The Kansas Department of Transportation has started a resurfacing project on a seven-mile section of U.S. 69 in Linn County. The project area begins at the North Sugar Creek bridges and continues south to end 4½ miles south of the north K-52 interchange. Project activity consists of pavement crack filling and a three-inch asphalt overlay.

U.S. 69 north- and southbound traffic is restricted to one lane through the work zone. The work should be completed by mid-August, weather permitting. KDOT awarded the construction contract of $5.1 million to Bettis Asphalt and Construction, Inc., of Topeka, Kan.

Troy Howard, KDOT construction engineer at the Garnett office, reminds drivers to use extra caution and ‘Give ‘Em a Brake’ at the work zone. Persons with questions may contact Howard at (785) 448-5446 or Public Affairs Manager Priscilla Petersen at (620) 902-6433.

John Hrenak has seen many changes during his 40-year tenure with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), but probably none as significant as improved equipment. “Both technological and equipment improvements have enhanced our ability to cover a lot of territory in a short period of time,” he said.

Since 1998 Hrenak has been the District Maintenance Engineer at the KDOT Southeast District Office in Chanute. He began his KDOT career on June 1, 1979, as a Project Engineer at the now closed area office in Fort Scott. Hrenak promoted through the ranks of Area Engineer at Fort Scott and then Staff Engineer at Chanute prior to his current post.

He administers all maintenance activities on state highways in the 17-county district. “We’ve always looked for ways to improve” and have never been content with the status quo, Hrenak said, citing advancements in pretreating highways before winter storms and more efficient methods of patching potholes. All KDOT employees have that “sense of stewardship,” he added, and want to leave the highways the same or even better than they first found them.

Hrenak lives in Fort Scott with his wife Sandy.

Overcrowding issues to continue at state correctional facilities

The State Finance Council voted today to deny funding for space and programming for overcrowded female prisoners and full funding for outsourcing male beds throughout the Kansas prison system.

The Kansas Department of Corrections requested a total of $30 million of which the State Finance Council approved $4.5 million for Hepatitis C treatment, $9.1 million for correctional officer pay increases and $11 million for contract beds. The council approved only $4.38 million of the $11 million requested for outsourcing beds and denied funding to address Topeka Correctional Facility overcrowding.

“The decision to reduce funding for outsourcing beds forces officers at El Dorado Correctional Facility to continue working 16-hour shifts,” said Acting Corrections Secretary Charles Simmons. “Failure to fully address overcrowding issues unnecessarily increases danger to staff, offenders and the public.”

The council voted to deny $3 million erroneously appropriated by the state legislature for renovations to a building on the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex campus in Topeka. Funding was actually requested by the KDOC for staff to supervise 120 adult female inmates and provide substance abuse treatment.

The action to deny funding for this project leaves the KDOC without its primary option to address overcrowding among female inmates. Currently, the state’s only correctional facility for women has a capacity for 903 inmates though the facility has a population of 930. Population projections from the Kansas Sentencing Commission estimate the population to burgeon to 1,018 in Fiscal Year 2020.

“The council agreed we need to raise the pay for our correctional staff and increased funding for Hepatitis C treatment for inmates, but we are disappointed in the decision that will continue overcrowding for both male and female offenders,” Simmons said.

“This was the council’s opportunity to take a significant first step toward addressing the state’s inmate population problem,” he said. “I am concerned that these decisions will result in the state passing its prison overcrowding problems onto county jails.”

Governor, Lt. Governor announce Office of Rural Prosperity Listening Tour Details

Governor Laura Kelly and Lieutenant Governor Lynn Rogers announced at a press conference today details on the upcoming Office of Rural Prosperity Listening Tour.

The tour is intended to foster new ways to help rural Kansas communities by hearing from the residents themselves.

“Rural Kansas has been overlooked and unheard for far too long,” Governor Kelly said. “Our small towns have been neglected. Today we’re taking an important step toward changing this serious problem.”

This upcoming series of events serves as the first phase of the new Office of Rural Prosperity, which has been approved for a $2 million allocation in the newly approved FY 2020 budget. Each location will partner with local hosts in order to set up locations and events.

The Office of Rural Prosperity is dedicated to improving life in rural Kansas. The office is guided by the blueprint created by Governor Kelly, Lt. Governor Rogers and Secretary of Commerce David Toland, which includes:

• Developing rural housing
• Revitalizing Main Street corridors
• Investing in rural infrastructure
• Supporting rural hospitals and medical professional recruitment
• Making state government work for rural Kansas
• Incentivizing active tourism
• Supporting agribusiness

The tour is intended to travel to the following towns across the state:

• Nickerson – June 17
• Atchison – June 20
• Colby – June 24
• Phillipsburg – June 25
• Ulysses – July 8
• Dodge City – July 9
• Garnett – July 22
• Independence – July 23
• Concordia – July 31
• Sabetha – August 1
• Lindsborg – August 7
• Winfield – August 8

The tour will cover a wide area of the state in order to learn specific challenges and opportunities for the many different rural communities across Kansas.

“The governor and I recognize the needs of our rural communities are unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach,” Lt. Governor Rogers said. “We must look at a variety of multifaceted policies and programs that will empower local leaders by helping them access the resources they need. In other words, we must help Kansas communities and local leaders carve out their own route to prosperity.”

More information is available at http://www.ruralkanprosper.ks.gov.

You can follow along with the tour with the Lt. Governor on Twitter @LtGovRogers and use the hashtag #LynnListens.

“I’m excited to begin this tour and have meaningful conversations about rural Kansas.,” Lt. Governor Rogers said. “It’s time for elected leaders to be sincere about listening to people in rural communities who’ve been overlooked and taken for granted far too long. We can and will do better.”

State’s May tax receipts came in $77.1 million above estimates

TOPEKA – May tax receipts came in $77.1 million above the $486.0 million estimate for all tax categories.

Individual income tax receipts are $67.9 million, or 32.3%, above the estimate of $210.0 million. Corporate income tax receipts are $9.0 million, or 44.8%, below the estimate of $20.0 million.

Retail sales tax receipts are $201.1 million, an increase of $8.1 million, or 4.2% above the May estimate.

“Increases in May receipts are largely due to the continued growth in individual income receipts,” Kansas Revenue Secretary Mark Burghart said. “Retail sales and use taxes also contributed almost $10.6 million to the growth in receipts.”

To get a comprehensive look at the report, click below:

11_May_Revenue_FY19_06-03-19_Final

Governor orders flags lowered honoring of victims of Virginia Beach shooting

In accordance with Executive Order 10-12, and in coordination with the proclamation signed by President Donald Trump, Governor Laura Kelly has ordered flags throughout the State of Kansas to be flown at half-staff starting immediately and ending at sunset on Tuesday, June 4, 2019, in honor of the victims in the Virginia Beach shooting.

“Kansas mourns with the families and friends of the victims in Virginia Beach,” Kelly said. “This senseless tragedy reinforces the need for sensible gun safety policies that would protect those who are known to be a danger to themselves and prevent harm to others. We must do more to protect our communities and reduce gun violence.”

To receive email alerts when the governor orders flags to half-staff, please visit https://governor.kansas.gov/newsroom/kansas-flag-honors.