Great Bend looks at revamping eco devo

Meeting during a work session Monday night, it was the consensus of the Great Bend City Council to amend the Great Bend Economic Development Inc.’s bylaws to expand the GBED Board from five to seven members, and enter into a cooperative economic development effort with Barton County on a one-year trial basis. The GBEC was created when the city split its economic development efforts from the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce, creating a separate, public/private partnership. The board is made up of council members, chamber representatives and various leaders in the community. GBED Board member Mark Calcara said the larger board would could spread the workload and be more diverse.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

2021-09-24T06:42:08-05:00September 23, 2021|News|

Derby schools to save $96k in high gas bill settlement

The Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) reached a settlement with Derby schools’ natural gas provider, Symmetry, over a high winter gas bill –saving the district $96,136.19. KASB had been negotiating on the district’s behalf to reduce an exorbitantly high gas bill accrued during the extreme cold snap that hit Derby and the surrounding area in February. During an average winter month, the district pays about $35,000 to $50,000 for natural gas. In February, the bill was $209,595.09, or more than $17 per British Thermal Unit (MMBtu) – a standard unit of measure for natural gas. The settlement brings that down to $113,459.90.
Source: Derby Informer | News

2021-09-23T22:32:32-05:00September 23, 2021|News|

Emporia looks to update rental maintenance codes

The Emporia City Commission discussed potential updates to its property maintenance codes during its study session Wednesday morning. Chief building inspector Kory Krause reported to the commission that in recent years the Code Services Department had received an increasing number of complaints regarding poor living conditions in rental properties. However, the city’s current property codes are limited and seriously restrict what can be enforced, leaving the city with very few options for how it can assist its citizen renters. “The extent of our current interior maintenance codes allows inspection to only look at five sections or eight items,” he said. “This is the extent of Emporia’s minimum housing code and violations that we can address. These are, at best, very minimal violation concerns and only represent a small portion of issues.”
Source: Emporia Gazette

2021-09-24T06:42:47-05:00September 23, 2021|News|

Playas could aid cities by extending Ogallala life

Playa lakes are a unique phenomenon largely unnoticed by casual observers except during rain events when they can hold water for days or even weeks – creating a nuisance for farmers and a temporary haven for wildlife. Little has been known about these land forms, ranging in size from an acre or two, upwards to a few hundred acres, but that’s changing as a result of more intensive study by hydrologists and state agriculture departments across the Southern High Plains that overlays the Ogallala Aquifer. They are being viewed as part of the solution to the region’s diminishing groundwater supply. The Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) program is actively promoting an effort to restore playa lakes in Wichita and Greeley counties as part of an effort to increase the availability of groundwater for municipal use and domestic wells. It’s hoped that the program can be expanded into Scott and Lane counties, which are also part of Groundwater Management District No. 1.
Source: Scott County Record.

2021-09-23T20:10:17-05:00September 23, 2021|News|

Manhattan Regional Airport secures nearly $6 million from Dept. of Defense for runway reconstruction

Nearly $6 million in federal funding has been approved to fund an upcoming runway improvement project at the Manhattan Regional Airport. U.S. Senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran announced Thursday that $5.9 million dollars from the Department of Defense has been awarded to the city for the needed expansion which will occur in 2023. Airport Director Jesse Romo says the aid is significant since the Federal Aviation Administration has only agreed to fund 100 feet of the runway reconstruction.
Source: 1350 KMAN

2021-09-23T16:21:27-05:00September 23, 2021|News|

Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Pageant

This weekend, many Peace Treaty events will take place in Medicine Lodge. Starting Sept. 24 and running through Sept. 26, events include: The Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty pageant, the Intertribal Powwow, the Kansas Championship Ranch Rodeo, the Bulls and Broncs Rodeo, a Trappings and Trade Show and the Historical Night Show. The Peace Treaty weekend of events occurs every three years in Medicine Lodge and includes arts and crafts shows, helicopter rides, street dances, live music, food vendors, carnival rides, alumni gatherings and parades. The pageant started in 1917 when citizens of Medicine Lodge made the initial effort to commemorate the historical significance of the Treaty of Medicine Lodge, signed in 1867 by the Peace Commission of the United States Government and the five tribes of Plains Indians, the Kiowa, the Comanche, the Kiowa-Apache, the Arapaho and the Cheyenne.
Source: Hutch News

2021-09-23T07:06:28-05:00September 23, 2021|News|

Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady … for now

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday held benchmark interest rates near zero but indicated that rate hikes could be coming sooner than expected, and it significantly cut its economic outlook for this year. Along with those largely expected moves, officials on the policymaking Federal Open Market Committee indicated they will start pulling back on some of the stimulus the central bank has been providing during the financial crisis. There was no specific indication, though, as to when that might happen. … For now, the committee voted unanimously to keep short-term rates anchored near zero. However, more members now see the first rate hike happening in 2022. In June, when members last released their economic projections, a slight majority put that increase into 2023.
Source: CNBC

2021-09-23T07:04:54-05:00September 23, 2021|News|

Ark City firefighters use abandoned house to train

Knowing that practice makes perfect, Arkansas City firefighters spent Tuesday and Wednesday honing their skills by simulating a fire in an abandoned house. Fire/EMS Capt. Chet Ranzau said Wednesday that the First Baptist Church purchased the 127 N. B St. property and plans to demolish the structure next week. He said the church contacted the fire department and asked if it would like to use the structure for training purposes before it is torn down. “Of course, we’re going to take any kind of training,” he said. “This is the best type of training you can do, it’s real-world training.”
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

2021-09-23T06:59:55-05:00September 23, 2021|News|
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