Kansas State University Salina After assisting the Kansas Highway Patrol at the Kansas State Fair with uncrewed aircraft system&nbsp;technology,&nbsp;<a href="http://salina.ksu.edu/">Kansas State University Salina's</a><a href="https://www.salina.k-state.edu/research-training/applied-aviation-research-center/">Applied Aviation Research Center</a>&nbsp;is using&nbsp;research collected from large-scale events to enhance public safety efforts during disaster response.

The Applied Aviation Research Center, or&nbsp;AARC,&nbsp;partnered with the Kansas Highway Patrol to provide drone support and&nbsp;monitor crowd activity&nbsp;at the Kansas State Fair. The&nbsp;fair — the largest single event in the state —&nbsp;includes more than a week's worth of concerts, activities and exhibits that draw in&nbsp;more than&nbsp;300,000 attendees annually.&nbsp; Part of the support that&nbsp;the&nbsp;AARC provided to law enforcement at the event included a live feed captured by aerial videography that&nbsp;was then broadcast to incident command. AARC and law enforcement watched in real&nbsp;time to direct officers to incident responses around the venue.

The&nbsp;footage allowed&nbsp;law enforcement to not only see where an incident&nbsp;was&nbsp;happening but also&nbsp;locate&nbsp;officers to easily mobilize those closest to&nbsp;the events&nbsp;on the ground.The&nbsp;project is a continuation of the research done by AARC&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/today/announcement/?id=97273">Kelce Jam festival</a>&nbsp;earlier this year, where they assisted law enforcement&nbsp;with&nbsp;monitoring a large crowd at an outdoor venue. AARC was able to take&nbsp;the&nbsp;lessons learned from the prior experience to make the&nbsp;work&nbsp;at the Kansas State Fair even more efficient. The organization also takes feedback from public safety officials&nbsp;about&nbsp;what worked and what can be improved upon.While AARC is providing valuable assistance to law enforcement at major events around the state, K-State Salina's&nbsp;uncrewed aircraft system&nbsp;experts are also compiling valuable research from projects like the&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;State Fair to help enhance the technology and standards in the&nbsp;industry.&nbsp;Under multiple grants, AARC is assisting both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Kansas Department of Transportation with developing streamlined processes and novel technologies&nbsp;that&nbsp;emergency crews can deploy during a natural disaster response. Research has found that communication and technology breakdowns can happen during these kinds of events, so&nbsp;the&nbsp;AARC is using&nbsp;its&nbsp;experience to refine and create more efficient practices.

"These large concert-type venues work great for a project like this because you have support from multiple organizations working together such as law enforcement, emergency management, and emergency medical services," said Travis Balthazor, AARC deputy director. "It's similar to what might occur during a natural disaster. These venues provide similar environments and multi-agency control where communication breakdowns can frequently occur. These environments help us refine the technology and communication procedures so when a disaster happens, emergency crews are prepared to respond as efficiently as possible."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726234952269.jpeg" alt="Members of K-State Salina's Applied Aviation Research Center, or AARC, work at incident command during the Kansas State Fair. AARC assisted the Kansas Highway Patrol in monitoring crowd activity with drones during the event" />
 <figcaption>Members of K-State Salina's Applied Aviation Research Center, or AARC, work at incident command during the Kansas State Fair. AARC assisted the Kansas Highway Patrol in monitoring crowd activity with drones during the event</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State University Salina After assisting the Kansas Highway Patrol at the Kansas State Fair with uncrewed aircraft system&nbsp;technology,&nbsp;<a href="http://salina.ksu.edu/">Kansas State University Salina's</a><a href="https://www.salina.k-state.edu/research-training/applied-aviation-research-center/">Applied Aviation Research Center</a>&nbsp;is using&nbsp;research collected from large-scale events to enhance public safety efforts during disaster response. The Applied Aviation Research Center, or&nbsp;AARC,&nbsp;partnered with the Kansas Highway Patrol to provide drone support and&nbsp;monitor crowd activity&nbsp;at the Kansas State Fair. The&nbsp;fair — the largest single event in the state —&nbsp;includes more than a week's worth of concerts, activities and exhibits that draw in&nbsp;more than&nbsp;300,000 attendees annually.&nbsp; Part of the support that&nbsp;the&nbsp;AARC provided to law enforcement at the event included a live feed captured by aerial videography that&nbsp;was then broadcast to incident command. AARC and law enforcement watched in real&nbsp;time to direct officers to incident responses around the venue. The&nbsp;footage allowed&nbsp;law enforcement to not only see where an incident&nbsp;was&nbsp;happening but also&nbsp;locate&nbsp;officers to easily mobilize those closest to&nbsp;the events&nbsp;on the ground.The&nbsp;project is a continuation of the research done by AARC&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/today/announcement/?id=97273">Kelce Jam festival</a>&nbsp;earlier this year, where they assisted law enforcement&nbsp;with&nbsp;monitoring a large crowd at an outdoor venue. AARC was able to take&nbsp;the&nbsp;lessons learned from the prior experience to make the&nbsp;work&nbsp;at the Kansas State Fair even more efficient. The organization also takes feedback from public safety officials&nbsp;about&nbsp;what worked and what can be improved upon.While AARC is providing valuable assistance to law enforcement at major events around the state, K-State Salina's&nbsp;uncrewed aircraft system&nbsp;experts are also compiling valuable research from projects like the&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;State Fair to help enhance the technology and standards in the&nbsp;industry.&nbsp;Under multiple grants, AARC is assisting both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Kansas Department of Transportation with developing streamlined processes and novel technologies&nbsp;that&nbsp;emergency crews can deploy during a natural disaster response. Research has found that communication and technology breakdowns can happen during these kinds of events, so&nbsp;the&nbsp;AARC is using&nbsp;its&nbsp;experience to refine and create more efficient practices."These large concert-type venues work great for a project like this because you have support from multiple organizations working together such as law enforcement, emergency management, and emergency medical services," said Travis Balthazor, AARC deputy director. "It's similar to what might occur during a natural disaster. These venues provide similar environments and multi-agency control where communication breakdowns can frequently occur. These environments help us refine the technology and communication procedures so when a disaster happens, emergency crews are prepared to respond as efficiently as possible."

K-State Salina Applied Aviation Research Center continues drone technology research, event monitoring at Kansas State Fair

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Driving While Suspended, Theft of prop/services;Value $1,500 to $25,000, Aggravated burglary; Dwelling for felony, theft, domestic violence, or sexually motivated crime, Crim damage to prop;injure/defraud $1K-$25K, Use/poss drug paraphernalian/human body, Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant and Theft of prop/services:Value less than $1,500

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;&nbsp;Criminal Damage to Property; Value Unknown

NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Branstetter, Anthony Lee

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp; &nbsp;Probation Violation

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp; &nbsp;Failure to appear

NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Hamilton, Raegan Lorraine

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;&nbsp;Outside warrant/NCIC hit

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Failure to appear

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;&nbsp;Probation Violation

NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Lopez-Ramirez, Jorge Javier

NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Lucas, James Christopher Nathaniel

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;&nbsp;Failure to appear

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Agg Domestic Battery: impede breathing/choke, Criminal threat; Cause terror, evacuation or disruption, Criminal Damage to Property; Misdemeanor, Domestic battery: Knowing/reckless bodily harmm Intimidation of witness/victim; Prevent reporting and Robbery

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;&nbsp;Probation Violation, Battery, Failure to appear and Theft of prop/services:Value less than $1,500

