Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

New numbers suggest Lawrence’s commuter population is growing rapidly

Tucked between Topeka and Kansas City, Lawrence long has been known as a town with plenty of commuters. But the city never has been able to say this before: If you live in Lawrence and have a job, it is now more likely than not that your job is located outside of Lawrence.

New federal and state data show that 53% of all Lawrence residents who have a job commute outside the city to get to that job. That number, which is for 2017, is up from 42% at the beginning of the decade and 36% from 2002, which is as far back as this particular Census Bureau program tracks data.

Lawrence is not the commuting capital of Kansas. Many small towns in the state have more than 80% of their employed residents commuting to larger towns for work. But among large Kansas cities, Lawrence does seem to have the fastest growing population of commuters.

Rural Kansas grass fire burns 300-400 acres; multiple agencies assist

Authorities are investigating the cause of a Sunday afternoon grass fire in Harvey County.

The fire in the 3800 block of North Sand Hill Road northeast of Burrton burned about 300 to 400 acres of land, according to a media release.

The spread of the fire was stopped, and there are no injuries or damage to homes reported at this time.

…

Fire departments from Burrton, Halstead, Hesston, Newton, Sedgwick, Buhler, Hutchinson and Moundridge responded.

(Read more: The Salina Post)

Facts about proposed changes to Manhattan’s Public Nudity Ordinance

The Manhattan City Commission will consider an amendment to Manhattan’s public nudity ordinance at the upcoming November 5, 2019, legislative meeting. First adopted in 2003, the existing ordinance makes it unlawful to publicly display female breasts or male or female buttocks or genitals. The ordinance contains exceptions from prosecution, including for breastfeeding mothers.

The proposed amendment removes the female breast from the definition of public nudity, in reaction to a court case that applies in Kansas. If the amendment is adopted, Manhattan’s public nudity ordinance will continue to prohibit the display of male or female buttocks or genitals in public. Even as amended, Manhattan’s public nudity ordinance will still be stricter than many areas of Kansas.

(Read more: Manhattan – News Flash)

‘Tax guzzlers:’ Developer tax breaks a defining issue of Johnson County’s elections

When the $2 billion Brookridge Golf Course redevelopment was first proposed for Overland Park, resident Stephan Glentzer showed up to city meetings with a cardboard sign. It read, “No TIF, no OP taxes.”

Five years later, he’s still carrying the same sign.

After years of going back to the drawing board, a new iteration of the massive project is crawling through City Hall. And this time, the developer — looking to build luxury apartments, offices and retail northeast of Interstate 435 and Antioch Road — is requesting more than $200 million in TIF money, or tax increment financing, and other tax breaks.

(Read more: KC Star Local News)

Rooks County Health Center will have open house for new rehab center

Sunday marks the official opening of Rooks County Health Center’s new dedicated Rehabilitation Center and a key piece of the hospital’s two-phase expansion. RCH invites the public to attend an open house from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday offering tours of the new facility, demonstrations and light refreshments. Visitors to the open house, as well as all patients attending rehabilitation appointments, are encouraged to use the new north-side parking lot and entrance for direct access to the new hospital wing at 1210 N. Washington.

After an 18 month construction process, RCH received its certificate of occupancy from the fire marshal’s office which enabled the Rehab department to start seeing patients in the new building on October 21.

“We moved all the Rehab equipment in as soon as we could after getting the OK from the fire marshal so that those attending appointments for Cardiac Rehab, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy were able to start using the space last week,” commented AJ Thomas, the CEO of RCH. “We still have some final touches before interior construction is completed but we can work around those areas for now.”

(Read more: Hays Post)

Douglas Design District is at a crossroads, but not everyone is on the same street

If the Douglas Design District were a family, it would be one with the usual spats and drama.

“It’s like any large family,” said Jeff Breault, who owns R&J Discount Liquor near Douglas and Hillside. “There’s going to be a lot of infighting around the dinner table.”

It’s all part of the growing pains of a 12-year-old district that is on the precipice of jumping from a mostly volunteer-led group to potentially becoming the city’s first business improvement district, or BID. A BID would assess a mandatory fee levied by the city in the most prominent part of the district along East Douglas to make improvements to the area.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

No Douglas Design District issue is more polarizing than this one

Of all the differences of opinion in the Douglas Design District, no single issue seems to be more polarizing than the art.

“I know that there’s a lot of criticism about the quality of art,” said district executive director Renee Duxler.

“And there’s some people who love everything.”

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Irritating to some, art to most – Kansas roadside attraction preserved for the future

Two years after his death, M.T. Liggett’s legacy continues to spin, rattle and clink with the Kansas wind in a pasture along Highway 400 on the west end of Mullinville, Kansas.

Since his works began appearing in 1989, Liggett’s artworks have served as a landmark for travelers crossing western Kansas and a source of divisiveness among the locals in Kiowa County, who were often depicted in the “totem” sculptures Liggett welded and bolted together from spare pieces of farm equipment and various scrap metal.

Now, in an attempt to prevent Liggett’s artwork from rusting away in the equally harsh summers and winters of western Kansas, an effort is underway to preserve the sculptures for generations to come. The preservation work will also give visitors passing through a chance to stop and learn more about the art and Liggett himself.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

USDA makes safety net, conservation payments to Kansas farmers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Kansas Farm Service Agency is processing $215,661,515 in Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage payments for the 2018 crop year, the agency said last week.

An additional distribution of $79,419,941 in Conservation Reserve Program rental payments will be made to landowners to support voluntary conservation efforts on private lands through the Kansas FSA.

“Our safety net programs help provide certainty and stability to Kansas farm families affected by fluctuating market prices,” said David Schemm, the agency’s state executive director. “When reviewing payments, it’s important to remember that ARC and PLC payments by county can vary because average county yields will differ.”

