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Written by Brandon Steinert
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Friday, 05 March 2010 08:00 |
After two months of debate and discussion on Miami County’s community growth areas, the Miami County Planning Commission unanimously approved a recommendation on how the County Commissioners should proceed.
Six ideas were initially brought forward, which were condensed into three points the planning commissioners accepted as their recommendation.
They suggest that the county commission should eliminate community growth areas (CGA) because of a lack of city-level representation of individuals in the areas, which encompass all the land within three miles of every direction for the cities of Paola and Osawatomie.
In lieu of the CGAs, the planning commission recommended the implementation of joint planning areas. The county would have complete jurisdiction in the new areas, instead of allowing cities to control land use and subdivisions. The new area would require the formation of a new board of commissioners. The joint planning commission would have representation from the city, joint planning areas and the county. Their recommendations would be for the county commission. The concept of the designated areas gives the city officials an idea of where their growth is and what they’ll be annexing in the future.
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Written by Brandon Steinert
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Friday, 05 March 2010 08:00 |
County Seat Liquor owner Jack Slayman said he rests easy knowing that his only competition is other local liquor stores. That could change, depending on the future of a bill recently introduced to the Kansas Senate that would allow the sale of liquor in grocery stores throughout the state.
“I’m totally against it,” the Paola businessman said.
But for Mike Moon, owner of Moon’s Hometown Market in Osawatomie, a bill of this type would be a welcome sight.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “Kansas is one of the few states where you can’t purchase wine or spirits in a grocery store.”
Senate Bill 550 wouldn’t hang liquor stores out to dry, considering the situation created by decades of laws keeping wine and spirits out of grocery stores.
“Many of our laws that deal with beer, wine and liquor come out of the Prohibition era,” state Sen. Pat Apple said.
He explained that liquor stores are almost all small businesses owned by one individual since only one license can be issued per person. Many of these people have invested a large portion of life savings in stores under the assumption that the only competition would be similar stores. A bill repealing these restrictions would change everything.
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Written by Brandon Steinert
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Friday, 05 March 2010 08:00 |
Another bridge repair project in rural Miami County will begin Monday, leaving Osawatomie Road closed between 363rd and 383rd streets.
The county will not post an official detour route, but road-closed signs will be set up accordingly. The project is expected to be completed in six months, ending in September if the weather cooperates.
County Engineer Penny Evans issued letters to residents who are likely to be affected by the closing. In that notice, she provides some advice.
If you are a resident within the project area, the letter said, be aware of the following:
You will be driving on a road that will have active construction activities. Even though the contract specifies that local traffic will be accommodated, residents will have to deal with some delays. The contractor will try to make sure delays are short. Local drivers will need to adjust their travel schedules to allow for construction activities.
Drivers in the construction zone should proceed with caution at all times during the project.
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Written by Brandon Steinert
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Friday, 05 March 2010 08:00 |
Delaney Murphy made a wish, and it came true. After playing peek-a-boo with Pinocchio, she uttered the magic words: “Bippity boppity boo.”
Moments later, Cinderella strolled into the room and spent nearly half an hour with the 5-year-old. 
These were just some of the dozens of memories the Murphy family made while at Disney World — a trip granted by the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
The nonprofit organization grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions with a goal of enriching “the human experience with hope, strength and joy,” according to the group’s brochure.
The emphasis for most of the children served by the foundation has been on joy.
“It was an amazing and unbelievable trip,” Delaney’s mother, Kelley, said. “(Make-a-Wish) has given us memories our family will have for a lifetime. We never could have done it as well as they did it. They go above and beyond for the kids.”
The program that made all of that possible has only one registered volunteer in Miami County, a fact many people in the area are trying to change.
Kendra Gray, Make-a-Wish volunteer coordinator, said Miami County children have been having their wishes granted since 1980, although most of the volunteers serving the area have been from Johnson County. She is making a new push for more local participation.
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Written by Brandon Steinert
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Friday, 05 March 2010 08:00 |
Residents near the 223rd Street railroad underpass project east of Woodland Road will have to wait a little longer for things to go back to normal. Construction just west of the intersection is behind schedule, and the road might not open until July. Though, Miami County taxpayers will be glad to know that the project is within budget parameters. 
“The contractor is as anxious to get out of there as we are for it to be done,” Miami County Engineer Penny Evans said. “The weather is the biggest factor (in the project’s completion time).”
Although work is going smoothly now, the project hasn’t been without rough patches. Evans said several things have led to higher expenses, including the presence of more rock than anticipated. The additional costs were offset by fluctuations in fuel prices. When the bid was let in October 2008, the cost of fuel was about 30 percent higher than it is now. The higher price was part of original cost estimates. Evans said the difference saved the county about $50,000.
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