KS - December 17 2024

1. Kansas Housing Shortage Spurs Skyrocketing Prices
2. Salina Approves 250 New Housing Units
3. Tracey Mann Prioritizes Farm Bill, Tax Cuts, Energy, Border
4. Derby School Board Rejects Social Studies Curriculum
 Over Concerns Of Bias
5. Farm Bill Extension Likely as Deadlines Approach
Sports

1. Kansas Housing Shortage Spurs Skyrocketing Prices

A housing shortage in Kansas has sparked skyrocketing home prices, making it much harder to purchase a home. State lawmakers have taken notice and are considering ways to create more affordable housing. A special committee in the Legislature reviewed the situation in Kansas and suggested several ideas that may be able to alleviate some of the problems. But none of the ideas include large new programs or major state funding. Housing advocates estimate it would take several thousand new homes built each year just to meet demand. And construction costs keep rising as well. So it could take years before the shortage is resolved. The lack of housing is also contributing to rising homelessness in the state. While home prices are rising, so are home and apartment rental costs. Advocates serving the homeless say Kansas had the sixth highest rent price increase in the country in 2023. Data in Johnson County also shows more than half of homeless people there have some sort of income, but still can’t afford a place to live. The housing shortage may also hurt the economy. Republican Rep. Leah Howell said she’s heard from business owners who are having a hard time filling positions because new employees can’t find housing.

Article Source: Lawrence Times

2. Salina Approves 250 New Housing Units

A highly anticipated housing development in Salina has been approved for another 250 units. At a time when rental availability is hard to come by, the Salina City Commission approved entering Phase 2 of the Salina Destination Development. This is progress that Salina City Manager Mike Schrage said shows the city’s economic success. “We have a lot of things headed in the right direction,” he said. In May, the City of Salina broke ground on Magnolia Village which will feature 248 apartments, outdoor amenities and more, all aimed at addressing a housing shortage in the city. “Housing has been a goal of ours for quite some time,” Schrage said. “We’ve done a number of housing study updates and then we had some economic development success that really heightened the need for housing in Salina.”

Article Source: KWCH

3. Tracey Mann Prioritizes Farm Bill, Tax Cuts, Energy, Border

The congressman representing the Big First is going to prioritize the farm bill, border security, energy and tax cuts in the next Congress. U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, R-Kan., spoke with The Capital-Journal on Wednesday about his top priorities, which he listed in no particular order. They give insight into what Republicans will do with control of Congress and President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House. Mann, of Salina, represents the 1st Congressional District, which covers the western half of the state plus north-central Kansas extending east into Lawrence.

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

4. Derby School Board Rejects Social Studies Curriculum Over Concerns Of Bias

The Derby school district near Wichita has rejected a proposed social studies curriculum for high school students over concerns that some materials are biased against Republican President-elect Donald Trump. A new conservative majority on the Derby Board of Education voted down a proposed contract with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the high school curriculum, which would have cost about $400,000. The curriculum was recommended by Derby High School teachers, who reviewed six social studies programs over the past year. Some board members voiced concerns about anti-racism statements on the publisher’s website, as well as the company’s statements about diversity, equity and inclusion. They also said parts of a textbook and online materials do not fairly reflect Trump’s first presidency.

Article Source: KPR

5. Farm Bill Extension Likely as Deadlines Approach

With farm bill negotiations at a standstill, congressional leaders announced that an extension of the current legislation will be necessary before the year ends. Lawmakers are now debating what the extension should look like and how much economic aid it should offer farmers. Two critical deadlines are coming in the next two weeks. Farm bill safety net programs will begin to expire and revert back to Depression-era law on Dec. 31, upending food markets and raising consumer prices. At the same time, lawmakers face a Dec. 20 deadline to keep the government funded and avoid a partial shutdown. Republicans and Democrats both hope to include a farm bill extension within the upcoming government funding bill. The two sides also want billions of dollars in economic aid for farmers, but disagree on how to pay for it.

Article Source: Agriculture Dive

Sports

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is preparing to play against Houston on Saturday, unless his ailing ankle puts the two-time MVP in such a precarious position that he can’t protect himself or he “puts the football team in a bad position.” Mahomes sustained a mild high-ankle sprain late in a 21-7 win in Cleveland on Sunday. He began to receive treatment on the plane ride home - “I wasn’t do high-knees or anything like that,” he quipped - and spent more than 12 hours getting additional work on it at the practice facility Monday, even though most of the team was given the day off. Mahomes was back on the practice field Tuesday with Carson Wentz there to back him up.

Article Source: KWCH

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Sources

1. https://lawrencekstimes.com/2024/12/17/ks-housing-prices-exploded/

2. https://www.kwch.com/2024/12/17/highly-anticipated-salina-housing-development-gets-approval-another-250-units/

3. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/government/2024/12/17/tracey-mann-of-kansas-prioritizes-tax-cuts-border-farm-bill-energy/76919108007/

4. https://kansaspublicradio.org/2024-12-17/derby-school-board-rejects-social-studies-curriculum-majority-says-its-biased-against-trump

5. https://www.agriculturedive.com/news/farm-bill-extension-economic-aid-congress/735793/

6. https://www.kwch.com/2024/12/17/chiefs-qb-patrick-mahomes-preparing-play-against-texans-saturday-despite-his-high-ankle-sprain/