Lawrence changes virtual meeting procedures in effort to make public comment easier

The City of Lawrence is making changes to how it runs its online meetings in an effort to make public participation easier. The Lawrence City Commission began holding virtual meetings in response to the coronavirus pandemic and adopted a resolution modifying meeting procedures in April. Under those regulations, the city encouraged residents who wanted to speak during general public comment or about a particular agenda item to submit their comments in writing, either via email or using a drop box at City Hall. Residents can also request to be part of the Zoom meeting, either online or by phone. Limited staff members are also in place at City Hall for the public to comment in person.
Source: LJWord.com.

2020-10-27T07:04:49-05:00October 26, 2020|News|

Lawrence snow shoveling program seeking volunteers, applicants for help

The City of Lawrence and the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County are seeking applicants and volunteers for the Safe Winter Walkways Program. Volunteers are needed to help elderly and disabled individuals clear snow from public sidewalks in front of their homes, according to a city news release. All volunteers are asked to commit to the entire snow season and shovel after each snowfall. The program makes an effort to match volunteers with residents in their neighborhoods.
Source: LJWord.com.

2020-10-27T07:04:35-05:00October 26, 2020|News|

10-year Treasury yield hits 4-month high

U.S. government bond yields posted their largest weekly gain since August, lifted by signs of economic recovery and the hopes for economic stimulus before or after the presidential election. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note reached as high as 0.87% in early trading Friday before settling at 0.84%, according to Tradeweb—down slightly from 0.847% on Thursday. It had previously climbed for six straight sessions, reaching its highest level since early June.
Source: Wall Street Journal.

2020-10-26T08:09:33-05:00October 26, 2020|News|

Governor Kelly Announces 250 Jobs with New Empirical Foods Facility in Garden City

Governor Laura Kelly Thursday announced the groundbreaking for a new Empirical Foods ground beef facility in Garden City. The planned facility, which is now the largest single investment in the company’s 40-year history, will bring 250 new jobs and more than $250 million in capital investment to Garden City and Finney County. “Empirical Foods made a smart decision in choosing to do business in a community with so much to offer in excellent schools, infrastructure, and quality-of-life amenities for employees and their families,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Projects like this will continue to strengthen our state’s foundation and help us attract more companies, like Empirical, to do business in Kansas.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

2020-10-26T08:01:53-05:00October 26, 2020|News|

Despite challenges, Kansas’ rural schools handling pandemic. A big hurdle? Getting community buy-in

It was a little over a month into the school year that Holton Unified School District 336 superintendent Bob Davies realized the district was fighting a losing battle. The battle wasn’t against COVID-19, though, at least not directly. Like most other rural districts, USD 336 took a shot at the beginning of the school year and opened with in-person classes, with the hopes that social distancing, mask and hygiene policies could stave off the virus in their classrooms, and more than a quarter into the school year, this was Davies’ conclusion: the precautions were working.
Source: Education – Morning Sun

2020-10-26T07:53:11-05:00October 26, 2020|News|

Collaborative art installation highlights importance of migration, trails that ran through Topeka

An art installation two years in the making is now complete and on display at Redbud Park in the NOTO Arts and Entertainment District. The sculpture named “The Travelers” was a collaborative project between a group of local artists and Phoenix-based sculptor Patricia Sannit. Sannit came to Topeka two years ago to host a workshop as part of the Kansas Artist Craftsmen Association’s conference. During her time in the city, Sannit guided and assisted several artists in conceiving and crafting the sculpture.
Source: Local News | Topeka Capital-Journal

2020-10-26T07:51:07-05:00October 26, 2020|News|

Why Wichita says new electric buses are better than their diesel predecessors

Wichita transit added seven new electric buses this month in the next step of its plan to eventually electrify the entire fleet. With 11 buses, Wichita currently has the largest electric transit offering in Kansas. The buses, which cost more than their diesel counterparts, were paid for by two federal grants. Still, each bus is expected to save the city $462,000 over its lifetime — at least 12 years — as electric buses cost about 50% less to run than the diesel buses, according to Mike Tann, city transit director.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

2020-10-26T07:50:27-05:00October 26, 2020|News|

‘Urban art project’ brings splash of color to Topeka park

Jamie Colon’s paint-stained hands are cold from the frigid October weather, but he keeps painting outside because he wants to bring color to Santa Fe Park. Colon, the lead artist, said Topeka’s parks lack color. “You go to every park in Topeka, it’s beige,” he said. “The whole idea is to put a splash of color in the park so when you come here in the winter time when everything is brown and gray skies, you got this bright spot of color that pops out of the park.” Colon, along with artists Andy Valdivia and Robert Tapley Bustamante, are working at Sante Fe Park, 1500 N.E. Division St. Each artist is reimagining a different side of the public bathroom at the park that was graffitied with hateful messages months ago.
Source: News – The Topeka Capital-Journal

2020-10-26T07:49:47-05:00October 26, 2020|News|

Amtrak service reductions in place

There are a couple of milestones at Amtrak this month — milestones that some are not happy about. For the first time in nearly 150 years, there is not a daily passenger train stopping in Newton — and the same can be said for dozens of communities across multiple states served by the Southwest Chief. And, this month, for the first time in nearly 150 years, there has been a day without a passenger train departure from Chicago headed to Los Angeles.
Source: Newton Kansan

2020-10-26T07:48:33-05:00October 26, 2020|News|
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