Parks

Under the proposed deal, Botanica would rent about a third of the park land between the gardens, Sim Golf Course and the Arkansas River for 30 years at $1 a year.

Riverside residents and the Friends of the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit want to transform the Riverside pagoda into a classroom. They also envision an indoor-outdoor space that people could rent for birthday parties or family reunions.

SHAWNEE, Kansas — Field biologist Matt Garrett kept a close eye on the smoke rising from a patch of prairie that burned during a controlled fire. He…