English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Topeka, KS

Quality News

October 14, 2024

Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, Kansas, has completed construction on its Innovation Center, which will open to students on October 14, 2024. The 50,000-square-foot center is part of an ongoing series of construction and renovation projects taking place across the Auburn-Washburn district to enhance the student learning experience. Auburn-Washburn celebrated this historic milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

"This facility is more than just a structure filled with cutting-edge equipment; it represents a bold vision for the future of education,” said Auburn-Washburn Superintendent of Schools Dr. Scott McWilliams. “It is a commitment to nurturing creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving in our students. The Innovation Center will serve as a dynamic hub for exploration and discovery, equipping our students with the skills and resources they need to thrive in an ever-evolving world."

WRHS currently offers 18 career-focused Pathway programs approved by the Kansas Department of Education. A remarkable 75 percent of students will take at least one Pathway course at the high school. Nine Pathway programs – Animal Science; Comprehensive Agriculture; Power, Structural & Technical Systems; Construction & Design: Construction; Construction & Design: Design; Digital Media; Biomedical; Restaurant & Event Management; and Programming & Software — are housed in the new Innovation Center.

"Each of these programs is more than a subject," said WRHS principal Ed Raines. "They are the means by which we prepare our students for a rapidly changing world. In these spaces, they will learn how to think, how to lead, and how to transform. These are the qualities that will allow them to face the future with confidence and resolve."

According to the Georgetown Workforce Study, 70 percent of jobs will require specialized skills by 2031, but only 35 percent will require a four-year degree. The center will empower students to engage in hands-on learning, collaborate on real-world projects, and develop the skills they need to meet future challenges head-on.

Other notable education and workforce initiatives in Topeka include $1.5 million in capital investment funds being used to extend Washburn Tech East, Washburn University’s technology institute. This institute offers training in health care, construction trades, manufacturing, and more. For younger learners, the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center’s (KCDC) IF/THEN Collection is the largest free resource of its kind dedicated to increasing access to authentic and relatable images of real women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). KCDC is one of two children’s museums in the United States that have this exhibit and recently announced a $10 million expansion that will double its size to over 30,000 square feet.

Kansas voters will be asked on their 2024 general election ballots whether they wish to retain several judges.

In Shawnee County, the Nov. 5 election includes retention elections for the Kansas Court of Appeals and the Shawnee County District Court.

Kansas Court of Appeals

Half of the 14 judges on the Kansas Court of Appeals face retention elections this year. Those seven are Chief Judge Karen Arnold-Burger and Judges Sarah E. Warner, David E. Bruns, G. Gordon Atcheson, Rachel L. Pickering, Angela D. Coble and Kathryn Gardner.

Under Kansas law, the Senate confirms judges appointed by the governor to the Kansas Court of Appeals. The governor has used a nominating commission to narrow down applicants to three nominees for the governor's consideration.

Shawnee County District Court

Shawnee County District Court has 15 district judges, and nine face retention elections this year. They are: Jessica L. Heinen, Teresa L. Watson, Darian P. Dernovish, Thomas G. Luedke, James Crowl, Steven R. Ebberts, Maban Wright, Brett Watson and Jay D. Befort.

The court also has two magistrate judges, and both face retention elections this year. They are: Christopher J. Turner and Dennis C. Jones.

Judges in Shawnee County, which is the 3rd Judicial District, are appointed by the governor, who selects from nominees chosen by a district nominating commission.

What are judicial retention elections?

Retention elections are the opportunity for voters to hold judges accountable for being fair, impartial and protecting constitutional rights.

Court of Appeals and district court judges face retention elections in the next general election after serving one year on the bench. They then face retention elections every four years.

Voters are asked a "yes" or "no" question: whether each particular judge should be retained. If a majority of voters vote "no," then the judge is removed from office.

Judging the judges

The Kansas Bar Association in September released the results of the 2024 Judicial Survey Project, which is a nonpartisan educational initiative intended to provide voters with insight into the performance and qualifications of appellate judges.

"The importance and relevance of this survey should not be minimized," said Mark S. Dupree Sr., the Wyandotte County district attorney and Kansas Bar Association president, in a statement. "Having access to this information helps the Kansas electorate make informed choices on those seeking to be retained as a judge in our great state."

They survey went to more than 16,000 licensed Kansas lawyers, and appellate judges were scored on a scale of zero to 100 where a score above 50 is an overall positive rating and support for retention.

More detailed information is available online.

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - A new link between the north and south banks of the Kansas River highlights a development design proposal.

The Riverfront Advisory Council announced its Topeka Riverfront Vision Plan on Tuesday. It follows several rounds of community engagement and feedback.

The centerpiece is creating what they call an “iconic pedestrian bridge” to link downtown Topeka’s Capitol District and the North Topeka Arts & Entertainment District. It would run from NW Van Buren St. on the south side of the river to NW Railroad St. on the north, near Great Overland Station.

The plan also includes new trails and river access points, plus residential, restaurant and retail development. Organizers say the goal is to see development take shape over the next three to four years as agency coordination, funding and permitting allow.

