Proposed solar project strains the bonds that unite a rural Kansas community

In rural places in our divided land we can’t just pick sides and trash each other. But if we do, somebody — a friend, a loved one, or even a sometime enemy — might tug on our sleeves and remind us about the better angels of our nature. At a public meeting last year, Joe Schlessiger’s farmland neighbors were arguing once again. Joe stood himself up, all 6 feet, 6 inches of Kansas farmer. The topic once again: Spanish energy company Acciona’s proposal to build a solar energy array near Barton County’s Cheyenne Bottoms. The Bottoms are enthralling to those who love nature — 41,000 acres of the largest inland wetland in the United States. It’s a migration stopover for roughly two million birds every year — everything from white-faced ibis dancing on long stick legs to endangered whooping cranes that make pit stops there in spring and fall. The birds prance, squawk and swell the cloud storage of wildlife photographers.
Source: Wichita Eagle

info2024-09-16T17:52:49-05:00September 16, 2024|News|

Cafe in Burden back in business

Residents in Burden welcomed a nice surprise this week with the return of Ma’s Cafe. Earlier this year, the previous owners of the cafe retired and closed the only sit-down restaurant in town. Bobby Smith and Hui Son had run the cafe since Jan. 11, 2021. However, Sandra and John Picconatto began renting the building and have reopened the cafe Monday through Saturday. Sandra spoke about Ma’s Cafe on Wednesday afternoon. She is from Wilmot, but has lived in Burden for the past 18 years. “A couple of years ago, we did a food truck,” Sandra said. “It did really well, and we enjoyed it. We decided to expand this year by opening the cafe back up. The previous owners allowed us to keep the name.” The process started when they rented the building on Aug 1. It took 40 days to open it from start to finish. “It involved a lot of cleaning. Anytime you open up a new restaurant, you have to get the licenses and permits, etc.” Sandra said they are leasing the building for one year to see how it goes. “We may purchase the building, if things go well,” she added. The restaurant looks pretty much the same inside. The menu is a little different. The previous owner had Korean options no longer available. They are offering daily specials. “There may be some trial and error in some parts. We’d like to have Thursday evening buffets,” she explained. “Rotate with fried chicken, pulled pork, tator tot casserole, and meatloaf. Each week would be something different. We also want to do Taco Tuesday. “My daughter and her husband are helping with the management portion. There will be four employees as of right now.”
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

info2024-09-16T17:48:58-05:00September 16, 2024|News|

Winfield to get new signs for landmarks

Winfield city commissioners have approved the purchase and installation of new signage that would help visitors find local landmarks, something that was outlined in the city’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan. The project will consist of 18 signs, providing visitors with directions to places including Southwestern College, the Cowley County Historical Society Museum, sporting facilities and other points of interest. The signs have been in the works for several years. “It’s been talked about, but we just haven’t been able to get to it,” Winfield City Manager Taggart Wall said in a request for commission action. The signs will cost $125,694. A total of $25,000 will be covered by Winfield Convention and Tourism Funds gathered from a transient guest tax. The remaining funds will come from the city’s Capital Improvement Plan budget. The chosen vendor is Seventy Five Creative, LLC, of Dothan, Ala., one of four companies providing full or partial bids for the project. A start time for the project was not provided. Documents state that the estimated lead time is 6-10 weeks once artwork is approved and a deposit made.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

