Other Kansas News From Outside The Metro

[SHOCKvalue]

The Samsung Battery deal looks like it is the gift that keeps taking. See where Evergy is asking for yet another rate increase on top of the other price hike still pending. Samsung mean while will probably qualify for reduced rates for its new manufacturing facility as well as Federal subsidies. When first announced it looked like a good deal even though it was in NE Kansas but it looks like it will cost us in the SC part as well. I pretty much know how the Regulatory commission will rubber stamp this after limited public discussion and then make the decision in a closed session.

Taxpayers always get to fund speculative business and real estate deals brought on by local government and municipalities. It's fun.

[pogo]

Taxpayers always get to fund speculative business and real estate deals brought on by local government and municipalities. It's fun.

Will someone let me know when the fun begins by being on the "business end" of government speculation?

[SubGod22]

Eagle - Second $500M pledge boosts Kansas college's total endowment to 'historic' $1.59 billion

An anonymous donor who pledged $500 million in matching funds to a small Kansas college — making it one of the largest gifts to any higher education institution — has pledged another $500 million, McPherson College announced Friday.

The gifts, once received, will bring the college’s endowment to $1.59 billion, which breaks down to $1.99 million per student. The college has about 800 students.

McPherson College says the donations will make its endowment the largest of any small liberal arts college in the country.

[ShockTalk]

Eagles - Second $500M pledge boosts Kansas college's total endowment to 'historic' $1.59 billion

IMPRESSIVE!

[SubGod22]

Yahoo! - What do Ibiza, Maui and Kansas have in common? This incredible photo op, ranking says

Have you ever taken out your phone or camera to take a photo of a Kansas sunset to post on social media? If so, you’re not alone.

According to a study by Bounce, there are more than 42,000 Instagram posts of the Kansas sky during sunset, which makes the state No. 10 in the top 10 “most Instagrammable” sunset destinations in the world.

Bounce, a luggage storage company used by travelers, searched Instagram for hashtags like #KansasSunset to find the number of posts, which means the actual number of sunset posts on the app are most likely higher than its 42,511 figure. Kansas ranks right below Boracay, an island in the Phillipines, which has 47,616 sunset posts.




There are three other locations in the U.S. that also made the cut. The top 10 most Instagrammable sunset locations, according to Bounce, are:

• Bali, Indonesia
• Santorini, Greece
• Ibiza, Spain
• Maui
• San Diego
• London
• Sydney, Australia
• Key West, Fla.
• Boracay, Phillipines
• Kansas

This isn't the first time I've seen a ranking about Kansas being one of the best places in the world for sunsets.

[SubGod22]

Don't know if the charter they want has or will be approved, but Dodge City is upgrading their airport.

KSN - Wichita company chosen for Dodge City airport project

DODGE CITY, Kan. (KSNW) – Wichita company Icon Structures has been awarded a bid to improve the terminal at Dodge City Regional Airport.

In March of 2023, the airport was awarded $7.3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration to go towards remodeling and expanding the existing terminal.

The project’s start date is expected to be announced soon.

There are some renderings in the link.

[WuDrWu]

Dodge just put out some GOB munis for 8/31 at 4% and I assume that's mostly what it's for...not a horrible place to park money these days.

[SubGod22]

I've been behind on this thread. Here's something going on in Dodge that should be a nice addition to their economy once it's completed. It's a massive project.

High Plains Journal - Cheese plant on pace for 2024 opening

A year ago, a windy late September day welcomed Hilmar Cheese officials and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly to Dodge City to help break ground for the company’s third state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.

In the months since, progress has become starkly visible on the $600 million project. A building has taken shape and activity on the construction site continues. As of early October, nearly 80% of the roof is covering the building, with heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and duct work following suit.

Matchmaker

Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation Executive Director Joann Knight has been playing matchmaker since before Hilmar picked Dodge City for the location of its next project.

“Things in the last year have gone very smoothly. Things are actually ahead of schedule on what they had planned for,” Knight said. “A lot of what we’ve been doing is helping to facilitate the construction companies and knowing where to find RV parks and motel rooms or just having meeting space or making connections with people.”

The construction phase has positively impacted the local economy particularly with local hotels and restaurants, she said.
.....

.....
According to officials, construction is progressing towards the opening of the cheese and whey processing facility, and contractors are working on plumbing and piping throughout the building. The administrative area has structural steel in place. Lighting is being installed in various areas. The maintenance shop is being framed and drywalled.

