Overland Park’s new top cop wants to bring transparency and innovation to the job

In the wake of upheaval within the Overland Park Police Department, new Chief of Police Doreen Jokerst — the city’s first female top cop — wants to take on a “forward-thinking” approach to law enforcement as a “servant leader.” “I believe public service is a gift, that this badge should not be taken lightly, and it should be worn with integrity,” Chief Jokerst said in an interview with the Post. “It’s going to be about learning people and ensuring people have a seat at the table and those that may never have had a seat at the table, making sure that they’re invited.” Officer John Lacy, the department’s public information officer, said there has been excitement about Jokerst’s arrival. “The city, the residents and employees of Overland Park, we’re really happy that she’s here, and at the same time, we are looking for what changes she’s going to make for the better for the Overland Park Police Department,” he told the Post.
Source: Johnson County Post

info2024-10-23T09:25:07-05:00October 23, 2024|News|

Merriam OKs first-ever requests for flag displays at city hall

With the city of Merriam’s new flag display policy in place, two additional flags will be flown on city property next summer. The Merriam City Council last week unanimously voted to approve requests by a councilmember to fly the LGBTQ/Pride flag as well as the Juneteenth flag at the base of a flag pole display area in front of city hall, 9001 W. 62nd St. These flags will fly on four separate poles at the base of the three flag poles already at city hall. This comes a few months after the city council unanimously voted to adopt a new flag display policy, a move prompted by the city council’s decision to exclude “thin blue line” flags from the city’s Flags 4 Freedom event.
Source: Johnson County Post

info2024-10-23T09:23:37-05:00October 23, 2024|News|

Task force says Kansas schools should ban cellphones for all students

An advisory group created by Kansas education leaders is recommending that schools ban cellphones for students at every grade level. A majority of the 36-member Blue Ribbon Task Force on Student Screen Time voted to recommend that districts prohibit students from using cellphones for the entire school day, including during lunch and passing periods. They also voted to recommend that students store personal devices “in a secure location that is not accessible to them during the school day.” The group meets again this week and plans to make its final report with recommendations to the Kansas State Board of Education in November.
Source: KCUR News

info2024-10-23T09:22:31-05:00October 23, 2024|News|

Wichita gets look at how much water rates could increase

The cost of providing water and sewer services in Wichita has gone up more than expected. So, the Wichita City Council is being asked to pass some of the costs on to customers. The city has been using the same rate plan since December 2019. On Tuesday, Gary Janzen, director of Wichita Public Works and Utilities, told the council that the 2019 plan is no longer sustainable due to rising inflation and staffing costs. He recommends a 6.14% rate hike in 2025. For residential customers who don’t use much water, it would be an increase of $3.21 a month. Mid-level users would pay $4.79 more a month, and high-volume users would pay $9.59 more a month.
Source: KSN-TV

info2024-10-23T09:20:01-05:00October 23, 2024|News|

$9 million to be invested to address water woes in Kansas

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced $9 million in funding for the Equus Beds Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Project and the Kansas Water Transition Assistance Program. The Equus Beds Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project diverts water from the Little Arkansas River when levels are high, removes particulates, salt and other chlorides, organic material, and sediment, and pumps the water into the Equus Beds Aquifer that is deep underneath Sedgwick, Reno, Harvey, and McPherson counties. The project has been active since the early 2000s, but there has been a significant drop in water levels over the past few years. In addition, the Kansas Voluntary Agreements Program will receive $2 million for the state’s Kansas Water Transition Assistance Program in either the Prairie Dog Creek or Rattlesnake Creek Basins. Under the program, landowners can voluntarily sign over their water rights in exchange for compensation from the state. The funding for both programs comes from the Inflation Reduction Act, through the Department of the Interior.
Source: KSN-TV

info2024-10-23T09:18:53-05:00October 23, 2024|News|

Garden City Fire Department giving out free smoke alarms, installation

The Garden City Fire Department said it is giving away free smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for Finney County residents. A Facebook post from the GCFD said the initiative is a part of the “Get Alarmed Kansas” program. Detectors for hearing-impaired individuals are also available. GCFD said it will also install the detectors as well.
Source: KSN-TV

info2024-10-23T09:17:32-05:00October 23, 2024|News|

Franklin’s Miners Hall Museum plans for preservation and expansion

Preserving the past and preparing for the future are part of the same program at a southeast Kansas museum. Staff with Franklin’s Miners Hall Museum are participating in an assessment of their facility and collection to do just that. Two assessors, paid from by a grant from the Foundation for Preservation and Advancement, aren’t just assigning a dollar value, though. They’ll also be giving advice on how to make sure these artifacts can last for generations to come.
Source: KSNF/KODE

info2024-10-23T09:16:12-05:00October 23, 2024|News|

Long lines at Sedgwick County voting sites set record for first day of early voting

More than 3,600 people turned out Monday in Sedgwick County to cast their ballot on the first day of early in-person voting for the 2024 general election. Long lines formed outside early voting places in the county, and Tuesday morning saw more of the same. Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Laura Rainwater said Monday was a record-setting day for the first day of early voting, but figures for comparable first days in the 2016 and 2020 November general elections were not immediately available. Monday ended with a 3,627 in-person votes cast. In 2016, about 51,000 early in-person votes were cast, and 2020 saw 67,000 early voters, according to data from the Sedgwick County Election Office.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

info2024-10-23T09:15:12-05:00October 23, 2024|News|

County in ongoing litigation over Bitcoin mine

After repeated denials for rezoning requests from both Harvey County Commissioners and planning and zoning board, Print Crypto Inc. filed an appeal with the courts to overturn the decision. Since late 2022, the county heard from both Butler Rural Electric Cooperative and Print Crypto, Inc. about the Bitcoin mining operation taking place at the cooperative’s substation located at 8399 S.E. 84th, Whitewater. The company received a conditional use permit, and Print Crypto, Inc. paid Butler Electric to use one acre of land for its Bitcoin mining operation. After Planning and Zoning Director Karen Rothe received several complaints from neighboring residents, Rothe brought the issue up to the planning and zoning board. Over the course of several meetings, the board heard both from neighbors who complained about the noise as well as road blockages. Owners of both Print Crypto and Butler Electric spoke to the board, requesting a zoning change from A-1 agricultural to rural development services. Both the planning and zoning board and county commission denied the rezoning, stating that the change doesn’t align with the county comprehensive plan or meet the necessary criteria.
Source: Harvey County Now

info2024-10-23T09:14:09-05:00October 23, 2024|News|

Out-of-district enrollment impacts districts differently

With legislative changes to out-of-district enrollment allowing students to choose which district to attend, some Harvey County schools were more open to the change than others. Halstead saw a jump in overall out-of-district students, although only a portion was from open enrollment. Superintendent Ron Barry said the district had 71 out-of-district students this year, which is a jump from 55 students last school year.
Source: Harvey County Now

info2024-10-23T09:11:57-05:00October 23, 2024|News|