info2024-09-16T17:47:30-05:00September 16, 2024|News|

New Round of SEED Grants Available for Rural Quality-of-Life Initiatives

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced today that $250,000 will be available through a third round of Strategic Economic Expansion and Development (SEED) grants. The SEED program supports economic development and revitalization efforts in smaller counties across Kansas through investments in quality-of-life initiatives. “SEED grants are a vital part of our commitment to ensuring every community in Kansas has the opportunity to succeed,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “These grants are creating real impact in rural communities, helping them build stronger local economies, and enhancing the quality of life for residents. By investing in these communities, we continue laying the foundation for long-term growth and prosperity.” The grants are administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce to communities in 78 designated counties with a population of 5,000 or less. Grants up to $25,000 will be available in the following categories: Childcare and senior programming – Projects that support or enhance these services, such as building improvements, educational materials, supplies and equipment. Community vibrancy – Projects that refresh, re-energize and unlock the attractiveness of rural communities, such as art installations, murals and signage. Food retail – Projects that support access to food retail establishments, including development, renovation and/or expansion. Libraries – Projects that support providing free and open access to a broad range of materials and services, including reading material, technology, furniture and building improvements. Local governments, economic development organizations, chambers of commerce and other organizations in towns not previously awarded a SEED grant are eligible to apply. Applicants must provide a minimum 10-percent match and complete the project within 12 months of receiving grant funds. Funds will be distributed half at the beginning of the grant cycle and the balance will be given upon successful completion of the project. Funding for the SEED program is provided through the Technology Enabled Fiduciary Financial Institutions (TEFFI) Development and Expansion Fund. The TEFFI Act was enacted in 2021 through bipartisan legislation to promote economic development throughout the state. SEED grant applications will open Monday, September 16, and close at 11:59 p.m. Monday, November 8. Grant awardees will be announced mid-December. A recorded informational webinar about the SEED grant is available here. A list of previously awarded towns, guidelines for the grant application, and a list of eligible counties can be found here. The Office of Rural Prosperity will host virtual Office Hours from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Friday, September 20, for anyone who might have questions regarding the grant and the application process. To register, click here.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

info2024-09-16T17:46:21-05:00September 16, 2024|News|

Wichita opens bidding process for emergency homeless shelter

The City of Wichita has opened the bidding process for the operation of an emergency winter shelter for the homeless. The shelter will be set up at the former Park Elementary School at 1025 North Main, which was recently purchased by the city from the Wichita school district. Bids will be accepted until 10 a.m. on Friday, October 4th. Prospective bidders will be able to attend a pre-proposal meeting at 1 p.m. on September 23rd through Microsoft Teams. The City has allocated $600,000 for the operation of the 2024-2025 winter shelter. A successful proposal will have to be made by a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3), (c)(4) corporation or governmental entity. The shelter must be able to be operated on a 24/7 basis during the contract period and allow entry day or night, serving both men and women, those with disabilities and other various guest needs. The City expects the winter shelter to be open from November 28, 2024 through March 31, 2025. The project is expected to go to the City Council sometime in late October or early November for consideration.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

info2024-09-16T17:44:16-05:00September 16, 2024|News|

USD 457 Board discusses grade reconfiguration proposal

The USD 457 Board of Education held discussion on a District Reconfiguration Proposal during its regular meeting on Monday. No action was taken on the proposal; it will be taken up as an action item at the Board’s Sept. 26 meeting where the Board will vote on what direction it wants to take with it. The proposal would transition the district to a K-5, 6-8, 9-14 grade configuration, removing the intermediate school levels, by fall 2028. Board member Andy Fahrmeier said there would be a three-year transition period plan that would start at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year. It would begin with changing the district to a K-6, 7-8 model while construction is conducted at Kenneth Henderson Middle School to add 16-20 classrooms to accommodate 50% of the district’s sixth to eighth grade students. In the fall of 2028 they would transition to the K-5, 6-8 model.
Source: Garden City Telegram

info2024-09-16T17:42:46-05:00September 16, 2024|News|

Johnson County is looking for public input to improve its public transit system

The community’s input is needed to make improvements to public transportation in Johnson County. Public engagement is part of Johnson County Transit’s strategic planning process that will serve as a roadmap for the future. The public will have the opportunity to interact with the project team at a pop-up event during the Overland Park Farmer’s Market on Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to noon. The public is encouraged to stop by and share their thoughts on public transit. Johnson County’s Transit Strategic Plan is focused on clearly articulating JCT’s vision, strategic direction, and the methods necessary to achieve these goals. The process will include extensive public outreach including input from Johnson County’s Board of County Commissioners, users of the system, the Johnson County Transportation Council and the broader Johnson County community. Engagement will focus on effectively giving the community a voice through collaborative and inclusive discussions. The goals of the strategic plan are to: Determine the level and types of service that will serve the most residents and workers most effectively within the budgetary resources available at present; Position JCT for stable operations, partnerships, and growth in the long term’ Make JCT a recognizable asset for the county’s economic growth and diversification and quality of life; Ensure mobility support for vulnerable populations and the workforce; and Recommend enhancements in organizational structure, internal expertise, and standard operating procedures to ensure JCT’s integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness at meeting ongoing operational challenges, exceeding customer expectations, and carrying out the Board’s direction.
For more information please visit the Strategic Plan webpage.
Source: Johnson County Kansas |