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726231897324.png" alt="Slater, Lindsay Don " />
 <figcaption>Slater, Lindsay Don </figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Slater, Lindsay DonREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Driving While Suspended, Theft of prop/services;Value $1,500 to $25,000, Aggravated burglary; Dwelling for felony, theft, domestic violence, or sexually motivated crime, Crim damage to prop;injure/defraud $1K-$25K, Use/poss drug paraphernalian/human body, Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant and Theft of prop/services:Value less than $1,500<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726231162607.png" alt="Badgley, Ian Patrick" />
 <figcaption>Badgley, Ian Patrick</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Badgley, Ian PatrickREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;&nbsp;Criminal Damage to Property; Value Unknown<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726231205333.png" alt="Branstetter, Anthony Lee" />
 <figcaption>Branstetter, Anthony Lee</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Branstetter, Anthony LeeREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp; &nbsp;Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726231245857.png" alt="Guerrero, Seth Andrew" />
 <figcaption>Guerrero, Seth Andrew</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Guerrero, Seth AndrewREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp; &nbsp;Failure to appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726231298022.png" alt="Hamilton, Raegan Lorraine" />
 <figcaption>Hamilton, Raegan Lorraine</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Hamilton, Raegan LorraineREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;&nbsp;Outside warrant/NCIC hit<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726231336366.png" alt="Herman, Dean James" />
 <figcaption>Herman, Dean James</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Herman, Dean JamesREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Failure to appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726231382350.png" alt="Johnson, Kathy Lavette" />
 <figcaption>Johnson, Kathy Lavette</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Johnson, Kathy LavetteREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;&nbsp;Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726231419081.png" alt="Lopez-Ramirez, Jorge Javier" />
 <figcaption>Lopez-Ramirez, Jorge Javier</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Lopez-Ramirez, Jorge JavierREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;&nbsp;Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726231634930.png" alt="Lucas, James Christopher Nathaniel" />
 <figcaption>Lucas, James Christopher Nathaniel</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Lucas, James Christopher NathanielREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;&nbsp;Failure to appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726231678361.png" alt="Moorman, Mary Ann" />
 <figcaption>Moorman, Mary Ann</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Moorman, Mary AnnREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;&nbsp;Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726231716576.png" alt="Opel, Corey William" />
 <figcaption>Opel, Corey William</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Opel, Corey WilliamREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Agg Domestic Battery: impede breathing/choke, Criminal threat; Cause terror, evacuation or disruption, Criminal Damage to Property; Misdemeanor, Domestic battery: Knowing/reckless bodily harmm Intimidation of witness/victim; Prevent reporting and Robbery<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726231785756.png" alt="Rosario, Jailene Ayanna" />
 <figcaption>Rosario, Jailene Ayanna</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;&nbsp;Rosario, Jailene AyannaREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;&nbsp;Probation Violation, Battery, Failure to appear and Theft of prop/services:Value less than $1,500

Saline County Jail Bookings, Sept. 13

BY SALINA POST City Manager Mike Schrage announced Thursday afternoon the resignation of Salina Fire Chief Anthony “Tony” Sneidar, Jr.

Chief Sneidar joined the Salina Fire Department in March 2022. During his time in Salina, accomplishments have included station alerting implementation at all fire stations, plans developed for a new Fire Station 4, significant fire department fleet upgrades, and securing a “Baby Box” for the community through private funding.

“Serving the department and the Salina community has been an honor. The time my wife and I have spent here has been truly special, and we will miss the many friendships and experiences we’ve gained along the way. I wish the city, its residents, and the SFD continued success,” Sneidar said.

“I want to thank Chief Sneidar for his service and wish him well in his retirement,” said Salina City Manager Mike Schrage.

Chief Sneidar will remain on staff through November 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645641563365.jpeg" alt="Salina Fire Chief Tony Sneidar" />
 <figcaption>Salina Fire Chief Tony Sneidar</figcaption>
 </figure>BY SALINA POST City Manager Mike Schrage announced Thursday afternoon the resignation of Salina Fire Chief Anthony “Tony” Sneidar, Jr.Chief Sneidar joined the Salina Fire Department in March 2022. During his time in Salina, accomplishments have included station alerting implementation at all fire stations, plans developed for a new Fire Station 4, significant fire department fleet upgrades, and securing a “Baby Box” for the community through private funding.“Serving the department and the Salina community has been an honor. The time my wife and I have spent here has been truly special, and we will miss the many friendships and experiences we’ve gained along the way. I wish the city, its residents, and the SFD continued success,” Sneidar said.“I want to thank Chief Sneidar for his service and wish him well in his retirement,” said Salina City Manager Mike Schrage.Chief Sneidar will remain on staff through November 1.

Salina Fire Chief Tony Sneidar resigns

Hello and happy Thursday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…

On Wednesday Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a game-ending infield single with one out in the 11th inning as the New York Yankees outlasted the Kansas City Royals for a 4-3 victory.

Juan Soto launched a go-ahead homer in the sixth for the Yankees, who increased their advantage in the AL East to 1.5 games over Baltimore. New York has held the lead since Aug. 21 but hasn't led by more than two games during that stretch.

The Royals, who still hold a game and a half lead over the Minnesota Twins for the second wild cars spot, and who trail the Guardians by just a game and a half in the AL Central, will be back in action tomorroow to open a three-game set with the Pirates in Pittsburgh

More locally it was a good day on the pitch for the Kansas Wesleyan men’s and women’s soccer teams who collected a total of four points on Wednesday evening.

On the men’s side Kansas Wesleyan used offensive pressure and defensive prowess to battle to a 2-1 win over the Hastings College Broncos in the home opener.

Meanwhile the Women's Soccer team duked it out with Mid-America Christian University. The two teams faced off at MACU's Soccer Field in what would end in a tied match at 1-1.

Both teams will be back in action to start conference play next Wednesday

That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ayj6nRolIj4"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY SALINA POST(Transcript)Hello and happy Thursday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…_________On Wednesday Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a game-ending infield single with one out in the 11th inning as the New York Yankees outlasted the Kansas City Royals for a 4-3 victory.Juan Soto launched a go-ahead homer in the sixth for the Yankees, who increased their advantage in the AL East to 1.5 games over Baltimore. New York has held the lead since Aug. 21 but hasn't led by more than two games during that stretch.The Royals, who still hold a game and a half lead over the Minnesota Twins for the second wild cars spot, and who trail the Guardians by just a game and a half in the AL Central, will be back in action tomorroow to open a three-game set with the Pirates in Pittsburgh_________More locally it was a good day on the pitch for the Kansas Wesleyan men’s and women’s soccer teams who collected a total of four points on Wednesday evening.On the men’s side Kansas Wesleyan used offensive pressure and defensive prowess to battle to a 2-1 win over the Hastings College Broncos in the home opener.Meanwhile the Women's Soccer team duked it out with Mid-America Christian University. The two teams faced off at MACU's Soccer Field in what would end in a tied match at 1-1.Both teams will be back in action to start conference play next Wednesday_________That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.

910 KINA Sports Headlines — September 12

By SALINA POST Yesterday, Wednesday, Sept. 11 a Salina Police Department (SPD) officer pulled over a vehicle caught speeding at 50 mph in a 20 mph school zone. The violation occurred as officers were actively patrolling school zones to ensure the safety of students and staff during the busy morning hours.

According to SPD Cpt. James Feldman, the following violation fines apply:

5-10mph&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; $37&nbsp;

11-15mph&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; $47

16-20mph&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; $57

21-25mph&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; $67

Every 5mph over 25 mph is an additional $10

The fines are then doubled for a school zone

All citations also have court costs added.

Officers reported that this was just one of several speeding tickets issued in school zones throughout the day. Salina Police are reminding all motorists to be mindful of school zone signs and to obey the posted speed limits, especially during times when children are entering or leaving school. 

Drivers should be extra vigilant when driving in school areas, as children can dart out at short notice, potentially creating dangerous situations.

School zones are clearly marked, and when the lights are flashing, the 20 mph speed limit is in effect. Drivers are asked to pay attention and slow down to avoid not only fines but potential accidents involving students and educators.

Stay vigilant, and let's keep our school zones safe.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726153947889.jpeg" alt="Officers with the Salina Police Department patrolled streets near Salina schools on Wednesday, resulting in multiple speeding violations.&nbsp; Image Courtesy SPD" />
 <figcaption>Officers with the Salina Police Department patrolled streets near Salina schools on Wednesday, resulting in multiple speeding violations.&nbsp; Image Courtesy SPD</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POST Yesterday, Wednesday, Sept. 11 a Salina Police Department (SPD) officer pulled over a vehicle caught speeding at 50 mph in a 20 mph school zone. The violation occurred as officers were actively patrolling school zones to ensure the safety of students and staff during the busy morning hours.According to SPD Cpt. James Feldman, the following violation fines apply:Speeds over the posted limit5-10mph&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; $37&nbsp;11-15mph&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; $4716-20mph&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; $5721-25mph&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; $67Every 5mph over 25 mph is an additional $10The fines are then doubled for a school zoneAll citations also have court costs added.The driver was issued a speeding ticket.Officers reported that this was just one of several speeding tickets issued in school zones throughout the day. Salina Police are reminding all motorists to be mindful of school zone signs and to obey the posted speed limits, especially during times when children are entering or leaving school. Drivers should be extra vigilant when driving in school areas, as children can dart out at short notice, potentially creating dangerous situations.School zones are clearly marked, and when the lights are flashing, the 20 mph speed limit is in effect. Drivers are asked to pay attention and slow down to avoid not only fines but potential accidents involving students and educators.Stay vigilant, and let's keep our school zones safe.

