher Jay Senter.)
Source: Johnson County Post
Hillsboro to aid Peabody on water
Hillsboro City Council agreed Tuesday that Hillsboro water system employees would help Peabody with its understaffed public works department. City administrator Matt Stiles discussed Peabody’s staffing with mayor Lou Thurston, Peabody mayor Catherine Weems, and Hillsboro water superintendent and Peabody resident Morgan Marler. “Peabody has seen a lot of employees leave the organization, which has created a situation where they don’t have the required operators or staff to address their system requirements,” Stiles said.
Source: Marion County RECORD
Grocery and deli provides an oasis in growing Kansas food deserts
Its removal can spell disaster for locals, who might be left with a corporate mega-chain as their only option for groceries, or at least be forced to drive much farther for quality food.
The Wichita Eagle reported in 2016 that 51% of Kansas’ 675 communities had no local supermarkets. The future is not looking good for such businesses, either. One in five rural Kansas groceries closed between 2008 and 2018, according to the Rural Grocery Initiative at Kansas State University.
Source:Marion County RECORD
Olathe OKs incentives for rundown shopping complex — Here’s the plan
The vacant and dilapidated Rosebud Plaza Shopping Center at the northeast corner of Santa Fe Street and Mur-Len Road could soon see some reinvestment to the tune of $26 million. On Tuesday, the Olathe City Council voted 6-0 to start the process of establishing a Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, district for the shopping center’s redevelopment, now dubbed Indian Creek Crossing.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Hostilities at public meetings a nationwide issue
An outrageous Lawrence City Council meeting is just one example of political discord at the local level. Commission meetings in Lawrence are built to solicit and hear public input. On nearly every agenda item, citizens are given up to three minutes apiece to weigh in. There is even a section of the meeting to hear public comments about city business that isn’t on the agenda. I covered the Lawrence City Commission years ago as a young journalist, you see. There was always a culture of vibrant public input — I can remember the gadflies and their names; the meetings could stretch deep into the night — and there could be hurt feelings. But one could watch the process and come away with a firm sense that the public’s business was being done. Not so much now. Dealing with the commenters consumes an inordinate amount of the commission’s time and resources, mental and otherwise. They’ve changed the rules — pushing the main comment session to the end of the meeting, no longer broadcasting that portion on the city’s YouTube channel. And they’re fighting a lawsuit from another notorious commenter, Justin Spiehs, who says his First Amendment rights have been curtailed by the commission for being a “troublemaker and instigator” at meetings. It all resembles a real-life “denial of service” attack — that form of cyber-hacking that shuts down websites by flooding them with an overflow of useful traffic. And you have to ask: Why would anybody sign up for public service, simply to endure all this?
Source: The Iola Register
Richmond builds new fire station
The town of Richmond is not catching on fire, but you’ll certainly see red when you notice the new fire station which is East of Highway 59 Service Station. The 80ft. X 76ft. steel-sided building was designed by Ken Coleman and built by Quality Structures in what seemed like a short amount of time. “Quality Structures is proud to help serve the city of Richmond and local communities,” said Rick Gudenkauf, General Manager. This is only one of numerous projects QSI has helped with or been almost totally responsible for as in the case of the Show Barn for the Richmond Free Fair Assn. Gudenkauf said many employees assisted with the fire station project from Pat DuPont in the beginning to Ken Coleman in the design dept., to Matt Batchelor who is also on the Fire Dept. board. “There is also an attached office/training area on the south that is 40ft. X 24 ft.,” the QSI manager said. There are four bays for trucks which leaves room for an addition since the department now has three trucks. Background information was furnished by Lester Wuertz, Richmond Fire Dept. president, who said QSI is in the process of placing water and electricity lines before the concrete floor is poured. QSI will get bids for the sub-contractors. Then, add the big doors and finishing touches….and it will be an exciting moment when it’s ribbon-cutting time!
Source: The Ottawa Herald
Childcare again drives county meeting
A Crawford County commissioner, pastor, and Morning Sun news reporter discussed childcare at Tuesday’s regular meeting, exchanging at times heated comments on the validity and process of the funds from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA). The conversation of childcare further carried into this week’s meeting with Victory Life Church Pastor Donny Talent speaking during public comment.
Source: Morning Sun
College students help revitalize downtown gardens
Emporia Main Street’s ongoing “Adopt a Garden” program received a major boost Monday evening when volunteers from Flint Hills Technical College and the Emporia State University women’s basketball team pitched in to clean up downtown garden beds. Students spent about some time weeding, removing trash, and tidying up the beds to help keep the city’s green spaces vibrant. “We’re really excited we had volunteers from Flint Hills Technical College and the ESU women’s basketball team helping us out,” said Community Development Coordinator Jess Buchholz. “The downtown gardens are a big part of our community, and having the help of local volunteers is huge. It really shows the community coming together to keep the area looking beautiful.” Buchholz said the Adopt a Garden program encourages businesses, organizations, and individuals to adopt garden beds throughout downtown, primarily along Commercial Street and the stretch of Sixth Street between Merchant and Market.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Halstead Zoning Commission holds open hearing on battery storage system
The Halstead Planning and Zoning Commission opened a public hearing as the board tried to draft regulations regarding battery energy storage systems or BESS. Concurrent, a renewable energy company, wants to build the Tallgrass Prairie Energy Center in the Halstead Industrial Park. The lithium ion battery storage system would use the Evergy transmission system and substation located on the south side of the Industrial Park. Concurrent would build the facility and then sell it to a private company. Aidan Pelligrino, Concurrent’s managing director of development, asked the commission to make changes in some of the wording to the draft of the regulations. “Thank you for putting so much thought into drafting this language,” he said. “It will allow us to have a productive discussion about BESS as a use, when one side is less familiar.”
