Merriam begins appraising downtown properties for flood control project

16 Monday, October 16

Merriam begins appraising downtown properties for flood control project

info2023-10-16T09:31:48-05:00October 16th, 2023|

Merriam is taking steps to buy properties in its flood-prone downtown. Kansas City-based real estate appraisal company Bliss Associates won a contract with the city to begin evaluating properties along Turkey Creek. Last summer, Merriam entered into a design agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Upper Turkey Creek Flood Risk Management project. Before USACE can finish designing the project, Merriam is surveying downtown properties to determine whether it will need to purchase land to build levees or flood walls. “Just because we complete an appraisal, it doesn’t mean that the acquisition will occur. It will just help us for [...]

16 Monday, October 16

Johnson County tests hundreds after Olathe tuberculosis case

info2023-10-16T09:30:42-05:00October 16th, 2023|

The Johnson County Health Department spent the day testing hundreds of people for tuberculosis at a local high school. It comes after an Olathe Northwest student recently tested positive for the disease. The Kansas City Start reports health officials tested over 250 people on Thursday, determining if there are any other cases. Tuberculosis is spread through the air by coughing, sneezing, laughing or singing, but the only way to contract the disease is through frequent or close contact with someone who has an active case. "This is a disease that is not passed easily from person to person," said Charlie Hunt, Johnson County health director. "The [...]

16 Monday, October 16

City of Wichita holds round table to discuss emergency winter shelter for city’s homeless

info2023-10-16T09:29:18-05:00October 16th, 2023|

Finding temporary emergency shelter space for Wichita's homeless population is a pressing concern to the city. "If we do nothing, we obviously know that the situation is worsening. We have a crisis on our hands with the emergency winter shelter," said Sedgwick County Commissioner, Ryan Baty. Over a dozen Wichita city council members, Sedgwick County commissioners and state lawmakers met Friday morning to figure out how to address the immediate winter shelter needs. The meeting was prompted by last week's announcement that Humankind will not be opening their emergency winter shelter in November. "If we have a winter like we've had [...]

16 Monday, October 16

Boo! at the Zoo in Garden City returns for 28th year on Oct. 21

info2023-10-16T14:31:54-05:00October 16th, 2023|

Celebrate Halloween at Lee Richardson Zoo on Oct. 21 with the return of Boo! at the Zoo. The event will be held from 4-8 p.m. Boo! is a fundraiser put on by the Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo annually with the goal of supporting improvements at the zoo and the zoo’s mission to promote education and conservation activities that “will foster an appreciation and understanding of wildlife and their habitats.” Jessica Norton, executive director of FOLRZ, said the project they are fundraising for now is a new playground by the Primate Forest, which was built in 2020. “I don’t know that we’re actually going to [...]

14 Saturday, October 14

Kansas’ class of 2023 has record-low ACT test scores

info2023-10-16T07:56:43-05:00October 14th, 2023|

As more Kansas high school students take the ACT, the state continues to fall behind the average national score, which itself has fallen to a three-decade low. Data released last week by the standardized testing company shows that scores from Kansas high schools’ graduating class of 2023 fell to an average of 19.3, or behind the national average of 19.5. That national figure marks a sixth-consecutive year of decline and the lowest in 32 years. Source: Hutch News

14 Saturday, October 14

Could state limit tax hikes?

info2023-10-16T07:59:00-05:00October 14th, 2023|

As rising property values bring higher taxes for Kansas homeowners, top Republican lawmakers plan to make a proposed constitutional amendment a top priority. The idea on the table is to limit property valuation increases to a maximum of 4% per year, unless there is a market transaction. But there is no guarantee that limiting assessment growth would result in lower property taxes. That’s because local governments could still raise the mill levy to bring in the same amount of tax. And for those who do benefit, it would likely be because the tax burden is shifted onto others. “It does not [...]

13 Friday, October 13

Are Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, due for a breakup 25 years after unification?

info2023-10-13T13:51:16-05:00October 13th, 2023|

The door is open — albeit slightly — to dissolving the 25-year-old Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. The mayors of Kansas City, Kansas, Edwardsville and Bonner Springs announced Wednesday they will meet with residents in the coming months to hear complaints and solutions to what they say are mounting financial problems. One possible solution? Breaking apart the Unified Government. "The three of us mayors recognize the need to review and evaluate the current state of affairs," said Bonner Springs Mayor Jeff Harrington. On April 1, 1997, Wyandotte County residents voted to consolidate the the governments of Kansas [...]

13 Friday, October 13

Agreement announced on water rights for south central Kansas region

info2023-10-13T11:19:29-05:00October 13th, 2023|

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran have announced a bipartisan agreement to resolve water needs in an area of south central Kansas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Agriculture have agreed to work together on water rights issues for the Rattlesnake Creek Basin, which has provided water for area farms and for the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Stafford, Rice and Reno counties. The Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to pause its request to secure its senior water right as agriculture officials and local stakeholders look for a solution to the region’s [...]

13 Friday, October 13

Governor Kelly Invites Public Input on Volume 2 of Broadband Plan

info2023-10-13T13:45:31-05:00October 13th, 2023|

Governor Laura Kelly announced the release of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume 2. As part of the planning process, the public is invited to submit their comments on the planning document. Together with the BEAD 5-Year Action Plan, Volumes 1 and 2 will help identify areas of need for high-speed internet buildout across the state and outline requirements for applicants to access grant funding. “Our vision for Kansas is one where every resident, regardless of their location, has access to affordable, reliable internet,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The Volume 2 planning document sets a clear path [...]

13 Friday, October 13

New Derby city prosecutor balancing full docket

info2023-10-13T13:45:50-05:00October 13th, 2023|

Since joining city staff over the summer, Melissa Ricke has been hard at work on multiple fronts for Derby as the new assistant city attorney and city prosecutor. On the city side, Ricke helps City Attorney Jaci Kelly with business affairs as needed, while she also handles all the municipal prosecution at the court building. Additionally, she noted she helps law enforcement in a number of capacities as needed. “If they need a training, I will assist with that,” Ricke said. “If they need a consultation on maybe charging a case or if it should go to Sedgwick County as a [...]