News Blog

The Fill The Bus Campaign kicked off this weekend at Walmart. The annual event, put on by the Franklin County United Way, collects school supplies to give to those families who may…

No matter how old you are, you are aging and as we get older, there are some common myths about aging we need to be aware of. One of those is that…

Recently we talked about turtles in the road and whether you should stop and help them across, or….not. There are a lot of turtles on the roadways right now and whether or…

The Franklin County Fair gets started this week. It’s the longest consecutive running fair in the state of Kansas, celebrating it’s 160th year in 2025. The fair events actually started on June…

If you have lived in Ottawa for very long, you probably know who Chuck Crawford is. He is at nearly every event in Ottawa, all year round. Always seeking information, always eager…

Have you ever been sitting at home or work and just nodded off? If so, how are your sleeping habits? Staying up late watching TV or on your phone? Getting some extra…

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks have issued a Public Health Advisory due to blue-green algae in many Kansas lakes, including some in…

The City of Ottawa recently learned their debt capacity, based on many factors, too many to get into here, but the debt capacity is estimated to be $44 million. City Finance Director…

The Kansas Department of Education announced $50 million of program funding would be delayed indefinitely. The cuts affect programs for students relocated due to their parents’ seasonal jobs, english learners, teacher development…

It’s a little early to think about, but…weirdly enough… summer is winding up and winding down rather quickly. Before you know it the kids will be back in school for another year…

Garnett City Manager, Travis Wilson, is proposing a new sales tax in Garnett aimed at improvements at North Lake Park, with the focus on a new swimming pool. The proposal would increase…

Have you ever been sitting at work or at home and thought… oh, I could take a nap? … if so, how are your sleeping habits? Staying up late watching TV or…

The annual “Fill The Bus Campaign”, collecting school supplies for those in need, is coming up soon. Volunteers from the Franklin County United Way will be in the entrances to Walmart collecting…

The Franklin County Development Council Board has identified four strategic priorities…work force, housing, child care, and support of existing industry. Each of those areas has a leadership team committed to finding solutions…

Paola’s adult education program is ending, due to a loss of grant funding, but Director Karen Ulanski-Swank is determined to find a way to keep serving community members. She has worked at…

The Ottawa Library presented their 2026 budget to the Ottawa City Commission. Library Director Terry Chartier told commissioners that some of their budget priorities include being good stewards of taxpayer funds, and…

There was a large emergency responder presence Tuesday night, July 8th, on North Main Street. The Ottawa Police Department was conducting a death investigation after responding to a report in the 800…

The Franklin County Commission approved the 2026-2027 Juvenile Evidence Based Programs grant application. Community Corrections Director, Dustin Browning explained what the grant money would be used for: Browning explained that the grant…

The Ottawa Fire Department has released more information about the house fire at 743 South Poplar on Monday, july 7th. They said a neighbor saw the flames first and called 911, just…

The City of Ottawa is asking for you input on a very important topic. Taxes. However, this tax is a one cent sales tax that was implemented in 2015. A half cent…