Johnson County extends COVID-19 mask mandate, following pleas from school leaders

The Johnson County Board of Commissioners narrowly voted on Thursday to continue requiring face masks in public, after leaders of all six county school districts urged them in a letter to keep the order in place. The 4-3 decision was made after a marathon, over-three-hour discussion where more than 50 residents spoke both for and against the mandate. Several residents, many of whom were not wearing masks, crowded outside of the room. Whether to require masks — which health experts emphasize are proven to help mitigate spread of COVID-19 — has been a contentious debate since before they were first mandated in Johnson County in July.
Source: Joco 913 News

2020-09-18T07:08:03-05:00September 18, 2020|News|

New 911 tech comes to Sedgwick County

Sedgwick County is unveiling new technology they say will make it easier to contact 911 in an emergency. “So one of those is the ability for 911 dispatchers to send out a text versus only being able to respond to text so previously if you texted in and that text is just to 911 those three digits, very simple. We could respond back but we couldn’t initiate that text conversation,” said Elora Forshee, Emergency Communications Director. The county has used text to 9-1-1 but just recently had the ability to initiate contact with people.
Source: KAKE – News

2020-09-18T07:07:30-05:00September 18, 2020|News|

Coronavirus remains plague on Kansas’ tourism, entertainment and winery industries

Damage to the Kansas tourism economy during the COVID-19 pandemic can be illustrated by impact of closing the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene. The largest attraction in Abilene has been closed for months, blocking access to the $9 million exhibit space opened in August 2019 after an eight-month renovation. Nearly 150,000 people visited the museum last year. That was expected to double in 2020, said Kelly Peetoom, president of the Travel Industry Association of Kansas. “The 2020 travel season was predicted to be Abilene’s best year in a long time. In contrast, it is Abilene’s tourism industry’s worst,” Peetoom said.
Source: Kansas Reflector

2020-09-18T07:04:57-05:00September 18, 2020|News|

Rethink your recycling: Shawnee County partners with Ripple Glass to keep glass out of landfills

If every Shawnee County resident changed the way they recycle glass, they could keep more recycling out of landfills and save the Shawnee County Solid Waste Department up to $5,500 a month. Bill Sutton, director of Shawnee County Solid Waste, cited the statistic when he talked about starting his position last August. Recycling glass more efficiently has been his priority, prompting him to partner with Ripple Glass, a glass recycling company based in Kansas City, Mo. …
Source: Local Government – The Topeka Capital-Journal

2020-09-18T07:04:05-05:00September 18, 2020|News|

Sedgwick County health officer eases curfew after bars openly ignored it

Responding to a weekend of late-night and early-morning revelry across the Wichita area, Sedgwick County health officer Dr. Garold Minns eased the county curfew on bars and nightclubs aimed at fighting the spread of COVID-19. Minns moved the curfew from 11 p.m. to midnight at the recommendation of the Sedgwick County commissioners, who voted unanimously Wednesday to request the change. On a call with a small group of bar and club owners Thursday afternoon, there was broad consensus by commissioners that they want to do away with the curfew entirely and as soon as possible, as early as next week if COVID-19 numbers continues to improve.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

2020-09-18T07:03:29-05:00September 18, 2020|News|

Eisenhower Memorial in D.C. opens Friday, highlights Kansas roots

A new memorial opening Friday should be of high interest to Kansans. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial is finally opening after a delay due to the coronavirus pandemic; it was supposed to in May to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Allies’ defeat of Nazi Germany. The memorial, meant to honor his legacy as the supreme allied commander in World War II and the 34th U.S. president, has actually been more than 20 years in the making since Congress commissioned it in 1999. A dedication happened Thursday before the memorial opens to the public.
Source: News – Butler County Times Gazette

2020-09-18T07:03:02-05:00September 18, 2020|News|

Shawnee will spend $216,000 to buy new tasers for police department

The Shawnee City Council on Monday unanimously agreed to replace the taser equipment for the city’s police department. The city will enter a five-year lease agreement with Axon for the purchase of 86 new X2 Tasers for the Shawnee Police Department. The upgrade will cost about $216,000. Deputy Police Chief Ben Mendoza reported that the current tasers have reached the end of their useful life and are no longer supported by the manufacturer.
Source: Prairie Village Post

2020-09-18T07:02:28-05:00September 18, 2020|News|

Johnson County leaders sued over alleged censorship of magazines at jail

The Human Rights Defense Center, a Florida-based nonprofit that focuses on prisoner rights, is suing the Johnson County Board of Commissioners and the Johnson County sheriff, claiming they’re withholding magazines and other publications from jail inmates. The nonprofit says the staff at the New Century Adult Detention Center has refused to deliver dozens of the organization’s mailings to inmates, in violation of their First Amendment rights.
Source: Prairie Village Post

2020-09-18T07:02:04-05:00September 18, 2020|News|

Auditor: Topeka officer violated no policies in use of force incident involving Black woman

Edward Collazo, the city of Topeka’s independent police auditor, has concluded Topeka police officer Kevin Schulz violated none of the department’s policies Aug. 23 when he used force on Tamiko Mitchell, a Black woman stopped for a traffic violation. Collazo decided that after thoroughly reviewing officer statements, witness statements and seven police body camera videos, said Molly Hadfield, the city’s media relations coordinator, in a news release late Thursday afternoon. Collazo shared his findings in a 17-page report, she said.
Source: Local News | Topeka Capital-Journal

2020-09-18T07:01:37-05:00September 18, 2020|News|
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