KDOT requesting comments on STIP document

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) requests comments on an amendment to the FFY 2022-2025 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) document. The STIP is a project specific publication that lists all KDOT administered projects, regardless of funding source, and includes projects for counties and cities as well as projects on the State Highway System. The … Read more

Governor declares Kansas Healthcare Coalition Week

– Governor Laura Kelly signed a proclamation Wednesday designating September 22 to September 26 as Kansas Healthcare Coalition Week. The proclamation serves to honor all the work the Healthcare Coalitions (HCCs) have done during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of a healthcare coalition is a healthcare system-wide approach for preparing for, responding to, and recovering … Read more

Governor Kelly names Judge Pickering to Court of Appeals

Governor Laura Kelly appointed Judge Rachel L. Pickering to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Anthony Powell. Pickering lives in Topeka and is a District Judge in the Third Judicial District in Shawnee County. If confirmed by the Kansas Senate, Pickering would be the first Hispanic Kansan on the Kansas Court of … Read more

Wichita State welcomes inaugural nursing class at K State

On Aug. 22 Wichita State University welcomed the first class for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program on the Kansas State University campus. The WSU nursing program is part of the Pathway to Nursing program with K-State, a unique dual-degree program that gives students the opportunity to first earn a Bachelor of Science … Read more

New leader for the KS Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission

Governor Laura Kelly announced the appointment of Carolina Loera Lozano as the interim Executive Director of the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission (KHLAAC). Audé Negrete, the most recent Executive Director of the Commission, resigned the position to join the Kansas Department of Health & Environment as a Communication Partnerships and Engagement Consultant. Lozano … Read more

KCC awarded money to plug abandoned wells

The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has been awarded a $25 million initial federal grant to help plug abandoned wells in the state. The initial grant is part of $1.15 billion earmarked under the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to help states remediate abandoned oil and gas wells. A total of $4.7 billion has been … Read more

Bucks for Buckles about to start

Thousands of vehicles will travel the Kansas roadways during the Labor Day weekend. This year, from August 27 through September 11, a safety belt awareness campaign called “Bucks for Buckles” is being held in 45 cities across Kansas. Local volunteers distribute dollars bills to drivers who have all occupants buckled up securely in their vehicle. … Read more

Fewer Kansans applying for concealed carry licenses

The number of Kansans applying for new concealed carry licenses declined in the recently ended 2022 fiscal year, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today. Between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, the attorney general’s Concealed Carry Licensing Unit received 4,544 new applications, a decline from 7,717 applications received in the previous fiscal year. … Read more

SC Bluegrass Night Live coming up

The Southwestern College Student Foundation along with Walnut Valley Festival will present SC Bluegrass Night Live on Friday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m. There is no admission charge and the public is invited to attend, and bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on. The event will be at the grove (also known as Lovers … Read more

Money available to help rural first responders fighting opioid abuse

Governor Laura Kelly today announced $3.2 million in grants that will be used to assist rural first responders combatting opioid abuse. The grants will fund training regarding carrying and administering approved medication for emergency reversal of opioid overdose. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) First Responder-Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act (FR-CARA) grants, … Read more