JoCo homeless shelter plan moves ahead, as ardent backers and opponents weigh in

31 Wednesday, July 31

JoCo homeless shelter plan moves ahead, as ardent backers and opponents weigh in

info2024-07-31T10:21:57-05:00July 31st, 2024|

Concerns about providing homeless services to “illegal aliens” and people from outside Johnson County dominated discussion at the county commission last Thursday about a proposal to open a shelter at a former La Quinta Inn and Suites hotel in Lenexa. After two hours of discussion that also included enthusiastic endorsements of the shelter plan from leaders of the interfaith Good Faith Network, commissioners ultimately voted to approve $3.7 million for renovations and operating costs for the hotel. Source: Johnson County Post

31 Wednesday, July 31

Small-town Kansan competes in Olympic marathon trials, encourages others to dream big

info2024-07-31T10:18:25-05:00July 31st, 2024|

Kaylee Bogina is from Arma, Kansas and recently competed at the Olympic trials marathon in February. Making it to that point is a huge goal she is proud to check off her list. Her running career began in high school and then continued through college at Adams State. She saw her brother and roommate compete in the trials and made it a goal for herself. “I remember watching them the whole way and thinking just, oh, how cool of an opportunity that they got to go and do that,” Bogina said. “And I think from that moment on, I was kind [...]

31 Wednesday, July 31

City of Wichita to change WPD gang database, awaiting court’s decision

info2024-07-31T10:14:50-05:00July 31st, 2024|

After three years, Progeny v. City of Wichita, a lawsuit regarding the Wichita Police Department’s use of a gang list, is awaiting approval. If approved, some names that were incorrectly on the gang list will be removed, and the criteria for the database will change. The lawsuit was brought forward by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kansas and the Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. The organizations argued that the list violated the 14th and 1st Amendment rights of those on it. Currently, members of the Wichita community do not have to be charged with a crime to [...]

31 Wednesday, July 31

City leaders approve pay raise for Topeka Police

info2024-07-31T10:12:11-05:00July 31st, 2024|

City leaders have approved a pay increase to try and stop the police shortage in the Capital City. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, council members approved a pay increase for the Topeka Police Department (TPD). This competitive pay increase is one way the city is hoping to increase its officer shortage. According to the agreement, a pay increase of 17% will take effect January of 2025, with a 5% increase in 2026 and 2027. “We hope it [increasing pay] brings people on the front and keeps people on the backend,” Topeka Interim Police Chief Jamey Haltom said. The three-year labor agreement [...]

31 Wednesday, July 31

Topeka leaders pass ordinance holding property owners accountable for maintaining ‘dangerous trees’

info2024-07-31T10:10:17-05:00July 31st, 2024|

The City of Topeka passed an item requiring owners of a mobile home property to take on responsibility for removing or pruning “dangerous trees”. Tuesday evening, the Topeka City Council unanimously approved an action item that states the owner of a mobile home property is responsible for removing or trimming any trees that are deemed “dangerous” until they are no longer considered a safety risk, instead of the individuals who reside on the property. District 2 Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala first introduced this ordinance at the request of a constituent. This comes after a storm knocked down a tree, splitting a Topekans [...]

31 Wednesday, July 31

‘A little explosion of growth,’ Emporia welcomes multiple new stores

info2024-07-31T10:08:31-05:00July 31st, 2024|

Multiple new stores are coming to Emporia in the fall of 2024. Emporia residents can expect a new Ulta Beauty, Old Navy and Five Below to open in the near future. The three stores will be add-ons to the Emporia Pavilion, which has been steadily growing since building a Hobby Lobby back in 2017. Interim President of the Emporia Regional Development Association, Jim Witt, told 27 News, the stores are apart of Emporia’s new incoming era. “Emporia after a period of relatively quiet during the pandemic is starting to really get into the ballgame again,” Witt said. “It’s really on the [...]

31 Wednesday, July 31

Federal judge issues temporary order blocking enforcement of a Kansas campaign finance law

info2024-07-31T10:04:24-05:00July 31st, 2024|

A federal judge granted an Overland Park nonprofit organization’s request for a temporary restraining order blocking the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission from enforcing a campaign finance law until a trial on the constitutionality of the state’s definition of a political action committee. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Crabtree issued the order Wednesday on behalf of Fresh Vision OP, which ran afoul of the state commission in 2021 after sending a mailer endorsing the candidacy of Faris Farassati, a then-Overland Park City Council member campaigning for mayor. Fresh Vision OP posted comparable information on its website. The organization also opposed the use [...]

31 Wednesday, July 31

City looks to address budget issues caused by years of overspending

info2024-07-31T10:02:26-05:00July 31st, 2024|

The city of Manhattan has found itself in some financial trouble after nearly a decade of spending more than it makes, and city staffers are trying to figure out how to get things under control with budget season around the corner. Last month, city officials last month told commissioners they expect the general fund reserves to drop from $11 million to $6 million by the end of 2024, well below the $10 million threshold above which they’d like to keep the city’s cash reserves. Interim city manager Jason Hilgers said the shortage has been building since 2015. He said the city [...]

31 Wednesday, July 31

This city will soon decide if golf carts are allowed on streets. See Wichita-area laws

info2024-07-31T10:00:07-05:00July 31st, 2024|

An upcoming decision from a Wichita-area city could make it legal to drive golf carts on neighborhood streets. The new Valley Center ordinance would allow golf carts on streets with a speed limit less than 30 miles per hour. The city council is planning discuss the topic again Aug. 20, said Valley Center’s city administrator, Brent Clark. So what are the golf cart laws in Wichita? According to the city’s ordinance, anyone with a valid license and a golf cart with a Kansas tag and proper lights can drive golf carts on city roads and sidewalks. “When operated on a street [...]

31 Wednesday, July 31

Parsons police take initiative to strengthen community ties

info2024-07-31T09:58:10-05:00July 31st, 2024|

The Parsons Police Department takes a new initiative toward improving relationships with the community. Police officers and members of the community attended the Police 2 Peace community forum held at the Parsons High School theater this evening. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, the national program aims to turn police officers into peace officers by bringing more conversations of empathy and understanding to real-life situations. The community got the chance to listen to speakers from Police 2 Peace as well as ask questions. Those questions included “Will the program help the youth” and “What can we do [...]