Source: Harvey County Now
Walton Fire Department sparks volunteering for Ashbys
Most married couples figuratively put out fires together, whether it’s visiting a principal about one of their kids or baking cupcakes last minute the night before a school bake sale. In the case of Jeremy and Stephanie Ashby of Walton, though, they literally put out fires together. Both are on the Walton Fire Department. Jeremy is the fire chief, while Stephanie is a firefighter/EMT. Stephanie has worked for the City of Walton since 2012. There, she’s the city clerk and became an EMT for Walton in 2020 and a firefighter at one point. “She literally looked at me one day and said, ‘I want to do what you do,’” Jeremy said about his wife and firefighting. Both are volunteers. “Being a volunteer is like a second job sometimes,” Jeremy said. “It takes up a lot of extra time.” Stephanie also is the secretary/treasurer of the fire department. Jeremy said being an officer in the fire department takes a lot of extra hours. It’s also a challenge when firefighters have children. “We have a single dad, and if he has his kids, he might not be able to run a call,” Stephanie said. For his firefighter training, Jeremy went through the University of Kansas at Hutchinson Community College in 2003, and Stephanie got her Firefighter 1, which is a basic level. She also trained through Hutchinson Community College for her EMT designation and earned a 4.0 grade-point average. Jeremy has been with the Walton Fire Department since 2009. They’ve served alongside each other. “We’ve been at fires, just us two,” Stephanie said. “It’s a different dynamic. I have to acknowledge he’s the chief and I’m the subordinate. You’re not married when you walk in the door.” “And hopefully we’re married when we walk out,” Jeremy said, laughing.
Source: Harvey County Now
Hesston’s dog park construction is ramping up
Hesston’s new dog park will begin to take more shape very soon, as crews are slated to start setting posts for the new canine enclosure. “They may not string the fence until we are done with some of the construction,” Parks Foreman Josh Hastings said. “They’ll set posts and come back and string fence as one of the latter things.” While the posts are being set, Hesston Park crews will be over-seeding the area, as irrigation will be installed for good grass inside the fence for the dogs. There will also be the construction of a simple, yet effective, bathroom. “We’re going to re-purpose the lights that are at the existing location to the new area,” he said. “There will be drinking fountains as well as fountains for the dogs.” The original opening date for the new dog park was slated for Oct. 1 but has been pushed back. Hastings estimated a mid-October opening date. “We’ve had trouble with getting someone to build a bathroom, but we have someone for that,” Hastings said. “It’s a fairly quick process is what he said, and then we’ll go overseed it. We want to give that grass a week or two to get fairly established before we turn the four-legged folk on it.” Hastings is very familiar with the Newton Dog Park, as he helped build it when he worked for Newton, so he felt there were some things Hesston could do differently, including the irrigation. The park will feature some obstacles for both sides of the park, as it will be divided into a small and large dog side, with small dogs being considered to be 25 pounds or less. “If nothing else, it’s something else to pee on,” Hastings said. In terms of the rest of the parks around Hesston, Hastings said they are currently getting bids for replacing some playground equipment as they develop a plan for the parks. Some of the equipment in the parks is dated and needs to be replaced. The Heritage Park shelter remodel is slated to be wrapped up by mid-October.
Source: Harvey County Now
With age comes beauty: Historic gem in Ironwoods Park delights visitors of all ages
Classrooms are a place for eager and enthusiastic minds. It’s no different inside the Historic Oxford Schoolhouse, says April Bishop. Bishop is a docent at the Leawood schoolhouse, located in Ironwoods Park, 14701 Mission Road. It is her job to guide visitors through the experience of a one-room schoolhouse. Often, the adult visitors generate the narrative. “They say, ‘I had this desk’ or ‘That photo looks like my schoolhouse’,” Bishop said. “Instantly, they have a connection with it or knew someone who went to a one-room schoolhouse. It’s mostly them talking about their memories rather than me talking about information.” Indeed, one-room schoolhouses were once plentiful across rural America, including Johnson County. Many operated into the early 1960s, Bishop said. The Oxford Schoolhouse operated until 1955 at 135th Street and Mission Road. It is one of the oldest schools in Kansas, having been open from 1877 to 1955. After 1920, it was converted into an elementary school and used until the student body became too large. Eventually, development reached the schoolhouse’s doorsteps. It was moved to Ironwoods Park in 2003, renovated and reopened as a historic site in 2004. The only modern change was to added air conditioning and heating. The Leawood Historic Commission received the 2005 Award for Excellence for Preservation Advocacy from the Kansas Preservation Alliance.
Source: Joco 913 News