Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

School board discusses busing concern in town

The Hiawatha School Board met for their regular session Monday night and among discussions was a concern by a patron about teachers’ kids being bused across town to the middle and high schools.

Superintendent Lonnie Moser said he was contacted by a patron who lives near the elementary school about this issue. He said she was concerned that the district allowed only the teachers’ kids to make use of this bus transportation, but that it wasn’t offered to other students.

(Read more: hiawathaworldonline.com)

EcoDevo approves two Small Business grants

The Stevens County Economic Development board met at noon in the craft room of the Senior Center for their monthly meeting August 13, 2019. Attending the meeting were board members Jack Rowden, Doug Martin, Neal Gillespie, Jonathon Pearcy and Curtis Crawford. Also present at the meeting were EcoDevo Director Jan Leonard, secretary Alisha Owens and Hugoton Hermes reporter Ruthie Winget. Board members absent were Judy Parsons, Adrian Howie, Walt Beesley and Ron Honig.

The board reviewed and approved the minutes of the July 9, 2019 meeting.

Treasurer Jack Rowden reported a checking account balance of $6,018.79 and the Special Projects balance of $23,612.67. He reported the Small Business Grants to 3LG Holdings and MC Oil of $2,500 each have not yet been paid out.

(Read more: Hugoton Hermes News)

County acquires land for new 911 towers

In an effort to improve the emergency 911 communications system in McPherson County, five new towers will be constructed in McPherson County, according to Emergency Management Director Julie McClure. The county has purchased several five-acre pieces of land to construct towers, ranging in height from 135 to 300 feet.

The McPherson tower will be 135 feet and located behind the McPherson Law Enforcement Center (LEC). The Lindsborg tower will be 300 feet and located on K-4 Highway on a five-acre purchased property. The Roxbury tower will be 300 feet and located on Smoky Valley Road on a five-acre purchased property. The Moundridge tower will be 300 feet and located on Buckskin Road on a five-acre purchased property. The Canton tower will be 175 feet and located in the 700 block of W. Railroad Street in a fenced compound on leased property.

The McPherson County Commission approved the tower locations at the Sept. 8 meeting.

(Read more: McPherson Weekly News » Feed)

BPU celebrates 50th anniversary

Hundreds of people flocked to Main Street on Thursday evening to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the founding of the McPherson Board of Public Utilities (BPU). BPU used the 50-year anniversary as a chance to thank customers for their support over the years.

“We just want to say thank you to the community, to our customers, since we have been a part here since 1969,” Carla Pearson with BPU said. “This is our way of saying thank you for supporting us.”

Paper or plastic? That may not be your choice much longer at Wichita stores

Paper or plastic? It’s not a choice you may have much longer.

Four women, including a fisheries scientist and a former City Council member, called on Wichita City Hall on Tuesday to ban single-use plastic bags at Wichita stores.

“Plastic bags are everyplace in our community and they are a hazard to our environment,” said former council member Lavonta Williams. “(We’re asking) that we put a task force together so we can look at the feasibility of putting a ban together.”

(Read more: Local News |)

Maize High students give back to community on 9/11 anniversary

It’s been 18 years since the world stopped.

Most of us remember exactly where we were on September 11, 2001.

But Maize High School students, most of whom weren’t even born yet, stepped out of the classroom Wednesday, to give back to the community.

Wednesday morning, trash, tires and overgrown weeds covered an alley by Pawnee and Broadway.

(Read more: KAKE – News)

Kansas school district prepares to sue over e-cigarettes

Officials at a Wichita-area school district say they are preparing to sue the makers, distributors and sellers of electronic cigarettes and vaping products.

Goddard school board President Kevin McWhorter says the district has a responsibility to protect students from a “growing crisis.” He discussed the issue at a news conference Tuesday, the same day that health officials announced the first death in the state related to an outbreak of a lung disease linked to vaping.