Salina Police pull over vehicle speeding 50 MPH in school zone

City of Salina Starting Thursday, September 12, and continuing through Friday, September 13, Davis Construction of Salina will carry out minor concrete pavement repairs on several streets in the city. The repairs are part of the City of Salina’s 2024 Minor Concrete – Pavement Repair annual maintenance project, weather permitting.

- Sunrise, from Beloit to Republic(Thursday &amp; Friday)

- Sunrise, from Ellsworth to Beloit(Thursday &amp; Friday)

- Sunrise, South of Ellsworth(Thursday &amp; Friday)

The work on Sunrise Drive involves removing sections of damaged pavement and replacing them with new concrete. As these repairs are near Heusner Elementary School, and Sunrise Drive is a popular route, parents and students are advised to choose alternative routes.

While the work will necessitate road closures to through traffic, limited access will be maintained for local residents. Motorists should expect minor delays and are encouraged to avoid the work zones if possible. Temporary traffic detours and alternate routes will be set up for convenience.

This maintenance is part of a larger project, with the total cost of repairs amounting to $80,000. The repairs are expected to improve road conditions and enhance safety in the affected areas.

City of Salina Starting Thursday, September 12, and continuing through Friday, September 13, Davis Construction of Salina will carry out minor concrete pavement repairs on several streets in the city. The repairs are part of the City of Salina’s 2024 Minor Concrete – Pavement Repair annual maintenance project, weather permitting.The affected areas include:- Sunrise, from Beloit to Republic(Thursday &amp; Friday)- Sunrise, from Ellsworth to Beloit(Thursday &amp; Friday)- Sunrise, South of Ellsworth(Thursday &amp; Friday)The work on Sunrise Drive involves removing sections of damaged pavement and replacing them with new concrete. As these repairs are near Heusner Elementary School, and Sunrise Drive is a popular route, parents and students are advised to choose alternative routes.Impact on TrafficWhile the work will necessitate road closures to through traffic, limited access will be maintained for local residents. Motorists should expect minor delays and are encouraged to avoid the work zones if possible. Temporary traffic detours and alternate routes will be set up for convenience.This maintenance is part of a larger project, with the total cost of repairs amounting to $80,000. The repairs are expected to improve road conditions and enhance safety in the affected areas.

Minor concrete work continues on Salina streets

Submitted The Saline County Republican Central Committee met on September 10, 2024 and elected Michelle Newell as Register of Deeds effective October 1, 2024 to fill the unexpired term of current Register of Deeds Rebecca Seeman. &nbsp;The certificate of election with be sent to the Governor for approval.

After serving as Register of Deeds since 1999, Rebecca Seeman submitted her resignation to Saline County Republican Chair Brenda Smith to be effective October 1, 2024, due her retirement from public office.

Michelle has worked in the Saline County Register of Deeds office for 18 years and won the August primary to be on the ballot for the Register of Deeds during the general election in November. &nbsp;She is unopposed.

“With the election of Michelle to fill the unexpired term, this should provide for a smooth transition in&nbsp;the Register of Deeds office” advised Brenda Smith, Saline County Republican Party Chair.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726147831123.jpeg" alt="Michelle Newell" />
 <figcaption>Michelle Newell</figcaption>
 </figure>Submitted The Saline County Republican Central Committee met on September 10, 2024 and elected Michelle Newell as Register of Deeds effective October 1, 2024 to fill the unexpired term of current Register of Deeds Rebecca Seeman. &nbsp;The certificate of election with be sent to the Governor for approval.After serving as Register of Deeds since 1999, Rebecca Seeman submitted her resignation to Saline County Republican Chair Brenda Smith to be effective October 1, 2024, due her retirement from public office.Michelle has worked in the Saline County Register of Deeds office for 18 years and won the August primary to be on the ballot for the Register of Deeds during the general election in November. &nbsp;She is unopposed.“With the election of Michelle to fill the unexpired term, this should provide for a smooth transition in&nbsp;the Register of Deeds office” advised Brenda Smith, Saline County Republican Party Chair.

New Saline County Register of Deeds to start in Oct. 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Spending on Kansas’ cash assistance program for low-income families has dwindled by nearly 40% in the past 14 years while lawmakers limited eligibility and inflation surged, according to a new audit.

State auditors presented findings to legislators Tuesday that show spending on cash assistance decreased from about $15.2 million in 2009 to $9.4 million in 2023. Spending on foster care and preventative services increased by an estimated $25 million over the same timespan, according to the audit, which involved reviewing five financial reports created between fiscal years 2009 and 2023.

Kansas families with children or an expectant mother who make an insufficient income qualify for cash assistance, which is accessed through electronic benefit transfer cards, or EBT. The state’s cash assistance program is funded by the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, program, which also funds other state initiatives including employment support and child care assistance. The Kansas Department for Children and Families administers TANF funds and the cash assistance program.

Legislative involvement in regulating cash assistance has been limited since the 2015 Hope, Opportunity and Prosperity for Everyone, or HOPE, Act, which restricted access to Kansas’ program. The federal government allows people to receive cash assistance for up to 60 months in their lifetime. Kansas’ maximum was 48 months, but the HOPE Act reduced it to 36 months. The Legislature reduced the maximum again in 2016 to 24 months.

As of 2023, DCF handled 2,900 cash assistance cases per month. In 2009, average monthly caseloads totaled around 12,600 cases, according to the audit.

The decrease could be attributed to eligibility changes under the HOPE Act and a general increase in wages and inflation, said Sam Dadds, a senior auditor with the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit, at the meeting with lawmakers Tuesday. Kansas’ standards for eligibility requirements and benefit amounts have not been changed since 1997. With that, comes the diminished purchasing power of cash assistance, which could be a deterrent for families considering applying, Dadds said.

“What this means is that it’s harder to qualify for TANF in 2023 because families are being measured against what was considered in-need in 1997,” Dadds said.

Since the inception of Kansas’ cash assistance program in 1996, the purchasing power of EBT has decreased by nearly 50%, he said.

Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson, said Kansas lacks a functional system.

“We do have a system, also, that has a very hard line once people hit a certain income level, as they’re working their way through poverty, where we then pull the rug right out from underneath them,” he said.

He called it “<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/06/27/hutchinson-working-with-mit-to-break-poverty-shackles-of-the-cliff-effect/">the cliff effect</a>,” a term for when low-income individuals get a modest increase in income but end up with fewer resources because they no longer qualify for government aid. Probst, Sen. Mary Ware, D-Wichita, and Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, among others, expressed an interest in combating the cliff effect through legislation.

Tyson, who voted for the HOPE Act&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li_2016/b2015_16/measures/vote_view/je_20150402145556_312693/" target="_blank">in 2015</a>&nbsp;and further restrictions&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li_2016/b2015_16/measures/vote_view/je_20160502013756_548975/" target="_blank">in 2016</a>, was dismayed by data limitations and omissions within the audit. Some data was completely unavailable for the audit because of new staff at DCF and a lack of cohesion between old and new computer systems.

“I don’t even know what to say to that,” she said at the meeting.

