Representatives of USD 257, the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce and others involved in building a new Iola Elementary School gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on Tuesday evening. Students and their parents were the first to get to tour the new attendance center, before the public was invited later in the evening. Wednesday is the first day of school for Iola schools.
Source: The Iola Register
The Riley County Commission on Monday unanimously accepted a fine of $1,750 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failures within the University Park Wastewater system to meet regulations regarding treated wastewater. The fine is the responsibility of the University Park Sewer Benefit District. County Counselor Clancy Holeman presented information to explain the fine before Monday’s vote. “Public Works Director John Ellermann and I were told early in our negotiations with EPA counsel and EPA staff that the Benefit District could face an EPA fine in ‘six figures,’” he wrote. “But during negotiations with EPA, we discovered any fine which might eventually be imposed could be no more than $8,000.”
Source: themercury.com
A two-mile stretch of East Kellogg — from K-96 to 159th Street in Andover — will be reconstructed into a six-lane highway, the Kansas Department of Transportation announced this week. The $230-million expansion is expected to begin in 2023 — one of 11 around the state unveiled in a second pipeline of projects under the IKE transportation plan. The state says expanding East Kellogg from the K-96 interchange to about a half-mile east of 159th Street will improve traffic on a busy stretch of highway heading out of Wichita. Currently it’s a four-lane roadway, and there are signs more commercial development is headed to some of the vacant properties fronting Kellogg.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Wichita Transit’s goal of moving to an entirely battery-electric fleet has received an assist from the federal government. On Tuesday, the city announced the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration is awarding Wichita $3.95 million in federal grant funding to purchase 10 Vicinity Motor Corp. Optimal S1LF electric vehicles. The funding will also help with the installation of five 150-kilowatt, in-depot charging stations.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Hutchinson opened a time capsule that was buried 50 years ago and filled with items important to the community at the time. It included items such as letters with names historic to Reno County and centennial items. City officials say most of the items were in great condition but that there was some water damage. “I think it’s really exciting to be a part of this history and see what’s important to the residents of our community 50 years ago and also to see, or to have the opportunity to place items in the time capsule to be opened during our bicentennial,” said Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho.
Source: KSN-TV
With government workers’ pay raises lagging the private sector’s, state and local officials will need to navigate through different measures of inflation to fairly calibrate wage and pension increases. Government employees have drawn the short straw lately when it comes to inflation adjustments to their pay. The gap in pay increases could be closed in the coming year if cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are awarded by formula to public employees, but that’s a big if. And don’t be surprised if there are debates about which inflation index to use and how.
Source: Governing
Art was on people’s minds Friday and Saturday as the 2022 Banner Arts Walk returned to Garden City. Twenty-two artists created 23 banners for the Arts Walk and participants in the event Aug. 12 and 13 where they had the opportunity to see all the banners up close before they’re installed on downtown light poles and to vote for their favorite ones. … Katy Guthrie, executive director of Garden City Arts, which partnered with event host Garden City Downtown Vision, said in the past the Banner Arts Walk has been a scavenger hunt, but this year it was changed to a voting competition which included a map of the businesses where the banners were displayed.
Source: GC Telegram
Multiple people from Hutchinson helped to establish its 150-year history. Several were known as city founders. From C. C. Hutchinson founding the town in 1871 to Frank Colladay beginning a century-old hardware company, many members of the early Hutchinson community created a city to last.
“(Hutchinson) wasn’t worried about just establishing a town as quick as he possibly could — he was interested in setting up a town that was going to continue to grow without having growing pains,” said Reno County Museum chief curator David Reed.
Source: Hutch News
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 voters may be given the option in November to reshape the way Kansas’ largest school district chooses school board members after community members raised concerns that minority voters aren’t being heard. As it stands, registered voters in USD 259 can weigh in on all school board races in general elections. District-specific primaries narrow the field of candidates before races are decided citywide. Critics of the current system say the board would be more representative if members were elected directly by residents in each of the six school board districts.
Source: Wichita Eagle
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