Wyandotte nation looks to expand casino, hotel in Park City after court ruling

12 Wednesday, July 12

Wyandotte nation looks to expand casino, hotel in Park City after court ruling

info2023-07-12T23:20:29-05:00July 12th, 2023|

It’s Wednesday afternoon and dozen of people are testing their luck inside the Crosswinds casino in Park City. The small casino was opened by the Wyandotte nation back in 2021, and originally the building was only supposed to be a temporary site before the tribe launched a bigger operation. “You know our plans are to build a casino resort," says Wyandotte nation Chief Billy Friend. "We have 10 and a half acres that has been taken in trust for gaming. and then we also have another 100, approximately 125 acres." Those plans had been on hold while the state of Kansas [...]

12 Wednesday, July 12

Kansas plumbing company penalized more than $300K after trench collapse

info2023-07-12T23:17:48-05:00July 12th, 2023|

An investigation into a Salina trench wall collapse determined Precision Plumbing LLC willfully violated federal trench safety regulations, resulting in proposed penalties of more than $300,000. In January 2023, a worker from Precision Plumbing, a Cheney plumbing company, was connecting a plumbing line to a Salina municipal sewer in a trench nine feet below the surface when he was buried due to a wall collapse, according to Monday’s U.S. Department of labor news release. The company foreman entered the trench to dig out the buried worker when the trench collapsed further, burying him to the knees. Source: Kansas Reflector

12 Wednesday, July 12

Topeka metro cuts back on bus services, here’s why

info2023-07-12T23:16:36-05:00July 12th, 2023|

Local transportation officials made several changes to existing bus routes in Topeka following a special meeting earlier this month. Keri Renner with the Topeka Metro said in a press release that on Friday, July 7 the Topeka Metro board of directors came together at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library to cast votes on proposed service changes. These changes will take effect starting Sept. 3, 2023. This meeting came after three other previous meetings on the same topic and after taking comments from the public. Source: KSNT 27 News

12 Wednesday, July 12

USD 252 Southern Lyon County to fund portion of Olpe Fitness Park project

info2023-07-12T23:11:10-05:00July 12th, 2023|

USD 252 Southern Lyon County will fund a portion of the Olpe Fitness Park project. Board members voted 4-3 to have the district contribute $600,000 to the project as a part of their board meeting Wednesday night in Hartford. The fitness park is a three-stage project, which will see the district distribute $200,000 immediately, $200,000 in July 2024, and the final $200,000 in July 2025. New USD 252 Superintendent Ryan Muhlig said the project is beneficial to the district. The district might be tight on funds, but community members are raising 70 percent of the funds. Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

12 Wednesday, July 12

‘Urban Cowboy’ nightclub with $128M Golden Circle casino pitched for old greyhound park

info2023-07-12T11:59:39-05:00July 12th, 2023|

Billionaire casino mogul Phil Ruffin wants to build a massive nightclub that will be familiar to fans of the 1980 hit movie “Urban Cowboy,” a film that brought cowboy hats, line dancing, mechanical bulls and pearl-snap shirts to the mainstream. Gilley’s Dance Hall and Saloon, a replica of the popular Texas honky-tonk featured in “Urban Cowboy,” would open as early as fall 2024 as part of a $128 million Golden Circle casino redevelopment at the defunct Wichita Greyhound Park, which has been closed since 2007 after voters rejected a plan to allow slot machines at the track. Ruffin also would build [...]

12 Wednesday, July 12

Businesses looking to move to Hutchinson

info2023-07-12T11:51:48-05:00July 12th, 2023|

Although many in Hutchinson are not seeing the day-to-day progress, there are large investors looking at heading to the Salt City. The Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce is taking phone calls, giving tours and fixing prospective business leaders up with options. Several businesses are looking at locating in the Kansas Enterprise Industrial Park as well as the recently closed Sonoco Hutchinson Paper Mill, although the building has not come on the market yet. Source: Hutch News

12 Wednesday, July 12

County’s jail housing costs on rise; Officials consider cutting costs by keeping inmates elsewhere

info2023-07-12T11:50:31-05:00July 12th, 2023|

Housing a healthy inmate costs $100 a day at the Shawnee County Jail but about half that at the Anderson County Jail in Garnett, 75 miles southeast of Topeka, says Shawnee County Commissioner Kevin Cook. Speaking at a work session focusing on the budget of the county's corrections department, Cook suggested Shawnee County try to save money by keeping some of its inmates in the Anderson County Jail. After learning later that the Anderson County Jail houses only 48 inmates and therefore might not be of much help, Cook said Shawnee County could still cut costs by keeping some inmates at [...]

12 Wednesday, July 12

Inflation rose just 0.2% in June, less than expected as consumers get a break from price increases

info2023-07-12T11:49:26-05:00July 12th, 2023|

Inflation fell to its lowest annual rate in more than two years during June, the product both of some deceleration in costs and easy comparisons against a time when price increases were running at a more than 40-year high. The consumer price index, which measures inflation, increased 3% from a year ago, which is the lowest level since March 2021. On a monthly basis, the index, which measures a broad swath of prices for goods and services, rose 0.2%. ... Traders are still pricing in a strong possibility that the Fed will enact a quarter percentage point rate hike when it [...]

12 Wednesday, July 12

The bus stops here: Wichita cracks down on fights, underage drinking, nudity on party buses

info2023-07-12T11:48:19-05:00July 12th, 2023|

The city of Wichita plans to start requiring licenses for party bus operators in an effort to curtail reckless passenger behavior that police say oftentimes crosses the line into criminality. “Underage drinking, fights, disorderly conduct, violent crimes that include shootings, and other unsafe behavior,” said Travis Rakestraw, special investigations captain with the Wichita Police Department. “By requiring a city of Wichita license for a party bus to operate, it will help control any businesses not willing or able to control its customers.” The City Council voted 7-0 Tuesday to establish a new ordinance requiring entertainment vehicle operators to pay a $100 [...]

12 Wednesday, July 12

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical recognizes service of pioneering firefighter

info2023-07-12T11:47:53-05:00July 12th, 2023|

Lexie Engleman was one of the city’s first female firefighters, and now her name is on the training room at Station No. 1. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical (LDCFM) recently dedicated the training room to Engleman, who served the department nearly 30 years until she retired as a captain at age 60 in December 2010, according to a news release. Family, friends, other LDCFM retirees and current staff members joined Engleman to celebrate the recognition. A plaque with Engleman’s portrait will hang in the room. The plaque says that when Engleman joined the Lawrence Fire Department in June 1981, she became one [...]