A new project between governments in Sedgwick County, Mulvane and Derby hopes to connect the two cities via bike path. Approximately two miles of bike path will be added alongside Rock Road between Mulvane and Derby. The project adds on to the more than 25 miles of bike and walking paths already inside Derby, and the sprawls of bike paths in the rest of the county. Eighty percent of the project’s budget was covered with federal dollars through the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WAMPO). Sedgwick County, Mulvane and Derby each chipped in a third of the remaining 20 percent of [...]

Residents in a west Derby community can expect to see fewer problems from heavy rains. At its Sept. 24 meeting, the City Council approved a $241,489 contract for drainage improvements in the Woodland Valley Addition. That’s an area west of K-15 and south of Meadowlark Blvd., on the boundary line of the city. The action is pleasing area residents. (Read more: DerbyInformer.com - news,news/)

When Jennifer (Gluszek) McCausland, newly announced city administrator for Andover, was attending Derby High School she never thought someday she would be leading one of the fastest-growing communities in Kansas. After the longtime Derby resident and 1998 Derby High School graduate attended Wichita State University, the idea of what her career path would be became clear. “You could look back and say I’ve been preparing to do this my whole life,” McCausland said. (Read more: DerbyInformer.com - news,news/)

New residents may not realize it, but Derby has a lot of history – 150 years of it, in fact. To get the city’s heritage out to all – local citizens and visitors alike – city officials have put together several history-oriented endeavors from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 9. The activities will be centered at the Derby Historical Museum, 710 E. Market St. They include a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the debut of the city’s new historical landmark signs and a narrated tour of Derby’s other six signs. There also will be a chance to see the new time [...]

The Mulvane Public Library will host a free community event called “Astro Night” in October. The family-friendly event will feature live music from Reach for the Sky, a space presentation and telescope viewing with the Kansas Astronomical Observers, crafts, yard games and s’mores. The space-themed night is set from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 at the library, 408 N. 2nd. Ave., Mulvane. (Read more: DerbyInformer.com - news,news/)

If you’ve got a good set of pipes, you might be able to win some cash in an upcoming singing contest. The Derby Recreation Commission is inviting residents to “sing their hearts out” next month at the first annual Derby Sing Off, an all-ages contest celebrating the city’s 150th anniversary. The DRC began accepting registrations for the contest in August and will accept audition videos until Sept. 13. Once registered, participants will be instructed on how to record and submit a demo video. (Read more: DerbyInformer.com - news,news/)

A celebration of diversity, ethnicity and culture will come together Seept. 15 the Dodge City International Festival. The event is part of National Welcoming Week and will be held from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 2nd Avenue near the El Capitan statue. This family event will feature food and beverage vendors, art, entertainment and more. The festival was made possible through Dodge City Area Chamber of Commerce Multicultural Committee, Dodge City Public Library, Dodge City Cultural Relations Advisory Board and the Southwest Kansas Library System. (Read more: Dodgeglobe.com - news,news/)

An upcoming business seminar hosted by the Mulvane Chamber of Commerce will feature a local entrepreneur. Called KanLaunch, the seminar serves as a forum for entrepreneurs and startup companies to share business ideas, receive feedback and network. The event is free and open to the public. It will begin at 10 a.m. Sept. 14 at city hall, 211 N. 2nd St. (Read more: DerbyInformer.com - news,news/)

Over the last year or so, there has been plenty of regional discussion on renewable energy. Several counties around Sedgwick County have had robust community hearings or have quietly worked out the details and witnessed hundreds of wind turbines pop up. That said, what works in one area may not work great everywhere. We made the news this week when Sedgwick County unanimously passed an update to the Community Investment Plan along with zoning regulations for commercial wind and solar farms. Over the last year, we have heard quite a bit of opposition from neighbors concerned about the “flicker-effect,” how these [...]

The planning of the city’s future continues. The next event in the Vision Derby 2040 process is what is known as the “design studios” and will be facilitated by city staff and urban planners from RDG Planning and Design, which is handling the project. At the event, participants may have their ideas drawn up and designed for what is being called “the roadmap for the next 20 years.” There will be a series of design studio meetings in September at The Venue at Madison Avenue Central Park. (Read more: DerbyInformer.com - news,news/)