info

When a large fire breaks out in southwest Kansas, it rarely becomes the responsibility of just one department. Instead, sirens from multiple towns can often be heard responding — a direct result of mutual aid agreements that have become essential to protecting lives and property across the region. Mutual aid agreements allow neighboring fire departments to automatically assist one another during major incidents. In rural areas like southwest Kansas, where communities are spread out and resources can be limited, that cooperation can mean the difference between a contained blaze and a devastating loss. Fire chiefs across the region say no single [...]

Stafford County Economic Development (SCED), in partnership with Network Kansas, is now accepting applications for Pitch Your Porch, a new downtown improvement pitch competition designed to support Main Street businesses across Stafford County. Pitch Your Porch invites downtown businesses to propose exterior improvement projects that enhance curb appeal and strengthen local downtowns. Eligible projects include façade improvements, signage, lighting, outdoor seating, landscaping, and other visible upgrades to the front of a business. A total of $15,000 in prize funding is available, with multiple awards to be granted. Businesses may request up to $5,000 per project and are required to provide a [...]

While their peers are sitting in math class or running around the gymnasium, some Olathe Public School juniors and seniors are practicing emergency response in a fake apartment, grooming dogs or wiring tiny homes. The school district officially celebrated the grand opening of its Innovation Campus on Thursday — though students have been using the building since last month. Located at 450 N. Rogers Road, the Innovation Campus is a central hub for many of the district’s career pathway programs. Students still attend their home high schools for half the day. School district officials and local leaders attended the grand opening. [...]

Starting bright and early Saturday morning, drivers will be able to use the new express toll lanes on U.S. Highway 69 through Overland Park. The expected 8 a.m. opening will mark the formal end of the $572 million, roughly three-year project to add express toll lanes and ease congestion through a highly trafficked area of Johnson County. While the work on US-69 spanned miles and touched several interchanges, the new express toll lanes run between 103rd and 151st streets, on the left-most inside lane, going both north and south. Earlier this week, federal, state and local officials celebrated the milestone with [...]

Six Lenexa residents have filed a lawsuit against the city, declaring that city officials are selling parkland to Habitat for Humanity without giving them proper notice. On Tuesday in Johnson County District Court, the six residents filed the lawsuit that, among other allegations, claims City Manager Beccy Yocham held private meetings with the developer. The lawsuit was filed hours before a marathon meeting during which the Lenexa City Council approved the sale of city-owned land to Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City to build a new neighborhood of 50 single-family homes. Among the allegations in the lawsuit, plaintiffs assert that City Manager [...]

Chris Zach has been selected as the new director of Republic County Economic Development following a special meeting of the board of directors last Thursday. The position had been vacant since former director Jenny Russell left in October to pursue private-sector interests. After a 20-minute executive session, board members voted on three candidates identified only as #1, #2, and #3. Zach received six votes, while a Louisiana candidate received two, and a Republic County woman received none. Zach currently serves as creative director for The McBattas Group and The Belleville Telescope, a role he has held since 2020. A Republic County [...]

The wind energy industry has slowed across the country, but some Kansas towns want to invest in it for economic growth. We’ll hear about the push for renewable energy in rural Kansas — and the obstacles it faces. Plus: Hear why support for 988, the national suicide and crisis hotline, is stronger in some states than in others. Western Kansas has the potential to capitalize on the region’s high energy demands. There’s plenty of land, wind and sun to be the center of renewable energy production. But skepticism can bring these projects to a halt. Calen Moore with the Kansas News [...]

Wildfire season is in full swing, with several fires ripping through parts of western Kansas this week. The most damaging fires started in the Oklahoma panhandle and then moved north into Kansas. While most of the fires are now in control, it leaves the towns, ranchers and firefighters on high alert. “It got real close by about two miles. It was just south of us,” said Bill Shaw, a feedyard owner near Ashland, Kansas. It was the first major fire of the season. The dry vegetation and heavy winds makes wildfires more common this time of year. The fires spread rapidly thanks to [...]

Many volunteer fire departments are thanking their communities on Thursday for their support in the wake of this week’s extreme fire conditions. Bucklin Fire Chief Cody Warden is one of many volunteer fire chiefs tipping his cap to local employers who allowed volunteers to take time off. When he was asked if his team could have survived without the community’s support, he simply replied, “Nope, we could not.” He said the love his team from Bucklin goes far beyond simply thank yous, pointing to how educators encourage local kids to become volunteer firefighters. Read more: KSN-TV

Haven City Council made a second round of recreation reforms during a special meeting Friday night. During its previous special meeting, on Feb. 17, Haven’s City Council voted to dissolve the city’s recreation board, after receiving what they described as many “customer service” complaints from the public. The plan, as discussed during the previous meeting, was for the recreation department to be reformed under the city’s direct control, without its own board. During the Feb. 20 meeting, the council unanimously voted to follow through with that plan. The ordinance to create the department will be carried out on Feb. 26. Read [...]