Garden City launches Citizens Academy program for 2023

20 Monday, February 20

Garden City launches Citizens Academy program for 2023

info2023-02-20T22:18:35-06:00February 20th, 2023|

Garden City has announced the return of its popular Citizens Academy program, which will take place from March 23 to May 11. The free, eight-week course is open to all Garden City residents who want to learn more about services provided by the city and its daily operations. The program gives people a behind-the-scenes look at what happens within the City on a daily basis and helps them better understand how their community is run. The Citizens Academy program will be led by City staff and includes tours of facilities, as well as group activities. Participants will have the opportunity to [...]

20 Monday, February 20

‘Fund the Field’: McPherson schools announce matching fundraiser opportunity

info2023-02-20T22:17:06-06:00February 20th, 2023|

On Friday, the McPherson Public Schools Capital Campaign committee announced that there will be a $100,000 matching funds opportunity for their "Fund the Field" capital campaign project. This campaign was put together to help fund a new outdoor facility at McPherson High School. This includes a regulation artificial turf soccer/football field and an eight-lane track. Source: KSN-TV

20 Monday, February 20

The Parsons Police Department is rolling out a new program

info2023-02-20T22:15:35-06:00February 20th, 2023|

A new community outreach program is in the works for a local police department. The "Parsons Police Department" is rolling out a new program called "R-U-O-K". The computerized system is geared toward helping people with medical conditions, mental health, and well-being concerns, as well as those who are at high risk for falls. They can add information like address, medical history, and emergency contacts. The system then makes daily automated calls to check in on anyone enrolled in the program. Source: KSNF/KODE

20 Monday, February 20

Shawnee County 911 calls could change

info2023-02-20T22:13:27-06:00February 20th, 2023|

Shawnee County commissioners plan to vote on a program that could change how 911 calls are fielded. 911 calls have a wide range of resources needed, and in the past valuable resources have been sent to a caller's location, when they were needed more somewhere else. The Nurse Navigation Program changes that. The program was created by the American Medical Response to give everyone calling 911 the proper care. If the call is determined a lower equity call, meaning a lower-tiered emergency, such as illness or non-life-threatening injuries, then they will be put in touch with a nurse navigator to walk [...]

20 Monday, February 20

Lenexa’s Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park to get major facelift this summer

info2023-02-20T22:10:40-06:00February 20th, 2023|

Lenexa will go ahead with upgrades to Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park on 87th Street Parkway. The work will reimagine the Indian Trails Aquatic Center, add new parking and sidewalks throughout the 51-acre park and update the aging skate park. Last week, the Lenexa City Council voted unanimously to greenlight three separate projects related to the park on the city’s capital improvement project list valued at a total of $17.3 million. Source: Prairie Village Post

20 Monday, February 20

Coffey County tapped for computer chip plant

info2023-02-20T22:08:59-06:00February 20th, 2023|

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced Monday that EMP Shield, a Burlington-based company that specializes in protecting electronic devices from destructive magnetic pulses, plans to invest $1.9 billion in a computer chip manufacturing facility in rural Coffey County. The facility will create more than 1,200 jobs averaging $66,000 annually, Kelly said at a news conference. EMP Shield will build its facility on 300 acres in near Beto Junction in northern Coffey County. Source: The Iola Register

20 Monday, February 20

Gov. Kelly Announces Airport Improvements

info2023-02-20T22:07:16-06:00February 20th, 2023|

Governor Laura Kelly announced that 66 airport projects across the state have been selected for Kansas Airport Improvement Program (KAIP) funding for planning, constructing, or rehabilitating public-use general aviation airports. “Whether it be airplane manufacturing, a link in the supply chain logistics, or travel, the Kansas aerospace industry is an essential part of our state’s economy,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These grants ensure the safety and longevity of Kansas airports, all while contributing to economic growth and job creation.” The aviation industry represents over 120.6 billion in economic impact across a broad spectrum of supply chain and manufacturing industries in Kansas. [...]

20 Monday, February 20

Could county level income taxes solve the property tax problems in Kansas?

info2023-02-20T22:06:35-06:00February 20th, 2023|

One Kansas lawmaker thinks county-level income taxes are the answer to sparing Kansans the burden of ever-increasing property taxes. Sen. David Haley, D Kansas City, calls the proposal, SB 79, an earnings tax and says it's based on the system in Kansas City, Missouri. Under the proposal, county residents would have to approve the up to 1% tax by vote. “We contend that a majority of anyone in a taxpaying entity, or that county, should be allowed to vote,” Haley told the Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee Monday morning. “This would be triggered by the vote of each county, as to [...]

20 Monday, February 20

Dwarf Goats: One Man’s Idea for Saving a Town in Rural America (Wilson, KS)

info2023-02-20T21:33:49-06:00February 20th, 2023|

The former mayor of Wilson, Kan., believes he can lure travelers off Interstate 70 to see a collection of frolicking goats; he is butting heads with skeptics. Like many visionaries, David Criswell can’t say exactly how he dreamed up his big idea. Yet after chewing it over, Mr. Criswell, the former mayor of Wilson, became convinced he could milk a roadside attraction starring Nigerian dwarf goats clambering up and down a cluster of grain silos. “I’m going to bring people to town with these goats,” Mr. Criswell said. He anticipates herds of travelers pulling off Interstate 70 to visit his towering [...]

20 Monday, February 20

USD 252 superintendent interviews to start next week

info2023-02-20T10:14:50-06:00February 20th, 2023|

The USD 252 Board of Education will start interviewing superintendent candidates next week, following a special meeting on Tuesday to review applications. According to board president Emily Darbyshire, interviews are set to begin Tuesday, Feb. 21. Information about the candidates will be released Tuesday morning. Outgoing Superintendent Michael Argabright announced his retirement effective June 30, 2023 last year. He’s led the district for more than 16 years. Source: Emporia Gazette