Sedgwick County commissioners will earn over $100,000 each after voting for a raise

9 Friday, December 9

Sedgwick County commissioners will earn over $100,000 each after voting for a raise

info2022-12-09T10:07:56-06:00December 9th, 2022|

Sedgwick County commissioners will receive a 6.9% raise in 2023 after they voted to increase their base salary. Starting next year, the five commissioners’ annual pay will climb from $95,000 to $101,527. That’s less than the $113,626 a year that Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple makes but significantly more than the other six Wichita City Council members’ $49,064 annual salaries. County commissioners David Dennis, Jim Howell and Sarah Lopez voted for the raises while Pete Meitzner and outgoing commissioner Lacey Cruse voted against them. “The Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners collectively acts as the chief executive office for the county organization [...]

9 Friday, December 9

Stray cat population grows in Topeka

info2022-12-09T12:31:18-06:00December 9th, 2022|

Stray and outdoor cats have been a part of the Topeka community for a long time, and pet organizations are working to keep the number of cats under control. Shelters say they've received an increase in calls about stray cats. They are appreciative for the help, but say they want people to be absolutely sure it is a stray cat before bringing them in. The National Library of Medicine says 10% of indoor cats who ran away were found within two blocks of their home. "Indoor cats who get out tend to get really spooked and they're going to just hide [...]

9 Friday, December 9

Flu, RSV, COVID spiking in Kansas and Missouri. Hospitals reaching capacity

info2022-12-09T10:04:26-06:00December 9th, 2022|

Flu-like illnesses like COVID-19, RSV, the flu and other viruses are on the rise in Kansas City and beyond. This week’s data shows COVID-19 cases continuing to increase in all five counties and two cities that make up the metro area. Data reported on Tuesday shows that there have been 1,643 new cases reported in the metro in the past week. That’s higher than the 1,309 cases reported the previous week and 997 the week prior. Local experts have warned of an increase in viral illness around the metro as flu season coincides with an RSV outbreak and colder weather causes [...]

9 Friday, December 9

Ending source of income discrimination in Lawrence will be a key step toward solving housing crisis, panelists say

info2022-12-09T12:33:59-06:00December 9th, 2022|

Only about 10% of Lawrence landlords participate in housing voucher programs, and right now, 51 households with vouchers in hand are actively searching and struggling to find housing. Gabby Boyle, prevention specialist at the Sexual Trauma and Abuse Care Center, and Mariel Ferreiro, landlord liaison for the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority, shared those statistics and context alongside other local housing experts Thursday evening during a panel at the Lawrence Public Library. Ferreiro explained that the housing authority administers transitional vouchers, which allow people to build rental history and acclimate from experiencing homelessness, and housing choice vouchers. Those subsidies provide landlords guaranteed [...]

9 Friday, December 9

Johnson County Commission approves nearly $4 million grant for homelessness services

info2022-12-09T09:56:35-06:00December 9th, 2022|

The Johnson County Commission voted Thursday to approve nearly $4 million in federal funding to go toward services to help people experiencing homelessness and prevention efforts. Commissioners voted 5-1 to accept a grant of about $3.97 million from the American Rescue Plan to help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, which the county will have 10 years to spend. Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara voted against the measure, and Commissioner Janée Hanzlick was absent. For the last decade, Rita Carr, the director of community planning with United Community Services, or UCS, of Johnson County, said the number of people experiencing homelessness, staying [...]

9 Friday, December 9

Developer of prominent JoCo site asks for $19M in incentives

info2022-12-09T09:55:28-06:00December 9th, 2022|

Developers are asking for nearly $20 million in public tax incentives for a project that promises to remake a prominent site on Roe Boulevard in Roeland Park. The Roeland Park City Council this week unanimously approved rezoning and a preliminary development plan for the roughly $75 million proposed mixed-use project at The Rocks site at 4800 W. Roe Blvd., where the city pool was once located decades ago. Source: Shawnee Mission Post

9 Friday, December 9

Fears Grow Over Plan to Distribute Billions in Broadband Dollars

info2022-12-09T12:39:33-06:00December 9th, 2022|

In several states around the country, officials say they are finding major problems with a crucial, new federal map meant to show the adequacy of internet service at the household level. The Federal Communications Commission map, released last month, is critical in determining how the Biden administration will distribute billions of dollars in federal broadband funding from last year’s infrastructure law around the country. But state and local officials say they’re seeing discrepancies that have them concerned the money will not go to the places where it’s most needed to give Americans improved access to high-speed internet. With a deadline looming [...]

9 Friday, December 9

Pittsburg city employees showcase works at Root Coffeehouse

info2022-12-09T12:40:31-06:00December 9th, 2022|

The city of Pittsburg will celebrate the creativity of its employees this month with the "City Photogs" exhibit. Two dozen city staff members have submitted images that will be displayed through December at Root Coffeehouse, 402 N. Broadway. The photos are all original works that aim to capture the four seasons.... An artist reception is planned for 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, at Root Coffeehouse. Source: www.joplinglobe.com

9 Friday, December 9

Kansas grant program to invest $1.5 million into aging downtown areas

info2022-12-09T12:41:55-06:00December 9th, 2022|

According to an official from the Kansas Department of Commerce (KDC), the agency has allotted $1.5 million in 2023 to help communities around the state restore aging downtown areas. Linda Hunsicker, a specialist with the Department of Commerce’s Community Development Block Grants program, says that the funds will "take aim at blight in Kansas' communities." “The goal is to strategically invest grant funds to prevent the spread of blighted conditions to structures,” Hunsicker said. “We want communities to improve downtown buildings so that those buildings will continue to thrive in the communities and (residents) will have a nice, beautiful downtown.” These [...]

9 Friday, December 9

Around 200 sick in USD 504 Oswego; cleaning scheduled

info2022-12-09T12:42:47-06:00December 9th, 2022|

According to Superintendent Mitchell Shaw, USD 504 in Oswego, Kansas, has around 200 students and staff sick. Besides general sickness, some are ill with RSV and Influenza A. One school has 44 percent of students out. School officials met with the board and health officials to organize a deep clean in all buildings ahead of Monday. The district has canceled school and all school activities for Thursday and Friday (Dec. 8-9). At this time, classes and activities are planned to resume on Monday, December 12. Source: KOAMKOAM