Kansas school district settles lawsuit over student pronouns

2 Friday, September 2

Kansas school district settles lawsuit over student pronouns

info2022-09-02T07:19:28-05:00September 2nd, 2022|

A Kansas school district will pay a former middle school teacher $95,000 to settle a lawsuit she filed after she was disciplined for refusing to use a student’s preferred pronouns, her attorneys announced Wednesday. Pamela Ricard, a former math teacher at Fort Riley Middle School, sued the Geary County School District in March after she was reprimanded and suspended for three days in the spring of 2021. She said the district’s policies on preferred pronouns violated her religious beliefs. Source: The Iola Register

1 Thursday, September 1

Little Balkans Days inspired by King Coal Festival

info2022-09-02T06:55:44-05:00September 1st, 2022|

In many respects, Little Balkans Days had its origin 88 years ago when approximately 25,000 people participated in a coal celebration held in Pittsburg. Called the King Coal Festival, it was established in October of 1934 to help lift the spirits of Southeast Kansas residents suffering economically during the Depression as well as symbolize the importance of the coal mining industry to Pittsburg and Southeast Kansas. The following year, and in the years thereafter, up to 40,000 people swarmed into Pittsburg as reigning Kansas governors came to town to crown the coal queens. It was the largest regular event in the [...]

1 Thursday, September 1

Cowley College celebrates 100 years of operation

info2022-09-02T06:54:21-05:00September 1st, 2022|

Cowley College began celebrating its 100th year in operation Wednesday night during a Proclamation Celebration in the Robert Brown Theatre. Cowley College began its life as Arkansas City Junior College in 1922. Classes were first held on the top floor of the high school. The college would not have its own dedicated classroom building until 1952. The school's name was changed to Cowley County Community College and Vocational-Technical School in 1965 before finally being called Cowley College. Source: KSN-TV

1 Thursday, September 1

This 72-year-old lawyer thinks about retirement, but rural Kansas can’t find enough attorneys

info2022-09-02T06:56:38-05:00September 1st, 2022|

Charles Peckham works 70 hours a week as an attorney. He’s 72. He daydreams about retirement. But if he closed up shop, clients would just show up at his home in Atwood, Kansas. “(Stopping) is not workable at this point,” he said. The next closest attorney is 30 miles away. That might not be accessible for the older population in need of legal help. Atwood boasted six attorneys, counting Peckham, when he first arrived in 1983, but that number has dwindled down to two and the other attorney farms on the side. If the town of about 1,300 people in a [...]

1 Thursday, September 1

Peabody to get mural celebrating its history

info2022-09-02T07:02:02-05:00September 1st, 2022|

A new mural in Peabody will highlight the town’s history. Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission gave Sunflower Theatre a $7,500 grant to create a mural at Peabody Market. Susan Mayo, chairman of the Sunflower board, said the mural would celebrate the “rich history of Peabody and transform the south wall of the Peabody Market into a work of art.” Source: Marion County RECORD

1 Thursday, September 1

Johnson County Emergency Management emphasizing emergency preparedness with 30 Days, 30 Ways campaign

info2022-09-02T07:02:32-05:00September 1st, 2022|

September is National Preparedness Month, and Johnson County Emergency Management is making sure Johnson County residents are prepared for all types of emergency situations. Emergency Management is providing education throughout September with its 30 Days, 30 Ways campaign, with daily tips to help you prep for emergencies. These tips – from creating an emergency plan to practicing emergency drills – can help you stay safe in the case of an emergency, such as a tornado, flood, power outage or fire. Emergency Management will be sharing preparedness tips daily on its social media channels. ... You can find additional preparedness information from [...]

1 Thursday, September 1

Legalized sports betting begins in Kansas with ‘soft launch’

info2022-09-02T07:03:03-05:00September 1st, 2022|

Legalized sports betting arrived in Kansas on Thursday, with wagers being taken at state-owned casinos and via mobile apps. The “soft launch” of sports betting in Kansas comes after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill in May that the Republican-controlled Legislature passed with bipartisan support. The launch meets a goal set by state officials to have the operations running by Sept. 1, in time for the first NFL games. An official launch of the operations is scheduled for Sept. 8. Bettors must be in Kansas to place their wagers. Under the law, each state-owned casino may offer in-person sportsbooks and mobile [...]

1 Thursday, September 1

Emporia water wins state taste test again

info2022-09-01T17:18:57-05:00September 1st, 2022|

Emporia is back on top when it comes to the tap. The city announced Wednesday that Emporia has been judged the best tasting tap water in Kansas by a section of the American Water Works Association. The decision was made Tuesday by what the city called “a panel of water experts.” It rated samples on a seven-point scale, from “best” to “far from ideal.” Emporia’s water now advances to a national Tap Water Taste Test. It will occur at the AWWA’s national conference next June in Toronto. Emporia won the world championship of tap water at an international competition in West [...]

1 Thursday, September 1

2-year Treasury yield hits highest level since 2007 to start September as traders look ahead to jobs data

info2022-09-02T07:03:55-05:00September 1st, 2022|

Treasury yields rose Thursday after data showed a significant slowdown in private payroll growth and U.S. equities continued a sell-off. The 10-year Treasury yield was up 6 basis points to 3.1984% at 5 a.m. ET, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond gained 5 basis points on the day to 3.3107%. The 2-year Treasury note yield was 4 basis points higher, trading at 3.4953%. The yield on the short-term note has not been this high since 2007. ... Yesterday, a jobs report from payroll processing company ADP showed U.S. private payrolls grew by 132,000 in August, a deceleration from 268,000 [...]

1 Thursday, September 1

‘Starting over with vision’: steering committee identifies priorities for development code update

info2022-09-01T07:27:57-05:00September 1st, 2022|

The ability to create denser neighborhoods that allow commercial and other uses are among the priorities of a steering committee working to update the city’s land development code. The Land Development Code Update Steering Committee had its first meeting Wednesday to discuss the update to the code, which determines where and how the city grows. City Commission member and Committee Chair Brad Finkeldei, who previously served six years on the Planning Commission, said he saw the update as a chance for the city to reset. “We’ve seen changes over time, and I look forward to this not just being a small [...]