De Soto residents love ‘small town feel.’ Will Panasonic turn it into suburban sprawl?

8 Sunday, January 8

De Soto residents love ‘small town feel.’ Will Panasonic turn it into suburban sprawl?

info2023-01-09T09:08:03-06:00January 8th, 2023|

Steve Prudden believes things are about to drastically change for De Soto, a Johnson County community that’s long teetered at the intersection of rural and suburban. Three generations of Pruddens have processed and sold ground beef, bacon and steaks at his local Steve’s Meat Market. With only 6,200 locals in De Soto, the butcher relied on restaurants and grocery stores across the metro area to stay afloat for the last 53 years. But the fabric of De Soto is about to be forever changed by Japanese electronics giant Panasonic, which is building a massive electric vehicle battery plant on the site [...]

8 Sunday, January 8

What Wichita can learn from a city that reinvented mental health crisis intervention

info2023-01-09T09:02:22-06:00January 8th, 2023|

There remains growing interest around the country in rethinking how law enforcement responds to residents in mental health crises, with some programs, like CAHOOTS, working to take them out of the equation when possible. Wichita is among the cities that are adapting. The county’s community mental health center, Comcare, operates a non-911 phone number for mental health emergencies. Teams of therapists and case managers respond to situations, but funding and manpower has been limited. In 2019, the city and the county established a pilot program within the police department called Integrated Care Team (ICT-1) in response to an increase in calls [...]

8 Sunday, January 8

‘A new era’ for open records in Kansas: Court says yes, electronic records must be provided electronically

info2023-01-08T21:09:29-06:00January 8th, 2023|

When a person requests a copy of an electronic public record under the Kansas Open Records Act, public agencies must provide that copy in electronic format, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled Friday. This means, for instance, that agencies can’t print off copies of Excel spreadsheets — they must provide the spreadsheets themselves. “The opinion ushers in a new era of presumed and prompt access to electronic records in Kansas,” said Max Kautsch, the Lawrence attorney who argued the case and president of the Kansas Coalition for Open Government. Source: The Lawrence Times

8 Sunday, January 8

Kansas teacher shortage prompts calls for higher salaries, paying student teachers

info2023-01-08T21:07:20-06:00January 8th, 2023|

As Kansas faces the worst teacher shortage it’s ever known, one group says the state needs to raise teacher pay, elevate the profession and offer student teachers a paycheck. “Part of the problem is our salaries in education stink,” said Rick Ginsburg, dean of education at the University of Kansas. “Add to that working conditions that are challenging, a public that is rather critical. … So what you end up with is something that is awfully challenging.” Ginsburg heads a task force created by the Kansas Board of Regents that’s looking at strategies to ease the teacher shortage. The group includes [...]

8 Sunday, January 8

Mulvane firefighters protect life, property for 20 years

info2023-01-08T21:04:51-06:00January 8th, 2023|

For Lt. Fred Heersche and Lt. Mike Fells, working with the Mulvane Fire Department is about making a difference – and it's been that way for the past two decades. With that in mind, the two were recently recognized at a Mulvane City Council meeting for each providing 20 years of service to Mulvane and the surrounding areas. Heersche is one of two full-time paid members of the department and Fells is a volunteer, who receives a modest stipend for being the on-call overnight firefighter once a week. Source: Derby Informer | Area

8 Sunday, January 8

Trains, mass transit for most-populated counties should be looked into, Kansas lawmakers say

info2023-01-09T09:10:41-06:00January 8th, 2023|

Lawmakers say it may be time to get on board with trains and other mass transit options as ways of attracting young professionals to the state. During a Friday legislative budget committee meeting, the last before the start of the legislative session next week, Rep. Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, recommended that the Kansas Department of Transportation conduct a study looking into mass transit systems for Johnson and Sedgwick Counties. Waymaster also recommended the department look into potential federal funding. With more jobs coming into the state through the Panasonic deal, Waymaster said, new forms of mass transit would be a significant [...]

8 Sunday, January 8

Lenexa releases final design for $1M skatepark revamp

info2023-01-08T21:02:17-06:00January 8th, 2023|

After months of collecting community feedback, the City of Lenexa has unveiled the final design for an upgraded skatepark within Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. The city’s current skatepark is over 20 years old and the pavement is starting to deteriorate. Lenexa will spend $1 million to upgrade the skatepark and nearby parking lot. New Line Skateparks will design and build the skatepark. Professional skateboarder and New Line’s lead designer Kanten Russell said the design of the new park is all about making an inclusive space for all types of skaters and cyclists. Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 - WDAF

8 Sunday, January 8

Newton’s flag recognized as one of country’s best

info2023-01-09T09:03:21-06:00January 8th, 2023|

You can fly your Newton flag with pride. It’s one of the best-designed flags in the country. That’s according to the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA). Vexillology–your $10 word of the day–is the study of flags. NAVA, a group of more than 1,000 flag enthusiasts and scholars, released the results of a national survey evaluating the 312 city flags it had knowledge of adopted after 2015. Source: Harvey County Now

8 Sunday, January 8

Retiring JoCo Chair Ed Eilert lauded for ‘calm demeanor’ in face of conflict

info2023-01-08T20:58:46-06:00January 8th, 2023|

County Commission Chairman Ed Eilert has never been the type of elected official to be bombastic. There were plenty of opportunities during his tenure on the commission to get into a conflict, whether it was during discussions over the county’s controversial purchase of the King Louie bowling alley or more recently during heated public comments over mask mandates and election procedures, where constituents often were shouting at each other and the board. Source: Prairie Village Post

8 Sunday, January 8

Thirty one Kansas cities bumped from ‘urban’ in Census report

info2023-01-09T09:04:14-06:00January 8th, 2023|

The rural population in Kansas grew by more than 10% during the last decade after about 30 small cities lost their "urban" classification according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. Census Bureau last week released a new list of cities considered "urban" based on new criteria that effectively increased the "rural" population in Kansas. The new definitions meant that 31 small Kansas towns lost their "urban" status, meaning they will face new challenges for getting federal government funding. Source: Sunflower State Journal