Hilmar said a “significant milestone” was achieved in September as the first piece of processing equipment arrived and was moved into place.

“We appreciate the focused effort of the 300 plus contractors each day,” Jeff Brock, director of engineering site development said in a statement. “Many of the companies building the facility are from Dodge City and the southwest and central Kansas regions.”

Other teams are preparing to staff and operate the new facility, and the human resource team has been focused on hiring. Rebecca Vallier, Hilmar’s human resource director, said the new hires are a blend of local hires and those relocating to southwest Kansas.
.....
In order to get all the milk the plant needs, Knight said there’s dairy expansions going on in southwest Kansas, and new facilities in varying stages of planning.

“In addition to the expansion of several local dairies, three new dairies are coming to the area to support the Dodge City site,” said Wesley Eveland, director of procurement at Hilmar. “We’re excited to see all the growth in the local community.”

Although Knight isn’t actively involved in the milk contracts, she’s been assisting surrounding counties to meet housing needs because of the dairy expansions.

I'm aware of a couple of dairies in the middle of large expansion projects in western Kansas.

[SubGod22]

This sounds like another nice addition to Kansas and the Salina community.

KSN - 3rd largest seed company breaks ground on Salina facility

The third largest seed brand has broken ground on a new distribution and research facility in Salina.

Indiana-based Beck’s is also the largest family-owned retail seed company. Company officials were joined by state leaders and other stakeholders for the groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday.

The 140-acre site will be home to a 96,000-square-foot distribution building and 100 acres of farmland that will be used for research studies and for helping to educate local farmers about their products and highlight different crop management practices.

“We are excited to break ground and establish roots in Kansas,” says CEO Sonny Beck in a news release. “This investment is a reflection of our commitment to farmers in the West, allowing us to serve them faster and more efficiently with the high-quality products and support they need to succeed.”

Expected to be operational in 2024

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Creekstone Farms in Ark City filets competition in 'best steak' contest

When it comes to beef, Kansas seems to have some of the best.

Creekstone Farms, a meat processor and distributor in Arkansas City, was awarded North America’s Best Steak for its wet-aged ribeye steak at the 2023 World Steak Challenge. The contest took place Nov. 13 in London.

For Creekstone, winning the title of North American Best Steak means more than a pat on the back.

"We were confident that our product was very good," said Ryan Meyer, vice president of procurement and marketing for Creekstone. "We knew that we had a pretty wide reach of customer base that appreciates what we do and just wanted to enter some product to verify, with a non-bias authority, that what we were doing was good and was well received by the best steak judges in the world."

The World Steak Challenge recognizes entrants in an international setting and puts a stamp of excellence on the top performers.

The overall title of the producer of the World's Best Steak went to Australia’s Jack’s Creek for its grain-fed Wagyu black Angus cross sirloin. The European title went to Danish Crown in Denmark, with the South American title going to Azul Natural Beef in Argentina.

Just a bit outside the official metro so I'm putting it here.

Quite the recognition for a Kansas company.

[SubGod22]

This seems to be a bigger deal for outside the metro so here it is. I also think it's doable if some farmers wouldn't be so paranoid as there's been a lot of evidence over the last few years that it would be relatively easy to cut back a little on watering crops and not lose any productivity.

KAKE - Kansas Geological Survey says 18% to 32% cut in groundwater pumping may stabilize aquifer

The Kansas Geological Survey reported Wednesday groundwater levels in the High Plains Aquifer could be sustained for at least one decade in moisture-imperiled areas of western Kansas through pumping reductions of 18% to 32%.

The aquifer, the state’s most economically important groundwater resource, published a report summarizing regional conditions and options for prolonging life of the aquifer. The review documented benefits of voluntary water conservation in the state’s five groundwater management districts.

“Our results show that the only way to slow water-level declines is to reduce pumping in conjunction with modification of agricultural practices,” said Jim Butler, KGS senior scientist and one of the report’s co-authors. “As has been shown in Kansas and elsewhere, efficient irrigation technology must be coupled with a binding agreement to reduce pumping if we are to make a difference.”

The High Plains Aquifer underlies portions of eight states from South Dakota to Texas. It includes the Ogallala Aquifer of western Kansas and the Great Bend Prairie and Equus Beds aquifers in the south-central part of the state.

