County and local law enforcement along with area fire departments have had a busy first few days of summer responding to many fire, medical, vehicle-accident and criminal calls in Cowley County.

Ark City Fire Chief Bobby Wolfe said they have responded to many calls in the past week but luckily none of them have been major events.

“I’m really grateful at how few of grass fires for this time of year we’ve had to respond to, this being probably the fewest in seven years,” due to the amount of moisture keeping the vegetation green.

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas’ highest court ruled Friday that cities can raise the age for buying tobacco products even though state law sets it at 18, bolstering a public health movement driven in part by concerns about teenagers’ use of e-cigarettes.

The state Supreme Court’s unanimous decision allows the city of Topeka to enforce an ordinance setting the age to buy tobacco products, e-cigarettes or liquid nicotine at 21. A company operating two local businesses, Vapebar Topeka and Puffs ‘n’ Stuff, sued just before the ordinance took effect in January 2018, and a lower-court judge blocked it.

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Taxpayers will save more than $11 million over the next several years under a restructuring of the construction debt for the South Central Kansas Medical Center.

The refinancing was approved Tuesday night by both the Building Commission and the City Commission.

The current amount due on the original bonds issued in 2009 to build a replacement medical center that opened in 2011 is $37 million, with combined principal and interest.

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)