A circuit judge is backing the Cass County board of commissioners in its decision to not hold a vote on a zoo tax. Prairie Village leaders have rejected a parks sales tax proposal... It's a daily digest of headlines from KCUR.
Area Sales Tax Proposals Struck Down
A circuit judge is backing the Cass county board of commissioners in its decision to not hold a vote on a zoo tax. The zoo had collected enough petition signatures to put an initiative on the ballot, asking voters to add a one eighth cent sales tax to support the zoo. But a judge has ruled the county commission has the ultimate say on whether to place that and other similar questions on the ballot. A similar case is pending in Platte County. Meanwhile in Prairie Village, there will be no question of a sales tax to pay for parks in the foreseeable future. The City Council has rejected a proposal from its own Parks Committee.
KCK Superintendent Testifies In School Finance Lawsuit
Yesterday marked day two, in Shawnee district court in the trial of the Kansas school finance lawsuit, and the Superintendent of Kansas City Kansas once again testified.
Tribal Notification Mistake Leads to More Public Hearings on Kansas Medicaid Plan
The Brownback Administration is asking for a “mulligan” on the state’s request for a federal waiver to allow a comprehensive overhaul of the Medicaid system in Kansas. State officials say they want to solicit additional comments about the overhaul from Indian health clinics in Lawrence and White Cloud. Brownback's administration says the move won't change plans to issue contracts this summer to three private insurers to manage Medicaid.
Petition Efforts Underway To Remove Statue
People upset by a statue on display at the Overland Park Arboretum have started a petition in hopes of removing it. The statue depicts a bare-breasted woman taking a picture of herself. Local leaders of the American Family Association say it’s an obscenity and not art. The group met with the mayor of Overland Park yesterday, who denied a request to take down the statue. The group is now working to gather 4,000 petition signatures in the next few weeks, and says doing so would bring the issue before a grand jury.
Virus Threatens Roses
A virus that attacks roses is spreading around the Kansas City area. The disease, Rose Rosette, has been around for decades, but it has become a lot more widespread lately. So much so that officials in Overland Park are planning to remove several rose beds. Experts recommend digging up and destroying infected plants. There’s no cure, and microscopic mites, traveling on wind currents, can spread the virus as they feed on roses.
Google TV Heads To KC?
Google appears to be moving towards providing a television service as part of its high speed internet initiative in Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. The company has applied for regulatory clearance for a set-top box. Earlier this year, Google applied for a license for several satellite dishes, which may be needed to capture commercial television programming. The company has not commented on any of its plans, but it has indicated it will start selling its high speed internet service in some neighborhoods this summer.
Regulators OK New Lake Of Ozarks Boundaries
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved Ameren Missouri's plan to reduce the land it owns and manages along the shore of the Lake of the Ozarks. The new property boundary should be good news for many area residents.