Frontenac reviews new ordinance on shipping containers

The Frontenac City Council held their first meeting at their new time on Wednesday evening, which is now at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. On the docket was a new ordinance concerning large shipping containers like what is often found on construction sites. In recent years, these containers have become popular building material for new homes. Frontenac says they are not up to residential code and cannot be used for that purpose.
Source: Morning Sun

info2025-01-13T09:53:52-06:00January 13, 2025|News|

A Bond Selloff Is Rocking the World. You Might Want to Take the Other Side.

Wall Street is really worried about bonds. It might be time to buy some. On Friday, a jobs report that blew past expectations pushed yields on 10-year Treasurys to 4.772%, the highest close since Nov. 1, 2023, and those on 30-year paper to 4.962%. What is spooking markets, however, is that much of the recent rise in yields doesn’t appear to reflect expectations of stronger economic growth. Rather, it might be the result of investors applying a higher discount or “term premium” to hold long-term bonds, estimates by the Federal Reserve suggest. Some analysts attribute this to the possibility of Donald Trump’s promised tariffs derailing the global economy and leading to a jump in inflation, while his tax cuts bloat budget deficits further.
Source: WSJ.com: Markets

info2025-01-13T09:52:50-06:00January 13, 2025|News|

Should Cities Open Their Own Grocery Stores?

By now, most people are familiar with the concept of food deserts — areas where residents lack ready access to fresh foods. Should local governments step in to operate grocery stores in neighborhoods that don’t have them? Aside from ideological questions over whether governments should get involved with operating retail establishments, there are a number of practical hurdles that are difficult to overcome.
Source: Governing

info2025-01-13T09:51:26-06:00January 13, 2025|News|

Kansas landowners are renting out yards as puppy playgrounds

Sniffspot, a short-term rental website and app, lets property owners rent out their yards or other spaces as private dog parks. So far there are about 200 Sniffspots in Kansas, but the number is growing. More than 40% of Kansas households have a dog, but not everyone has a place where dogs can run, explore and burn off energy. Enter Sniffspot. The website and app lets people list their backyards or other spaces to rent by the hour as puppy playgrounds. The site began in 2018 in Seattle, where David Adams lived with a couple of energetic mixed-breed dogs named Toshii and Soba.
Source: Garden City Telegram

info2025-01-13T09:49:38-06:00January 13, 2025|News|

City develops policy for pets of homeless people in shelter

The City of Wichita said a policy at the emergency winter homeless shelter will allow for pets to be housed for a period of time during severe winter storms and cold snaps. The issue came up during a discussion Tuesday at the regular City Council meeting, after Wichita police reported that 76 out of 110 homeless people contacted by the Homeless Outreach Team had refused to go to shelter during the past weekend’s winter storm. Vice-Mayor Maggie Ballard said people don’t want to be separated from their pets and more work needs to be done to get the word out on the pet policy. The city said unhoused residents staying in the emergency winter shelter are able to bring pets to the Wichita Animal Shelter for where they will be held for 72 hours and taken care of at no cost until the winter storm has passed. After leaving the shelter, pets will also receive free spay/neuter service and vaccinations.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

info2025-01-13T09:47:25-06:00January 13, 2025|News|

Leon eliminates dog and cat permit fees

The City of Leon City Council voted on January 6 to eliminate permit fees for dogs and cats in an effort to alleviate costs for residents and encourage them to spay/neuter their animals to reduce population. Previously Leon required dog and cat owners to permit each animal at $5 per animal if they were spay/neutered and $15 per animal if they weren’t spay/neutered. Residents often spoke to the council on rising cost of living expenses and felt they were being nickel and dimed after the water rates were raised to support new infrastructure. Jodie Laidler, City/Court Clerk for the City of Leon said the council listened. She thought of the proposal to eliminate dog and cat fees as well as lower other animal fees as a response to concerned citizens. She said the Council was in full support of the proposal.
Source: Andover American

info2025-01-13T09:45:57-06:00January 13, 2025|News|

Olpe accumulates $2.5 million in fundraising in Phase One for new fitness park

Olpe has accumulated $2.5 million in fundraising for Phase One of a three phase project intended to create state-of-the-art fitness facilities and parks for the enjoyment of the community. Phase One will fund the creation of a football field and track on the school grounds of USD 252, while Phase Two and Three will create a splash pad, a park, and softball and baseball fields.
Source: Emporia Gazette

info2025-01-13T09:44:35-06:00January 13, 2025|News|

County commission approves redistricting plan

A plan to redistrict the county by adding two additional county commission districts was approved by Bourbon County Commissioners Monday night. Commissioners reviewed three maps presented by Surveying and Mapping LLC (SAM), a company that was contracted to assist the county in the redistricting process. The boundaries for the districts are based on the county’s population.
Source: Fort Scott Tribune

info2025-01-13T09:43:40-06:00January 13, 2025|News|

Hoisington’s Conrad honored for city service

With 44 years in city service, Cecelia Conrad has experienced several firsts in her career. A retirement reception was held Friday morning at the Hoisington City Auditorium in her honor, recognizing her latest service as City Clerk from 2019.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

info2025-01-13T09:42:40-06:00January 13, 2025|News|

For the third time in four years, USD 439 searches for a superintendent.

The Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) is once again managing the search. They opened the search around Thanksgiving and closed it a few weeks later. USD 439 BOE president Travis Francis said the board spent the last two weeks discussing candidates and comparing them to the priorities set by meeting with faculty and the community.
Source: Harvey County Now

info2025-01-13T09:41:33-06:00January 13, 2025|News|