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Governor Laura Kelly and Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland along with many federal and state dignitaries today celebrated with Panasonic Energy the grand opening of the largest electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing plant in the United States. Panasonic is investing $4 billion and already has hired approximately 1,000 staff at the De Soto plant. Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

The city of Prairie Village is looking to crack down on some homebuilding practices in response to ongoing resident complaints about construction in single-family neighborhoods, particularly noise coming from teardown-rebuild projects. ... the Prairie Village City Council directed city staff to address construction-related disruptions like noise ordinance violations — particularly at teardown-rebuild construction sites — through fees, fines and other enforcement mechanisms. Source: Johnson County Post

Since the beginning, the benefit to Halstead for allowing a battery energy storage system (BESS) has been in question. The only jobs provided would be temporary initial construction positions that may or may not be hired locally. Concurrent, the company leasing land in Halstead’s industrial park in hopes of building a BESS there, has stated it would be monitored remotely. It’s unclear what the tax status will be after House Bill 2083, which would have exempted BESS from property taxes, failed to get out of committee last session. Source: Harvey County Now

Panasonic is delaying full production in its De Soto battery plant because of dropping electric car sales and U.S. policies that do not support electric cars, international media reports. The $4 billion economic development project, billed as the largest in Kansas history, is threatened because of decreased electric car sales at Tesla and skepticism from President Donald Trump about encouraging electric vehicle adoption, according to the Nikkei Asia news outlet.  The plant was expected to reach full production by March 2027, and a new target date has not been set, Nikkei reported. Source: Kansas Reflector

The Overland Park City Council recently approved a purchase and sale agreement for a seven-story, 154,000-square foot building on College Boulevard and Metcalf Avenue to create a new City Hall building. The current building – located at 8500 Santa Fe Dr. – is 60 years old and the campus is reaching the “end of its useful life,” according to the city — with the city facing challenges in serving its residents, finding adequate space for staff, meeting ADA requirements, reaching capacity limits in meeting spaces, and increasing maintenance costs. Source: Local Kansas City Missouri & Kansas News |

The new owners of Towne West Square say it will cost $41 million to breathe new life into the old mall. Wichita Maple LLC is asking the city to issue $21 million in industrial revenue bonds (IRB) and for a sales tax exemption on construction materials and labor. Wichita City Council member Dalton Glasscock supports the request because approving it does not risk taxpayer dollars. Source: KSN-TV

A Holcomb police officer has been awarded the department’s Medal of Merit for her courageous actions that helped save a 10-year-old boy trapped during an industrial accident last month. Field Training Officer Kayla Van Doren was recognized for her bravery and quick thinking during the June 18 emergency, when she responded to a call involving a child pinned beneath a heavily loaded flatbed trailer. According to the Holcomb Police Department, Van Doren arrived around 2 p.m. to find a chaotic scene. She immediately assisted the child’s father in using a jack to relieve the pressure from the trailer. Source: KSN-TV

The City of Wichita held a ribbon cutting Friday morning to celebrate the latest upgrades at Pracht Wetlands Park, one of the last remaining urban wetlands in the Midwest. Phase 3 of the park’s plan includes a new elevated boardwalk and a covered wildlife viewing area inspired by the Pracht family, who used to farm and hunt the land. Visitors will also see new sculptures by local artist Conrad Snider and educational panels about the wildlife and history of the area. Source: KSN-TV

After widespread flooding in June, Salina is still dealing with a massive log jam in Bill Burke Park. The pile-up hasn’t changed much in three weeks, and while the city is looking for a contractor to remove it, the $500,000 price tag has some people questioning the plan. Source: KSN-TV

Coffey County Sheriff Tom Johnson is understandably quite pleased with the county’s new Law Enforcement Center in Burlington. Johnson says this is a significant step forward for his department, as well as the County Attorney’s Office and jail. Johnson says the new building helps to bring all law enforcement operations under one roof, with administrative services, investigations and the jail on the ground floor and County Attorney Wade Bowie’s operations on the second level. Source: d2430