Sedgwick County FD uses new service to alert drivers

19 Monday, June 19

Sedgwick County FD uses new service to alert drivers

info2023-06-19T10:30:31-05:00June 19th, 2023|

Sedgwick County Fire District 1 (SCFD) now has a new way to warn drivers that a fire truck is responding to an emergency and motorists need to use caution. SCFD vehicles were recently equipped with a system called HAAS Alert that automatically sends digital notifications to drivers in the area when a fire truck’s lights and sirens are activated. The alerts appear through GPS on cars’ navigation and entertainment screens and on drivers’ cell phones, letting them know a fire truck is en route or on the scene of an urgent call. This advance warning, in addition to traditional lights and [...]

19 Monday, June 19

Douglass city pool adds color

info2023-06-20T09:59:30-05:00June 19th, 2023|

Douglass city pool got some bright new colors painted on its walls. It all started when the Douglass pool got new management at the beginning of the summer. They contacted a local town artist, and author Jessica Williams to see if she could paint the entrance and a couple murals on the inside walls as well. Williams has been an art enthusiast since she can remember, taking all the art classes and clubs she could. She even got to be a part of the K-State Mural team where she painted a couple murals on the K-State campus that she says are [...]

19 Monday, June 19

Municipal Bond Trends for June 16, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-06-19T09:02:11-05:00June 19th, 2023|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

19 Monday, June 19

Sedgwick schools and rec commission discuss working together

info2023-06-20T10:00:01-05:00June 19th, 2023|

USD 439 and the Sedgwick Recreation Commission have agreed to consolidate their effort in offering a wellness center to the community but they still have obstacles to overcome in making it a reality. Superintendent Greg Lehr said the district plans to have the outdoor track, the indoor walking track, the new gymnasium, and the cardio/fitness room available for use by anyone living inside the district’s parameters. He said they don’t plan to make the heavy weight room available to the public but could consider its use on a case-by-case basis. Lehr said construction was scheduled to be done in mid-September and [...]

19 Monday, June 19

Next Newton mural revealed installation set for summer

info2023-06-19T08:15:19-05:00June 19th, 2023|

A character by the name of Jack Pumpkinhead was featured in at least one of the Oz books by L. Frank Baum. Many people don’t know about his appearance in the book “Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz” because he wasn’t in the movie. That is Oz book No. 23. The people of Newton will become more acquainted with the character because he’s one of five characters featured on the Newton Arts & Murals Project’s next mural, the Meadowlark Mural, which will be on the back of the freestanding mural near the Main Street railroad track crossing and the north Old Mill parking [...]

19 Monday, June 19

Panasonic’s EV-battery plant will energize De Soto’s attraction of more companies

info2023-06-19T08:11:56-05:00June 19th, 2023|

Build a $4 billion Panasonic electric-vehicle battery factory, and other companies will look to come to come to town, too. De Soto officials said the city recently saw its first visit from a Japanese company that could support Panasonic’s facility as a direct supplier — one of five that may be allotted different incentives through state legislation passed last year. State officials anticipate the 4,000-job Panasonic plant will create another 4,000 jobs for suppliers and local businesses. Beyond the plant, other unrelated companies will look to capitalize on Panasonic-induced changes around De Soto, such as $165 million in new infrastructure planned [...]

19 Monday, June 19

City of Liberal collects supplies for Texas tornado victims

info2023-06-19T08:09:32-05:00June 19th, 2023|

Just hours after a tornado ripped through the town of Perryton, Texas, the town of Liberal decided to help the victims. The tornado killed three people, injured many more, and destroyed as many as 200 homes in Perryton on Thursday. On Friday, the Liberal Police Department began collecting supplies for the survivors. Source: KSN-TV

19 Monday, June 19

Plan to run towering power poles along scenic trail in northeast Wichita faces pushback

info2023-06-19T08:07:45-05:00June 19th, 2023|

Northeast Wichita is preparing for another round of towering power poles that some residents worry will disfigure a scenic bike trail and lower their property values when they are installed in 2025. The 60-year-old transmission line between Evergy’s Wichita State and Mossman substations needs to be replaced, but the plan for running new poles along the Redbud Trail between Maple Grove Cemetery and MacDonald Golf Course has stirred controversy. The other option Evergy presented was replacing existing power poles on a 2-mile route along Volutsia and 16th Street with significantly larger poles. City staff working with the company ultimately settled on [...]

19 Monday, June 19

Neighbors voice concerns about JoCo-backed housing project

info2023-06-19T07:58:19-05:00June 19th, 2023|

Confusion over the recent approval of federal money for an affordable housing project in Olathe brought a crowd of commenters to the county commission Thursday, many of them complaining about a lack of transparency and conflicting information. The comments prompted commissioners to briefly reconsider their approval from last week of the Habitat Olathe Pathway proposal, which calls for a neighborhood of affordably priced homes at 159th Street and Blackbob Road built by Habitat for Humanity. Source: Prairie Village Post

16 Friday, June 16

Kansas Wins Nearly $43M to Build Key Infrastructure for High-Speed Internet

info2023-06-16T12:08:33-05:00June 16th, 2023|

Governor Laura Kelly announced today that the National Telecommunications Information and Administration (NTIA) has awarded the Kansas Office of Broadband Development (KOBD) nearly $43 million to develop infrastructure key to expanding affordable high-speed internet to remote and underserved communities. The open-access “middle mile” infrastructure will connect local Internet networks, primarily in rural areas, to major, high-capacity national and regional networks. ... The grant will fund a 682-mile fiber optic network to connect Liberal to Garden City, Pratt to Wichita, Kismet to Minneola, Wichita to Pittsburg, and Pittsburg to Overland Park.... More information about the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program is available [...]