The Emporia city commission is moving forward with the drafting of an ordinance that would allow for chickens within the city limits. The city has had a moratorium on permits for chickens since 2012, with chickens allowed in agricultural-zoned districts but not within residential areas. Recommended restrictions included a yearly $50 permit fee and inspection with a maximum of four chickens per lot or parcel. No roosters would be allowed and chickens would have to be enclosed in chicken coops or runs that meet the specified size and location requirements. Source: Emporia Gazette

Emporia City Commissioners will discuss keeping chickens within city limits during its Wednesday study session. Chickens have not been allowed outside of agricultural zoned areas since 2012. A number of citizens have expressed interest in keeping chickens over the years. The commission's agenda shows staff have prepared a comparison chart of regulations from the 10 largest cities in Kansas that allow chickens, as well as the previous chicken regulations in the city of Emporia. Staff have recommended a $50 permit fee, a required inspection, written permission from a landlord and a maximum of four chickens allowed per property. Roosters are not [...]

Animal cruelty charges are pending after Emporia police and volunteers removed 83 cats and two dogs from a house in Emporia Wednesday morning, after initial reports stated around 50 cats were inside of the home. Humane Society of the Flint Hills director Stephanie Achille told The Gazette that conditions at the home were worse than expected, with feces, urine and maggots covering almost every surface. The house is also infested with fleas. Source: Emporia Gazette

It’s not exactly a case of “give him an inch and he’ll take a mile.” But if you give Ken Adams five feet, he might ask for 500. “We’re now past the milestone of a 5,000-foot runway, at 5,004,” the Emporia Municipal Airport Manager said. The paving of five extra feet this past summer fulfilled a long dream for Adams. Federal Aviation Administration rules require a runway that’s 5,000 feet long and 100 feet wide for general aviation. “It hasn’t been cycled through and published into the charts yet,” Adams said. “It’s noted that it is there.” The next airport chart [...]

It’s about to become a fishing free-for-all at a couple Kansas lakes. That’s because two Kansas lakes are removing normal limits on fishing because of drought, according to an announcement from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Ellis City Lake in Ellis and Warren Stone Memorial Lake near La Crosse have announced temporary fish salvages because current drought conditions and future dry weather could lead to significant fish losses, according to the department. The temporary salvage allows anyone to catch the remaining fish by any legal means as well as by hand, dip net or seine. Any limits on fish [...]

A beekeeper was heading to the 600 block of Commercial Street Tuesday to help relocate an errant swarm. According to the Lyon County Emergency Communications Center, the swarm is located in the alleyway behind 627 Commercial St. The swarm appeared after a five-gallon bucket of honey was spilled in the alley, which “created a literal golden buffet for the region’s bee population.” “The amazing bee experts of our city have advised that the bees should have the honey gobbled up in the next few days, but as far as clean up and removal — it’s a little late to do that,” [...]

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 [...]

Empovía — pronounced Empo-vía — is a blend of the words “ciclovia” and “Emporia.” The concept? To bring an open street festival to Peter Pan Park. “The idea itself is not a new concept,” said Visit Emporia director LeLan Dains. “A ciclovia comes from Latin America and describes events that close down streets to automobiles so people can engage in human-powered activities within that space.” So, between 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sept. 17, a half-mile section of streets around the park will temporarily close to traffic to allow community members to safely ride, skate, rollerblade, scoot, walk, jog, run and [...]

The Emporia Public Library made an exception to the “no food in the library” rule recently, thanks to the addition of a mobile kitchen. Using funds donated by Friends of the Library, EPL recently purchased a Charlie Cart mobile cooking station to provide culinary, nutrition and food literacy programming to residents of Lyon County. ... Housed in a rolling cabinet, the mobile kitchen has a working sink, convection oven, hot plate, grill, pots, pans, mixing bowls and all the utensils needed to prepare just about any type of food. EPL has hosted classes in the library’s meeting room and taken the [...]

Lyon County has hired a public relations manager — tapping Lyon County native Vici Smith for the position. Smith has extensive experience working with the county as the office manager and administrative legal assistant for the Lyon County Court Trustee and Assistant County Counselor’s offices, a role she has held since 2004. She also worked as one of two public information officers. Smith said her experience with the county is likely what helped narrow down what she described as a pool of “really good” candidates. Source: Emporia Gazette