Carla Whiteside-Hicks, the DCF’s director of economic services, said the agency is actively working to address inefficiencies throughout the agency and make it easier for families to meet the federal and state requirements needed to receive cash assistance. Whiteside-Hicks is scheduled to return to the post-audit committee at its next meeting to provide additional data and information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726089897610.png" alt="Rep. James Probst, a Hutchinson-area Republican, said Kansas' cash assistance program isn't functional at a September 10, 2024, meeting of the Legislative Post Audit Committee. He is pictured here on the House floor on June 18, 2024. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. James Probst, a Hutchinson-area Republican, said Kansas' cash assistance program isn't functional at a September 10, 2024, meeting of the Legislative Post Audit Committee. He is pictured here on the House floor on June 18, 2024. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Spending on Kansas’ cash assistance program for low-income families has dwindled by nearly 40% in the past 14 years while lawmakers limited eligibility and inflation surged, according to a new audit.State auditors presented findings to legislators Tuesday that show spending on cash assistance decreased from about $15.2 million in 2009 to $9.4 million in 2023. Spending on foster care and preventative services increased by an estimated $25 million over the same timespan, according to the audit, which involved reviewing five financial reports created between fiscal years 2009 and 2023.Kansas families with children or an expectant mother who make an insufficient income qualify for cash assistance, which is accessed through electronic benefit transfer cards, or EBT. The state’s cash assistance program is funded by the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, program, which also funds other state initiatives including employment support and child care assistance. The Kansas Department for Children and Families administers TANF funds and the cash assistance program.Legislative involvement in regulating cash assistance has been limited since the 2015 Hope, Opportunity and Prosperity for Everyone, or HOPE, Act, which restricted access to Kansas’ program. The federal government allows people to receive cash assistance for up to 60 months in their lifetime. Kansas’ maximum was 48 months, but the HOPE Act reduced it to 36 months. The Legislature reduced the maximum again in 2016 to 24 months.As of 2023, DCF handled 2,900 cash assistance cases per month. In 2009, average monthly caseloads totaled around 12,600 cases, according to the audit.The decrease could be attributed to eligibility changes under the HOPE Act and a general increase in wages and inflation, said Sam Dadds, a senior auditor with the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit, at the meeting with lawmakers Tuesday. Kansas’ standards for eligibility requirements and benefit amounts have not been changed since 1997. With that, comes the diminished purchasing power of cash assistance, which could be a deterrent for families considering applying, Dadds said.“What this means is that it’s harder to qualify for TANF in 2023 because families are being measured against what was considered in-need in 1997,” Dadds said.Since the inception of Kansas’ cash assistance program in 1996, the purchasing power of EBT has decreased by nearly 50%, he said.Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson, said Kansas lacks a functional system.“We do have a system, also, that has a very hard line once people hit a certain income level, as they’re working their way through poverty, where we then pull the rug right out from underneath them,” he said.He called it “<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/06/27/hutchinson-working-with-mit-to-break-poverty-shackles-of-the-cliff-effect/">the cliff effect</a>,” a term for when low-income individuals get a modest increase in income but end up with fewer resources because they no longer qualify for government aid. Probst, Sen. Mary Ware, D-Wichita, and Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, among others, expressed an interest in combating the cliff effect through legislation.Tyson, who voted for the HOPE Act&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li_2016/b2015_16/measures/vote_view/je_20150402145556_312693/" target="_blank">in 2015</a>&nbsp;and further restrictions&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li_2016/b2015_16/measures/vote_view/je_20160502013756_548975/" target="_blank">in 2016</a>, was dismayed by data limitations and omissions within the audit. Some data was completely unavailable for the audit because of new staff at DCF and a lack of cohesion between old and new computer systems.“I don’t even know what to say to that,” she said at the meeting.Carla Whiteside-Hicks, the DCF’s director of economic services, said the agency is actively working to address inefficiencies throughout the agency and make it easier for families to meet the federal and state requirements needed to receive cash assistance. Whiteside-Hicks is scheduled to return to the post-audit committee at its next meeting to provide additional data and information.

Kansas audit examines impact of restricting access to cash assistance for low-income families

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

NAME:Bates,Charles EdwardREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Failure to appear

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Theft of prop/services:Value less than $1,500

REQUESTED CHARGE(S):Harass by telecom device; Transmit obscene comment/image/text

NAME:&nbsp;Tillis,Jeray MarquesREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;

Criminal threat; Cause terror, evacuation or disruption

Following is recent booking activity for the Saline County Jail, as provided by law enforcement. Photos, if provided, are courtesy of Saline County Jail. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726145337296.jpeg" alt=" Bates,Charles Edward" />
 <figcaption> Bates,Charles Edward</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:Bates,Charles EdwardREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Failure to appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726145395348.jpeg" alt="Brunner,James Dean" />
 <figcaption>Brunner,James Dean</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Brunner,James DeanREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726145470771.jpeg" alt=" Buchanan,Sedrick Letha" />
 <figcaption> Buchanan,Sedrick Letha</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Buchanan,Sedrick LethaREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Outside warrant/NCIC hitProbation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726145531404.jpeg" alt="Collazo,Zachary Austin" />
 <figcaption>Collazo,Zachary Austin</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Collazo,Zachary AustinREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Dui<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726145583142.jpeg" alt="Cozart,Miralis Jarmaih" />
 <figcaption>Cozart,Miralis Jarmaih</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Cozart,Miralis JarmaihREQUESTED CHARGE(S): failure to appear<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726145654413.jpeg" alt="Gray,Brook Dalton" />
 <figcaption>Gray,Brook Dalton</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Gray,Brook DaltonREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726145721806.jpeg" alt=" Hunt Henderson,Lyle Reginal" />
 <figcaption> Hunt Henderson,Lyle Reginal</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Hunt Henderson,Lyle ReginalREQUESTED CHARGE(S): Probation Violation<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726145768719.jpeg" alt="McMillin,Shane Douglas" />
 <figcaption>McMillin,Shane Douglas</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;McMillin,Shane DouglasREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Theft of prop/services:Value less than $1,500<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726145832432.jpeg" alt="Sickman,Raelynn Dawn " />
 <figcaption>Sickman,Raelynn Dawn </figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Sickman,Raelynn DawnREQUESTED CHARGE(S):Harass by telecom device; Transmit obscene comment/image/text<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726145900136.jpeg" alt=" Tillis,Jeray Marques" />
 <figcaption> Tillis,Jeray Marques</figcaption>
 </figure>NAME:&nbsp;Tillis,Jeray MarquesREQUESTED CHARGE(S):&nbsp;Stalking; Misd unknown circumstanceCriminal threat; Cause terror, evacuation or disruption

Saline County Jail Bookings, Sept. 12

By NATE KING Salina Post

At its recent meeting, the Salina City Commission agreed to double the compensation for city commissioners. This is the first pay increase for commissioners since 1999.

<a href="http://weblink.salina.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=546963&amp;dbid=0&amp;repo=Salina">Under the new ordinance,</a> approved 5-0 by commissioners on September 9, city commissioners will receive $600 monthly, while the mayor will be compensated with $1,000 monthly.

Initially set at $100 per month in April 1963 ($150 for the mayor), the compensation for city commissioners has changed over the decades, with the last raise in May 1999 resulting in a $300 monthly salary for each commissioner, including the mayor

According to Jacob Wood, deputy city manager,&nbsp; the ordinance outlines a higher salary for the mayor because the mayor is expected to invest more time in their duties than other commissioners.

According to Jacob, the mayor spends a little more time preparing to run the meeting. He also said it is pretty common in local government that the mayor would receive a slightly higher amount of compensation.

The City of Salina has operated under a Commission-City Manager government since 1921. The City Commission consists of five members elected at-large. The top two vote-getters serve four-year terms, while the third-place candidate serves a two-year term. Each year, the city commission selects one member to serve as mayor.&nbsp;

Salina Assisting City Manager Shawn Henessee provided commissioners with an assessment of past salaries.&nbsp;

"When the salaries were set at $300 that $300 in 1999 would have a purchasing power equal to $567.76 as of July of 2024," Henessee said. 

Kansas law has historically dictated city official salaries through Kansas Statutes Annotated (K.S.A.) 12-1008, but with its repeal in 2015, the constraint is now removed. Salina, leveraging its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lkm.org/page/Home_Rule">"home rule" capacity </a>extended by the Kansas Constitution, has used Charter Ordinances to independently regulate city salaries.

"What is a charter ordinance? A charter ordinance is something that when the Kansas statutes don't apply equally to all different cities, under the Home Rule authority, you have the ability to charter out of that. That very first charter ordinance was adopted in 1963 when the $100 City Commissioner pay rate was. Before that, the salaries were set by statute, and they vary depending upon the size of the city," Henessee said. 

In 2015 the Kansas Legislature removed the statutory section which set the different classes of pay rate for different sizes of cities.

"This would be the last time you would have to adopt the charter ordinance in order to adjust the pay rate; since that statute was repealed in 2015, adjustments in the future would just require an ordinance," Henessee said. 