Prouse to serve as Lyon County Extension Agent

Emily Prouse will join the staff of K-State Research and Extension – Lyon County as a Family and Community Wellness Extension Agent, effective Sunday.

Lyon County’s office is located at 2632 West Highway 50.

Prouse earned her bachelor’s degree in Dietetics from Tabor College and her master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Central Michigan University.

(Read more: Emporia Gazette)

October tax receipts in Kansas $36 million ahead of estimates

For the month of October, the state saw an increase in its total tax collections at $552.9 million; 7.1% or $36.8 million ahead of estimates. These collections amount to $41.5 million more than October of Fiscal Year 2019, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Revenue.

Individual and corporate income tax collections continued to be more than estimated. Individual income tax collections were $15.0 million ahead of the estimate at $260.0 million; $17.8 million ahead of the same month last fiscal year. Corporate income tax collections were at $26.2 million; $6.2 million more than the estimate and $6.7 million more than collected in October of FY2019.

Retail and compensating use tax collections were also ahead of the estimate. Retail sales tax collections were at $200.8 million; $8.8 million or 4.6% ahead of the estimate. These collections were $10.4 million more than the same month of Fiscal Year 2019. Compensating use tax collections came in $7.7 million or 22.6% ahead of estimates at $41.7 million; a $7.2 million increase from October of FY2019.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

By the Grace of God: A small Kansas town’s fight to save beloved church

There’s not much left in St. Peter, Kansas.

At the intersection of two unpaved roads about 12 miles north of Interstate 70 in Graham County, the unincorporated town is home to only one business – a drilling company.

Even the Post Office closed almost 100 years ago.

But a few residents have hung on and still call the town home, many are descendants of the original Volga German settlers who first came to the area in the late 1800s.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Galena Fire Dept. opens fire station up for tours on candy on Halloween

An area fire department gets ready to host little ghosts and goblins on Halloween.

It’s an annual event in Galena for kids that live in the Southeast Kansas community to tour their community’s fire department and get candy in the process.

Lieutenant Chad Stapleton says it’s a great way for fire fighters to get to know kids in a non-emergency atmosphere.

Bel Aire city hall not fooled by scam

This scammer couldn’t fool City Hall.

On Oct. 11, an unknown person using a Gmail account and Google Voice phone number posed as the mayor of Bel Aire and requested the Bel Aire court clerk to purchase $1,500 in iTunes gift cards as gifts for city staff. The scammer also contacted other city staff with the same request.

With each, the scammer instructed staff to keep the transaction “top secret” because the cards were secret gifts.

Neither the Bel Aire court clerk nor any other city staff fell for the scam.

USDA set to pay low rent on KC building after state, local incentives cut cost

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will pay only a fraction of the value of its lease when it relocates two research agencies to downtown Kansas City, a break in the rent made possible by state and local economic incentives.

The USDA officially informed employees Thursday of plans to move two research agencies to an office building at 805 Pennsylvania Avenue after considering locations on both sides of the state line.

Missouri and Kansas political leaders applauded the announcement as a win for regional cooperation on economic development. The two states submitted a joint bid to bring the Economic Research Service and National Institute for Food and Agriculture to the Kansas City region.

(Read more: KC Star Local News)

Historic figures brought to life on tour

A fun and unique alternative to the haunted houses typically reserved for this time of year was hosted by the Butler County Historical Center and Kansas Oil Museum and spearheaded by historical consultant to the museum, Ken Spurgeon.

On Saturday, cemetery tours at Belle Vista were given. Complete with tour guides and re-enactors, early citizens of El Dorado and Butler County were brought to life.

General Alfred W. Ellet, brought to life by Randy Edens, shared his military history and how he came to El Dorado.

(Read more: andoveramerican.com)

Elementary school kids apply for various part-time ‘jobs’ at Olathe school

It would have been so easy just to tap a fifth-grader for each task.

School tour guide? Stylist to display lost-and-found items? News hound to help with daily announcements?

You. You. And you. Done.

But that’s not the way it happened this fall at Central Elementary School in Olathe. The school’s fifth-graders applied for various part-time “jobs” at the school, wrote resumes and submitted to interviews by the members of the Olathe School District’s human resources staff.

(Read more: KC Star Local News)

Shawnee County to acquire more than $550,000 worth of playground equipment

Swings, slides and climbing walls are among more than $550,000 worth of playground equipment Shawnee County will soon acquire for 11 local parks.

Commissioners Bill Riphahn, Kevin Cook and Aaron Mays voted 3-0 Thursday to approve an arrangement through which the county will use grant funding totaling more than $250,000 to help cover the costs for those play structures.

“I’m sure they’ll have tremendous impact on thousands of kids and families,” said Justin Long of Cunningham Recreation, which is helping with the acquisition.

Painting the town

Young artists are painting the town — literally. In recent years, young artists have been working with some seasoned artists to create murals throughout the Sabetha community and in Sabetha schools. For several years, murals and inspirational painting has been colorfully popping up, thanks to some creative Sabetha High School students. Beautifying an otherwise drab space is typically the goal when creating murals.

(Read more: Sabetha Herald)

Wellington women featured on USA Today website in ‘Taste of Wichita’ article

Two Wellington girls are featured in a national publication! The Brown Box Bakery and Board and Brush, owned and operated by Wellington residents Tami McCue and Ginger Wilson, were featured in USA Today Travel’s article “Taste of Wichita: The Best of 2019”.

The Brown Box Bakery, which is a mobile cupcake truck, and Board and Brush, which is a homemade craft sign company at 1108 E Douglas Ave, was one of the business enterprises featured in the article posted on October 28, 2019.

(Read more: Sumner NewsCow)