Mulberry restores city basketball court

4 Wednesday, October 4

Mulberry restores city basketball court

info2023-10-04T12:31:09-05:00October 4th, 2023|

Mulberry Mayor Pat Walden was beaming with pride in his hometown as he showed off the newly restored basketball court at the Freddy Gobl, Jr. Park made possible by a $2,500 grant from the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK). Like a lot of small towns, Mulberry needs help, so Walden said he just took a chance and applied for a grant through CFSEK, a local organization that hosts individual charitable funds created by donors who have a passion for giving back to the community. Grants from these funds assist people throughout southeast Kansas and beyond. According to Walden, a lifelong resident [...]

4 Wednesday, October 4

Leawood reverses course on slashing maximum building height

info2023-10-04T12:29:43-05:00October 4th, 2023|

The city of Leawood is closer to a decision on capping the maximum building heights to 60 feet, or about four stories. This comes after several weeks of working toward a compromise on how tall office and mixed-use buildings in the city can be. The Leawood City Council wanted to make sure new buildings don’t get too tall, while the city’s planning commission initially opposed any regulations that could stunt growth. At its September meeting, the Leawood Planning Commission unanimously approved an amendment to the city’s development ordinance bringing the maximum building height down from 90 to 60 feet. The city [...]

4 Wednesday, October 4

Overland Park expands street maintenance program for 2024

info2023-10-04T12:25:33-05:00October 4th, 2023|

Overland Park plans to spend roughly $17 million more next year maintaining, repairing and rehabilitating roads. It’s all part of an expansion to the city’s infrastructure maintenance program in 2024, supported largely by revenue raised through the city’s new three-eighths cent special sales tax, which voters approved this summer. Overall, the city expects to spend about $38.3 million next year maintaining its streets with different methods, including more mill and overlay projects, when a street’s top surface layer is removed and replaced. “It’s really exciting to see the impact of the vote that our residents took to increase the sales tax and dedicate [...]

4 Wednesday, October 4

Places to go, sites to see, tales of yore keep Atchison tourism on the Kansas Map

info2023-10-04T12:23:20-05:00October 4th, 2023|

For the curious, history lovers, adventurists, and naturalists near and far, they might tell Atchison is the place they like to go for good time experiences. Kansas Tourism recently announced that the Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce was recently awarded a $10,000 Marketing Grant in the 2023 Tourism Marketing Grant Awards Program. The grant awards announced on Aug. 28, are designed to assist local tourism or attractions in new or first-time innovative marketing initiatives. Atchison Chamber is one of the 22 projects that the Kansas Tourism Award will provide funding throughout the state to enhance and expand advertising efforts to attract [...]

4 Wednesday, October 4

Valley Center to consider water treatment plant

info2023-10-04T13:08:50-05:00October 4th, 2023|

Valley Center is considering building its own water treatment plant. The city voted Tuesday to approve a special meeting on the topic next Thursday. It will hold a public hearing to decide on whether to ask for a maximum $19 million loan from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to build the facility. The city currently sells its untreated water to Wichita and then buys treated water from Wichita at a higher rate than Wichita residents. "What we do know is that once we're done that that per thousand gallons that we're charging monthly to our residents would be about half of what [...]

4 Wednesday, October 4

Lawrence city commissioners approve change to allow 2 affordable homes on more single lots

info2023-10-04T12:21:07-05:00October 4th, 2023|

Lawrence city commissioners approved a tweak that will open up more single residential lots to possibly be developed with two small affordable homes. City commissioners in 2019 approved a text amendment to allow two affordable homes to be built on one lot, if projects meet several conditions. But city code currently does not allow development of two smaller homes on certain types of lots. The new text amendment the commission approved Tuesday will change that, opening up more than 1,000 lots to the possibility of being developed with two affordable single-family homes. City staff members had had recommended opening up the [...]

4 Wednesday, October 4

Reno County alcohol vote could change business operations

info2023-10-04T12:19:06-05:00October 4th, 2023|

On Nov. 7, Reno County voters will decide on whether to get rid of the food rule. Reno County has been a semi-dry county since the 80s, meaning businesses that sell alcohol by the glass over 6% must ensure food makes up 30% of sales. "This is ultimately an outdated regulation that is obscure that very few people actually recognize is still here," Pippin Williamson, Sandhills Brewing co-owner, said. "I mean the number of times that we've heard people say like, I thought we got rid of that 20 years ago. If you're a non-food establishment, it is almost impossible to do 30% [...]

4 Wednesday, October 4

Municipal Bond Trends for October 3, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-10-04T08:51:56-05:00October 4th, 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.

4 Wednesday, October 4

Internet access is top priority for upcoming Topeka meeting

info2023-10-04T07:46:12-05:00October 4th, 2023|

City officials say Topeka is teaming up with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to talk broadband access later this week. City of Topeka spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker said in a press release that a joint listening session for stakeholder agencies will be held, courtesy of Topeka and the FCC, to discuss the topic of broadband access on Thursday. This is part of a push by the FCC to gain more information from different communities across the U.S. as to what challenges they are facing when trying to access broadband services. Broadband access is under discussion across the U.S., from the highest levels [...]

4 Wednesday, October 4

Junction City ready if government shuts down

info2023-10-04T07:45:11-05:00October 4th, 2023|

One Kansas community shares its plan if leaders in Washington, D.C. can't come to an agreement on the national budget. Saturday, the United States House of Representatives, Senate and President Joe Biden agreed to a 45-day extension for the congress to come to an agreement on budget. KSNT 27 News spoke with the city manager of Junction City who says anytime there's uncertainty, it can trickle down to the community. "I think a family has angst when you may not get paid for a month and you have bills due," City Manager of Junction City Allen Dinkel said, "And of course [...]