info2024-09-16T17:40:46-05:00September 16, 2024|News|

Rebuilt Shawnee Fire HQ focused on firefighters’ health — Here’s how

After almost 40 years since its last major renovation, Shawnee’s Fire Station 71 is ready to show off its new look. The John B. Glaser Fire Station 71, 6501 Quivira Rd., which also serves as the Shawnee Fire Department’s headquarters, will have its grand reopening to the public this Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. The celebration will showcase the approximately $13.7 million renovation project, which was centered on creating better workflow arrangements at the station to shorten emergency response times and also features improvements to firefighters’ quality of life while maintaining room on site for future expansion.
Source: Johnson County Post

info2024-09-16T17:39:12-05:00September 16, 2024|News|

City of Wichita awards $1.3 million to developers to buy, renovate public housing units

The Wichita City Council voted Tuesday to award $1.3 million in COVID recovery funds to nonprofit and for-profit housing developers to buy and renovate 33 single-family public housing units. Wichita Habitat for Humanity, a local nonprofit, received $640,000 for the rehabilitation and sale of 16 houses on North Piatt. Large Enterprise, a California-based business, received $440,000 for the renovation and rental of 11 properties in northeast and southwest Wichita. Residential Housing Solutions, a local business, received $240,000 for the renovation and sale of six houses on North Minnesota. The homes the developers will buy are public housing units the city is in the midst of selling. Wichita has 352 in total, many of which have already been sold to homeowners or investors without restrictions on future sale price or rent. The city reports that many of the houses require “much needed rehabilitation.” But Wichita set aside roughly 60 homes that it hopes to keep affordable long-term. In May, the city opened a call for proposals from developers to buy, renovate and then sell or rent the properties. Using its COVID recovery funds, Wichita offered $40,000 per unit to help buy and rehabilitate the homes. But developers are required to keep the units affordable long-term by participating in federal rental assistance or homeownership programs, which limit the maximum income of participating tenants or homebuyers.
Source: KLC Journal

info2024-09-16T17:31:10-05:00September 16, 2024|News|

Once home to Kansas’ most infamous criminals, historic Lansing prison opening for tours

Most people did their best to avoid this place for nearly 160 years. That’s about to change. When the Kansas Department of Corrections opened a newly constructed Lansing Correctional Facility in Lansing, Kansas, in 2020 it meant the old, stone-walled prison building that housed inmates since the 1860s would be left empty and without purpose. Instead of demolishing it, the Department of Corrections has transferred control of the building to the Lansing Historical Society and Museum, paving the way for the historic prison to be opened for tours. Visitors will have plenty to see in the buildings that have mostly been left in the condition they were in when the prison shut down. Hundreds of tiny cells on multiple floors sit with their barred doors open inviting tour goers to step inside. Paint peels from the walls, some covered in graffiti and the grunge accumulated from the men serving their time there. The access provides a strong visual reminder of the conditions put on people serving time in prison. The prison’s walls also hold the stories of the people who were locked inside and those who walked out after working their shifts. People taking the tours will hear about the day to day routine of prison life lived by the majority of the inmates who served their time and were released from Lansing. They’ll also hear the stories of some of the facility’s more infamous residents. Several whose time there ended at the end of a gallows noose. Members of the community, the Lansing Historical Society and Museum and dignitaries gathered outside the Lansing Correctional Facility, which closed in 2020, for the transfer of keys on Sept. 9 to the Lansing Historical Society and Museum. Tours of the prison to the public began Sept. 13. Tammy Ljungblad Tljungblad@kcstar.com The prison tour is modeled off of a similar tour in Missouri. About a year ago, Kansas Sen. Jeff Pittman, a Leavenworth Democrat, approached the Lansing Historical Society and Museum with the idea of preserving the prison by converting it into a tourist attraction, similar to the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City. TOP VIDEOS After months of discussions, on Aug. 1, 2024, the Kansas Department of Corrections and the Lansing Historical Society and Museum formalized their partnership by signing a memorandum of understanding, allowing the society to offer guided public tours of the historic Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

info2024-09-16T17:29:24-05:00September 16, 2024|News|