Emporians voted in favor of Sunday alcohol sales Tuesday, approving a measure passed by the Emporia City Commission in April. A petition to put the ballot up to a city-wide vote received enough signatures, and residents living within city limits had the opportunity to let their voices be heard on the matter in Tuesday's Kansas Primary Election. The measure passed with 1,954 (57.76 percent) "Yes" votes opposed to 1,352 (42.24 percent) "No." As a result, Emporians will be able to purchase liquor in the city on Sundays after the election results are certified. Emporia City Commissioner Rob Gilligan said he was [...]

The MFA Oil Foundation has awarded a grant to the Americus Fire Department to assist with purchasing an ATV, water tank, sprayer and trailer. The MFA Oil Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that are working to improve communities where MFA Oil has a significant concentration of members and employees. Since it was established in 1998, the MFA Oil Foundation has awarded more than one million dollars in grants. (Read more: Emporia Gazette)

The Emporia City Commission held a public hearing Wednesday at its weekly meeting concerning a potential project to help owners of low-to-moderate income homes on the southwest side of the city to improve their homes. Housing Specialist Jeff Lynch attended the meeting to talk about the project and get approval from the commission to apply for a community development block grant for the project. The grant totals $300,000. Commissioners accepted a 2018 Emergency Solutions grant totaling $67,758. Of this, $65,000 goes to emergency housing, $975 for reporting fees and $1,783 in administrative funds. This money will benefit SOS. The Commission discussed [...]

The Newman Regional Health Board of Trustees welcomed Lyon County Commissioners to its meeting Wednesday afternoon for a discussion about the facility’s ongoing initiatives. CEO Robert Wright told commissioners the board had come up with strategic plans for meeting its service and financial goals through 2022 during a May meeting. Wright said the hospital would have to operate under a “strict diet” with its funds, saving around 40 percent of its total cash flow,to reach the mark. Beside general finances, Wright said the facility’s second area of focus would be in recruiting and retaining quality staff. (Read more: Emporia Gazette)

The issue of Sunday liquor sales in Emporia will be on the ballot in August, thanks to a petition arguing against a move to legalize Sunday sales within the city. The petition, which had the requisite 5 percent of signatures needed to force the vote, was turned into the Lyon County Clerk’s Office on Wednesday. The Emporia City Commission unanimously approved an ordinance to allow Sunday liquor sales during an April 11 meeting. Anyone opposed to the ordinance had a 60-day protest period — which ends Saturday — to present a petition containing signatures from 5 percent of the number of [...]

“I’m just kind of testing the waters,” Emporia Police Department Animal Control Officer Reagan McClellan said. Growing up, the Lyon County native said she wanted to be a game warden, but had many family members in law enforcement. She has a degree in Criminal Justice, so finding herself working for her hometown police department is not a huge twist in her life story. For about two months now, McClellan has been training as an animal control officer with Lyon County Sheriff’s Deputy Felipe Perez and Emporia Police Officer Jaffar Agha. “Through college, I always talked about becoming a cop or something [...]