KS - November 15 2024

1. Kansas GOP Prioritizes Property Tax Reform Following Election Victory
2. Salina Aviation Innovation and Maintenance Pre-apprenticeship Program
3. Drought Relief: Sedgwick County Emerges from Dry Spell
4. New Gorilla Moves into Sedgwick County Zoo
5. Foreign Ownership of U.S. Farmland
6. Kansas Sports Weekend Preview: Wildcats, Jayhawks, and Undefeated Chiefs
7. Diner Review: Neighbors Cafe - McPherson, KS

1. Kansas GOP Prioritizes Property Tax Reform Following Election Victory

For months Kansas Republicans campaigned on promises to take action on property taxes as soaring home values in recent years enraged voters. Now comes the time to deliver. After Republicans bolstered their supermajority in the Legislature in last week’s elections, lawmakers have begun weighing plans for the 2025 session that begins in January. They are emphatic that property taxes sit at the top of the to-do list.

Article Source: KC Star

2. Salina Aviation Innovation and Maintenance Pre-apprenticeship Program

A fierce desire to know how things work pushed Dinah Roth towards a career in mechanics and an exciting encounter with aviation sealed her budding career. “I love taking things apart, figuring out how they work, and putting them back together,” said the 22-year-old from Ottawa County. “I got interested in planes at 15,” Roth said. Now working as an apprentice at 1 Vision Aviation at Salina Regional Airport, her sights are on aviation, specifically becoming certified and working as an airframe and power plant mechanic. Her journey began Jan. 29 as one of nine students in the inaugural Aviation Innovation and Maintenance pre-apprenticeship program — AIM for short. Upon graduation March 7, when Roth and eight others received their micro-credentials, she and four classmates joined the 1 Vision program, the next step to A&P status, or other levels, including aircraft painting. Through this year, AIM, a Salina Airport Authority program, has sent four cohorts — 22 students total, 21 of whom graduated — through the six-week course. The fifth cohort began Oct. 28. It is the first class to be based in the new AIM Center in Hangar 626.

Article Source: Salina Post

3. Drought Relief: Sedgwick County Emerges from Dry Spell

A new drought map released on Thursday shows a large portion of Sedgwick County and much of the western half of the state are no longer in drought conditions. In all, 73 percent of the state remains in drought, 25 percent lower than the map from Nov. 7. Cheney Lake remains about 8 feet below normal, and water conservation should still be practiced.

Article Source: KWCH

4. New Gorilla Moves into Sedgwick County Zoo

Mandaazi, a western lowland gorilla, arrived at the Sedgwick County Zoo last month. His transfer from San Diego was a recommendation by the Species Survival Plan, which the SCZ said will ensure his role in the conservation of his species. Zoo staff said that in the short time that Mandaazi has been in Wichita, he has become an enthusiastic participant in its training program and easily picks up new behaviors. His favorite activities have been to flirt with all the gorilla girls or just to kick back and relax.

Article Source: KWCH

5. Foreign Ownership of U.S. Farmland

Agricultural land ownership in the United States includes individuals, corporations, estates, institutions, trusts and other arrangements such as foreign ownership. In recent years, ownership from China-based investors has received scrutiny. Any foreign entity that invests in U.S. agricultural land must disclose doing so, according to the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978. The act was “created to establish a nationwide system for the collection of information pertaining to foreign ownership in U.S. agricultural land. The regulations require foreign investors who acquire, transfer or hold an interest in U.S. agricultural land to report such holdings and transactions to the Secretary of Agriculture on an AFIDA Report Form FSA-153.”  Investment in U.S. agricultural land is attractive to foreign investors. Since 2016, foreign ownership has increased by about 2 million acres annually, reaching 37.6 million acres by the end of 2021. In the High Plains, foreign ownership totaled 16.4 million acres in 2021, with an average annual growth of 12.7%. Cropland values have increased significantly over the years, making agricultural land a lucrative investment. For instance, cropland values in the High Plains have more than tripled since 1998, reaching $3,786 per acre in 2024  

Article Source: High Plains Journal

6. Kansas Sports Weekend Preview: Wildcats, Jayhawks, and Undefeated Chiefs

Kansas Jayhawks: * Opponent: #9 BYU Cougars * Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024 * Time: 10:15 PM ET * Location: Provo, Utah * Broadcast: ESPN 

#20 Kansas State Wildcats: * Opponent: Arizona State Sun Devils * Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024 * Time: 7:00 PM ET * Location: Manhattan, Kansas * Broadcast: ESPN 

Kansas City Chiefs (9-0): * Opponent: Buffalo Bills (rivalry game) * Date: Sunday, November 17, 2024 * Time: 4:25 PM ET * Location:  Orchard Park, New York * Broadcast: CBS

7. Diner Review: Neighbors Cafe - McPherson, KS

It’s tough to do a write-up on Neighbors Café because it will inevitably fall short of doing the place justice. I’ve lived in six states, frequented diners in each, and explored others during travels across the Great American Continent. All are measured against Neighbors, and none equal it in terms of atmosphere, service, and food. Located on Main Street near the renovated opera house (built in 1888 when McPherson made a bid to be the state capital), Neighbors occupies an unassuming, squat storefront on the west side of the street. I used to visit Neighbors on Fridays before high school in the 2000s, and today, the interior and even some staff remain identical (though a bit older). You can sit on a stool at the long counter and marvel as cooks prepare food on an industrial-scale grill or settle into a classic diner booth.  Everything on the menu is good, but I always go for the Hungry Neighbor Special (two eggs over easy, bacon, toast) with “fancy” browns—hash browns loaded with cheese, peppers, and meat. Their pancakes are world-renowned and massive (my pro-football-bound friend once managed to eat three before evacuating them in their restroom). The cinnamon rolls are legendary and equally oversized. The coffee is on unlimited refill, and the diligent staff will keep your cup from going below 75% full. If you’re not careful, you can induce a caffeine buzz so intense that signing your check becomes difficult. Everything is reasonably priced, and you’ll find factory workers and business executives sitting shoulder to shoulder. If I have one complaint, it’s that the food is so good I tend to overeat and end up in a food coma. I hope that Neighbors Café, founded in 1997, is around for at least another quarter century.

Sources

1. https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article295572754.html

2. https://salinapost.com/posts/5b8afcb3-06dd-4671-b2e2-9966be34d087

3. https://www.kwch.com/2024/11/14/most-sedgwick-co-emerges-drought-conditions/

4. https://www.kwch.com/2024/11/14/sedgwick-county-zoo-welcomes-gorilla-san-diego-zoo/

5. https://hpj.com/2024/11/15/u-s-agricultural-land-is-attractive-around-the-world/