Kansas Municipal News
Chicken N Pickle to open ice skating rink in east Wichita
Workers are currently putting the finishing touches on the rink at Chicken N Pickle, located near the corner of 13th St. N. and Greenwich.
Weather permitting, the rink will open this Friday at 3 p.m.
The complex says it will ice day in layers to make up for warmer days.
(Read more: KWCH News)
City of Winfield applying for grant to replace water line
The City of Winfield will apply for a Community Development Block Grant to help fund emergency replacement of a water line along the Walnut River that was exposed after major floods this past spring caused ground erosion.
The filing is a CDBG Urgent Need Application for $185,000 to cover the cost of the project, according to Winfield City Manager Taggart Wall. The total estimated cost is just over $197,000. If the grant is awarded, the remaining cost would be paid by the city., according to a legal notice published Nov. 12 in the CourierTraveler.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)
USD 230 breaks ground on 2018 bond projects
Spring Hill USD 230 leaders, staff and community members came together for the ceremonial start of the 2018 school bond projects during a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, Nov. 14, near Spring Hill High School.
School district leaders grabbed shovels and plunged them into the ground, marking the start of construction of the Educational Support Center, set to open in fall 2020; Dayton Creek Elementary School, set to open in fall 2021; and a third middle school similar to Woodland Spring, set to open in fall 2022.
Spring Hill Superintendent Wayne Burke thanked the voters for approving a bond issue in 2016 and again in 2018 to allow the school district to keep up with its growing population.
(Read more: The Miami County Republic)
Labette County at odds over makeup of wind farm board
Labette County commissioners haven’t reached consensus on how to form a board that will review wind farm issues and report to them with recommendations.
The commissioners still are far apart on board membership. After a 30-minute discussion Monday, commissioners agreed to each write outlines or proposals on how the board will be formed, operate and report.
(Read more: Parsons Sun)
Hundreds turn out to welcome Big Boy steam locomotive to Topeka
Dozens of people stood on large piles of rocks, while others craned their necks, hoping to get the first view of steam from a last-of-its-kind locomotive Tuesday afternoon as it approached the Great Overland Station in North Topeka on the Union Pacific railroad tracks.
The steam locomotive, known as the Big Boy, started the day near Union Station in Kansas City, Mo. It was about a half-hour behind schedule when it arrived about 12:15 p.m. at the Great Overland Station, 701 N. Kansas Ave.
No one seemed to mind the wait on the sun-splashed day, with the noon temperature hovering around 60 degrees.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
South central Kansans provide input at local consult meetings
(Read more: Kansas Transportation)
Waiting for Big Boy: Historical train moves across the country, stops in Kansas
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| Audience members wait for the arrival of Big Boy No. 4014 as it enters Coffeyville. |
(Read more: Kansas Transportation)
Garden City breaks ground on new sports complex with state leaders in attendance
On Tuesday, Garden City broke ground on an all-new sports complex with state leaders in attendance.
“This is an extraordinary project,” said Kansas Department of Commerce Secretary David Toland.
Governor Laura Kelly, Commerce Secretary David Toland, and other state and local officials came together to break ground on the almost $800,000 STAR Bond project.
“It’s going to bring new dollars into Garden City and Southwest Kansas that aren’t already here and so that’s why we’ve got this tool, it’s to be an attraction,” said Toland.
This tournament and outdoor entertainment space will feature a hotel, restaurant, outdoor space, and multiple courts inside.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Reno County OKs RR cross-arms, supports TECH transportation grant
New automated railroad cross arms will be going up on a rural crossing off K-61 southwest of Turon. The Reno County Commission on Tuesday approved an agreement with Union Pacific Railroad and the Kansas Department of Transportation allowing the devices to be installed on Salt Marsh Road, also known as Northeast 150th Avenue, just north of K-61.The crossing is about 2 miles southwest of Turon and just south of the large Ronald Schwertfeger farm.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
City of Topeka to retain option of plowing snow on residential streets
Topeka’s city government at times last year went against its established snow and ice removal plan by plowing residential streets when less than six inches llen.The city will retain the option of deviating from that plan this cold-weather season, public works director Jason Peek told Topeka’s mayor and city council Tuesday evening. "We won’t respond to local streets all the time, but we may if the conditions warrant that," he said.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Hays Fire Department simulation provides cross-training
Black smoke billowed into the clear blue sky south of town Tuesday morning as Hays firefighters practiced extinguishing a burning car at their training facility off Old Highway 40.The simulation exercise, which the Hays Fire Department holds twice a year, also included using the Jaws of Life to extract a victim trapped by a vehicle rollover. “We do this twice a year now, spring and fall,” said Hays Fire Chief Ryan Hagans…
(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)
Council votes to purchase new Derby Dash bus
As part of the consent agenda at last week’s City Council meeting, the Council voted to purchase a new Derby Dash bus from the Kansas Truck Equipment Company for $75,369.
The purchase would replace a 2006 bus with 180,000 miles, which normally serves as a backup to a 2014 bus, but is sometimes needed when demand is high.
