Seeking new ways to boost workforce: Kansas office could expand state’s use of apprenticeships

9 Friday, September 9

Seeking new ways to boost workforce: Kansas office could expand state’s use of apprenticeships

info2022-09-09T06:56:58-05:00September 9th, 2022|

As Kansas prepares for technology giant Panasonic to break ground on a multibillion dollar factory, Gov. Laura Kelly announced a new office designed to boost apprenticeships and help better bolster the state’s workforce. Under an executive order signed Tuesday, Kelly’s administration will create the Office of Registered Apprenticeships, a move designed to expand the tool, which allows workers to get paid while receiving job training in a specialized field. Currently, nearly 3,400 Kansans participate in one of 212 apprenticeship programs statewide. Source: CJonline

9 Friday, September 9

Fed Chair Powell vows to raise rates to fight inflation ‘until the job is done’

info2022-09-09T07:02:35-05:00September 9th, 2022|

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in an appearance Thursday emphasized the importance of getting inflation down now before the public gets too used to higher prices and comes to expect them as the norm. In his latest comments underlining his commitment to the inflation fight, Powell said expectations play an important role and were critical to why inflation was so persistent in the 1970s and '80s. "History cautions strongly against prematurely loosening policy," the central bank leader said in a Q&A presented by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank based in Washington, D.C. "I can assure you that my colleagues and [...]

9 Friday, September 9

New City Administrator comes to Spring Hill

info2022-09-09T07:03:54-05:00September 9th, 2022|

The City of Spring Hill welcomes Lane Massey as the new City Administrator. Massey joins the City with a Masters of Public Administration and more than 20 years of city government experience. He worked for the City of Wichita and Arkansas City before becoming the City Manager in Larned for six years. He spent the last five years as the Assistant City Manager in Emporia. He says his experience working in small to mid-size cities will help him navigate Spring Hill through growth and the challenges that come with it. Source: City of Spring Hill news

9 Friday, September 9

The bridges of Jefferson County 50 years after a failed bond election

info2022-09-09T00:26:31-05:00September 9th, 2022|

When bridge inspections were first mandated by Congress over 50 years ago, 72% of the Jefferson County bridges were found to be incapable of carrying the legal weight limit. That is 129 of the county’s 180 bridges. Five of those bridges were closed immediately and low-weight limits were placed on the others. The disruption to the traffic flow on the county’s 900 miles of roads was tremendous. Marketing grain and livestock was a problem in an agricultural county as well as school buses and mail routes had to be rerouted and emergency vehicles, including fire trucks, could not cross many of [...]

9 Friday, September 9

Kansas wants to plug abandoned oil wells that belch methane and swallow groundwater

info2022-09-09T07:04:50-05:00September 9th, 2022|

Last summer, a utility worker stumbled across a well — one of thousands of abandoned, unplugged oil and gas wells scattered across Kansas — just 15 feet from a stream in La Cygne, an hour south of Kansas City. Such sites bear witness to the state’s history of fossil fuel production — and they can leak pollutants into the air and water generations after they’ve been forgotten. Tens of millions of federal tax dollars will help the state seal thousands of openings over the next several years, though many will remain unaddressed. Old wells in Kansas can date back to the [...]

9 Friday, September 9

Housing study adopted to help guide Derby’s growth opportunities

info2022-09-09T07:05:41-05:00September 9th, 2022|

As part of the Vision Derby 2040 comprehensive plan, housing diversity – to meet the needs of a variety of age groups and income ranges – was outlined as a key tool for Derby’s future success. In line with meeting those needs, and securing resources to help do so, the planning commission received and filed an updated housing study at its Sept. 1 meeting. The new study will serve as the current housing needs analysis for Derby. Like the previous analysis done based off the 2017 census, the new housing study indicates that Derby still has a shortage of affordable housing. [...]

9 Friday, September 9

‘I don’t want anybody to go through what we did’: Sedgwick County and partners launch new fentanyl awareness campaign

info2022-09-09T00:16:40-05:00September 9th, 2022|

Law enforcement, along with Sedgwick County and City of Wichita leaders, launched a new fentanyl awareness campaign Thursday. “One Pill Can Kill” aims to educate teens and parents about the dangers of fentanyl. Sedgwick County released a series of videos about the drug, secret emoji codes used in drug trafficking and how to spot an overdose. “We need people to be able to speak up and address the issues that are taking place, because it's about saving souls,” Interim Chief of the Wichita Police Department Lem Moore said. In 2018, 98 people died from a fentanyl overdose in Sedgwick County, and [...]

9 Friday, September 9

Changing Topeka’s story

info2022-09-09T07:07:27-05:00September 9th, 2022|

Topeka is remaking itself. It’s been a long road, but the Capital City has improved its quality of life and its image the past several years, spurred by downtown revitalization and increasing community-wide collaboration. One community leader says Topeka has “fallen in love with itself again.” And it’s better off than many residents might think, despite persistent problems. But optimism still battles pessimism in Topeka. Source: KLC Journal

9 Friday, September 9

Augusta to reconsider ban on some dog breeds

info2022-09-09T07:07:55-05:00September 9th, 2022|

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Sept. 7, the City of Augusta announced that it will reconsider its dog breed ban at its next meeting that is scheduled for later this month. "The City Council will begin considering a preliminary first draft of a revised animal control ordinance at their next regular meeting on September 19th, overturning the existing dog breed ban in the City of Augusta," said the Facebook post. The city says the current draft of the revised city ordinance will continue to address dangerous animals but that the provisions will no longer be breed-specific or prohibit certain breeds [...]

9 Friday, September 9

Mayor Padilla receives second wave of art as the Topeka’s art initiative continues

info2022-09-09T07:08:16-05:00September 9th, 2022|

You may have seen some of the art in City Hall, but now it has a new home. The Mayor's Art Initiative in Topeka wrapped up its first showing on Wednesday. Art that was displayed in Mayor Mike Padilla's office is now on display at 785 Arts on 6th Avenue. Some of the artists attended to receive recognition and engage with the public. "It's a good way to get exposure for many artists who don't have an opportunity to be in a gallery otherwise," 785 Arts Gallerist Lisa LaRue-Baker. "This might give them a break into the art world in Topeka." [...]