Roeland Park drafts revised tree rules a year after voting down previous version

16 Friday, August 16

Roeland Park drafts revised tree rules a year after voting down previous version

info2024-08-16T09:16:52-05:00August 16th, 2024|

The city of Roeland Park is getting closer to adopting a long-discussed tree preservation ordinance. Following years of work inventorying the city’s tree canopy and hosting local ward meetings to discuss proposed rules aimed at preserving it... The draft lays out protections for right-of-way trees — that is, trees in public strips of land between residential properties and the street — as well as trees in private front yards. Source: Johnson County Post

16 Friday, August 16

Overland Park wants to clean up this city lake. The process is ‘kind of stinky.’

info2024-08-16T09:15:18-05:00August 16th, 2024|

Overland Park intends to improve the water quality in its lakes, including Regency Lake in the city’s southern half this year, by dredging sediment from the lake floors. But city staff warn the process is likely to be disruptive — and probably a little stinky — for residents who live near the lake. Source: Johnson County Post

16 Friday, August 16

Redevelopment plan could put affordable housing next to Panasonic

info2024-08-16T09:14:53-05:00August 16th, 2024|

The rehabilitation of World War II-era housing could lead to more affordable options near Panasonic’s 4,000-job electric-vehicle battery plant in De Soto. Wheatland Investments Group submitted an application to the city to create a Kansas Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID) covering the Clearview Village apartment complex at 36000 W 103rd St. Clearview Village, formerly known as Sunflower Village, was built in 1943 to meet the housing needs of military members working at the Sunflower Army Ammunition plant. The housing complex sits across from Panasonic’s $4 billion, 4.7-million-square-foot plant on the opposite side of 103rd Street. The ammunition plant was decommissioned in [...]

16 Friday, August 16

KCK district OKs $180 million bond for school improvements to appear on November ballot

info2024-08-16T09:11:46-05:00August 16th, 2024|

With buildings in disrepair and estimated construction costs mounting, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools officials are putting forward a $180 million bond issue to finance school rebuilds that voters may consider Nov. 5. The seven-member elected school board voted 6-0 Tuesday to advance a proposed investment in aging buildings that district leaders say is long overdue. In dollars and cents, the new proposal is less than half of the more ambitious plan that voters widely rejected during a single-issue special election three months ago. And district leaders say its passage would not increase the tax rate, a major sticking point during [...]

16 Friday, August 16

Debate over Wichita paid parking is intensifying

info2024-08-16T09:08:54-05:00August 16th, 2024|

The debate over paid parking coming to downtown Wichita is intensifying. Some business owners and members of the public are left with questions. The exact cost is still unknown, but Wichita City Council member Brandon Johnson said he believes it will start at 75 cents an hour. Others said their frustration wasn’t about feeding the meter but how the city announced it on Saturday in a social media post with very few details. Russell Arben Fox, a professor at Friends University, said his frustration came from the lack of critical details. “The fact they rolled this out with a lot of [...]

16 Friday, August 16

Kansas will pay $50,000 to settle a suit over a transgender Highway Patrol employee’s firing

info2024-08-16T09:06:21-05:00August 16th, 2024|

Kansas will pay $50,000 to settle a federal anti-discrimination lawsuit filed by a former state Highway Patrol employee who claimed to have been fired for coming out as transgender. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and eight leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature unanimously approved the settlement during a brief online video conference Thursday. The state attorney general’s office pursued the settlement in defending the Highway Patrol, but any agreement it reaches also must be approved by the governor and top lawmakers. Kelly and the legislators didn’t publicly discuss the settlement, and the amount wasn’t disclosed until the state released their formal resolution approving [...]

16 Friday, August 16

Sedgwick County commissioner wants county-wide sales tax to tackle property tax relief

info2024-08-16T09:01:35-05:00August 16th, 2024|

Leaders from 15 Sedgwick County communities met in Wichita to tackle property tax relief. Wednesday’s meeting was only an informational meeting for leaders. No decision or action was taken. The idea is to create an eighth, quarter, or half-cent county sales tax to decrease property taxes. Community leaders want relief for property owners without cutting funding for public programs like the zoo and the arts. Sedgwick County Commissioner Ryan Baty believes a county-wide sales tax is the answer. “We could see an $8, $10, $12 million property tax reduction if we use a quarter-cent or half-cent sales tax,” said Baty. Baty [...]

16 Friday, August 16

Community health worker project helping rural Kansas

info2024-08-16T08:59:23-05:00August 16th, 2024|

A common goal of improving health in rural areas is bringing together leaders from higher education and medical providers. The Community Health Worker Project at Kansas State University focuses on sustaining the health and safety of rural Kansans and people working in agriculture. The project is meant to serve as a gateway to help rural residents manage chronic conditions, prevent injuries and reduce risks of getting sick. “A community health worker who understands the hard work that has to be done if you’re on a ranch or farm, having to look at the equipment maintenance, having to look at some of [...]

16 Friday, August 16

Severe storm rips roof off home in Soldier

info2024-08-16T08:58:09-05:00August 16th, 2024|

Another severe overnight storm left a couple in Soldier without a roof. Ron Youngs said he and his partner Pamela Powell were waiting out the weather at a friend’s house. They said it’s a good thing they weren’t at home. “I went around town to see if there was tree limbs down in the intersections,” Youngs said, “or if there was anybody who might need some help. And after I made my rounds and came home, I realized the entire roof of my house was laying in my driveway.” The couple took shelter with Thomas Cott and his wife. Cott said [...]

16 Friday, August 16

Gage Park named ‘top green space’ in HGTV article

info2024-08-16T08:56:23-05:00August 16th, 2024|

A Topeka park is the only Kansas park to be listed in a recent HGTV article. HGTV recently came out with a story naming the best public parks, gardens and nature centers in the United States. The HGTV story “50 States of Public Parks, Gardens, Arboretums and Nature Centers” highlights parks with the top green spaces that are free and open to the public and also have activities for families. Gage Park in Topeka is the only park in the Sunflower State to be recognized on this list. The article highlights the variety of sights and activities that Gage Park has [...]