The Reno County Commission met for a special session Monday evening at the courthouse to discuss potential regulations for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and Data Centers. Despite lengthy debate, the commission failed to reach a consensus on new policies or conditions for either industry. As a result, no specific guidance was provided to the Planning Commission, and the status quo remains in place. Future applications for these facilities will continue to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Read more: Ad Astra Radio

A concentrated effort spanning multiple agencies helped the Hesston Police Department solve the most recent burglary at Dan’s Cycle. On May 6, a white cargo van crashed into the front entrance of the business, and five dirt bikes were quickly loaded at 4 a.m. by four individuals. By the time HPD responded, the suspects were gone. “We went through some camera footage and found a tag,” Police Chief Chris Eilert said. “It was a stolen van out of Kansas City, but we’re not sure why it wasn’t indicating on Flock. We were able to track it using Flock back to Kansas City. Unfortunately, no one was able to intercept it.” Eilert explained it’s hard to track the exact location, because once it goes past the camera, law enforcement is playing catch-up, depending on the camera location. Eilert also said they were able to identify a chase car with the van, a car which was sighted in Hesston days before the break-in at the establishment. The use of Flock cameras was instrumental in solving this crime. Eilert said the cameras have helped solve this crime, burglaries at AGCO and a few others.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Scooter safety was on the minds of both county and city commissioners last week. Ellis County Commission Chair Neal Younger commented during his personal time on June 9 that more training may be called for because “kiddos are just flying” and driving down highways. He suggested that the city and the county may need to work together regarding scooter safety. Hays City commissioners Sandy Jacobs and Shaun Musil also used their personal comment time on June 11 to state their scooter use concerns. “I’m just going to say it — somebody’s going to get killed. So I’m going to say it as loud as I can. I don’t know what we’re going to do about it,” Jacobs said. She reported that, prior to the commission meeting last Thursday, she saw two serious incidents on Hays streets involving unsafe scooter use. One was a little boy she believed to be around age 7 who had his 2-year-old sister sitting in front of him as they “were just barreling down Hall Street.” Jacobs said she understands scooter safety is a parenting issue and pleaded with parents to know how their children are behaving on scooters.
Read more: Hays Daily News

The Edgerton City Council has denied a temporary ban on data centers, making it the second community in Johnson County to consider and deny a moratorium this month. Next door in Gardner, the city council considered but ultimately denied a similar proposed six-month ban on June 1. The Edgerton City Council on Thursday voted 3-2 to deny a six-month moratorium, which would have temporarily prevented applications for facilities where the primary use was a data center. After City Attorney Todd Luckman provided a brief clarification on the measure’s language, Councilmember Josh Lewis immediately made a motion to deny the six-month ban. Edgerton resident Kim Twente said she’s disappointed in the decision, adding that the community’s worked hard to get a moratorium passed.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Overland Park could become the latest Johnson County city to require kids on electronic bikes and scooters to wear helmets or else face a fine. It’s the latest step in a long line of discussions among residents and local officials in Johnson County about how to keep kids safe when they ride the increasingly popular devices. Just last month, Overland Park established a new set of city codes prohibiting anyone under the age of 16 from riding class 3 e-bikes, which are throttle-assisted bikes capable of reaching higher speeds. On Wednesday, the Overland Park City Council Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to recommend adoption of a helmet ordinance, as well. The new ordinance, if ultimately approved by the full city council, would take effect Jan. 1, 2027. The city and police department plan to conduct a public education campaign in advance of enforcement.
Read more: Johnson County Post

After a month of deliberation, Edgerton made the move to deny an application Tuesday night for an $860 million data center in Logistics Park Kansas City. The Edgerton Planning Commission voted 3-2 to deny the data center application from Dubai-based DAMAC Digital on Tuesday night. Commissioners Adam Draskovich, Jeremy Little and Jordyn Mueller voted to deny the application, while Commission Chair Tina Mathos and Commissioner Ray Soemer voted against denial. “I feel like it’s a short-term victory,” said Kellie Wakefield, an Edgerton resident. “It’s not completely denied. We’re just going to have to continue voicing our preference for the direction of our city and just protect our resources.”
Read more: Johnson County Post

Yates Center city officials are asking residents to conserve water after Saturday night’s storms. According to a Facebook post by the city, some pumps are not working properly after an electricity outage. While city water crews are working to fix the problem, residents are asked to conserve water as much as possible for now.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com

The lines were long but the people were happy Tuesday afternoon on the north side of Oak Park Mall. Sometimes a car or truck driver tapped hello on the horn. Sometimes a small group would spontaneously break out into applause. Who could complain? It was, after all, the line for the buses that would take these ticket holders to the first match in the first World Cup Kansas City has ever hosted. What’s more, Argentinian star Lionel Messi would be playing in what is likely his last World Cup. The vibe was, as they say, chill. Some of the riders had driven hours to see Argentina. Others were in line to support Algeria, a country whose team has been adopted by the people of Lawrence since arriving here earlier this month. Still others just wanted in on the good times and a chance to do something different.
Read more: Johnson County Post