Hillsboro City Council offered city clerk Danielle Bartel the position of city administrator after two executive sessions totaling around 40 minutes Tuesday. “It is my pleasure to announce that we are extending an offer to Danielle Bartel to be our next city administrator,” Mayor Lou Thurston said. “We couldn’t be more excited.” Council members unanimously approved Bartel’s employment agreement and authorized Thurston to sign it.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

A community garden in Derby is part of a growing Kansas effort to address food insecurity as rising grocery costs and shrinking aid programs strain families. Carefully walking between rows of sprouting plants, Donavan Lawrence gives a tour of the St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church community garden in Derby, Kansas. The caretaker points out the spiral-shaped herb garden and elevated plots for people with mobility issues. He stops by a group of raised mounds where the church is using a technique called the three sisters. It’s an indigenous technique where corn, pole beans and squash sustain each other on one plot. “When you set things up correctly, they can all benefit from each other and help support each other,” Lawrence said. After a pause, he considers that the growing method is a metaphor for their garden.
Read more: The Iola Register

Chanute police officers are looking into a reported sighting of a bear, and have advised residents to use caution if they encounter the animal. The Chanute Police Department posted the alert after a resident released a video on social media, purportedly of an apparent black bear sauntering down a city street. Anyone who sees the bear should not approach the animal, but instead report the sighting by calling (620) 432-5768. Residents also are reminded to keep a safe distance from wildlife and avoid attempting to feed, follow or otherwise interact with bears.
Read more: The Iola Register

Chanute’s energy portfolio just got greener. A new 6-megawatt solar farm at 4302 S. Plummer is now online and producing energy. Evergy will own and operate the facility, while the City of Chanute has agreed to purchase power directly from the site for at least the next 30 years. The city has the option to purchase the facility after six years. 
Read more: The Iola Register

Spring Hill, Kansas, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the Kansas City metro area, and a major driver in that growth is a housing boom. “It’s kind of an untapped resource, or it’s kind of a secret part of the metro area that has steadily been growing over the past few years,” said Mike Mallon, Spring Hill’s community development director. “It’s a prime position between Highway 169, Highway 69 over to the east, really trying to accommodate the growth that’s just naturally happening in southern Johnson County.” Spring Hill is split between Miami and Johnson counties but a bulk of the development is taking place on the Johnson County side. As urban sprawl continues to put pressure on the southern portion of the county, Mallon says, the city is competing with its neighbors, and they’re trying to stay ahead of the game.
Read more: KSHB news

One year ago, the towns of Grinnell and Plevna were in clean up mode after tornadoes tore through. On Monday, KSN News went to Plevna and spoke with city leaders who say the burden of the storm is still weighing heavy.
Read more: KSN-TV

The Kriss family was out of town and watching the storms on radar. What they returned home to was unexpected and severe.
Read more: KSN-TV