There are several requirements for charter ordinance. It has to be passed by all five commissioners voting in the affirmative and there has to be a 16 day period after which there can be a petition filed to oppose the adoption of the charter ordinance. 

"The charter ordinance wouldn't go into effect until 61 days after its approval," Henessee said. "The ordinance itself, with adjusted salary, would have an effective date starting of January 1, 2025. Additionally, the ordinance envisions two additional items in the ordinance, which are present starting on January 1, 2026."

To address future cost-of-living adjustments, an annual COLA linked to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) will be adopted starting in 2026. This ensures salaries remain commensurate with inflation, enhancing the salaries' reflection of present-day living costs.

Commissioner Jerry Ivey Jr. said the increase could encourage more residents to run for public office.&nbsp;

"This could have the potential to bring in more candidates that are willing to run. This could helps supplement if they had to take vacation days or cut in pay in order to be here at commission meetings or other activities," said Commissioner Jerry Ivey Jr.

Commissioner Trent Davis and Mike Hopppock agreed that an amendment would be needed to ensure that the annual cost-of-living adjustments to the commissioner's pay would not exceed those of the city employees. Hoppock also said he wouldn't want the compensation to become the main reason why someone runs for city commission.&nbsp;

"As I have said from day one I ran for the fact that it is community service. If it stayed at $300 it wouldn't bother me. I know that we have other commissioners who would like to see this amount increased. I don't want it to be such a large amount that people are running for the wrong reasons."

"Every January 1, starting in 2026, an annual cost-of-living adjustment to the compensation for commissioners and the mayor shall occur in an amount equal to the cost-of-living adjustment for City of Salina employees that has been adopted for the current fiscal year."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704908562390.jpeg" alt="The Salina City Commission" />
 <figcaption>The Salina City Commission</figcaption>
 </figure>By NATE KING Salina PostAt its recent meeting, the Salina City Commission agreed to double the compensation for city commissioners. This is the first pay increase for commissioners since 1999.<a href="http://weblink.salina.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=546963&amp;dbid=0&amp;repo=Salina">Under the new ordinance,</a> approved 5-0 by commissioners on September 9, city commissioners will receive $600 monthly, while the mayor will be compensated with $1,000 monthly.Initially set at $100 per month in April 1963 ($150 for the mayor), the compensation for city commissioners has changed over the decades, with the last raise in May 1999 resulting in a $300 monthly salary for each commissioner, including the mayorAccording to Jacob Wood, deputy city manager,&nbsp; the ordinance outlines a higher salary for the mayor because the mayor is expected to invest more time in their duties than other commissioners.According to Jacob, the mayor spends a little more time preparing to run the meeting. He also said it is pretty common in local government that the mayor would receive a slightly higher amount of compensation.The City of Salina has operated under a Commission-City Manager government since 1921. The City Commission consists of five members elected at-large. The top two vote-getters serve four-year terms, while the third-place candidate serves a two-year term. Each year, the city commission selects one member to serve as mayor.&nbsp;Salina Assisting City Manager Shawn Henessee provided commissioners with an assessment of past salaries.&nbsp;"When the salaries were set at $300 that $300 in 1999 would have a purchasing power equal to $567.76 as of July of 2024," Henessee said. Kansas law has historically dictated city official salaries through Kansas Statutes Annotated (K.S.A.) 12-1008, but with its repeal in 2015, the constraint is now removed. Salina, leveraging its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lkm.org/page/Home_Rule">"home rule" capacity </a>extended by the Kansas Constitution, has used Charter Ordinances to independently regulate city salaries."What is a charter ordinance? A charter ordinance is something that when the Kansas statutes don't apply equally to all different cities, under the Home Rule authority, you have the ability to charter out of that. That very first charter ordinance was adopted in 1963 when the $100 City Commissioner pay rate was. Before that, the salaries were set by statute, and they vary depending upon the size of the city," Henessee said. In 2015 the Kansas Legislature removed the statutory section which set the different classes of pay rate for different sizes of cities."This would be the last time you would have to adopt the charter ordinance in order to adjust the pay rate; since that statute was repealed in 2015, adjustments in the future would just require an ordinance," Henessee said. There are several requirements for charter ordinance. It has to be passed by all five commissioners voting in the affirmative and there has to be a 16 day period after which there can be a petition filed to oppose the adoption of the charter ordinance. "The charter ordinance wouldn't go into effect until 61 days after its approval," Henessee said. "The ordinance itself, with adjusted salary, would have an effective date starting of January 1, 2025. Additionally, the ordinance envisions two additional items in the ordinance, which are present starting on January 1, 2026."To address future cost-of-living adjustments, an annual COLA linked to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) will be adopted starting in 2026. This ensures salaries remain commensurate with inflation, enhancing the salaries' reflection of present-day living costs.Commissioner Jerry Ivey Jr. said the increase could encourage more residents to run for public office.&nbsp;"This could have the potential to bring in more candidates that are willing to run. This could helps supplement if they had to take vacation days or cut in pay in order to be here at commission meetings or other activities," said Commissioner Jerry Ivey Jr.Commissioner Trent Davis and Mike Hopppock agreed that an amendment would be needed to ensure that the annual cost-of-living adjustments to the commissioner's pay would not exceed those of the city employees. Hoppock also said he wouldn't want the compensation to become the main reason why someone runs for city commission.&nbsp;"As I have said from day one I ran for the fact that it is community service. If it stayed at $300 it wouldn't bother me. I know that we have other commissioners who would like to see this amount increased. I don't want it to be such a large amount that people are running for the wrong reasons."The ordinance states the following:"Every January 1, starting in 2026, an annual cost-of-living adjustment to the compensation for commissioners and the mayor shall occur in an amount equal to the cost-of-living adjustment for City of Salina employees that has been adopted for the current fiscal year."

Salina City Commission approves cost-of-living pay raise for commissioners

On Friday, December 20, at 7:30 p.m., the world-renowned Canadian band LEAHY will bring their energetic and dynamic performance to the Stiefel Theatre in Salina. Known for their seamless blend of folk, Celtic, and world music, LEAHY captivates audiences with their outstanding musicianship, intricate French-Canadian step-dancing, and powerful sibling connection.

Tickets for the show, starting at $49, will be available for purchase starting Friday, September 13, at noon. Fans can buy tickets online at <a href="http://www.stiefeltheatre.org">www.stiefeltheatre.org</a> or through the Stiefel Theatre box office by calling 785-827-1998, Monday through Friday from noon to 4:30 p.m.

With their deep-rooted tradition and modern creativity, LEAHY has earned widespread acclaim, including multiple awards and nominations from the Juno Awards and the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Their live performances are nothing short of exhilarating, blending traditional tunes with original songs that make each show a unique experience. Adding to the excitement, some of LEAHY’s own children—accomplished musicians in their own right—will join the band on stage, making this family affair even more memorable.

Larry Britegam, Regional President of Equity Bank, expressed his enthusiasm for LEAHY’s return to the Stiefel, describing them as one of his all-time favorite performers: “Extraordinary musicians, great folk/country/Celtic music, and dancing out of this world, you won’t want to miss a performance!”

Whether you're a fan of folk, Celtic, or world music, or simply looking for an inspiring and electrifying show, this performance is not to be missed!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725996351925.jpeg" alt="Leahy" />
 <figcaption>Leahy</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTOn Friday, December 20, at 7:30 p.m., the world-renowned Canadian band LEAHY will bring their energetic and dynamic performance to the Stiefel Theatre in Salina. Known for their seamless blend of folk, Celtic, and world music, LEAHY captivates audiences with their outstanding musicianship, intricate French-Canadian step-dancing, and powerful sibling connection.Tickets for the show, starting at $49, will be available for purchase starting Friday, September 13, at noon. Fans can buy tickets online at <a href="http://www.stiefeltheatre.org">www.stiefeltheatre.org</a> or through the Stiefel Theatre box office by calling 785-827-1998, Monday through Friday from noon to 4:30 p.m.With their deep-rooted tradition and modern creativity, LEAHY has earned widespread acclaim, including multiple awards and nominations from the Juno Awards and the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Their live performances are nothing short of exhilarating, blending traditional tunes with original songs that make each show a unique experience. Adding to the excitement, some of LEAHY’s own children—accomplished musicians in their own right—will join the band on stage, making this family affair even more memorable.Larry Britegam, Regional President of Equity Bank, expressed his enthusiasm for LEAHY’s return to the Stiefel, describing them as one of his all-time favorite performers: “Extraordinary musicians, great folk/country/Celtic music, and dancing out of this world, you won’t want to miss a performance!”Whether you're a fan of folk, Celtic, or world music, or simply looking for an inspiring and electrifying show, this performance is not to be missed!

