County passes new budget
The budget for Sedgwick County government will grow to nearly $660 million in 2027.
That's about a $35 million increase over the county's current budget.
Commissioner Jim Howell was the lone vote against the spending plan yesterday
Even so, he celebrated that despite a bigger budget for the 4th year in a row, Sedgwick County plans to lower the amount that the County will charge tax on a property's assessed value, “If we left the mill levy flat, it would have been around $9 million in our budget. We gave that up on the front end because we lowered the mill levy rate not to capture that growth...I think we, as a governing board, do a pretty good job."
Commissioners say they remain focused on directing property tax dollars to core needs like strengthening the regional EMS response. In 2027 the county will hire 15 additional paramedics and EMTs.
New KHSU president
Kansas Health Science University has its second president.
K.H.S.U. is home to the College of Osteopathic Medicine in downtown Wichita. The first president was Dr. Tiffany Masson who launched KansasCOM.
The new president is Dr. Kimberly Long who has more than 20 years of experience as an administrator and professor.
K.H.S.U.'s College of Osteopathic Medicine that opened 4 years ago and has about 400 students enrolled, 91 have graduated since its inception.
Meta settlement
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced that the state will receive $134 million as part of a landmark settlement with Meta Platforms.
Kansas was one of 47states to join in a case against the company known for social media platforms Facebook and Instagram.
The lawsuit against Meta claimed that it intentionally designed its platforms to be addictive to kids, despite being aware of the youth mental health crisis that followed.
The settlement requires Meta to pay seventeen $17 billion over the next decade and redesign its app with features like daily use limits and nighttime blocks for teens.
WyCo storm damage
Wyandotte County continues to assess the cost of damage repairs after a storm on August 18th storm swept the area.
Executive Director Edgar Galicia of the Central Area Betterment Association said the county will have access to federal funds, but local repairs need to meet a $5 million threshold to be eligible for the federal assistance.
But Galicia said countywide recovery efforts will take time. “One of the – the biggest challenges is the cost of repairs, and the cost of bringing normalcy back to community.”
Galicia said Wyandotte County is calling for volunteers, particularly to handle machinery or chainsaws, for recovery efforts and to help log the costs of the storm damages.
Hutch schools super retiring
The superintendent of Hutchinson Public Schools will retire at the end of this school year.
Dawn Johnson has served as superintendent in the district since 2022. She has been a public educator in Kansas for 34 years.
Johnson has also served with distinction in the United States Army Reserve, holding the rank of brigadier general. She has been deployed multiple times in her 41 year military career.
The Hutchinson school board aims to hire a new superintendent by January.
Hutchinson Public Schools has more than 4,000 students and nearly 1,000 staff members.
WSU stadium name
Wichita State says construction is underway on the second phase of its plans to replace Cessna Stadium.
The university recently announced the stadium would be renamed Crossland Stadium as part of the rebuild.
Crews are expected to finish demolishing the west grandstand at the end of August.
Construction of the west part of the stadium will be phased to ensure there is seating available for the 2027 state high school track and field championships.
The university expects construction will wrap up by spring 2028.
New P.E.C. head
Wichita based Professional Engineering Consultants, or P-E-C, has new leadership coming in September. the current president and C.E.O. is retiring and Matt Billingslea takes over next week. He's being promoted from within and has been with P-E-C for more than 30 years.
Billingslea takes over for long-time P.E.C. executive Joe Surmeier who will remain as board chair.
P.E.C. started in Wichita in 1965 and designs projects like Mark Arts and the Advanced Learning Library, along with several aircraft facilities and highway interchanges.
City staff tuition
Wichita City Council members voted last night [TUES] to cut a proposed fund to reimburse city employees for college tuition.
City Manager Dennis Marstall proposed the idea in this year’s budget. It would have cost about $300,000 per year.
But council members voted to cut the fund down to about $50,000 dollars and put the rest of the money toward other programs.
A recent survey found that most city employees prefer pay raises over help with paying for tuition. But money cut from the tuition program will not go toward raises.
Instead, it will go toward efforts like community violence prevention and property tax relief.
A.I. grant
The University of Kansas is helping 11 more school districts learn how they can implement artificial intelligence.
Some districts that are already part of the program are focusing on challenges and the strategies for using A.I. in schools.
The grants and staff support come from the Center for Reimagining Education and are funded by private donors.
The center’s growth officer Bart Swartz says the goal is letting schools consider major changes to prepare teachers and students for the future, “So it's not just a slight change here or moving a class schedule there but really thinking about how we can have an impact on how teaching and learning can look different.”
The schools received a $7,000 stipend that helps pay for staff time and travel. The center will provide training and support for schools.
Athlete funeral
Family, friends and teammates packed a church in a tiny Kansas town Wednesday for the funeral of a 16-year-old football player who died last week on the first day of practice.
Rylan Reece was remembered as an old soul, so they played the hymn “I’ll Fly Away.”
Pastor Ryan Webster said Rylan preferred old things, “He liked old cars, we’re hoping his car starts this morning. He liked old songs…you can thank his dad for that. He liked traditions, you didn’t mess around with his traditions.”
Rylan died at Pawnee Heights High School in Rozel, Kansas, about 40 miles southwest of Great Bend.
An autopsy was done last week but the results may take months.
###