Lyon County Commissioners rejected a project bid for a hot water system replacement at the county jail during a brief action session Thursday morning. Offered by SGI of Liberty, Missouri, the proposed bid came in at a higher rate than engineers anticipated, forcing a unanimous “no” vote. The meeting marked the second time commissioners were forced to reject a bid on the project due to cost. “It’s frustrating, being that this is the second time we’ve had to put it out for bid,” Commissioner Dan Slater said. “The first time, we only got one bid from a single company, and a [...]

Lyon County Commissioners approved a minor plat application which would allow for future construction of Evergy facilities during an action session Wednesday morning. City of Emporia Planning and Zoning Officer Joe Foster approached the board with details of the plat, saying it would be located at 1771 Road G just outside the city limits within the Metropolitan Planning Area. As part of the motion, commissioners also agreed to change the area from an agricultural designation to a light industrial designation. “The Planning Commission did hear the minor plat application and made a change extending the right-of-way from 25 feet to 40 [...]

Emporia City Commissioners accepted a $17,000 donation from the Emporia Eastside Community Group during an action section Wednesday afternoon in the Municipal Courtroom. The funds, which were awarded to the group by the Jones Trust, are designated to be used toward improvements at Eastside Memorial Park, located at Ninth Avenue and East Street. The Jones Trust awarded $90,000 toward a $135,000 upgrade project at the park in July, with work on basketball courts and sidewalks already underway. Al Slappy, a longtime member of the group, said the organization has been working for more than 20 years to bring improvements to the [...]

After almost two years of study, preparation and campaigning, the USD 253 Bond Issue passed by a significant margin Tuesday evening with a total of 2,514 votes in favor and 1,450 against. “We’re extremely grateful for all the support we received from the community,” Emporia Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Case said. “We felt really good about our needs-assessment process and all the involvement we had from all of the stakeholders. I think the fact that our community is very supportive of what we’re doing just validates what that needs committee said. It’s exciting for all our students and staff that attend [...]

Emily Prouse will join the staff of K-State Research and Extension – Lyon County as a Family and Community Wellness Extension Agent, effective Sunday. Lyon County’s office is located at 2632 West Highway 50. Prouse earned her bachelor’s degree in Dietetics from Tabor College and her master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Central Michigan University. (Read more: Emporia Gazette)

The utility rate increase for City of Emporia residents will be less than expected following a study session of the Emporia City Commission Wednesday morning. Residents will see a 5 percent increase in water service, 10 percent increase for sewer and 0 percent increase for polycart trash service in 2020. Overall, this amounts to about a 6 percent increase — or about $12 more per year. Commissioners had approved what amounted to an overall 8 percent increase in city utilities — water, sewer and trash — that would amount to roughly an extra $6 on a bill for a household using [...]

Emporia City Commissioners may revisit utility rate increases that are set to go into effect next year. Commissioners had approved what amounted to an overall 8 percent increase in city utilities — water, sewer and trash — that would amount to roughly an extra $6 on a bill for a household using 5,000 gallons of water each month. But Finance Director Janet Harrouff said as she has been reviewing the city’s numbers, she found a number of issues between the city’s current water sales falling $200,000 below the budgeted amount and ongoing bond payment schedules that prompted her to do some [...]

Lyon County Commissioners, City of Emporia officials and representatives of local emergency agencies met for a joint city/county luncheon Wednesday in the Lyon County Courthouse. City Planning and Zoning Officer Joe Foster took the opportunity to announce he and County Planning and Zoning Officer Sam Seeley would be releasing the second draft of the updated joint community zoning regulations by Oct. 22. In addition to being made available for download at lyoncounty.org, Foster said there would also be a series of free public workshops for those wishing to learn more about the changes. The first will surround agriculture and be held [...]

Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia affect nearly all families at some point. Coffey County Hospital brings a free 12-session program for anyone who wants to learn more about memory disorders and caring for a loved one. Experts at the Alzheimer’s Association present the program in partnership with hospitals throughout the state. “We know that working adults cannot attend daytime sessions, so we are offering the program in the evening,” Coffey Health System Director of Marketing Tracy Campbell said. “In our first series even families who have lived this journey for years learned new and valuable ways to make life easier — or [...]

The Kansas Pipeline Association awarded a $1,000 grant to the Olpe and District No. 1 Fire Department Thursday morning at the fire station. The funds will be used to purchase emergency response and safety equipment. “The Olpe Fire Department is going through a needs assessment for personal safety equipment, and we have a number of different items,” Olpe Fire Chief Wade Schmidt said. “We rate them on importance and age to be replaced. That’s what this grant will go toward, to better serve our community and anyone that needs our help and, most importantly, keep our own responders safe.” (Read more: [...]