LEAHY brings dynamic celtic and folk performance to Stiefel Theatre on Dec. 20

By SALINA POST SALINE COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just after 3 p.m. Wednesday in Saline County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Volvo semi driven by Abdifatah&nbsp;Hassan, 45, St. Cloud, Minnesota, and a 2022 Ram pickup driven by Dirk&nbsp;Speed, 66, Salina, were southbound at Interstate 135 at&nbsp;W Stimmel Road.

Hassan missed the exit onto Interstate 70 and made an illegal U-turn across the median, causing a collision with the&nbsp; pickup.

EMS transported Hassan and Speed to Salina Regional Health Center. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726098706999.png" alt="Photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>Photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POST SALINE COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just after 3 p.m. Wednesday in Saline County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Volvo semi driven by Abdifatah&nbsp;Hassan, 45, St. Cloud, Minnesota, and a 2022 Ram pickup driven by Dirk&nbsp;Speed, 66, Salina, were southbound at Interstate 135 at&nbsp;W Stimmel Road.Hassan missed the exit onto Interstate 70 and made an illegal U-turn across the median, causing a collision with the&nbsp; pickup.EMS transported Hassan and Speed to Salina Regional Health Center. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Two hospitalized in Salina after semi driver makes illegal U-turn

During the 1 p.m. hour on Wednesday, Sept. 11, the northbound lanes of Santa Fe Avenue in downtown Salina were temporarily closed due to a leak in the carbonation system at the former Prickly Pear Grill and Cantina.

According to a statement from the Salina Fire Department, crews responded to 123 S. Santa-Fe for the reports of a CO2 alarm going off in the basement. 

Upon arrival, the Hazmat Engine crew found construction workers waiting outside. Crews entered the building and began monitoring the atmosphere inside the building. An additional Engine was requested by the hazmat engine to assist with ventilation and additional personnel. 

According to Battalion Chief Chris Stansberry,the crews were able to confirm a CO2 leak from the beverage dispensing system in the basement. Ventilation fans were used to ventilate the building, one was set at the front door and one in the basement entrance. 

Once the building was clear of the CO2 the building was turned back over to the construction crews. 

 No injuries were reported, and the street has since reopened to traffic.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726080966098.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTDuring the 1 p.m. hour on Wednesday, Sept. 11, the northbound lanes of Santa Fe Avenue in downtown Salina were temporarily closed due to a leak in the carbonation system at the former Prickly Pear Grill and Cantina.According to a statement from the Salina Fire Department, crews responded to 123 S. Santa-Fe for the reports of a CO2 alarm going off in the basement. Upon arrival, the Hazmat Engine crew found construction workers waiting outside. Crews entered the building and began monitoring the atmosphere inside the building. An additional Engine was requested by the hazmat engine to assist with ventilation and additional personnel. According to Battalion Chief Chris Stansberry,the crews were able to confirm a CO2 leak from the beverage dispensing system in the basement. Ventilation fans were used to ventilate the building, one was set at the front door and one in the basement entrance. Once the building was clear of the CO2 the building was turned back over to the construction crews. No injuries were reported, and the street has since reopened to traffic.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726081001481.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

UPDATED: Carbonation leak temporarily shuts down northbound lane of Santa Fe Avenue

By SALINA POST The Salina Fire Department is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual Central Kansas 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and 5K Family Fun Walk, “Steps of Hope,” at the Kansas Wesleyan University campus on Sunday, Sept. 29. The event will be held at JRI Stadium in the Graves Family&nbsp;Sports Complex. There will be two events leading up to the stair climb and a post-climb event, “Live from The&nbsp;Lot,” featuring great entertainment at Long McArthur Ford.

The Central Kansas 9/11 Stair Climb and 5K Family Fun Walk allows civic leaders and citizens from Salina and across Kansas to honor and remember the FDNY firefighters who gave their lives on September 11, 2001.

For 2024, SFD has partnered with the Love Chloe Foundation, which will receive a portion of the proceeds from the stair climb. The NFFF and Love Chloe are 501(c)(3) organizations.

This event presents a unique opportunity for the entire community to unite in honoring the memory of the heroes of 9/11.

“It's a chance to show support for families facing childhood cancer diagnosis by providingimmediate financial and family support, raising awareness, and contributing to the funding of childhood cancer&nbsp;research,” a release from SFD reads. SFD is extremely fortunate and thankful this year to have the support of Long McArthur Ford, which is hosting “Live from The Lot,” in support of the NFFF for 2024.&nbsp; “Live from the Lot”will follow the stair climb/walk, and the gates open at 4:00 p.m. on September 29. Additionally, Great Life Salina has been a great community partner and will host&nbsp;the “Evening to Always Remember.”

The Central Kansas 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb &amp; 5K Family Fun Walk are not about competition. They are about the entire community—including firefighters, police officers, EMS personnel, families, and friends coming together to honor and remember those who served and sacrificed that day.&nbsp; Each local and regional&nbsp;participant will honor the fallen by carrying the name badge of one of the 343 firefighters. Pre-registered&nbsp;participants will also receive a complimentary 9/11 Stair Climb / Family Fun Walk t-shirt to commemorate&nbsp;their time at the event.

There are two preceding events before the 2024&nbsp;Central Kansas 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and 5K Family Fun Walk.

The first is on Wednesday, September 11, with a “Tribute to Heroes Memorial&nbsp;Service” at Fire Station 1, 222 W. Elm Street, at 8:00 a.m. Later that evening, SFD will hold an “EVENING TO&nbsp;ALWAYS REMEMBER” from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Great Life Golf &amp; Fitness, 1800 S. Marymount Rd., Salina,&nbsp;KS 67401. The cost is $10.00 with a cash bar.&nbsp;Martinelli’s Little Italy will provide the food, and Tony Bowell&nbsp;will provide music for attendees listening pleasure.

For stair climb details, visit <a href="https://nfff.akaraisin.com/ui/centralkansas24">https://nfff.akaraisin.com/ui/centralkansas24</a>.

For “Live from The Lot” tickets, visit <a href="http://www.longmcarthur.com">www.longmcarthur.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704473450444.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POST The Salina Fire Department is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual Central Kansas 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and 5K Family Fun Walk, “Steps of Hope,” at the Kansas Wesleyan University campus on Sunday, Sept. 29. The event will be held at JRI Stadium in the Graves Family&nbsp;Sports Complex. There will be two events leading up to the stair climb and a post-climb event, “Live from The&nbsp;Lot,” featuring great entertainment at Long McArthur Ford.The Central Kansas 9/11 Stair Climb and 5K Family Fun Walk allows civic leaders and citizens from Salina and across Kansas to honor and remember the FDNY firefighters who gave their lives on September 11, 2001.For 2024, SFD has partnered with the Love Chloe Foundation, which will receive a portion of the proceeds from the stair climb. The NFFF and Love Chloe are 501(c)(3) organizations.This event presents a unique opportunity for the entire community to unite in honoring the memory of the heroes of 9/11.“It's a chance to show support for families facing childhood cancer diagnosis by providingimmediate financial and family support, raising awareness, and contributing to the funding of childhood cancer&nbsp;research,” a release from SFD reads. SFD is extremely fortunate and thankful this year to have the support of Long McArthur Ford, which is hosting “Live from The Lot,” in support of the NFFF for 2024.&nbsp; “Live from the Lot”will follow the stair climb/walk, and the gates open at 4:00 p.m. on September 29. Additionally, Great Life Salina has been a great community partner and will host&nbsp;the “Evening to Always Remember.”The Central Kansas 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb &amp; 5K Family Fun Walk are not about competition. They are about the entire community—including firefighters, police officers, EMS personnel, families, and friends coming together to honor and remember those who served and sacrificed that day.&nbsp; Each local and regional&nbsp;participant will honor the fallen by carrying the name badge of one of the 343 firefighters. Pre-registered&nbsp;participants will also receive a complimentary 9/11 Stair Climb / Family Fun Walk t-shirt to commemorate&nbsp;their time at the event.There are two preceding events before the 2024&nbsp;Central Kansas 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb and 5K Family Fun Walk.The first is on Wednesday, September 11, with a “Tribute to Heroes Memorial&nbsp;Service” at Fire Station 1, 222 W. Elm Street, at 8:00 a.m. Later that evening, SFD will hold an “EVENING TO&nbsp;ALWAYS REMEMBER” from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Great Life Golf &amp; Fitness, 1800 S. Marymount Rd., Salina,&nbsp;KS 67401. The cost is $10.00 with a cash bar.&nbsp;Martinelli’s Little Italy will provide the food, and Tony Bowell&nbsp;will provide music for attendees listening pleasure.For stair climb details, visit <a href="https://nfff.akaraisin.com/ui/centralkansas24">https://nfff.akaraisin.com/ui/centralkansas24</a>.For “Live from The Lot” tickets, visit <a href="http://www.longmcarthur.com">www.longmcarthur.com</a>.

