News

KDOT announces signing project begins in Gray, Ford, Finney and Meade counties

Kansas Department of Transportation

The Kansas Department of Transportation has started a signing project to replace signage along several sections of U.S. Highway 50, U.S. Highway 400, U.S. Highway 56 and Kansas Highway 23 in Gray, Ford, Finney and Meade counties.

Motorists can expect minimal traffic impacts in the project work area. The highway will be open to regular traffic.

Signs Up LTD DBA Haren’s Trees and Critters, of Webster City Iowa is the contractor on this $199,689 project, which is expected to be completed by November, conditions permitting.

For more information on this project, contact David Ubel, Construction Manager, at 620-682-7938, or Yazmin Moreno, Public Information Officer, at 620-765-7080.

KDOT announces concrete patching and profile grinding project to begin July 14 along U.S. 50 in Finney County

Kansas Department of Transportation

The Kansas Department of Transportation is starting a concrete patching and profile grinding project Monday along U.S. Highway 50 in Finney County, beginning west of Holcomb then east to the end of the four-lane near Third Street.

The project’s length is approximately 8.39 miles.

Traffic will be reduced to a single lane through the work zone in both directions. The speed limit will be lowered, and the work zones will be marked with signs and cones. These lane closures on U.S. 50 will remain in effect while work is ongoing with a road restriction of 12 feet.

RA Knapp Construction Inc. of Lenexa, is the contractor on this $5.1 million project, which is expected to be completed by the end of December, conditions permitting.

For more information on the project, contact Yazmin Moreno, Public Information Officer at 620-260-6397 or Craig Schlott P.E., District Assistant Construction and Materials Engineer, at 620-765-7096.

Community celebrates completion of local artist’s mural

ROBERT PIERCE

• Leader & Times

Over the Fourth of July weekend, many communities across America celebrated the nation’s independence, and in Liberal, the holiday was marked with another celebration.

The City of Liberal, the Liberal Chamber of Commerce and other community members attended a ribbon cutting for local artist Karem Gallo-Flores’s mural project in Light Park as part of a joint effort from the city, the Kansas Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Knudsen new children’s librarian at Liberal Memorial Library

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

The children’s section at Liberal Memorial Library now has a new face with local Mikayla Knudsen.

As Knudsen tells it, her path to her new position, which she officially started in April, was rather winding.

Gov. Kelly ceremonially signs bill establishing task force to address state’s water challenges

ELLY GRIMM

• Leader & Times

Water conservation and care has long been a priority of the Kelly Administration and recently, a bill was signed to help with just that.

Wednesday, Gov. Laura Kelly ceremonially signed Senate Substitute for House Bill 2172 in Hays, establishing the water program task force to create a long-term investment program for water with a dedicated revenue source. The task force will also evaluate current funding for water and the state’s water planning statutes, submitting reports detailing its findings to the governor and the Kansas Legislature in 2026 and 2027, according to a release from the State of Kansas.