The board passed a resolution Monday that allows a Kansas City area law firm to sue on the district’s behalf. McWhorter says the hope is that other schools and jurisdictions will file similar litigation targeting the e-cigarette and vaping industry.

Superintendent Justin Henry says the district doesn’t intend to seek class action status.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Kids belong in school – September celebrates National Attendance Awareness Month

Karla Martinez, attendance and behavior interventionist at Great Bend High School, spoke to Freshman and Sophomore JAG-K students during class on Friday. Before helping students set attendance goals for the school year, Martinez first explained what truancy is and how missing just two days of school each month ads up to 18 days or 10% of the school year.

The opening days of school conjure up images of backpacks stuffed with notebooks and unsharpened pencils, bulletin boards freshly decorated by teachers, and students showing off new clothes to old friends. But even in these early days of the new school year, some students already are heading toward academic trouble: They’re missing too many days of school.

Across the country, nearly 8 million students miss nearly a month of school every year—absences that can correlate with poor performance at every grade level. This trend starts as early as kindergarten and continues through high school, contributing to achievement gaps and ultimately to dropout rates. In our community, attendance rates reported in 2018 were 92.7, falling short of the State average of 94.5.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

‘It’s a manageable course.’ Lake Olathe Triathlon to highlight two-year renovation

On Sept. 21, the City of Olathe plans to put the spotlight on one of its newest attractions by drawing runners, swimmers and bicyclists to the area.

The city will host the Lake Olathe Triathlon to highlight a two-year renovation of the 170-acre lake and 258-acre community park. New amenities at this recreation destination include a beach and marina, paved trails, a nature playground and a 6,500 square-foot enclosed event pavilion with a glass front overlooking the lake.

Last year, while Lake Olathe was in the midst of its transformation, plans were launched for the triathlon at the suggestion of Parks and Recreation Director Michael Meadors.

(Read more: Joco 913 News)

‘Arrow’ signs on the way out in Topeka

The arrow-shaped “portable message center signs” that have been present for decades in Topeka will be banned here beginning in a little more than a year.

Mayor Michelle De La Isla and city council members voted 9-1 late Tuesday, with Councilwoman Sylvia Ortiz dissenting, to pass an ordinance making various changes to the city’s sign code aimed at making it more user friendly and improving the city’s attractiveness.

The ordinance revises city rules regarding such things as the design, placement, size and height of public signs.

First annual singing contest will celebrate city’s 150th

If you’ve got a good set of pipes, you might be able to win some cash in an upcoming singing contest.

The Derby Recreation Commission is inviting residents to “sing their hearts out” next month at the first annual Derby Sing Off, an all-ages contest celebrating the city’s 150th anniversary.

The DRC began accepting registrations for the contest in August and will accept audition videos until Sept. 13. Once registered, participants will be instructed on how to record and submit a demo video.

Marion County roads need work, more to it though

Not only do the residents of Marion County say that the roads of the county need work, Marion County Road Engineer Brice Goebel, would agree.

“I’ve only been here (in the position) since June 4. I’ve got tremendous amounts of rainfall, large amounts of very intense amounts that have exacerbated the problem of ditches being full, drainage problems, trees being in there, and just maintenance issues that all need to be addressed. And the rain just came down all over the county. I’ve just been hit everywhere. Mostly up in the north and west part of the county but then all of that water goes south,” said Goebel.

Not only did Goebel come into a newly created position that would have been difficult given the condition of the roads, but he was quickly hit with major flooding in the first 30 days of the job. An already difficult job became almost impossible for him.

(Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)

Dodge City International Fest set for Sept. 15

A celebration of diversity, ethnicity and culture will come together Seept. 15 the Dodge City International Festival.
The event is part of National Welcoming Week and will be held from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 2nd Avenue near the El Capitan statue.
This family event will feature food and beverage vendors, art, entertainment and more. The festival was made possible through Dodge City Area Chamber of Commerce Multicultural Committee, Dodge City Public Library, Dodge City Cultural Relations Advisory Board and the Southwest Kansas Library System.

