Liberal creates new way for public to engage

6 Monday, November 6

Liberal creates new way for public to engage

info2023-11-06T13:07:48-06:00November 6th, 2023|

The City of Liberal has launched the use of Polco, an online engagement platform, in an expanding effort to gain resident feedback to support local government decision-making. City staff will use Polco to post surveys and poll questions for citizens to participate in using Polco’s app or website, where users can answer and comment on a variety of topics. “Our staff and commission agree that creating a better future for Liberal takes all of us, and it’s important for us to hear from our citizens in order to work to meet needs effectively,” Liberal City Manager Rusty Varnado said. “We also [...]

6 Monday, November 6

KDOT warns of staffing shortages ahead of winter

info2023-11-06T13:06:24-06:00November 6th, 2023|

The Kansas Department of Transportation is committed to keeping the highways clear whenever inclement weather impacts the state. However, KDOT staffing shortages create the potential for highways to not be cleared of snow and ice in a timely manner. The agency is in need of equipment operators – the agency’s primary snowplow operators. The agency has dealt with reduced staffing in the past, but the shortages have been greater in recent years. Across the state, KDOT is about 25% short of its preferred number of snowplow operators needed to be fully staffed. Source: Little Apple Post

6 Monday, November 6

Emergency winter shelter to open in NE Wichita

Chloe Henderson2023-11-06T12:10:30-06:00November 6th, 2023|

Wichita Mayor Brandon announced on Thursday that an emergency winter shelter will open in northeast Wichita. The facility will be located at 2220 E 21st St. N., the former Fundamental Learning Center. The mayor said the shelter will serve about 250 people nightly. They’ll also be able to stay during the day. The City of Wichita owns the facility, which HumanKind Ministries will run. “We want to make sure that we have everything in place, first and foremost,” Wichita Assistant City Manager Troy Anderson said. “We don’t want to compromise safety and security, impact on the neighborhood.” The city said there will be on-site security [...]

6 Monday, November 6

Why Municipal Bonds are Outshining Treasuries

info2023-11-06T12:11:49-06:00November 6th, 2023|

Thanks to their par values and steady coupon rates, bonds are often seen as the ‘safe’ asset class, particularly when compared to stocks. But lately, federally-backed bonds aren’t seeming too safe. The recent debt ceiling issues, credit downgrades, and rising deficits have many investors on edge. Treasury bonds might not be as safe as they seem. But municipal bonds? It’s steady as she goes. According to asset manager Northern Trust, munis’ credit quality is better than ever before. And that makes them a great buy, potentially over Treasury bonds. For investors, adding a dose of munis continues to be the right [...]

6 Monday, November 6

Franchisees explain reasons behind McDonald’s closures in Wichita, Kingman and Anthony

info2023-11-06T11:33:40-06:00November 6th, 2023|

The franchisee of the McDonald’s at 1050 N. Broadway that closed on Tuesday says the decision was made by McDonald’s corporate as part of an occasional “screening” the company does of all of its restaurants. The same process resulted in the closure of the McDonald’s in Kingman on the same day, he said. And Anthony’s McDonald’s also was scheduled to close on Oct. 31, but a fire earlier this month shut it down early. Michael Lane, who owns 11 McDonald’s restaurants in the area, said that the company didn’t share with him all the reasoning that led to its decision, but [...]

6 Monday, November 6

Valley Center Recreation and Aquatics Center will add ‘quality-of-life’ amenity for residents, city official says

info2023-11-06T12:12:30-06:00November 6th, 2023|

A project long-discussed in a suburban Wichita community is progressing toward reality. Work on the over 40,000 square-foot Valley Center Recreation and Aquatics Center began in August and is set to wrap by the close of 2024. Valley Center city administrator Brent Clark called the project "transformational" for the city just north of Wichita. "We have a town of nearly 7,500 people, but we also have over 750 residential lots coming online," he said. "When we're attracting residents and new homeowners, they look for quality-of-life amenities." It was not a quick journey to get to this point. Clark said the community [...]

6 Monday, November 6

Lawrence school district to seek community input on skills graduates need

info2023-11-06T11:29:14-06:00November 6th, 2023|

The Lawrence school district will hold two public input sessions to get the community’s feedback on how to best prepare graduates for what comes next. During its “Portrait of a Graduate” public input sessions, district leaders hope to learn the experiences and skills that community members think students should possess when they graduate. Patrick Kelly, chief academic officer, said the input will help the district “identify the postsecondary assets our community values and would expect upon graduation.” “In today’s world, the demands for students are tremendous as they move on to college, career, and adult life,” Kelly said via email from [...]

6 Monday, November 6

Saline County celebrates completion of new jail facility after decades of ongoing needs

Chloe Henderson2023-11-06T11:28:16-06:00November 6th, 2023|

As construction workers shook hands and exchanged greetings with government officials, Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan stepped out into the cold October morning to welcome more visitors. People pulling into the public parking lot of the new Saline County jail were greeted with his smile and directions on where to park. His breath created a fog as he spoke through the 28-degree breeze. About 100 people gathered Tuesday at 800 Pacific Ave. in Salina to celebrate the opening of Saline County's state-of-the-art jail facility. Remarks were made by nearly everyone who helped turn an idea into reality, and the ceremony was capped off by [...]

6 Monday, November 6

Overland Park to turn old Marty Pool site into a new park

info2023-11-06T11:25:43-06:00November 6th, 2023|

The site of the former Marty Pool in northern Overland Park is set to get a new life as a neighborhood park in the next couple of years. On Wednesday, the Overland Park City Council Community Development Committee voted 5-0 to recommend approval of a contract with landscape architecture firm Confluence to design the new park. Councilmember Sam Passer, who serves as the committee’s vice chair, was absent from the meeting. Overland Park decommissioned the pool near West 75th and Conser streets in 2022 after decades of offering neighborhood families a place to cool off in the summer. Mary Pool’s closure [...]

6 Monday, November 6

Affordable housing, size of city council on the line in heated Johnson County election

info2023-11-06T11:23:59-06:00November 6th, 2023|

A chaotic past year in Prairie Village, first sparked by the city discussing affordable housing initiatives, is culminating in one of Johnson County’s most contentious elections this fall. The Nov. 7 election comes as the city considers ways the pricey suburb could allow more affordable housing, a conversation that has sharply divided the community. The debate has transformed into a deeper political battle, leading to two clear factions of candidates running for half of the City Council seats on Tuesday. The city remains tied up in a legal battle with a group of residents who call themselves PV United — first [...]