KCUR

A Kansas judge sided with Attorney General Kris Kobach that state law does not allow the quarter-cent public safety sales tax to be extended for the uses Johnson County commissioners wanted. The county will formally withdraw their resolution to put the question on the March ballot.

Under the new ownership of Dallas-based Gillon Property Group, a plan to revitalize Kansas City's Country Club Plaza is underway. Now, city officials and community leaders are facing a massive tax incentive request that they worry could hurt Kansas City Public Schools and other government services.

If the end-of-year expiration date is not extended, enhanced ACA marketplace participants will see premiums rise anywhere between $300 and $1000. Six in 10 of the respondents to a KFF poll said a $300 increase would put an unsustainable strain on their budget.

Toys for Tots, the 80-year-old program run by the U.S. Marines, is seeing toy donations down by almost 20% this year. Staff Sgt. Christian Martinez was once the recipient of one of those toys. Now, as coordinator of the Kansas City chapter of Toys for Tots, he's worried that other little boys won't get the same joy he did.

The lesser prairie chicken was once a common sight in the southern Great Plains, but its numbers are dwindling. Even so, it lost federal protections earlier this year for a second time. Now states and landowners are overseeing conservation efforts

Johnson County commissioners unanimously approved the county's first ever strategic plan for bus, micro transit and paratransit services. It recommends focusing on increasing frequency of buses along a few key routes, reinstating bus fares and rebranding as "Ride JoCo."

Efforts in Barton County may offer a blueprint for solving a housing shortage across Kansas. The county commission has tapped economic development funds and other resources to help housing developments in three communities.

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, both Republicans, said the partnership would enhance voter roll maintenance by "securely" sharing personal details on 1.87 million registered voters in Kansas and 4.13 million registered voters in Missouri.

Kansas City area school districts are connecting families with food, clothing and other resources after the federal shutdown exacerbated their financial strain.

The federal funding package to reopen the government included a one-year extension of certain 2018 Farm Bill programs. Several expired Sept. 30 or would have been null by the end of the year.