(Read more: Dodgeglobe.com – news,news/)

A Torch is being passed in Andover City Administration!

Mark Detter, who has been the City Administrator for Andover since March of 2015, has submitted his letter of resignation. He has accepted a new challenge, taking the City Manager position in Valdez, AK. His final day will be September 20.

In an effort to ensure continuity for the community, the city staff, and operations, the City Council approved a contract with current Assistant City Administrator, Jennifer McCausland to assume the role of City Administrator. McCausland has been in her role as Assistant City Administrator for 9 years. She served as the interim City Administrator for several months during the search to fill the position the end of 2014-2015.

Source: Facebook and City of Andover.

Wichita leaders get feedback on scooter popularity, concerns

Wichita city leaders get feedback on the addition of scooters and how the new rides fit into the city’s transportation future.

The scooters gained popularity in the short time they’ve been in Wichita. The numbers tell the story, showing how much people enjoy the riding them.

Roxanne Aubrey is among those who enjoy having scooters downtown. She and other stylists at the House of Hair salon are using the scooters for a team-building scavenger hunt.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Garden City’s 93rd Annual Community Mexican Fiesta this weekend

This weekend’s Garden City Community Mexican Fiesta marks 93 years since its beginning in 1926, and people throughout southwest Kansas are invited to celebrate Sept. 13-14 with the theme of “Abrazando Cultura,” meaning “Embracing Culture.”

“People began emigrating to Garden City from Mexico at the dawn of the 20th Century,” said Angelica Castillo Chappel, Fiesta president. “The ethic of hard work, strong faith and devotion to family and community that these immigrants brought is something to be truly proud of. This ethic has been passed down from generation to generation, just like the tradition of our community-wide fiesta. We welcome everyone to join in the celebration as we all embrace our cultures.”

(Read more: Greater Garden City » Feed)

From boarding school to museum, Shawnee Indian Mission seeped in history

The Rev. Thomas Johnson may not be a household name, but residents of Johnson County, patrons of the Shawnee Mission School District and those in the Shawnee Mission U.S. Postal area are beholden to him.

In 1830, Johnson arrived in unorganized Kansas Territory as a missionary at the behest of Shawnee Indian Chief Fish, who wanted a training school for Native American children. Fish was born William Jackson, then adopted and renamed by the Shawnee, said historian John Forbes.

(Read more: KC Star Local News)

Goddard school district plans to sue manufacturers, distributors and sellers of e-cigs

The Goddard USD Board of Education of Monday night passed a resolution authorizing Wagstaff & Cartmell, L.L.P to initiate litigation and file suit “against manufacturers, distributors and sellers of electronic cigarettes and vaping products.”

Goddard Public Schools is holding a press conference at 1 p.m. today at the Central Administration Center to announce the district’s action.

The Goddard Board of Education in a statement said that they believe electronic cigarettes and vaping products are extremely harmful to our current and future students.

They add, “it is our responsibility to support and protect the physical, social and emotional well-being of our students.”

(Read more: KSN-TV)

County commissioner wants solar panels at tag offices

Sedgwick County Commissioner Lacey Cruse wants to put solar panels at the two county tag offices.

The cost is about a quarter of a million dollars, but Cruse says the panels will pay for themselves.

“These solar panels are expected to last 30 to 40 years, and we will then have to replace those but once we pay them back in 12 to 13 years, we’ll see a savings of $15,000 a month,” said Cruse.

If the plan proves successful, the county would like to add solar panels to other county buildings.

(Read more: KSN-TV)

Lake Fort Scott concerns push city to form advisory board

The lake covers about 200 acres in Southeast Kansas.

And, residents on the lake are having concerns about safety on the water, such as how many boats are out and how fast people are going.

And when it comes to further developing the area, the city says they would need to take a closer look at their zoning policies to see what can be done.

City leaders are hopeful the formation of this new group provides insight on issues to get them figured out once and for all.