The highest and lowest-paying school districts in Kansas

15 Monday, May 15

The highest and lowest-paying school districts in Kansas

info2023-05-15T09:19:27-05:00May 15th, 2023|

Kansas ranks in the bottom third for teacher salaries nationwide and average pay by district ranges from $41,318 to $74,989, according to government records. In 2021, Kansas ranked 36th in the nation for public school salaries with an average public school salary of $53,932 or $11,158 less than the nation's average, according to the Kansas Department of Education. Some of the higher-paying districts in Kansas include Shawnee Mission, Olathe and Lawrence which offer salaries over $60,000 per year, according to govsalaries.com. The districts with higher pay tend to be in more affluent areas of Kansas with higher property values and tax [...]

15 Monday, May 15

Governor vetoes broad tax bill barring government competition against private sector

info2023-05-15T09:16:18-05:00May 15th, 2023|

Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday vetoed a broad tax bill that prohibited governments from running businesses that compete with the private sector, a measure that critics said was intended to help one statewide business. The vetoed bill had 18 tax provisions, including one that would provide real and personal property tax exemptions for some businesses in cities where a government facility competes against a similar business. Source: Sunflower State Journal

15 Monday, May 15

Fed’s Bostic casts doubt on rate cuts this year even if there’s a recession

info2023-05-15T13:30:45-05:00May 15th, 2023|

Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic said Monday that he doesn't foresee rate cuts at least through 2023, even if there's a recession. "For me, inflation is job No. 1. We've got to get back to our target," he told CNBC's Steve Liesman during a "Squawk Box" interview. "If there's going to be some cost to that, we've got to be willing to do that." His comments came as the Fed has raised rates 10 times since March 2022 in an effort to bring down inflation that a year ago was running at its highest levels since the early 1980s. Source: [...]

15 Monday, May 15

Please don’t use guns to fish, Kansas officials warn

info2023-05-15T09:14:13-05:00May 15th, 2023|

Officials from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks came across a fishy situation last Friday after finding a firearm allegedly being used to fish. A Finney County Game Warden seized a 9 mm handgun "that was being used to take fish in Garden City," Kansas game wardens said in a Facebook post May 5. The wardens said that written violations were issued for "illegal means of take of fish" and "no fishing license." They also reminded Kansans that "firearms are not a legal means to take fish." While firearms can't be used to fish in Kansas, it is however legal [...]

14 Sunday, May 14

‘It will look like it did in 1926.’ $5M grant expected to restore Jayhawk Theatre to former grandeur

info2023-05-15T13:31:09-05:00May 14th, 2023|

A $5 million grant announced Thursday is expected to enable downtown Topeka's Historic Jayhawk Theatre to be restored to its former grandeur. "For the untrained eye, you'll be able to walk in there and it will look like it did in 1926," said Scott Gales, a board member for that historic entertainment venue and chairman of the fundraising committee for its restoration project. Source: CJonline

12 Friday, May 12

Our love affair with uniform landscapes kills trees. So Kansas and Missouri are going for variety

info2023-05-12T10:28:00-05:00May 12th, 2023|

Each fall, as temperatures drop, people in this suburb can count on head-turning displays of richly hued maple leaves. But maples make up about one-third of the city’s street trees, and Overland Park has learned the hard way that too much of a good thing can mean fragility. So last year, the city put the kibosh on planting more maples. The emerald ash borer — a tiny, shiny green hitchhiker from Asia with a voracious appetite for a different beloved street tree — taught this city and others across Kansas and Missouri a painful lesson. Now some communities are hedging their arboreal bets [...]

12 Friday, May 12

Panel finds Wichita mayor violated city’s ethics policy at neighborhood cleanup

info2023-05-12T10:22:15-05:00May 12th, 2023|

Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple violated the city’s ethics policy and will have to undergo ethics training for his role in an encounter with a Wichita police officer at a neighborhood cleanup. The officer stopped the mayor after he entered the wrong entrance to dump a load of trash from his rental property at a neighborhood cleanup event where residents can dispose of large objects like mattresses and tires for free. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

12 Friday, May 12

Governor Kelly Announces $30 Million in Tourism Grants

info2023-05-12T10:19:26-05:00May 12th, 2023|

Governor Laura Kelly announced today that $30 million has been awarded to 18 recipients developing and improving tourism sites statewide. Funding was made available through the State Park Revitalization & Investment in Notable Tourism (SPRINT) program launched by the Department of Commerce earlier this year. “A thriving tourism sector is critical for the Kansas economy,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These grants enhance attractions that draw visitors to the state and showcase what makes Kansas a great place to live, work, and raise a family.” Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

12 Friday, May 12

Iola to study sports needs

info2023-05-12T10:25:31-05:00May 12th, 2023|

In his travels across the state, Iola Mayor Steve French occasionally makes note of how other communities have invested in their sports facilities. “Just go south to Chanute and look at their ball diamonds, and look at what other communities are pouring into their sports complexes,” French said at Monday’s Iola City Council meeting. French’s comments were sparked by conversations he’d had with a handful of local parents in recent days, wondering if it’s time for Iola to consider an upgrade. Source: The Iola Register

12 Friday, May 12

Kansas legislation got ‘watered down’ but will help aquifer conservation efforts

info2023-05-12T10:17:05-05:00May 12th, 2023|

Kansas state representatives this spring voted for “historic” legislation spending more than $50 million a year on preserving groundwater and restoring the state’s reservoirs. By the time the Senate finished with the bill, it was “watered down” but “a good start.” Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, D-Overland Park, said when lawmakers and farm and environmental groups come together, sometimes the least common denominator is all everyone can agree on. She said the legislation didn’t accomplish everything she hoped. Source: Kansas Reflector