Shawnee County heading into new year planning renovations, Gage Park sales tax

11 Sunday, December 11

Shawnee County heading into new year planning renovations, Gage Park sales tax

info2022-12-11T22:43:17-06:00December 11th, 2022|

Shawnee County is gearing up for numerous renovations and improvements around the county as we near the end of 2022. Shawnee County Commissioner Kevin Cook stopped by 27 News Friday morning to give us the details. People in Shawnee County voted in November to pass a ballot measure to pay for improvements to Gage Park. This will add a sales tax at an increment of .02% of a penny to improve the park, the Topeka Zoo and the Kansas Children's Discovery Center. In August, commissioners voted to approve more than $10 million for the Shawnee County Jail. Source: KSNT 27 News

11 Sunday, December 11

When trains block roads, states can’t do anything. Supreme Court could change that

info2022-12-11T22:33:51-06:00December 11th, 2022|

No one’s above the law, although the nation’s railroads come close at the state and local level. Over the past quarter century, multiple courts have ruled that only the federal government can impose rules affecting railroad operations. Most notably, states can’t limit how long a train can block motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic at a public crossing, the courts have said. Yet because Congress has passed no laws addressing the subject, there are no limitations. So trains now block some crossings for hours, or even days. The state of Ohio recently asked the U.S. Supreme Court to settle this vexing problem [...]

11 Sunday, December 11

Sedgwick County Emergency Management K9 and handler find missing child

info2022-12-11T22:32:20-06:00December 11th, 2022|

A K9 and her handler with Sedgwick County Emergency Management found a missing child Friday night. Around 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 9, the Mulvane Fire Rescue says they were asked to assist the Sumner County Sheriff in locating a missing child in the rural portion of their fire district. "Four units from the fire dept and multiple Mulvane Police officers circulated the area," Mulvane Fire Rescue said. While Mulvane first responders circulated the area on the ground, Sumner County deputies searched the area from the air by using a drone. Source: KSN-TV

10 Saturday, December 10

Municipal Bond Trends for December 9, 2022

Henry Schmidt2022-12-10T11:45:11-06:00December 10th, 2022|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. Every issuer's credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.

10 Saturday, December 10

Salina hosting forum on homelessness next week

info2022-12-10T08:03:46-06:00December 10th, 2022|

Homelessness is a topic of concern for many people in Salina, and the city is providing a time for people in the community to learn more about what it and other agencies in the area are doing to address the situation. An open forum on homelessness has been announced by the City of Salina, scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at the Salina Grace Community Resource Center, 142 S. Seventh St. The Salina City Commission has been invited to attend the forum to learn along with the public, and the city said there will be time [...]

10 Saturday, December 10

Lawrence has no plans to close unsanctioned homeless camp near depot

info2022-12-10T07:59:40-06:00December 10th, 2022|

Lawrence officials don’t have plans to close or clean an unsanctioned East Lawrence homeless camp despite concerns that it is growing and is producing large amounts of trash near the Kansas River. A spokesman said City Hall leaders don’t yet believe they can feasibly shut down the camp because they don’t believe there are enough alternative shelter locations available in the city. Source: LJWorld

9 Friday, December 9

Lawrence school board to review teacher salary comparisons, possible increases to pay schedule

info2022-12-11T14:08:14-06:00December 9th, 2022|

The Lawrence school board will soon receive a report that compares the district’s teacher salaries to other nearby school districts and proposes various ways to change the district’s pay schedule to increase salaries. As part of its meeting Monday, the Lawrence school board will receive the report of salary comparisons for teachers and other certified staff. The report is a follow-up on a previous discussion about salaries in the district, in which board members were told the Lawrence salaries were lagging behind some nearby districts. Source: LJWorld

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 [...]