This JoCo city is the latest to deploy goats to eat invasive plants

31 Monday, July 31

This JoCo city is the latest to deploy goats to eat invasive plants

info2023-07-31T00:28:20-05:00July 31st, 2023|

Roeland Park is the latest Johnson County city to get its goats. The city council on Monday voted unanimously to approve a contract with Goats on the Go JoCo, a local affiliate that is part of a national network of farms aimed at removing invasive species. Goats on the Go have been deployed in other local parks, including in Lenexa, Overland Park and Shawnee. In Roeland Park, the goats will focus on nibbling away invasive plants in Nall Park off 49th Street and Nall Avenue. Source: Prairie Village Post

31 Monday, July 31

Overland Park to host pro pickleball tournament

info2023-07-31T08:24:25-05:00July 31st, 2023|

Overland Park will host a professional pickleball tournament next month. The Carvana Professional Pickleball Association will bring dozens of players to compete in the Vulcan Kansas City Open on Aug. 24-27 at Elite Tennis and Wellness, 14481 Metcalf Ave. The Overland Park tournament is a qualifying event, meaning the winners in their division will have confirmed spots in the 2023 USA Pickleball National Championships later this year in Dallas, Texas. Source: Prairie Village Post

31 Monday, July 31

Lawrence City Commission to consider tax breaks for downtown Borders project

info2023-07-31T00:23:09-05:00July 31st, 2023|

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will hold a public hearing and consider tax incentives for First Management Inc. to redevelop the long-vacant downtown Borders building for use as corporate headquarters. A city committee in June voted in favor of one tax break for a project to redevelop the former bookstore building at 700 New Hampshire St., but they voted against a much larger tax incentive that First Management Inc. and owner Doug Compton had requested. The company previously sought a 15-year, 90% Neighborhood Revitalization Area (NRA) rebate on property taxes for the building, and the city’s Public Incentives Review Committee voted [...]

31 Monday, July 31

Voters to decide sales tax in Parsons

info2023-07-31T08:25:33-05:00July 31st, 2023|

Parsons voters on Tuesday will decide on the extension of the city’s half-cent public safety sales tax. ... The half-cent sales tax is used for public safety initiatives, including competitive wages for police and fire staff. The sales tax has also been used for police and fire equipment, including vehicles, radios and hoses, as well as dump trucks and other equipment for Public Works. It also paid for computer upgrades in all departments and for the architect to design renovations to the Municipal Building, according to Debbie Lamb, city manager. Source: Parsons Sun

29 Saturday, July 29

‘It’s OK to not be OK’: Ex-city manager opens up about mental health battle

info2023-07-30T10:06:52-05:00July 29th, 2023|

Former Topeka city manager Stephen Wade realized his medications needed adjusting in April as he struggled with widening mood swings. In early May, he was able to add a new doctor-prescribed medication. Instead of relieving his symptoms, the medication had the opposite effect, and Wade plunged deeper into depression. ... Wade was interviewed Thursday by The Topeka Capital-Journal, where he was publisher from 2018 to 2020. He said his purpose for agreeing to the interview to share such intensely personal information was not to try to make himself look better or to explain himself. Instead, he said he is in a [...]

28 Friday, July 28

Municipal Bond Trends for July 27, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-07-28T08:09:26-05:00July 28th, 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.

28 Friday, July 28

Lindsborg Safety Center doesn’t meet needs. A redesign aims to bring it up to date

info2023-07-28T07:45:11-05:00July 28th, 2023|

After limited upgrades since it opened in 1987, the Lindsborg Safety Center, which houses the city's police, fire and emergency medical services, is set for renovations beginning later this year. Lindsborg Police Chief Michael Davis, who is also the director of public safety, said when he came to the city in 2019, updating the center and the department was one of the first goals he had in mind. Davis said the age and layout of the buildings creates a lot of limitations for the officers and other first responders who use it everyday. Source: Salina Journal

28 Friday, July 28

Saline County puts federal dollars toward local child care needs

info2023-07-28T07:43:17-05:00July 28th, 2023|

Saline County invested in a local organization that is combating local child care issues, beginning with low wages and limited availability, as part of a big-picture effort to develop the workforce and find long-term solutions. This week, the county awarded the Salina Area United Way $400,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to be used in their ongoing efforts to address a persistent local need for child care around Salina. Dedicating some of the ARPA funds toward childcare initiatives has been on the county's radar since the ARPA funding first came available. Source: Salina Journal

28 Friday, July 28

USD 501 Topeka teachers to see raises

info2023-07-28T07:42:10-05:00July 28th, 2023|

Teachers in Topeka USD 501 have a new contract — one that will pay them at least $2,000 more over the course of the 2023-24 school year. The district and representatives from Topeka’s chapter of the National Education Association teachers union on Wednesday finalized negotiations on the master contract, which sets the terms of employment and pay scales for more than 1,000 teachers in USD 501. USD 501 teachers are set to make at least $2,000 more than their previous years’ salaries, in addition to any already scheduled increases for additional years of experience and education. Source: CJonline

27 Thursday, July 27

“Rural by Choice Champion: Empowering Her Community through Big Initiatives and Transformative Parks and Trails”

info2023-07-28T07:30:14-05:00July 27th, 2023|

Brittney Holum, one of the twelve grant recipients of the Rural by Choice Champions Program, has been hard at work on the Independence Rural Connection project. This initiative focuses on building trails, wellness, pedestrian and cyclist safety, beautification, and arts and culture through connecting partners and resources to build a stronger rural community. Accepting her charge to be the connector across partners and resources, early on in the initiative Brittney focused on traveling to other rural areas throughout the State to connect to other successful organizations and network with key players across the State. One example of this is she actively [...]