SFD Third Annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb & Family Fun Walk

&nbsp;By NATE KING Salina Post

A familiar name has launched a write-in campaign for the Saline County Commission. Kathleen Malone Crouch officially launched her write-in campaign for Saline County Commission District Two on August 19, by filing with Saline County Clerk Jamie Doss. 

Malone Crouch, who previously ran for the Republican nomination against Annie Grevas, lost the primary by only 17 votes following the August 6 election.

“I felt that with a 17 vote difference, I had too much of a chance. I think I have so much to offer the county," Malone Crouch told Salina Post. 

In total, 1,131 Saline County residents voted in the Saline County District Two election.&nbsp;According to the official results, a total of 4,090 Saline County residents voted in the August 6 Primary, representing just 16.7% of registered voters in the county.

Malone Crouch officially filed as a write-in candidate on Monday at 9:08 a.m. The primary election was close enough that she had the option of a recount, which she would have to pay for herself. Doss said a hand recount would likely cost a few hundred dollars.

READ MORE:<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6465d934-0f06-45f0-a7fc-e783eef14469">&nbsp;2024 Election: Candidate for Saline County Commission, Kathleen Malone Crouch</a>

"Our election staff are paid $10/hr, then it just depends on how long it would take them to count all District Two," Doss said.

Doss said Malone Crouch or any<a target="_blank" href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/election"> write-in candidate does not have to pay a fee to file.</a>&nbsp;Malone Crouch said although she did not have to pay to file for her write-in campaign, she did pay to file in Republican primary.

The deadline to file for a write-in campaign is October. 8.

Malone Crouch said she feels confident that voter turnout will increase in November. 

"Thinking that the November 5 election will bring out more voters because of the presidential race," Malone Crouch said. "I believe I have a great chance to win this, although I know I would be coming from behind as the underdog write-in, I'm going to give it my best."

Malone Crouch said she plans to hold additional meet-and-greet events at coffee shops around Salina, visit with residents in rural parts of District Two and attend public events as she would&nbsp;

"I have ordered write-in bumper stickers.&nbsp; I've ordered more signs and banners that say write-in," Malone Crouch said.

Malone Crouch, who participated in the League of Women Voters Speed Dating with the Candidate forum, the Granny Brigade forum and the Saline County Republicans forum, said she would be interested in participating in any additional candidate forums before Nov. 5.&nbsp;

"I will be present at meetings unless there's something life-threatening that I can't avoid and I will read about the issues before the meeting," Malone Crouch said. "I believe I do have the passion it takes to serve."

For more details about the November 5 General Election visit the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/election">Saline County Elections website here.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699398880794.jpeg" alt="Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;By NATE KING Salina PostA familiar name has launched a write-in campaign for the Saline County Commission. Kathleen Malone Crouch officially launched her write-in campaign for Saline County Commission District Two on August 19, by filing with Saline County Clerk Jamie Doss. Malone Crouch, who previously ran for the Republican nomination against Annie Grevas, lost the primary by only 17 votes following the August 6 election.“I felt that with a 17 vote difference, I had too much of a chance. I think I have so much to offer the county," Malone Crouch told Salina Post. In total, 1,131 Saline County residents voted in the Saline County District Two election.&nbsp;According to the official results, a total of 4,090 Saline County residents voted in the August 6 Primary, representing just 16.7% of registered voters in the county.Malone Crouch officially filed as a write-in candidate on Monday at 9:08 a.m. The primary election was close enough that she had the option of a recount, which she would have to pay for herself. Doss said a hand recount would likely cost a few hundred dollars.READ MORE:<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6465d934-0f06-45f0-a7fc-e783eef14469">&nbsp;2024 Election: Candidate for Saline County Commission, Kathleen Malone Crouch</a>"Our election staff are paid $10/hr, then it just depends on how long it would take them to count all District Two," Doss said.Doss said Malone Crouch or any<a target="_blank" href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/election"> write-in candidate does not have to pay a fee to file.</a>&nbsp;Malone Crouch said although she did not have to pay to file for her write-in campaign, she did pay to file in Republican primary. The deadline to file for a write-in campaign is October. 8.Malone Crouch said she feels confident that voter turnout will increase in November. "Thinking that the November 5 election will bring out more voters because of the presidential race," Malone Crouch said. "I believe I have a great chance to win this, although I know I would be coming from behind as the underdog write-in, I'm going to give it my best."Malone Crouch said she plans to hold additional meet-and-greet events at coffee shops around Salina, visit with residents in rural parts of District Two and attend public events as she would&nbsp;"I have ordered write-in bumper stickers.&nbsp; I've ordered more signs and banners that say write-in," Malone Crouch said.Malone Crouch, who participated in the League of Women Voters Speed Dating with the Candidate forum, the Granny Brigade forum and the Saline County Republicans forum, said she would be interested in participating in any additional candidate forums before Nov. 5.&nbsp;"I will be present at meetings unless there's something life-threatening that I can't avoid and I will read about the issues before the meeting," Malone Crouch said. "I believe I do have the passion it takes to serve."For more details about the November 5 General Election visit the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/election">Saline County Elections website here.</a>

Malone Crouch files write-in campaign for Saline Co. Comm. Second District

Salina Police Department officers responded to a call in the 300 block of Maple Street yesterday afternoon after it recieved a report of someone violating a protection order. 

According to Salina Police Cpt. James Feldman, the incident occurred around 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10.&nbsp;

"Contact was made with a 42-year-old female who lives in the 300 block of Maple Street. She indicated that a 44-year-old Tyson Marfise had showed up at the residence and refused to leave," Feldman said. "He then pushed his way past the victim, and entered the residence."

While Marfise remained at the residence, the victim went to a bedroom to get away from him.&nbsp;

"He kicked in the door of the bedroom, damaging the door, and he was present when officers arrived and took him into custody without incident," Feldman said.&nbsp;

Marfise now faces multiple charges, including violation of a protection order, aggravated burglary, domestic battery, criminal damage to property, and stalking. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726057284420.jpeg" alt="Marfise,Tyson Allen" />
 <figcaption>Marfise,Tyson Allen</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTSalina Police Department officers responded to a call in the 300 block of Maple Street yesterday afternoon after it recieved a report of someone violating a protection order. According to Salina Police Cpt. James Feldman, the incident occurred around 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10.&nbsp;"Contact was made with a 42-year-old female who lives in the 300 block of Maple Street. She indicated that a 44-year-old Tyson Marfise had showed up at the residence and refused to leave," Feldman said. "He then pushed his way past the victim, and entered the residence."While Marfise remained at the residence, the victim went to a bedroom to get away from him.&nbsp;"He kicked in the door of the bedroom, damaging the door, and he was present when officers arrived and took him into custody without incident," Feldman said.&nbsp;Marfise now faces multiple charges, including violation of a protection order, aggravated burglary, domestic battery, criminal damage to property, and stalking.

SPD arrests Salina man for violating protection order, battery, stalking 

At 7:46 a.m. on the morning of September 11, 2024 Salina Fire Department firefighters saluted the lives of those lost on September 11, 2001.&nbsp;

In total nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the terrorist attacks directed towards America on September 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center in NYC, the Pentagon, and Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/dad8a903-43f0-49eb-a046-52c8dca6d8a6">Salina Community to honor lives lost on 9/11 at ‘A Night of Remembrance’</a>

Earlier this week, New York officials revealed a sobering statistic. For the first time, more FDNY first responders have died from their exposure to toxins at Ground Zero (370) than were killed on the day of the attacks (343), including 28 in the past year. 

