Allen County takes swing at containing refuse

27 Thursday, July 27

Allen County takes swing at containing refuse

info2023-07-28T07:33:46-05:00July 27th, 2023|

The Allen County Landfill will get another tool to try to control wayward trash. Commissioners approved the purchase of a new hydroseeder, a machine that sprays water and chemicals on the refuse pile to keep it from blowing into neighboring properties. The machine also helps landfill crews minimize the amount of dirt they have to use to cover the pile. “It’s very important we wet trash down during the day to keep it from blowing, and every day we spray a fire retardant chemical,” Mitch Garner, Public Works director, told commissioners. Source: The Iola Register

27 Thursday, July 27

Property taxes rising in Kansas as home values grow. What will lawmakers do about it?

info2023-07-28T07:34:20-05:00July 27th, 2023|

A soaring real estate market leading to rising property tax bills has angered many Kansas homeowners in recent years. Lawmakers are now under pressure to take dramatic action amid a sense among some residents that the property tax system is fundamentally broken and after previous solutions have fallen victim to larger fights over tax policy between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the Republican-controlled Legislature. As local governments publish annual budgets this summer, offering residents a window into how much officials plan to tax their property, calls are growing for tax relief, especially for seniors and others on limited incomes. Source: KC [...]

27 Thursday, July 27

AG sues Johnson County city over ‘illegal annexation’ for industrial park

info2023-07-28T07:34:55-05:00July 27th, 2023|

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is suing the city of Edgerton, arguing it illegally annexed land for an expansion of its booming industrial park. It’s the latest in a years-long saga in southwestern Johnson County, where neighbors continue to fight industrial growth as they watch farmland get eaten up by warehouses. In 2020, the Edgerton City Council annexed and rezoned nearly 700 acres of unincorporated rural land to make way for an expansion south of Interstate 35 at the sprawling Logistics Park Kansas City intermodal facility. A group of homeowners unsuccessfully sued the city in 2021, arguing the annexations were illegal, [...]

27 Thursday, July 27

New taskforce, fentanyl enforcement efforts announced

info2023-07-27T09:35:01-05:00July 27th, 2023|

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations announced a new collaborative initiative to combat fentanyl in Kansas called the Joint Fentanyl Impact Team. The objective of JFIT is to identify and disrupt fentanyl trafficking and distribution networks, and remove this deadly drug from Kansas streets. The team is comprised of KBI special agents, KHP troopers and HSI agents experienced in complex narcotics investigations. Team members are embedded alongside federal, state and local law enforcement officers operating all across Kansas. This task force will allow for increased coordination of intelligence, personnel, and [...]

27 Thursday, July 27

Wichita expects to have extra money the next two years

info2023-07-28T07:36:53-05:00July 27th, 2023|

Wichita city government expects to collect a $26.7 million surplus this year and next, more than enough to offset property tax revenue increases for 2023 and 2024. The city expects a $12.6 million budget surplus for 2023 and a $14.1 million surplus in 2024. At the same time, it’s budgeting for $12.6 million more in property tax revenue for next year. The city could have used this year’s surplus to lower the mill levy and offset next year’s property tax revenue increase. Instead, the City Council approved keeping the mill levy the same, which means property owners whose properties increased in [...]

27 Thursday, July 27

Fed approves hike that takes interest rates to highest level in more than 22 years

info2023-07-28T07:37:18-05:00July 27th, 2023|

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved a much-anticipated interest rate hike that takes benchmark borrowing costs to their highest level in more than 22 years. In a move that financial markets had completely priced in, the central bank's Federal Open Market Committee raised its funds rate by a quarter percentage point to a target range of 5.25%-5.5%. The midpoint of that target range would be the highest level for the benchmark rate since early 2001. Markets were watching for signs that the hike could be the last before Fed officials take a break to watch how the previous hikes are impacting [...]

27 Thursday, July 27

Aspiring teachers in Kansas have a new paid path to career through pilot program

info2023-07-27T09:29:15-05:00July 27th, 2023|

Kansas’ State Department of Education kicked off a pilot program Tuesday morning meant to provide aspiring teachers with an alternative path to their career. The Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program allows students to get four years of full-time paid employment as educators while pursuing their degree in education. “If you can learn on the job, you have an opportunity to see the entire breadth of the education world, and you also have an opportunity to figure out if you really love this profession, because if you don’t, then there are other places you can get a job,” said Kara Belew, a [...]

27 Thursday, July 27

Mission weighs new limits on tobacco sales near schools, churches

info2023-07-28T07:37:52-05:00July 27th, 2023|

Mission’s longtime effort to tackle rules on selling tobacco is making headway. The Mission Planning Commission on Monday voted 7-0 to recommend city council approval of an ordinance that requires new tobacco or e-cigarette retailers to comply with distance restrictions in what the city is calling “buffer zones.” ... This comes after years of attempts in Mission to limit minors’ access to tobacco and e-cigarettes. Under the ordinance, new tobacco or e-cigarette business licenses would not be permitted within 1,000 feet of a school, a church, a park or another tobacco or e-cigarette retailer. Source: Prairie Village Post

27 Thursday, July 27

Leawood nixes plan to slash height of tall building projects

info2023-07-28T07:38:58-05:00July 27th, 2023|

At its Tuesday meeting, the Leawood Planning Commission unanimously voted to deny changes to the city’s development ordinance that would have significantly lowered the maximum height for offices and mixed-use projects. The change would have lowered the maximum height for buildings zoned for planned office or mixed use from 90 feet to 55 feet. This would generally have left room for a four-story building, instead of Leawood’s current maximum of six stories. The city would have made an exception for what staff called a “signature building” with a unique design or for sites that already had tall trees. Source: Prairie Village Post

27 Thursday, July 27

Generous donors help finance (and name) new Pratt pool

info2023-07-28T07:40:14-05:00July 27th, 2023|

It was hand shakes, rounds of applause and smiles all around when the blue tarp dropped and the names of Gary and Jean Cromer were revealed as the generous donors who helped finance (and name) the new swimming pool on July 22 in Pratt. The Cromer’s donated $6M to ensure summer water fun and enjoyment for the citizens, especially youth, of Pratt for years to come. Their generosity was celebrated Saturday, and while many in attendance were anxious to get into the water, perhaps none were as eager as young Eli Lee, who had been at the pool complex since 9:30 a.m., [...]