The bus purchase was originally planned for 2021, but engine problems led to the Council voting to purchase a new bus earlier. The cost of repair would have been around $10,000, according to documents included in the Council agenda.
(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)
Education commissioner visits Frontenac to present awards
Kansas Commissioner of Education Randy Watson made a local appearance Tuesday, visiting Frontenac for a special assembly to present several awards to the school district.
Frontenac Unified School District 249 was presented with the Commissioner’s Award with Highest Distinction, as well as two Kansas Can Gold Star Awards — one for its graduation rate and one for post-secondary effectiveness — and a Kansas Can Copper Star Award for preparing students for post-secondary success.
“We calculate for every school district public and private in Kansas. The fact is that we know that you have to overcome to do well,” Watson said in presenting the Commissioner’s Award with Highest Distinction.
(Read more: Education – Morning Sun)
Olathe recognized as one of the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America
The city of Olathe has been recognized as one of the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America by the Health Intelligence company Springbuk.
The announcement concludes a year-long wellness awards program in more than 45 U.S. cities. The winners are recognized for investing in the health and well-being of their employers and for the effectiveness of those initiatives. Other local names on the list include Burns & McDonnell, J.E. Dunn Construction, CBIZ, the Raytown School District and KCP&L, which is now Evergy.
Applicants were evaluated across six key categories: culture and leadership commitment, foundational components, strategic planning, marketing and communications, programming and interventions, and lastly, reporting and analytics.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Overland Park police deploy 200 body cameras to officers in the field
Overland Park police officers this week began wearing body cameras that sync up with the existing dashboard camera systems in their vehicles, a move department officials say will help improve transparency.
However, some advocates say that to be truly effective in building community trust, the city must also set a policy ensuring that footage captured by the cameras is available to the public upon request.
The deployment of the new body camera systems comes after nearly 10 months of field testing, with six test cameras used by officers in the field since last December. On Monday, the department put the cameras into full circulation, deploying 200 of them to officers working in traffic safety, emergency services, community policing and school resource officer assignments. Cameras are also available to detectives working on investigations.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)
Kansas unemployment drops to lowest in 40-plus years
Kansas is reporting that its unemployment rate in October dipped to 3.1% and was at its lowest rate in more than 40 years.
Image Kansas Department of Labor
The state Department of Labor said Tuesday that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined from 3.2% in September and was below the 3.3% recorded in October 2018.
Labor Secretary Delia Garcia said the last time unemployment was 3.1% was in April 1979. The rate has stayed below 4% since January 2017.
(Read more: Great Bend Post)
Opportunities expanding for Remington students
As part of the Gemini II group in the Kansans Can School Redesign project, Fredric Remington High School introduced a new look this school year with one of the biggest changes geared toward preparing students to enter the working world.
With no previous internship program to speak of, the high school is building from the ground up to offer work experiences for its students, which are geared toward sophomores, juniors and seniors. This year, the school introduced three classes to help prepare students for post-graduation — including career exploration, diversified occupations and employability skills — with the district currently gathering feedback from area business partners to generate internship opportunities tied to the coursework.
“Our hope is to provide more opportunities for our students to get real world experience and to be able to get out into the community and neighboring communities to get some on-the-job training,” said high school counselor Desha Ayres.
(Read more: News – Dodge City Daily Globe – Dodge City, KS)
Dodge City hires Nick Hernandez as new city manager
The city commission voted unanimously to approve the city manager employment agreement with Nick Hernandez at its meeting Monday night.
Hernandez’s employment with the city will take effect June 1, 2020, when long-time City Manager Cherise Tieben plans to retire after 30 years of service to the city.
Like Tieben, Hernandez is a Ford County native. He is the current manager of Arkansas City, a position he has held for eight and a half years.
Prior to that, he served as manager of Osage City for three years.
(Read more: News – Dodge City Daily Globe – Dodge City, KS)
Sheriff’s office awarded 911 grant to upgrade dispatch consoles
The Miami County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center is poised for an equipment upgrade.
The sheriff’s office has learned it will receive a $284,272.80 state grant to purchase four P25 IP based dispatch consoles, according to a news release issued Tuesday, Nov. 12.
“This grant will help offset costs to upgrade the radio communications system within the communications center,” Sheriff Frank Kelly said.
More than $2.75 million in grant money was awarded to the state of Kansas, 911 Coordinating Council, by the National 911 grant program administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the National 911 Program.
(Read more: The Miami County Republic)
Spirit AeroSystems approved for up to $40 million in IRBs
The Wichita City Council on Tuesday approved the issuance of up to $40 million in industrial revenue bonds for Spirit AeroSystems Inc. to help the manufacturer finance upgrades to its facilities made in 2019.
The new IRBs, which were approved 6-0 as Council member Cindy Claycomb was not in attendance, come from the letter of intent for up to $280 million in IRBs approved for Spirit (NYSE: SPR) in 2016.
IRBs require no taxpayer commitment and the city acts only as a pass-through entity. However, using IRB financing can help the company secure a better interest rate on the projects.
The bonds will help cover 2019 upgrades including chillers, cranes, lighting and industrial waste line and road replacements.
(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)