In a small town, everyone always seems to know what’s wrong — and how to fix it. The thousand conversations over coffee, in backyards, or in the grocery store parking lot are all unique but all the same. They’re greeted with head nods, grumbles of frustration. If only everyone else would listen! A thousand kings and queens looking for their subjects. Which is why when several dozen area residents gathered at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center Monday evening to discuss the future of Allen County, the stakes seemed high. Here was a chance to get everyone pulling in the same direction. [...]

Gov. Laura Kelly signed bipartisan legislation Thursday creating incentives in the form of state income tax credits for investors in construction of residential housing that contributes to economic development in Kansas. The Kelly administration’s statewide survey of housing needs — the first of its kind in three decades — pointed to the need for affordable housing, especially in rural communities. The shortage was identified as an impediment to expansion of existing businesses and attracting new employers. The tax credit administered by the Kansas Housing Resource Corporation and the Kansas Development Finance Authority would be capped at $13 million annually. The law [...]

Now more than ever, Kansas families need relief from the state’s food sales tax. Kansans pay 6.5% in state sales tax on groceries — the second highest in the country. In addition to the tax, we have all felt the effects of the pandemic-induced inflation, which is making it harder to put food on the table. At Thrive Allen County, we focus on improving health and wellness, economic conditions, and community resources in our county and throughout the state.  The “Axe the Food Tax” plan is in lockstep with the mission of Thrive. It helps all Kansans by putting money back [...]

In increasingly dry western Kansas, underground water makes everything possible. Irrigation for crops. Stock water for cattle. Drinking water for towns. In all, the Ogallala Aquifer provides 70-80% of water used by Kansans each day. So how much is all that water worth? A recent study from Kansas State University says the aquifer under western Kansas increases land values by nearly $4 billion. But those billions are drying up at an accelerating rate. Aquifer water levels across western and central Kansas dropped by more than a foot on average this past year. That’s the biggest single-year decrease since 2015, according to [...]

Iola City Council members have two weeks to once again chew on a proposal that would integrate solar power into the city’s energy portfolio after hearing a proposal Monday for a 4-megawatt solar plant on the west edge of town. Iola’s energy consultant Scott Shreve and Rick Borry of Priority Power Management LLC — the company that would build the plant and control it for at least the first five years — explained the advantages to the city, namely the ability to secure a block of electricity for a known amount for at least 30 years. The cost would vary, depending [...]

Savonburg Mayor Aaron Wilson watched children slide, swing and climb around the equipment at the city park’s new playground on Sunday. He smiled. “That’s what it’s supposed to be. That’s the goal,” he said. It’s taken years for the playground to take shape, but the equipment is now in place with a rubber-mulch base. Volunteer crews have marked the path of a new walking trail and are spreading crushed limestone along the quarter-mile path. Still to come are benches and picnic tables. Next month, the community will have a ribbon cutting along with a recycling event. Source: The Iola Register

Iola city leaders crossed several big-ticket items off their to-do lists Monday, totaling more than $978,000. The first was a bid of $145,000 to PAR Electrical, Inc., out of Kansas City, Mo., to install three 69kV power poles. The PAR bid was the lowest of three for the laminated, cambered wood poles. The Council approved the pole purchase in November. Monday’s action was for installation. As an aside, the poles arrived Monday prior to the meeting, said Mike Phillips, power plant supervisor.  NEXT up was a $543,500 expenditure to Peaker Services, Inc., out of Brighton, Miss., to upgrade the MED controls [...]

City leaders took official steps Monday night to get the ball rolling on two big projects. First, they approved a Community Development Block Grant for $700,000 for street improvements. The State of Kansas, through the Department of Commerce, will shoulder $492,086 of the expenses; Humboldt, $210,894.  About 44 blocks of downtown Humboldt are slated for work. Bruce Boettcher of BG Consultants is overseeing the work. The planning of the project is complete, Boettcher said, with the design phase to be next.  Council members also approved a public hearing for April 11 to discuss the funding of a $13 million upgrade to [...]

The state task force working to target $721 million in federal relief dollars into economic, health, connectivity and education investment projects received proposals for $12.8 billion in expenditures — about 17 times available funding. The Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas, or SPARK, advisory panels have been combing through 840 proposals, including 400 tied to $7.9 billion in economic development initiatives. The legislators, business people and state officials on the SPARK executive board plan to narrow the list in April. That report would be forwarded to the State Finance Council, which is comprised of state legislators and Gov. Laura Kelly. Greg Orman, [...]

Iola got a sweetheart deal on Valentine’s Day, as school board members learned a Kansas City company wants to convert all three of its elementary schools into housing, an investment worth about $20 million. At a meeting Monday, school board members voted to pursue an agreement with BNIM, an architecture and design firm based in Kansas City, Mo. Under the deal, BNIM would partner with two other entities to secure financing including tax credits for low-income housing and historic preservation. They would remodel all three elementary schools in three phases: Jefferson and McKinley Elementary schools would be renovated to create 39 [...]