Water testing underway while boil-water order remains in place
The city of Wichita says it should know whether there's contamination in the drinking water by this afternoon around 2. More than 1 in 6 Kansans are will learn then if it's safe to drink their tap water after a power outage in Wichita triggered a boil water advisory.
Wichita and its water customers are waiting to see if water samples collected yesterday show signs of bacteria.
If they do, part — if not all — of the city and 10 surrounding communities will remain under a boil water advisory for at least another twenty-four hours.
Vice Mayor Dalton Glasscock says having residents use bottled or boiled water is necessary until then, "The safety of our water is the utmost importance and a charge that we take very seriously. And if there's any potential contamination, we will not gamble with our community's safety."
City officials say the boil advisory was issued because Wichita lost water pressure in several areas early Wednesday morning. The pressure loss happened when four generators running the city's treatment plant and pump station failed.
MTW bonds
The Wichita City Council voted this week to issue bonds for a local performing arts group. Music Theatre Wichita is moving to the former Noah Webster Elementary School downtown.
The nonprofit plans to renovate the 38,000 square-foot facility to expand its offerings. City council members approved the nonprofits request for $20 million dollars in industrial revenue bonds. The group will also get a $1.5 million dollar sales tax exemption.
The city is a pass-through for the bonds, meaning it is not lending any of its own money. Music Theatre Wichita is responsible for paying off bonds.
Boeing hopeful
Boeing officials say the Federal Aviation Administration is close to clearing the new 737 Max 10 for flight. Company CEO Kelly Ortberg spoke about the plane during an investment conference Wednesday 737 production continues during the certification process.
Ortberg says the company has 30% of their orders already built and ready to roll out. The fuselage for the plane is built in Wichita.
Koch gift to The Pinnacle
Koch and the Chase Koch Foundation are donating a million dollars to construction of The Pinnacle health and wellness center for first responders.
The downtown facility planned for North Broadway is expected to be 26-thousand square feet and provide health and wellness services free to more than 2,000 Sedgwick County first responders. The million-dollar donation will be used to complete renovations on The Pinnacle building.
It's expected to open next spring.
Measles near KC
The health department in Jackson County, Missouri, has confirmed a measles case and is warning about possible exposure in the Kansas City area. Officials say the resident will quarantine until they’re no longer infectious.
The department is asking people to reach out if they were at Kyoto Sushi and Steak or Pan Asia Supermarket in Johnson County on September 7th, or if they were at Jackson County Public Health on September 8th or September 10th. They may have been exposed.
Sayo Wheis is an infectious disease pharmacist at University Health and says the overall risk to the public is low, “With the measles, most people who are vaccinated, they're really not at risk for the measles even if they are exposed.”
Wheis says post-exposure vaccination isn’t very effective, so it's best to make sure you are up to date. This is the 2nd confirmed measles case in Jackson County this year.
University property control
The Kansas Board of Regents has approved policies giving four state universities more control over their property.
Wichita State University, University of Kansas, Kansas State, and Pittsburg State can now construct on or lease university property without getting Regents approval for each individual contract.
Emporia State and Fort Hays State have not yet submitted policies.
This could save universities money by speeding up construction projects while reducing the risk that rising construction costs eat into project budgets.
K.U. estimates cutting 6 months from a $100 million project could save about $2.5 million.
Salina Regent Peter Johnston says now the board must let the public know about the money being saved, “Please keep an eye on savings that I think we know we're going to achieve, but I think that's going to be important for us to articulate.”
The change is made possible by a law passed unanimously in the Legislature.
Farm Bill moves forward
The Senate’s Agriculture Committee moved the Farm Bill forward during a Wednesday meeting. This is the next step to passing farm and food legislation that hasn’t been updated for years.
After a month-long recess, senators on Capitol Hill voted along party lines to move the Farm Bill to the Senate floor for consideration.
This near 1,000 page bill includes programs that support farmers and ranchers – like low-interest loans and crop insurance, and federal food assistance.
Democrats and Republicans have fought over restoring some funding to food assistance, which originally hung up the bill.
But other measures are more bipartisan – like expanded access to ethanol gasoline. Conservation programs, natural disaster relief and international trade provisions are also covered in the bill.
From here, senators will propose amendments and debate the bill before voting on final passage. The current Farm Bill and some programs within it are set to expire at the end of September.
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