El Dorado City Manager says Andover water connection is sustainable

With an increase in water rate usage and the previous summer’s drought, the Andover City Mayor, Ronnie Price, has made his voice clear: he no longer wants to buy water from Wichita for Andover residents. Mayor Price says he’d like to avoid future issues like these by connecting Andover to the El Dorado Lake, but is it sustainable? The City Manager of El Dorado, David Dillner, says yes. When looking at water sustainability and how much a lake has in its reservoir, the equation is much more than what meets the eye when looking at the lake from the outside. The lake itself is just the beginning. What is taken into consideration when projecting water sustainability is the water table, watershed, and other factors. The water depth at the lake dam is about 60 feet deep which is why the volume doesn’t move much.
Source: Andover American

info2025-02-24T10:03:05-06:00February 24, 2025|News|

De Soto OKs deal with KDOT to realign Lexington interchange, build roads at Astra

As Panasonic prepares to come online at Astra Enterprise Park, city and state leaders are teeing up plans to address a key interchange’s capacity to handle growing traffic. During the past six months, the Kansas Department of Transportation has been negotiating with property owner Sunflower Redevelopment Group to buy about 1,850 feet of railroad track under the Kansas Highway 10 interchange along Lexington Avenue.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal

info2025-02-24T10:02:01-06:00February 24, 2025|News|

Some Wichita schools are easing up on recess rules, citing the benefits of ‘risky play’

The scene at Wichita’s Allen Elementary School is pretty typical for a school playground at recess — lots of running, jumping, climbing and screaming. But there’s something different that you might not notice right away. Allen is one of three Wichita elementary schools experimenting with a new kind of recess that eases up on rules and lets kids play more freely. The approach, sometimes called “risky play,” follows research that shows children benefit from climbing high, running fast and testing their physical limits. Wichita decided to try it after some physical education teachers complained that students weren’t getting enough unstructured play time.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

info2025-02-24T10:01:19-06:00February 24, 2025|News|

40-year-old woman dies after trying to break up pit bull fight at west Wichita home

A 40-year-old Wichita woman who was attacked while trying to break up a fight between her two pit bulls Saturday died from her injuries Sunday morning, police said. She was identified as Moeshae Thomas, Wichita police spokesperson Aaron Moses said in an email.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

info2025-02-24T10:00:07-06:00February 24, 2025|News|

Crews monitor downtown Hutchinson area after gas leak, explosion cause evacuation

Officials will continue to monitor the site of a gas explosion that occurred Saturday in downtown Hutchinson. The Hutchinson Fire Department and Kansas Gas allowed some residents back into their homes after being evacuated Saturday. “Currently there is 18 businesses and 1 residential home without gas service,” the Hutchinson Fire Department said Sunday morning. “Kansas gas will continue to have a large presence in this area for the next couple days… to remedy the situation.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

info2025-02-24T09:58:50-06:00February 24, 2025|News|

Legislature revisits local regulations on home-based businesses

The Legislature is revisiting a bill that would limit local government’s ability to regulate what is described as a “no-impact” home-based business. The House on Thursday voted 74-49 to approve a bill barring cities and counties from banning “no-impact” home-based businesses but would provide for some regulations.
Source: Sunflower State Journal

info2025-02-24T09:57:58-06:00February 24, 2025|News|

Senate moves to expand STAR bonds incentives

The Kansas Senate approved a bill late Wednesday expanding one of the state’s most powerful tax incentives to help save dying malls. The bill would allow sales tax revenue – or STAR – bonds to be used for redevelopment of malls that are at least half empty. It would require a minimum $10 million investment.
Source: Sunflower State Journal

info2025-02-24T09:57:12-06:00February 24, 2025|News|

Water grants a boon for Humboldt, LaHarpe

Humboldt will get $3 million and LaHarpe $750,000 in state water grant funds. Humboldt’s will go toward the city’s planned $13 million water system replacement project; LaHarpe’s will pay to replace the city’s six sewer lift stations.
Source: The Iola Register

info2025-02-24T09:56:30-06:00February 24, 2025|News|

Kansas Attorney General Opinion 2025-5: Teacher Contracts

Synopsis: The purpose of continuing contract law is to prevent any uncertainty or controversy regarding the status of a teacher’s continued employment by treating the time between the end of a teaching contract and the beginning of the renewed contract as part of continued employment. Continuing contract law does not apply after a contract’s term ends when the teacher has provided the school with proper notice of nonrenewal. After a contract ends and is not renewed, the teacher is no longer considered employed by the school. The teacher is entitled to receive all benefits from the contract but is not entitled to continued voluntary benefits like optional group life insurance. Thus, Barton County Community College is not required to withhold and remit premiums for optional group life insurance to Kansas Public Employees Retirement System after a teacher on a nine-month contract provides notice of nonrenewal of the contract and the contract’s term ends. Cited herein: K.S.A. 72-2251; K.S.A. 74-4940.
Source: Kansas Attorney General Opinions

info2025-02-24T08:08:22-06:00February 24, 2025|News|

Finding the best local fit

Shopping malls may seem like they’re shrinking, but most are only transitioning to what best fits their market. … Malls now face the challenge of being overbuilt, causing them to have to adjust by identifying what’s best for the area.
Source: CJonline

info2025-02-23T07:47:48-06:00February 23, 2025|News|