Peabody revitalizing downtown with help of a grant

11 Wednesday, January 11

Peabody revitalizing downtown with help of a grant

info2023-01-11T22:02:55-06:00January 11th, 2023|

While many small towns in Kansas have their downtown districts emptying out and buildings falling into decay, Peabody is working on fixing theirs up. This is all thanks to the Peabody Main Street Association ((PMSA), a Kansas registered 501(c)3 non-profit community development organization, that focuses on downtown preservation and revitalization. “All the buildings in our downtown business district are on the National Register of Historic Places because of their unique architecture. Only a few of those even exist in the entire country. Our group’s focus is on preserving that architecture and also assisting commerce in that district,” said Morgan Marler board [...]

11 Wednesday, January 11

Newton City Commission debates changing government

info2023-01-11T22:01:05-06:00January 11th, 2023|

Newton will have to wait a bit longer to know what its commission will decide in terms of government structure. The Newton City Commission reviewed the results of a resident survey conducted by the company FlashVote, but the results were not very definitive to some commissioners. The survey is covered at length in another article in this issue of the paper. Basically, 47 percent of the 229 respondents favored the city directly electing a mayor. However, 45 percent of respondents favored options where the mayor was chosen by commissioners to serve as mayor. Source: Harvey County Now

11 Wednesday, January 11

Kansas 3rd graders design inclusive playground so they can play with their classmates

info2023-01-11T21:59:16-06:00January 11th, 2023|

Third graders at Lansing Elementary School have come up with a solution to a problem. With two of their classmates in wheelchairs and a third who needs a walker, all their friends can’t enjoy their playground at recess. “I'm really mad about it because it's not fair that not everyone gets to play on the playground,” third grader Finley Kowalewski said. The students went to their teacher Christina Mills with a solution, a dream playground all their classmates could use. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may [...]

11 Wednesday, January 11

$2 mil. Rural Home Loan Guarantee program to make rural housing more accessible

info2023-01-11T21:57:12-06:00January 11th, 2023|

Keeping small towns in Kansas alive. A new program is putting millions of dollars into rural areas of the state and it's expected to benefit thousands of homeowners. This $2 million Rural Home Loan Guarantee program is through the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC). KHRC's Executive Director said this will help small-town banks and families get into their dream homes. "There is a need for housing of all different qualities and sizes," said Lyons City Administrator, Chad Buckley. Source: KSN-TV

11 Wednesday, January 11

Topeka catalytic converter ordinance approved

info2023-01-11T21:55:28-06:00January 11th, 2023|

Topeka city council unanimously approved a new ordinance Tuesday they hope will deter catalytic converter thefts. Just in the last couple weeks of 2022, Topeka saw more than 20 catalytic converter thefts. Tuesdays unanimous vote, which was taken just minutes after the issue was presented, shows just how much the city council wants to see this crime stopped in its tracks. It's a costly crime, and the thieves work so fast, it's almost impossible to catch one in the act. Source: KSNT 27 News

11 Wednesday, January 11

‘The house shakes’: Residents sue Olathe, company over rock quarry near neighborhood

info2023-01-11T21:53:52-06:00January 11th, 2023|

On a remote patch of land in the southwest corner of Olathe, an eruption breaks the silence. The explosion is a regular part of rock quarry Hamm Companies’ operations – blasts loosen the earth to allow for removal. But not everyone on a nearby residential street appreciates the activity taking place on the other side of a grassy berm. Residents Randy and Cynthia Kriesel are suing the City of Olathe and Hamm Companies for expanding the quarry’s property, which inches closer to a small neighborhood off West 167th Street near Interstate-35. Source: KC Star Local News

11 Wednesday, January 11

Labette County hears about drug shortages

info2023-01-12T12:43:10-06:00January 11th, 2023|

The Labette County Commission, meeting Monday as the Labette County Board of Health, heard from pharmacist-in-charge Tracy Gilmore that pharmacists and providers are seeing a lot of drug shortages and are hoping the Labette County Health Department does not see it in its daily work giving vaccines and antibiotics. For now, the Health Department reported no shortages. “It is kind of a scary situation in some aspects,” Gilmore said. Source: Parsons Sun

11 Wednesday, January 11

Merriam reignites plan for old community center site

info2023-01-11T21:51:20-06:00January 11th, 2023|

Merriam is relaunching efforts to transform the site of the former Irene B. French Community Center. A special committee previously charged with finding a use for the land at 5701 Merriam Drive is being reconstituted for the first time in four years and will work to finalize a design for the now-empty green space. Anna Slocum, parks and recreation director, told the city council on Monday that the committee, dubbed the 5701 Committee, would soon seek a landscape design architect for the project. Source: Prairie Village Post

11 Wednesday, January 11

Manhattan city commissioners want to prevent members from holding 2 government positions

info2023-01-12T12:44:17-06:00January 11th, 2023|

State Sen. Usha Reddi, D-Manhattan, said Tuesday she would “eventually” resign from the Manhattan City Commission as some suggested changing the rules to prevent a commissioner from holding another elected position. Last week, the Riley County Democratic party elected Reddi to fill in for the remainder of state Sen. Tom Hawk’s position after he announced his retirement. The Mercury previously reported that Reddi said she will resign a few days after she was elected, but on Tuesday, she didn’t commit to that timeline. But she said she doesn’t plan on staying on the commission for her entire term. Source: themercury.com

11 Wednesday, January 11

Kansas officials pursue new megadeals with semiconductor makers

info2023-01-11T21:42:44-06:00January 11th, 2023|

Kansas officials are pursuing megadeals for six new projects, including two companies that make semiconductors, by using the same tax incentives that landed Panasonic’s $4 billion investment last year. Paul Hughes, deputy secretary for business development at the Department of Commerce, briefed lawmakers Tuesday on the status of Panasonic’s operation and the potential to reach multibillion deals with more companies, providing thousands of jobs. Panasonic plans to start pouring concrete this month for its facility in DeSoto, where the company will make batteries for electric vehicles. Source: www.joplinglobe.com