Union leaders are imploring Congress to extend funding for the World Trade Center Health Program, which runs out in 2028, through 2090, to ensure that every survivor is able to receive care.

The FDNY said urgency is needed before 9/11 fades from people’s memories: It soon plans to hire people born after Sept. 11, 2001.

<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsalinafire%2Fvideos%2F478184688386497%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>By SALINA POSTAt 7:46 a.m. on the morning of September 11, 2024 Salina Fire Department firefighters saluted the lives of those lost on September 11, 2001.&nbsp;In total nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the terrorist attacks directed towards America on September 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center in NYC, the Pentagon, and Somerset County, Pennsylvania.READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/dad8a903-43f0-49eb-a046-52c8dca6d8a6">Salina Community to honor lives lost on 9/11 at ‘A Night of Remembrance’</a>Earlier this week, New York officials revealed a sobering statistic. For the first time, more FDNY first responders have died from their exposure to toxins at Ground Zero (370) than were killed on the day of the attacks (343), including 28 in the past year. Union leaders are imploring Congress to extend funding for the World Trade Center Health Program, which runs out in 2028, through 2090, to ensure that every survivor is able to receive care.The FDNY said urgency is needed before 9/11 fades from people’s memories: It soon plans to hire people born after Sept. 11, 2001.

🎥SFD salutes lives lost during the terrorist attacks on 9/11

The City of Salina announces the introduction of a new water usage tracking portal, designed to help Salina water customers easily monitor how much water they use.

“The new water usage tracking portal is a feature that customers will want to use frequently to keep track of their water usage, quickly detect unexpected increases in water usage, and help keep their water bills within their monthly budgets,” said Debbie Pack, Director of Finance and Administration for the City of Salina.

The water usage tracking portal contains several customer-friendly features:

- a dashboard showing billing cycle usage and data, as well as alerts;

- water usage details, including customizable graphs to show use by day, week, month, and year; and

- a section where a user can set alerts and be notified when usage exceeds certain levels over a day, week, month, or a specified period of time. To sign up for a free account, please visit <a href="https://www.salina-ks.gov/water-department">https://www.salina-ks.gov/water-department</a> and click on “Water Usage Tracking Portal”. Have your water billing account number and customer number handy. These can be found on your most recent water bill.

For questions or more information, please call the Salina Water Department at 785-309-5740. Choose option 3 to speak with a customer service representative

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1717164495725.jpeg" alt="Water Image Courtesy City of Salina" />
 <figcaption>Water Image Courtesy City of Salina</figcaption>
 </figure>City of SalinaThe City of Salina announces the introduction of a new water usage tracking portal, designed to help Salina water customers easily monitor how much water they use.“The new water usage tracking portal is a feature that customers will want to use frequently to keep track of their water usage, quickly detect unexpected increases in water usage, and help keep their water bills within their monthly budgets,” said Debbie Pack, Director of Finance and Administration for the City of Salina.The water usage tracking portal contains several customer-friendly features:- a dashboard showing billing cycle usage and data, as well as alerts;- water usage details, including customizable graphs to show use by day, week, month, and year; and- a section where a user can set alerts and be notified when usage exceeds certain levels over a day, week, month, or a specified period of time. To sign up for a free account, please visit <a href="https://www.salina-ks.gov/water-department">https://www.salina-ks.gov/water-department</a> and click on “Water Usage Tracking Portal”. Have your water billing account number and customer number handy. These can be found on your most recent water bill.For questions or more information, please call the Salina Water Department at 785-309-5740. Choose option 3 to speak with a customer service representative

City of Salina introduces new water usage tracking portal

Governor Laura Kelly and Kansas Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed announced today that 40 local and off-system bridge projects across the state will receive a combined total of $40.25 million as part of two local bridge improvement programs capitalizing on new revenue from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

“Kansas’ local bridges are critical to connecting communities and to economic opportunities,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “These projects increase infrastructure stability and safety across the state by enabling needed bridge maintenance, repair, and replacement.”

Combined with matching funds from the awarded cities and counties, the total project value is over $45.2 million. By reshaping the local bridge programs to take advantage of BIL, the Kansas Department of Transportation more than doubled its annual funding as part of the existing Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE).

There are more than 19,000 bridges on local road systems across Kansas. And nearly 5,000 of those bridges need updates for today’s standards.

“Local bridges play an important role in moving people and goods through our state,”&nbsp;Secretary Reed said.&nbsp;“With IKE, we have been able to increase the investment in local bridges and provide opportunities to improve these vital connections for our communities.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726073118052.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedGovernor Laura Kelly and Kansas Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed announced today that 40 local and off-system bridge projects across the state will receive a combined total of $40.25 million as part of two local bridge improvement programs capitalizing on new revenue from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).“Kansas’ local bridges are critical to connecting communities and to economic opportunities,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “These projects increase infrastructure stability and safety across the state by enabling needed bridge maintenance, repair, and replacement.”Combined with matching funds from the awarded cities and counties, the total project value is over $45.2 million. By reshaping the local bridge programs to take advantage of BIL, the Kansas Department of Transportation more than doubled its annual funding as part of the existing Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE).There are more than 19,000 bridges on local road systems across Kansas. And nearly 5,000 of those bridges need updates for today’s standards.“Local bridges play an important role in moving people and goods through our state,”&nbsp;Secretary Reed said.&nbsp;“With IKE, we have been able to increase the investment in local bridges and provide opportunities to improve these vital connections for our communities.”&nbsp;KDOT is awarding $20.45 million through the Off-System Bridge program (OSB) in Fiscal Year 2026 to fund 21 projects across the state. About $19.8 million will be awarded by KDOT through the Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program (KLBIP) in Fiscal Year 2025. The funds will go to 19 bridge replacement projects, and an additional four bridges will be permanently removed from local systems.The OSB and KLBIP are targeted for city and county bridges in need of replacement or repair that are not on the state highway system. Funds for both programs are awarded through an application process and, in most cases, require a local contribution. KDOT uses selection criteria that include bridge condition, detour length, inability to carry legal loads, and past project history.For this cycle of the local bridge programs, KDOT received a combined total of 170 applications requesting $162.3 million.The list of recipients and project locations for KLBIP and OSB are below. A link to a map showing the projects can be found&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.ksdot.gov%2FAssets%2Fwwwksdotorg%2FHeadquarters%2FPDF_Files%2Fpressrelease2024%2FKLBIP_26OSB_Combined_Map.pdf/1/01010191e1ed1462-802b5db6-7aff-4bb8-bbfd-71741dcdd0a8-000000/xlRt9iKDgHawh_-37w6Ly1CaYLtakGSV7ORIPdRAR9E=370">here</a>.<h2>Projects in our listening area:</h2><h2>Republic County</h2>Nickel Road, 2.0 miles east of BellevilleLocal Contribution: $62,791Local Cost Percentage: 8.1%Maximum Funds Awarded: $800,000<h2>Smith County</h2>M Road, 2.0 miles south and 3.0 miles west of Smith CenterLocal Contribution:&nbsp;$54,601Local Cost Percentage:&nbsp;6.0%Maximum Funds Awarded:&nbsp;$1,000,000<h2>Dickinson County</h2>1900 Avenue, 2.0 miles south and 1.6 miles east of AbileneLocal Contribution:&nbsp;$186,922Local Percentage Match:&nbsp;10%KDOT Match Funds: $1,230,000Funds for Bridge Removal:$170,000Total Funds Awarded: $1,400,000<h2>Clay County</h2>Broughton Road over Finney Creek south of 17th RoadLocal Contribution:&nbsp;$188,374Local Percentage Match:&nbsp;10%KDOT Match Funds:&nbsp;$1,100,000Funds for Bridge Removal:Total Funds Awarded:&nbsp;$1,100,000<h2>McPherson County</h2>Arapaho Road, 3.0 miles south and 0.5 miles west of InmanLocal Contribution: $209,953Local Percentage Match: 15%KDOT Match Funds: $950,000Total Funds Awarded: $950,000<h2>Ellsworth County</h2>Avenue J, 0.5 miles east and 1.3 miles south of Black WolfLocal Contribution: $136,776Local Percentage Match: 5%KDOT Match Funds: $1,250,000Total Funds Awarded: $1,250,000