The COVID-19 pandemic has given people a greater appreciation for many of life’s little gifts — things many took for granted not so long ago. Parks and recreation facilities are among those, primarily because they provided relief and space for people to focus on their own mental, physical and emotional needs during safer-at-home periods. Beginning Wednesday and throughout July, people are invited to celebrate those recreational spots during national Parks and Recreation Month, which since 1985 has recognized the importance parks and recreation play in health and overall well-being. “During July, we’re calling attention to the important role that parks and recreation plays in the economic, physical and environmental well-being of our community,” Tim Laurent, director of Shawnee County Parks and Recreation, said Tuesday in a news release.
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Beginning Friday, Kansans in public spaces where social distancing cannot be maintained will be required to wear masks. Gov. Laura Kelly announced at a news conference Monday she plans to sign an executive order this week that would mandate mask use in public spaces statewide. She said the order would go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday, in advance of the Fourth of July weekend. “If we want a healthy Kansas economy, we need healthy businesses and healthy Kansans,” Kelly said. “Therefore, I’m announcing that beginning 12:01 a.m. July 3 every Kansan in a public space must wear a mask. “This doesn’t change where you can go or what you can do. It just means if you’re around other people, you must wear a mask.” Kelly said enforcement should occur at the local level, and she encouraged city and county officials to take the order seriously.
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The Topeka Metro Bikes program will be discontinued effective July 30. The board of directors of the Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority voted 7-0 Monday afternoon to make that move. The TMTA board last June had approved cuts that included discontinuing Topeka Metro Bikes effective last December. But board members voted last October to give Topeka Metro Bikes an extension through June 30, which will be Tuesday. On Monday, Topeka Metro general manager Bob Nugent told TMTA board members that a company with which Topeka Metro had been working to provide the bicycle sharing program had pulled out on short notice. Nugent said he subsequently spent “quite a bit of time over about a month” unsuccessfully looking for alternatives.
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The city of Topeka announced Monday it is resuming utility disconnections starting next week. According to a news release from Molly Hadfield, the city’s media relations director, utility accounts not in good standing may be subject to disconnects. The city encourages customers who are having trouble paying bills or who would like to make payment arrangements to call the utility department’s customer service line at 785-368-3111. The city has several resources available for those struggling to make payments, according to the news release.
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