The Kansas House narrowly passed the largest school choice program in state history while tying it to special education funding long sought by public school advocates and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. ... The House fell far short of a veto proof majority setting up a major uphill battle if the policy reaches Kelly’s desk. But supporters are hoping the inclusion of one of Kelly’s top education priorities will earn her signature. Last week Republicans tied together the controversial voucher-like program to special education funding, essentially daring Kelly to either approve a program she has long opposed or veto additional funding for [...]

Chick-fil-A Inc. is planning a new $31 million distribution center in Olathe. Chick-fil-A Supply, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Atlanta-based company, will be at the Lone Elm Commerce Center off 167th Street, and and will service Chick-fil-A restaurants in the region. “The Kansas City area is a prime location to invest in our business, create jobs, and grow our supply chain operation,” Josh Grote, executive director of Chick-fil-A Supply, said in a statement. “The region has a deep pool of skilled talent that we know will excel in serving the franchise Operators, licensees and team members delivering an authentic Chick-fil-A [...]

Topeka mayor Mike Padilla clapped back after New York mayor Eric Adams made a snide comment on the Golden City on Tuesday. During a prayer breakfast on Tuesday, Adams claimed that it was God’s will that he would be the mayor of one of the largest cities in the world. “He could have made me the mayor of Topeka, Kansas,” Adams said at the interfaith breakfast hosted at the New York Public Library. In response to the unwarranted remark, Topeka Mayor Mike Padilla told The New York Times that Adams could have left Topeka out of his speech. Source: KC Star [...]

Kansas and Missouri have a long and colorful history when it comes to crossing state lines for the enjoyment of vices. Most of it has involved liquor and the states’ differing laws. Last year, with Kansas legalizing sports betting, Missourians had to start flocking west to gamble. Now we enter a new era, with recreational marijuana becoming legal in Missouri while all marijuana, including medicinal, is outlawed in Kansas.... Area law-enforcement officials on the Kansas side have said they will continue enforcing marijuana laws just as they always have. That means it won’t matter if your cannabis was obtained legally in [...]

Racist language that for decades has lingered in some Kansas property records and homes association documents would be easier to remove under bills proposed by two Johnson County lawmakers. The legislation would authorize any city, county or the Kansas Human Rights Commission to eliminate a racially restrictive covenant by redacting it from the plat description or HOA governing document. Under current law, that language — though unenforceable — can only be removed by a homeowners association. “These documents plainly refer to a historical blight that emanates from the origins of our communities,” Roeland Park City Administrator Keith Moody wrote in a [...]

At the bustling intersection of 135th Street and Metcalf in Overland Park, shoppers who want to save on food only need to cross the street. Go to Sprouts Farmers Market on the southern side of 135th, and you’ll pay 8.1% sales tax on food. But the Hen House on the north side of the street, the tax is just 6.6%. Since Kansas’ sales tax rate on food dropped from 6.5% to 4% on Jan. 1, some shoppers have been surprised to see the rates they are paying don’t match the savings they expected. While some stores did struggle in the first [...]

When he bought his first home 25 years ago, real estate agent Bill Allen said buyers could attain the quintessential Prairie Village home — a cape cod spanning about 1,500 square feet — for about $100,000. Now, those homes go for $400,000 or more. “That’s amazing, above-average appreciation,” he said. And the real estate market in the northern Johnson County community shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Real estate giant Zillow recently named Kansas City among its top 10 “hottest” real estate markets. And last month, the company named Prairie Village as its most popular city of 2022. That [...]

It would seem the emerald ash borer is enjoying Johnson County, and the city of Overland Park is taking action to eradicate it in a new way. Later this year, the city will begin an ash tree clear-cutting program in some neighborhoods. Currently, the city estimates between 8,000 and 11,000 ash trees still stand in Overland Park. Until now, the procedure has been to remove trees as they become too damaged to safely stand, which means about 500 per year are taken out. That plan isn’t cutting it anymore, according to city forester Bailey Patterson. “(We’re) just physically incapable of keeping [...]

After two decades, Lenexa’s longest-serving mayor announced Tuesday that he will not seek another term in November. Mayor Michael Boehm was first appointed to lead the city in January 2003, when he was elected to serve the last three months of Mayor Joan Bowman’s term as she stepped away due to health concerns. He was elected in April 2003 and won four subsequent unopposed elections. In 2022, the League of Kansas Municipalities presented Boehm with the E.A. Mosher Excellence in Local Government Award, which honors officials who have shown exceptional service to their cities and the league as well as a [...]

In a surprising move, Ball’s Sun Fresh Market in the Red Bridge Shopping Center will close. Officials with Balls Food Stores in Kansas City, Kansas, have not confirmed the closing, but store employees are telling customers the news. The landlord, Lane4 Property Group, said Friday that the closing was “unexpected” and that it would close by the end of the month. Lane4 purchased the south Kansas City neighborhood center in 2015 and then spent about $10 million to renovate it. ... The closing will leave surrounding residents with few grocery store options within a five mile radius. Lane4 said they are [...]