The commissioning of Wichita’s new water treatment plant has been delayed again. The City of Wichita said in a news release Wednesday that the delay is due to ongoing problems with the clarifiers. Clarifiers allow solids to settle at the bottom of the water so they can be removed. The new $500 million plant, near 21st Street and Hoover Road, is replacing the city’s 80-year-old water plant. It was constructed by Wichita Water Partners, which currently owns the plant but is slated to turn over ownership to the city once the facility is fully operational. That was originally supposed to happen after successful testing in April. When that deadline was missed, the timeline was moved up to the end of the year. Now, the city said it was told by WWP the facility will not be completed by then.
Read more: KSN-TV

A Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputy was attacked by a group of dogs while responding to a call in south Wichita Saturday morning. Deputies were dispatched to the 4600 block of S. Hemlock Ave. in Oaklawn after reports of a man being attacked by several dogs. When deputies arrived, they found 10 to 15 dogs, believed to be Boston terriers, running at large. While attempting to assist an 18-year-old male, the dogs attacked the deputy. Two deputies fired their weapons in an attempt to scare the dogs away. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office said, “No people, animals or property were hit by gunfire. The dogs’ owner later contained them.”
Read more: KSN-TV

The problem sounds easy: Kansas has too few houses for sale, especially in small, rural communities struggling to attract young people and new businesses. The simple answer is to build more houses. But those in real estate say this shortage has been years in the making, and it may take years and creative thinking to emerge from it.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com

The Refinery is now open. The grand opening of The Refinery, a state-of-the-art sports facility, was held on Nov. 21. The Refinery is a 200,000-square-foot facility that features six full basketball courts, an indoor turf arena, team suites, pickleball courts, an indoor walking track, restaurant, arcade, convenience store, pro-shop, events center and more. The facility is designed to be a hub for youth sports and recreation in Garden City, offering opportunities for youth of all ages and abilities to participate in various sports activities. A second phase of the project is already underway and includes four all-turf baseball/softball fields, outdoor wiffleball fields, athletic training weight room, children’s recreation equipment and a sports bar.
Read more: Garden City Telegram

Harvey County will provide 51 of its used 800 MHz radios to Walton Fire, Burrton EMS, Sedgwick EMS, Hesston Fire & EMS, and Newton Public Works, a result of its purchase of 100 new radios earlier this year. Don Gruver, Emergency Communications Director, told commissioners Tuesday morning that the Sheriff’s Office and jail both have new radios, and he still has some new ones in a box that will be used to replace the ones that fail. He said the new ones will be used for the County. The used radios will go to the five departments listed above, who have all agreed to pay the County $500 for them.
Read more: Harvey County Now