KGS, based at the University of Kansas, and the Kansas Department of Agriculture annually measure groundwater levels in 1,400 wells across the High Plains Aquifer.

Groundwater in the Ogallala portion of the aquifer, covering management districts one, three and four, dropped significantly since start of widespread irrigation of cropland in the 1940s. In some areas, less than 40% of the original aquifer thickness remains.

[SubGod22]

Cozy Inn files lawsuit against City of Salina over artwork on building (msn.com)

An attorney for a popular business in Salina filed a federal lawsuit against the city concerning an order for the business to stop an artistic project on the side of its building.

The restaurant’s owner said the city is restricting his First Amendment right concerning artwork on his building. The issue surfaced in November when the Cozy Inn, a staple of Salina’s restaurant community for more than a century, received pushback on its mural.

The City of Salina argued that the work isn’t a mural but a sign that advertises for the restaurant. And because it’s recognized as a sign, it must fit the required dimensions set by the city.

Cozy Inn Owner Steve Howard argues the project is a mural that represents the feeling of Cozy’s.

“The difference between signs and murals is not just bad policy, it’s unconstitutional,” Howard said.

The restaurant owner teamed up with the Kansas Justice Institute, which says the issue is what the city classifies as a sign and the regulations that follow.

“If the city thinks a mural pertains to the business, then it has sign regulations as opposed to an unregulated mural. [Howard] has every right under the First Amendment to paint his whimsical mural here on the side of the Cozy,” Kansas Justice Institute Litigation Director Sam MacRoberts said.

Personally, I would think the city of Salina would be wise not to generate bad press by fighting one of, if not the, most iconic aspects of their city on this.

From what I can see of the mural, I'm not completely sure how the city classifies it as a sign, but I guess that comes down to how you want to define things and I'm on record believing less government is good government in most cases, and this is one of those.

[ShockTalk]

Cozy Inn files lawsuit against City of Salina over artwork on building (msn.com)



Personally, I would think the city of Salina would be wise not to generate bad press by fighting one of, if not the, most iconic aspects of their city on this.

From what I can see of the mural, I'm not completely sure how the city classifies it as a sign, but I guess that comes down to how you want to define things and I'm on record believing less government is good government in most cases, and this is one of those.

I would have no problem with it but understand that the city does not want to set a precedence that they could lose control of "signage".

I believe the owner would have a stronger case if he would leave off "The Fun is inside!!" and directional arrow. To me, that makes it a sign.

[SubGod22]

KSN - New Mattel theme park coming to Kansas City area in 2026

Hi Barbie! A new theme park is coming to the Kansas City area filled with family adventures.

A new Mattel Adventure Park in Wyandotte County will feature Hot Wheels roller coasters, a Barbie rooftop restaurant and bar, Thomas & Friends attractions and more.

Crews plan to break ground this year and open the new theme park in Bonner Springs in 2026.

“Mattel Adventure Park Kansas City will bring our iconic brands to life with epic roller coasters, family-friendly attractions, an immersive theatre, themed dining, and so much more,” said Josh Silverman, chief franchise officer at Mattel.

I didn't know this was a thing. Of course, I'd personally love to see some sort of theme/amusement park in the 316, but at least this is in Kansas I guess.

[SubGod22]

Didn't see this coming.

KWCH - KMW to invest $105 million in Sterling, create 250+ jobs

Governor Laura Kelly announced Tuesday that KMW, a manufacturer of agricultural front loaders, backhoes and other attachments, will invest $105 million to construct a new North American headquarters and production facility in Sterling. Kelly’s office said the venture will create 251 new jobs, resulting in a local workforce of 485.

KMW selected Sterling in Rice County after a competition among Midwestern states. In addition to the headquarters, moving to the 151-acre site on the north side of Sterling will allow KMW to continue growing its manufacturing capabilities. KMW has two other Kansas plants, one in Great Bend and one in Lyons. The company is owned by Agrostroj Pelhrimov, a Czech Republic based global leader in agricultural machinery and freight transport manufacturing.

“This is a transformative project for the city of Sterling, Rice County and the State of Kansas,” Sterling City Manager Ian Hutcheson said. “To have a world-class manufacturing facility in the heart of our state is a testament to the diligence and dynamism of our community.”

This is a hell of a win for Rice County and the city of Sterling.