Kansas’ broadband czar says a new grant initiative will infuse tens of millions of dollars over the next decade into projects working to close the digital divide in underserved areas across Kansas. Stanley Adams, director of the office of broadband development at the Kansas Department of Commerce, said the Broadband Acceleration Grant Program will provide $85 million over the next decade to qualifying areas with low connectivity. Presenting Tuesday to the Special Committee on Economic Recovery, Adams told legislators the initiative is a major step toward adequate broadband services across Kansas. Source: The Iola Register

Motorists traveling through LaHarpe will have a few more stops along their route. LaHarpe City Council members took their latest steps to control the speed of traffic along certain roads, particularly Harrison and Jefferson streets, which run parallel to Main Street on the east side of town. Six new stop signs will be added in all, along Harrison Street at Fourth and Eighth streets; along Jefferson Street and Eighth Street; and at opposite ends of the driveway that dissects the LaHarpe City Park between Sixth and Seventh streets. Source: The Iola Register

Kansas hospitals are turning away more than 100 transfer patients a month as smaller, local hospitals continue filling up at an alarming rate. In May, at the beginning of the pandemic, the University of Kansas Health System denied 40 transfers and in October it was up to 140, said Jill Chadwick, a KU spokeswoman. “November was expected to trend higher,” she said, adding that those numbers are not yet available. At the KU daily briefing Wednesday, Hays Medical Center reported currently treating 34 COVID-19 patients, which is more than third of the 85 to 90 in-patients the hospital usually averages. Dr. [...]

Iola Public Library has added a new service: circulating Internet hotspots. The hotspots bring an Internet connection into a home or other location and allow computers or devices to connect to it via wi-fi. There are currently five hotspots available to check out. Later this month, an additional 10 “smart hotspots” should be available. T-Mobile/Sprint is the carrier. Funding for the hotspots comes from a Broadband Partnership Adoption Grant through the Kansas Department of Commerce using CARES Act, or federal coronavirus relief, funds. The regular hotspots are suitable for those who have smartphones, computers, tablets or other devices with wi-fi capability. Those who [...]

Murphy Tractor & Equipment, one of John Deere’s largest construction and forestry dealers in North America, is up and running in Humboldt. It’s the company’s 30th location.... Indeed, a variety of players teamed up to entice Murphy to move to Humboldt. Allen County commissioners provided $335,000 to aid Humboldt in extending utilities to the 30-acre industrial tract. B&W Trailer Hitches, Monarch Cement Company and the county also provided in-kind participation, with Humboldt maintenance workers and B&W resources replacing contracted labor. Source: The Iola Register

Iola Fire Chief Tim Thyer has seen a lot of changes over the 33 years he’s worked for the department, but the basic mantra remains the same: “Put the wet stuff on the red stuff.” But thanks to technology, Thyer said, “We just have new ways of applying the wet stuff.” Go back to 1987, though, and things were quite a bit different. In January 1987, then-Fire Chief Clarence Hydorn interviewed him for a full-time position, though Thyer wouldn’t actually be hired for another six months. Source: The Iola Register

Humboldt council members approved investing $20,000 with Amy and Scott Welch to put toward the renovation of Our Market, their up-and-coming grocery store that will partner with their butcher shop. “We’ll recoup that money in a year,” predicted Nobby Davis, mayor of Humboldt, at Monday’s council meeting. Scott Welch said the city could expect to net $31,000 a year and the county $22,000 a year in sales tax revenues, “if we meet our goals.” The Welches did not request a specific amount of funds Monday evening, but rather explained their situation, which is that “we are rather short of funds” when [...]

Three of the five-member police force have tested positive or are awaiting results. Other departments are being asked to help cover the city. “We’re falling like flies,” said Shannon Moore, police chief of Humboldt. Of Humboldt’s five-member police force, two have tested positive for COVID-19 and Chief Moore, who is displaying symptoms, was awaiting her test results Friday afternoon. Moore said she has contacted the Allen County Sheriff’s Department as well as the Kansas Highway Patrol requesting backup. Cole Herder, city administrator, assured residents “We’ll have someone on staff 24 hours a day.” Source: The Iola Register

Allen County gets $192,500 from funding allocated to Kansas counties. About 20 businesses and 20 nonprofits will receive the money. Allen County commissioners received a check for $192,500 to represent CARES/SPARK funding allocated to Kansas counties, at their meeting Tuesday. About 20 local businesses and 20 local nonprofits will receive the funds. Thrive Allen County CEO Lisse Regehr also discussed with commissioners using additional SPARK funds to install touchless faucets and other amenities at public buildings connected to the landfill office, noxious weed building and three senior center buildings. Source: The Iola Register

Larger-than-life hay bale version of President Trump changed after it exceeded size limits for political promotions. A political display on U.S. 54/Madison Avenue got a lot of attention this past week. Too much, actually. The display, composed of four large round hay bales and painted to represent a larger-than-life version of President Donald Trump, exceeded the city’s limits on political signs.  It was an unusual type of sign, though, and an unusual situation, Codes Enforcement Office Greg Hutton said. “That was a first,” he said. Source: The Iola Register