The City of Wichita is staring down budget projected budget deficits in 2013 and 2014 and expect services to suffers as they look for ways to cut costs. “No doubt 2013-2014 is going to be rough for us in terms of balancing the budget,” said City Manager Robert Layton. Early retirements and savings on street …
Pit bulls will no longer be labeled as “vicious” dogs under a new Ohio law. The measure that took effect Tuesday changes current law that defines a vicious dog as one that has seriously hurt or killed a person, killed another dog or is among those commonly known as pit bulls. The new measure removes …
Wichita City Council members this morning got an update on Project Downtown, the city’s master plan to revitalize the downtown area which was adopted in 2010. Scott Knebel, the city’s downtown revitalization director, and Jeff Fluhr, president of the Wichita Downtown Development Corp., discussed the marketing and image enhancement of downtown and ways the plan …
Like U.S. Treasury debt, muniland securities have been hot, hot, hot. Investors have been piling into municipal bonds for about 16 consecutive months. At first, demand was driven by investors who were attracted to the high yields in the wake of Meredith Whitney’s predictions of default, which scared retail investors out of the market between …
The Reno County Commission attempted to put to rest a controversy over prayer at the start of its meetings on Tuesday by unanimously approving a policy calling for non-sectarian prayers or a moment of silence in the future. The opening prayers became an issue in April when Americans United for Separation of Church and State …
Hays USD 489 students returning to school in the fall will see a revised Internet safety policy. The board of education approved the revision earlier this month. While the district had an acceptable-use agreement before, the update satisfies federal requirements, said Todd Bryant, technology coordinator. Officially taking effect in July, it’s necessary for the district …
Starting today, area law enforcement will strictly enforce seat belt, child restraint and other traffic laws during the annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign, held annually near Memorial Day. The program ends at midnight June 3. “It’s for safety,” Sedgwick County sheriff’s Sgt. Troy Wells said Monday. “A lot of people get killed or injured …
Members of the Kansas Equality Coalition were smiling and giving each other high-fives Monday after Salina city commissioners gave final approval — again by a 3-2 vote — to a change in the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance that makes it illegal to discriminate based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Commissioners set the implementation …
Wichita school leaders say a last-minute increase to state education funding as the Kansas Legislature wrapped up its session could mean they won’t have to slash the district’s budget this year. “We’re very thankful that we had elected leaders who continued to work diligently up to the very last second to support public education,” Wichita …
A former city clerk of the City of Thayer in Neosho County has pleaded guilty to embezzling $120,000, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Monday. Laura Whittley, 49, of Thayer, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering. In her plea, she said she used more than one method to …
UPDATE: Rep. Bethell’s funeral service is scheduled for Thursday, May 24th. Flags should be flown at half-staff now until Thursday at sunset. In accordance with Executive Order 10-12, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff from sun-up to sun-down throughout the state of Kansas in honor of the passing of …
Connecticut becomes the 49th state to allow Sunday alcohol sales.Which state still bans it? http://t.co/xAb2RNLL (Read more at http://twitter.com/GOVERNING/statuses/204631524161761280)
The National League of Cities Center for Research & Innovation has received a three year grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to study city governments’ responses to and recovery from the Great Recession. NLC will analyze U.S. cities’ public investment and fiscal health in a collaborative project with the University of …
A weekend fire at the Lumberyard Arts Center in Baldwin City caused about $50,000 in damage, said Baldwin City Fire Chief Allen Craig Monday morning. (Read more at http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2012/may/21/lumberyard-arts-center-fire-damage-estimated-50000/)
A commemoration event of the 156th anniversary of the Battle of Black Jack will be held at the battlefield near Baldwin City on June 2. According to the historic site’s website, the Battle of Black Jack was fought June 2, 1856, when famed abolitionist John Brown led a free-state militia in an attack on the …