Moundridge City Administrator Murray McGee has announced that he is stepping down; becoming CEO of INK

4 Friday, August 4

Moundridge City Administrator Murray McGee has announced that he is stepping down; becoming CEO of INK

info2023-08-08T07:46:01-05:00August 4th, 2023|

Moundridge City Administrator, Murray McGee has announced that he is stepping down September 1st after 8 years with the City. McGee has accepted the Chief Executive Officer position with the Information Network of Kansas. INK is a public/private partnership charged by the Legislature with expanding the amount and type of Kansas government information available to the public. ... The City Council are starting immediately to conduct a search for a new Administrator. Mayor Kevin Schmidt thanked McGee for his service and expressed his confidence in the City staff who are stepping up to help with the transition during this period. Source: [...]

4 Friday, August 4

City of Wichita has given out over $100k in rebates

info2023-08-08T07:46:10-05:00August 4th, 2023|

On Jan. 10, the Wichita City Council approved $100,000 in rebates for citizens who have bought water- and energy-efficient devices in 2023. That number was increased to $125,000 on July 5, as the City Council approved additional funds if the $100,000 was exhausted before Oct. 31. City officials say so far, the City of Wichita has approved rebates for 1,242 water-efficient devices, totaling $112,960.06. The Lawn Care Rebate Program is intended to lower the use of gas and diesel-powered lawn equipment and provides a $50 rebate for residents who purchase new non-combustion lawn equipment and recycle their old combustion equipment. City officials say [...]

4 Friday, August 4

Home sales are down in Kansas, but you can still expect to pay more in Wichita

info2023-08-08T07:46:20-05:00August 4th, 2023|

Homebuyers in Wichita should expect to navigate a “very competitive” market, according to one real estate site, even as sales slump statewide compared to last year. Tight inventory has driven prices up in many areas and contributed to a seller’s market. Wichita’s median home listing price is $275,000 as of June, which is a 14.6% increase from last year, real estate site Realtor.com reports. Average Wichita homes were selling for about 3% above asking price in June, and most homes are selling after about 28 days on the market. The average home value in Wichita was $186,579 in June, according to the Zillow [...]

4 Friday, August 4

Kingman power outages bring community together

info2023-08-04T11:02:04-05:00August 4th, 2023|

Power outages hit large parts of Kingman during the hottest part of the day yesterday and the day before, but the incidents have only brought the community closer together. The outages hit most of the northwestern part of the city, which is where Julie Wollen lives. She was coming home from work with her husband Tuesday when she noticed something was off. "We came into the house, I'm like, 'It's warm in here,'" Wollen said. "My husband's like, 'Well, it's 103 degrees out,' and I'm like, 'Well, we have no power." The City set up a cooling center for affected residents and [...]

4 Friday, August 4

Despite old struggles, can new opportunities in Wyandotte County ‘make this place thrive’?

info2023-08-04T11:00:37-05:00August 4th, 2023|

Wyandotte County seems poised for change. World Cup games are coming to the region in 2026 and a new master plan for the county is in the works, but the area still sees many challenges. Those include affordable housing, gentrification and residents' historically strained relationship with county government and police. KCUR's Up To Date broadcasted live Wednesday from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kansas City's Breidenthal Unit in Kansas City, Kansas, to discuss the community and its future. For many residents, recent momentum and economic opportunity for Wyandotte County is overshadowed by what work still remains. Source: KCUR

4 Friday, August 4

The new Joint Fentanyl Impact Team seized 5,000 fake oxycodone pills in Pittsburg, Kan.

info2023-08-04T10:59:09-05:00August 4th, 2023|

The Joint Fentanyl Impact Team executed a search warrant in Pittsburg, Kansas leading to the arrest of of two people and the seizure of 5,000 fake oxycodone suspected of containing fentanyl, a large amount of cash and multiple guns with ammunition. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said the JFIT along with the Crawford County Sheriff's Office, Pittsburg Police and the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office executed the search warrant on Thursday and booked 39-year-old Horace Wright and 43-year-old Amanda Lee into the Crawford County Jail. Wright and Lee were both arrested for possession of opiates, opium, or narcotic drugs, possession of marijuana, [...]

4 Friday, August 4

Valley Center named Purple Heart City

info2023-08-04T10:57:47-05:00August 4th, 2023|

Following in the footsteps of Derby and Haysville, Valley Center become the third city in Sedgwick County in the span of roughly one year to officially be declared a Purple Heart City. An official proclamation was made at the Sedgwick County Commission meeting on Aug. 2. The official proclamation serves as a statement of support for military personnel, veterans and families of those who have served through the Armed Services in recalling one of the oldest military decorations still given out. Along with Derby and Haysville, Valley Center joins the cities of Holton, Leavenworth, Netawaka and Topeka; Leavenworth and Jackson counties; [...]

4 Friday, August 4

Kansas hits all-time lowest birth rate

info2023-08-04T10:56:30-05:00August 4th, 2023|

Kansas documented the state’s lowest-ever recorded birth rate for the 2022 year, according to a preliminary report. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s annual report shows the number of births in the state dropped slightly from 2021. Last year’s report documented 34,697 births in 2021, with a birth rate of 11.8 per 1,000 people. The preliminary 2022 report recorded 34,376 births across the state, with a birth rate of 11.7 per 1,000 people. Seven counties accounted for about 60% of the state’s births for the year: Douglas, Geary, Johnson, Leavenworth, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte. Unmarried mothers made up 36% of all births with [...]

4 Friday, August 4

City Council recommends more WPD power to suspend club licenses

info2023-08-04T10:54:01-05:00August 4th, 2023|

Wichita City Council is recommending ordinances to give police more authority to suspend the licenses of clubs where violence has taken place. This after a shooting at the City Nightz club in Old Town left 11 people injured on Sunday, July 2nd. Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan issued a 30-day suspension of the entertainment license for the club, which had been the site of twelve previous violent incidents in 2023 alone. Three of those incidents involved guns. Sullivan said the shooting wouldn’t have happened if patrons were properly screened before entering the club. City Council claims current licensing ordinances to suspend or revoke [...]

4 Friday, August 4

Munis follow global bond sell off, outflows near $1B

info2023-08-04T10:50:53-05:00August 4th, 2023|

Municipals sold off Thursday, following U.S. Treasury losses after more economic data suggested the U.S. economy is strong enough to potentially warrant more rate hikes in the fall. Equities ended down. Ahead of Friday's jobs report, Wall Street is "watching a global bond market selloff get uglier as U.S. stocks waver ahead of massive earnings from Apple and Amazon," said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at The Americas OANDA. Coupled with the Bank of England signaling more tightening is ahead, recent economic data has confirmed the U.S. economy remains resilient, he said, which fanned more concerns over Fed policy uncertainty. "Both [...]