Busy Bentley resident excited to serve on school board

7 Wednesday, February 7

Busy Bentley resident excited to serve on school board

info2024-02-07T12:24:32-06:00February 7th, 2024|

Reba Lee, a former city council member for five years, looks forward to representing Bentley on the USD-440 Board of Education. Her first meeting was in January. Lee said that once children move from Bentley Primary School to Halstead Middle School, parents don’t give Bentley much of a thought after that, and she gets it. “I feel like sometimes Bentley does get overlooked a little bit, so maybe I can be the voice for Bentley,” Lee said. She thinks her time on the city council will help her term on the school board. “I learned a lot about different things that a lot of [...]

7 Wednesday, February 7

Norton County Hospital wants sales tax hike for support

info2024-02-07T12:18:54-06:00February 7th, 2024|

Like many smaller Kansas hospitals, Norton County Hospital is dealing with financial issues, and leaders think a countywide sales tax hike could help. It recently sent a letter to the Norton Area Chamber of Commerce asking the Chamber to support a one-cent tax hike. The letter is from Norton County Hospital CEO Kevin Faughnder, Interim CEO Kellen Jacobs, and CFO ReChelle Horinek. They say the hospital's average operating margin in 2021, 2022, and 2023 ranged from minus 15 to minus 20%. They say the typical operating margin for many Kansas Critical Access Hospitals is minus 11%. Norton County Hospital is dealing with lower insurance [...]

7 Wednesday, February 7

Kansas liquor law changes could let retailers sell wine

info2024-02-07T12:16:51-06:00February 7th, 2024|

New legislation under discussion by state lawmakers could make wine more readily available in Kansas. On Thursday, Feb. 1, Democrat Rep. Dan Osman introduced a new bill to the Committee on Federal and State Affairs, which could make sweeping changes to Kansas' liquor laws. The legislation, House Bill 2677, authorizes the sale of wine by cereal malt beverage (CMB) retailer licensees in the Sunflower State. If passed in its current state, the bill would alter or insert language in existing state liquor laws allowing for the sale of wine containing not more than 16% alcohol by volume. Under current state law, a CMB [...]

7 Wednesday, February 7

Fort Scott’s economic development initiative

info2024-02-07T12:15:36-06:00February 7th, 2024|

An economic development initiative was the center of attention tonight in Fort Scott. All part of a proposal by the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team during tonight's city commission meeting. Officials say, in the last five years, Fort Scott has lost 5 businesses and more than 640 jobs. Part of the collaborative initiative requests $50,000 to support the Center for Economic Growth - and an additional $80 to $100,000 salary to be budgeted by the city to hire an innovation and strategy director. "I think our proposal was very well received. I think every one of those commissioners wants what's best for this community, so [...]

7 Wednesday, February 7

Kansas City, Kansas, recorded its least deadly year in a decade. Police watchdogs are taking notice

info2024-02-07T12:13:39-06:00February 7th, 2024|

Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department statistics show a significant reduction in violent crime during Chief Karl Oakman’s first two years as head of the agency, and community watchdogs say the changes are commendable. After decades that reinforced the department's reputation as a corrupt force that failed to respond to a large violent crime problem — which past FBI reports confirm — the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department appears to be making strides toward better results. That’s even as former KCKPD Detective Roger Golubski faces a federal criminal trial on allegations that he was a dirty cop who protected drug dealers and serially [...]

7 Wednesday, February 7

KS Supreme Court closes school funding lawsuit

info2024-02-07T12:11:14-06:00February 7th, 2024|

A new move by the Kansas Supreme Court could make it harder for schools to argue they're fairly funded. The state Supreme Court closed a years-long funding lawsuit Tuesday. It required the state to meet adequacy and equity requirements in financing public education. If the budget didn't meet that requirement, it could be challenged. Since that ruling, the Kansas Supreme Court held oversight over K-12 education funding, and the state fully funded it for the last five years. Now, the court is ending that oversight, and schools would have to start from scratch to challenge budgets. Schools would have to file [...]

7 Wednesday, February 7

Streets dominate Frontenac discussion

info2024-02-07T12:10:01-06:00February 7th, 2024|

The Frontenac City Council spent most of Monday night’s meeting talking about an issue that many city governments are wrestling with this time of year – streets, potholes and repair. One group of citizens turned out with questions and concerns about the condition of North Sugar Creek Road. Others were there to talk about Barbara Lane and Herman Lane in northwest Frontenac and at least one was there with concerns about the future of Free King Highway. City Administrator John Zafuta said the city was aware of the problems on Sugar Creek Road, which have worsened rapidly because of winter weather and [...]

7 Wednesday, February 7

County and many cities struggling with available housing

info2024-02-07T11:48:28-06:00February 7th, 2024|

Several cities and parts of rural Harvey County have common ground with a shortage of houses on the market and limited available land to build more housing. After an unprecedented increase in housing appraisal costs that was determined by market value, realtors in the area said the increase was being driven by a lack of houses on the market. Several cities confirmed that was the case but said one of the problems they were facing was limited land for housing. Karen Rothe, Harvey County’s planning, zoning and environmental director, manages housing starts for the rural areas in the county. Rothe said there were [...]

7 Wednesday, February 7

Property values rise again

info2024-02-07T11:44:04-06:00February 7th, 2024|

Allen County residents can expect to see a potential 10-25 percent increase in property valuations this year, according to Allen County Appraiser Jami Clark. “That doesn’t mean every single property,” Clark clarified to county commissioners Tuesday morning. “We might come across a property that we think can hold its current valuation.” The appraiser’s office will send valuations out April 1. Clark noted that properties sometimes get undervalued or overvalued. “It goes both ways,” she said. “It is not as often to be overvalued.” Giving an example, she noted that one house valued at $263,000 recently sold for $260,000. “So, we were within [...]

7 Wednesday, February 7

A one-of-a-kind behavioral health facility is coming to Fort Scott

info2024-02-07T11:11:46-06:00February 7th, 2024|

Ft. Scott to soon be home to a one-of-a-kind behavioral health facility. "You know, we all need health care. As you know, in 2019, we lost our hospital and recently lost our E.R.. So we're always looking to a different kind of health care. And this need is going to bring in doctors, etc," said James Harris, Bourbon County Chairman Commissioner. The Kansas Renewal Institute will soon take over the former Mercy Hospital Fort Scott facility. Officials say the incoming provider will be designed to treat both children and adults, offering several services, including comprehensive addiction support. "We'll be accepting patients for the whole continuum [...]