Legislators plan to end program for local property tax cuts, cut state tax instead

18 Monday, March 18

Legislators plan to end program for local property tax cuts, cut state tax instead

info2024-03-18T07:06:30-05:00March 18th, 2024|

Kansas Republicans are advancing plans to abolish an unfunded program intended to help local governments provide property tax relief. Instead of putting money into the local ad valorem tax reduction fund for the first time in two decades, Republican lawmakers would formally end the program and put money toward cutting state property taxes.... Republicans say the logic behind their bills are that the LAVTRF, if it were funded, would be roughly the same amount of tax relief as cutting the state mill levies. Source: CJonline

16 Saturday, March 16

Businesses’ lawsuit against City of Lawrence to close homeless camps will go to jury trial in early 2025

info2024-03-16T09:55:27-05:00March 16th, 2024|

A group of Lawrence businesses’ lawsuit against the City of Lawrence, which asks a Douglas County court to close a pair of homeless camps, is scheduled to go to trial at the beginning of 2025. According to updated Douglas County case filings, the case will go to a jury trial in late January 2025. The first day will be Jan. 20, 2025, and the trial will resume from Jan. 28 to Jan. 31 of that month. As the Journal-World has reported, the lawsuit is asking a judge to declare a city-sanctioned camp — Camp New Beginnings — located behind Johnny’s Tavern [...]

15 Friday, March 15

Trial for lawsuit between church and City of Lawrence begins

info2024-03-15T14:10:28-05:00March 15th, 2024|

The question of just how many duplexes are allowed on one lot under Lawrence’s city code was front and center as the two-day bench trial for a church’s lawsuit against the City of Lawrence began Wednesday morning.... First Presbyterian Church is suing the city and Dallas-based Fountain Residential Partners to halt a project that would combine two lots at 2300 Crestline Drive into an approximately 9-acre site and build a more than 300-bedroom apartment complex. Rather than one large building, the project plans filed in 2020 instead call for those units to be spread across 57 duplexes and six detached dwelling [...]

15 Friday, March 15

Newton loves a parade: crowd turns out to watch house moving

info2024-03-15T13:47:12-05:00March 15th, 2024|

People lined the north end of North Main in Newton and the south end of North Main in North Newton during the move as if there was a parade going by. People watched while others took photos or videos. The transport was slow moving since power lines going across the street had to be lowered to make way for the house. Local law enforcement helped out by blocking traffic control so the white house could pass. Source: Harvey County Now

15 Friday, March 15

Park City equipment company expands in region with 30 jobs in next decade

info2024-03-15T12:57:38-05:00March 15th, 2024|

Midwest Truck Equipment, a Park City-based truck equipment and body parts business, was approved Tuesday by the local City Council to expand its footprint at 61st Street North near Seneca St. The truck equipment company is constructing a 35,000 square-foot building to add to its current building across the street at 200 W. 61st North, according to an agenda report. Midwest Truck is a distributor for Knapheide, a national truck body and bed manufacturer with roots in Quincy, Illinois. It serves the Wichita area and southern Kansas with Knapheide truck bodies. With 17 employees, the company plans to expand operations and add three [...]

15 Friday, March 15

City of Wichita deploying Veo electric scooters ahead of spring

info2024-03-15T12:55:32-05:00March 15th, 2024|

The City of Wichita says with the nice weather residents and guests will start seeing Veo electric scooters around town again. During the winter, most of the electric scooters are put away. "As of [Wednesday], they have deployed around 80% of the rest of the fleet," said Megan Lovely, the communications manager for the City of Wichita. There are rules for riding an electric scooter in city limits. (...) The City of Wichita also encourages riders to wear a helmet for safety. You can ride a Veo by downloading the VeoRide mobile app, available for Apple and Android. Source: KSN-TV

15 Friday, March 15

Half dozen tornados hit Wabaunsee County, sheriff’s office says

info2024-03-15T12:51:11-05:00March 15th, 2024|

The Wabaunsee County Sheriff's Office shared pictures of Wednesday's storm. At 7:43 p.m., the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for Wabaunsee, Geary and Morris Counties. Shortly later, at 7:50 p.m., a tornado was reported on the ground in Alma heading northeast. The KSN Storm Tracker and Meteorologist Jack Maney caught video of the tornado above. According to the sheriff's office, at least half a dozen tornadoes were confirmed by spotters and sheriff's office staff. Damage has been reported to structures in the rural area of the county. The sheriff's office reports that tornadoes struck no cities. Wabaunsee County Emergency Management will be [...]

15 Friday, March 15

Kansas congressman introduces bill to help rural hospitals

info2024-03-15T12:48:13-05:00March 15th, 2024|

Kansas congressman Jake LaTurner has introduced a bill that would allow previously closed rural hospitals to re-open and apply for a designation to help them continue to serve their communities. The Rural Emergency Hospital Adjustment Act would create a designation of Rural Emergency Hospitals. Previously closed hospitals can apply for the designation and if they meet the eligibility requirements, they can re-open their emergency and outpatient operations. The designation will allow certain hospitals to convert to the new Medicare provider designation, which would allow rural hospitals to continue operating with limited services. Hospitals are only eligible for the designation if they met the [...]

15 Friday, March 15

County extends wind farm construction moratorium

info2024-03-15T12:42:10-05:00March 15th, 2024|

Labette County commissioners, on a 2-1 vote, agreed to extend the moratorium on wind energy project construction in the county through the end of September. The delay allows the county’s planning and zoning committee more time to get zoning regulations in place. The current moratorium expires on April 21, commissioners heard Monday. Commissioners Terry Weidert and Vince Schibi approved the extension. Commissioner Cole Proehl voted against it. The vote followed an update by Marc Jones, planning and zoning committee chair, on the planning committee’s progress toward zoning regulations. Jones offered commissioners three options for action. The first was to allow the [...]

15 Friday, March 15

Grant could bring ‘welcome’ change

info2024-03-15T12:38:31-05:00March 15th, 2024|

New “Welcome to Humboldt” signs could be in the making thanks to Allie Utley, granddaughter of the late Dick Davis, baseball historian and founder of Humboldt’s Walter Johnson and George Sweatt Fan Club. Utley most recently spearheaded the erection of a sign along U.S. 169 south of town recognizing hometown baseball greats Johnson and Sweatt. Utley, an Iola native who now lives in Overland Park and is an active organizer, plans to apply for a grant through the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Rural Murals program to help replace Humboldt’s aging signs on the south and north entrances to town. They were installed in [...]