The USD 252 Board of Education will start interviewing superintendent candidates next week, following a special meeting on Tuesday to review applications. According to board president Emily Darbyshire, interviews are set to begin Tuesday, Feb. 21. Information about the candidates will be released Tuesday morning. Outgoing Superintendent Michael Argabright announced his retirement effective June 30, 2023 last year. He’s led the district for more than 16 years. Source: Emporia Gazette

Lyon County may be close to an agreement with a private entity for animal control services, Sheriff Jeff Cope told city and county commissioners Wednesday afternoon during a joint luncheon. Cope said he was not yet able to disclose who the private entity was, but said he expected a contract to come through to the Lyon County Commission in the coming week. "We would be able to address the quarantine issues for animal bites, vicious animals, court orders and things like that," Cope said. Source: Emporia Gazette

The USD 253 Board of Education is not moving forward with the consideration of a four-day school, five-day work week after reviewing the potential calendar change at its meeting Wednesday evening. Board members agreed Wednesday to set aside preliminary discussions of the revised week, after agreeing that the strategy did not seem like a fit for the district. According to Superintendent Dr. Allison Anderson-Harder, the request came from Thought Box input, informal feedback and responses on the 2024-2025 calendar priorities survey. Anderson-Harder said the presentation of the revised week was designed to “present a neutral foundation of the topic,” to gauge [...]

In the continued struggle to bring affordable and accessible childcare to Emporia, community members are leaving no stone unturned. Ignite Emporia and the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a Childcare Workshop on Wednesday, in partnership with ChildCare Aware of Eastern Kansas, bringing together community members with a stake in childcare. From business owners to educators to childcare providers, stakeholders from across the county met at the Trusler Business Center Wednesday to brainstorm a solution to the community’s severe lack of childcare options. To begin the meeting, participants heard from Hillsboro Community Child Care board chairman Tristen Cope about the successes [...]

The City of Emporia discussed the possibility of a rental property registration at its meeting Wednesday afternoon. Director of Building and Neighborhood Development Kory Krause and Housing Specialist Jeff Lynch presented commissioners with a proposal for the rental registration program, on behalf of the Community Housing Board. Lynch said the board believes a registration program for rental properties in the city will provide accountability from the city’s landlords and help the city better communicate with landlords and tenants about current codes. The housing board previously debated the need for a registration program in June of last year, citing a string of [...]

The City of Emporia is seeking feedback on its plan to expand a local skate park. Residents are encouraged to submit their input through an online survey. “The City of Emporia is now looking at opportunities to redesign and expand on the Skate Park amenities currently located in Santa Fe Park (South Ave & West St). While this park may see some improvements, expansion at this location is not an option,” the city announced in a Facebook post. The survey, which can be found at emporiaks.gov/1470/Skate-Park-Survey, will help the city “develop a concept for future improvements at Whittier Park here in Emporia.” [...]

For the first time in a decade, chickens are now officially allowed in Emporia’s residential areas as of Jan. 1, but the city says residents aren’t clamoring to make applications just yet. “No applications have come in so far,” said city attorney Christina Montgomery. The Emporia City Commission approved Ordinance 22-48 in November, which allows residents to keep up to four chickens in residential districts with a domestic farm animal permit. The permit comes with a $50 application fee, which is paid yearly, and requires annual inspections. The city also has requirements for the size and location of the chicken enclosures, [...]

Despite snow and record-breaking cold, the number of 911 calls in Lyon County over the past week was up only slightly from last year. The Lyon County Emergency Communications Center reported Tuesday that its officers handled 1,532 calls between December 21-27. That number includes emergency and non-emergency calls. That was up five percent from the 1,458 calls received in the same seven-day period in 2021. The period last year had only a trace of rain, one morning with a low of 19 degrees and one afternoon with a high of 75. In contrast, the past few days featured a two-inch snowfall, [...]

Amid a childcare crisis in Kansas, Ignite Emporia is making great strides to address the needs of Lyon County families — and helping those throughout the state. Sherry Harrison started her new position as Ignite Emporia director in June of this year. Early into her role, Harrison conducted in-depth questioning around Emporia and Lyon County, especially about the lack of housing. Within that research, another problem arose: the lack of childcare. “We started hearing from employers that they had people that would like to come to Emporia and work but they could not find housing that they were happy with,” Harrison [...]

The Emporia Granada Theatre was filled with the joyful sounds of Christmas as the Emporia Municipal Band concluded its 80th season with a new director and old musical favorites Sunday afternoon. ... Nancy Riecker took up the conductor’s baton for the band at the end of the summer season this past August. She’s played flute with the Emporia Municipal Band since 2002. She was unaware, when she applied for the position, that she would become the band’s first female director in its 80-year history. “This Christmas concert is always our gift back to the city,” Riecker said. “We are so glad [...]