“I’m thrilled to see a strategic vision for our capital city’s riverfront come together following months of hard work and collaboration,” said Matt Pivarnik, CEO of the Greater Topeka Partnership. “The Topeka/Shawnee County community remained front of mind throughout the visioning process. We stand on the shoulders of those who have been dreaming for years about the potential our Kaw River holds, and I’m eager to see the progress that lies ahead.”

The Riverfront Advisory Council worked with consultants Bolton & Menk on the vision plan, along with city, county and state officials. They say Bolton & Menk assisted in gathering more than 12,200 public interactions over the past through, including in-person community engagement, website visits, survey responses and digital updates.

“With greater connectivity between key areas of our community on the horizon and developments in mind that will provide lively new entertainment and recreation opportunities, this is a plan the community can get excited about,” RAC chairperson Greg Schwerdt said.

Reimagining the riverfront area is among initiatives in GTP’s Momentum 2027 strategy, which also includes promoting pedestrian-friendly routes.

“Just as Momentum 2027 is the community’s strategy, this vision plan will create a community riverfront that is appealing and accessible to all,” said Michelle Cuevas-Stubblefield, GTP senior vice president of strategy. “We’ll continue to collect community input along the way, as key partners come together to develop a cutting-edge community core that leads to further growth and prosperity across our region.”

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With reports of bed bugs, employees not washing their hands, moldy wastewater, cross contamination risk, fresh rodent droppings and other violations, Kansas food safety and lodging inspectors reported nine local establishments were out of compliance with state law during September inspections.

Kansas law delegates to the Kansas Department of Agriculture the authority to regulate food establishments, food processing plants and lodging establishments. Violations — particularly priority violations linked to causes of foodborne illness — can lead to various consequences, including the immediate closure of an establishment.

Kansas Department of Agriculture records show that while most of th e nearly 100 total Topeka area service establishments inspected in September passed with either no violations or no serious ones, several failed. Most inspections were routine, but inspectors also visited after complaints, for licensing, follow-ups and other reasons.

Out-of-compliance food establishments in Topeka

The following establishments were listed as out of compliance with state law after inspections in September.

The Sept. 27 modified complaint inspection found six violations.

Four rooms were closed after inspectors found evidence of bed bugs and can't be rented until inspectors have reopened them after treatment and cleaning. The lodging establishment did not notify regulators of the imminent health hazard of bed bugs and did not discontinue operations upon discovery of bed bugs. One of the rooms had Ortho bed bug spray not intended for commercial application.

The smoke detector in the hearing impaired room did not have a flashing strobe. Several rooms had accumulations of debris and trash.

A follow-up was scheduled for Oct. 7.

The Sept. 26 routine inspection found four violations.

Refrigeration equipment was not keeping milk, diced peaches, blueberries, crushed pineapple, sliced strawberries, raw cookie dough and a squeeze bottle of blueberries cold enough.

There were not chlorine test strips. There was a Raid spray can for ants and roaches that was not approved for a food establishment. A mop sink had a leaky valve.

A Sept. 20 routine inspection found six violations.

"No hand washing took place after getting the mobile unit set up and plugging in the equipment to thegenerator," the inspector wrote.

The person in charge put disposable gloves over heat resistant cloth gloves and started to prepare orders, while another employee took orders and collected money before putting gloves on to prepare plates of food. Neither washed their hands, and there was no running water because the generator was not staying on.

Macaroni and cheese in a warmer unit was not kept hot enough. More than 20 flies were inside the mobile unit in the food preparation area, landing on in-use utensils and food contact surfaces. There were no net screens on doors to keep pests out, while doors were open for air flow. There were not quaternary test strips.

The establishment was back in compliance after a Sept. 24 reopening inspection.

A Sept. 18 routine inspection found nine violations.

"Mammy Cakes" in a refrigerated display cooler were not prepared at the facility and come "from a source off Facebook," but were not "from approved licenses sources."

The establishment "is using the back door to the facility to go in and out to cook fried foods due not having properventilation for grease laden vapors in the facility," but there was no screen at the back door to prevent pests from entering when people go in and out. More than 15 flies were observed.

The refrigerator had raw chicken and raw beef stored on shelves above ready to eat food, including a head of lettuce, posing a cross contamination risk.

The garbage disposal was leaking, but a container under the sink was catching the wastewater — but the murky water in the container had mold growing on its surface, which had been getting dumped outside. One restroom had human feces in the toilet and the flushing handle had broken off the toilet.

The portable hand washing sink had no hot water and no hand soap, while a ware washing sink was being used for washing hands. A sanitizer container was not labeled.

The Sept. 17 complaint inspection found two violations.

Despite having a pest control service five days earlier and traps placed, the inspector found fresh rodent droppings under a shelf by the mop sink and behind a safe. At a wall adjacent to the outdoors, the baseboard behind the hot water tank had a 1.5 inch hole with fresh rodent droppings that the inspector recommended filling with steel wool or a pesticide spray foam.

The establishment was back in compliance after an Oct. 1 follow-up.

A Sept. 12 complaint inspection found four violations.

Cooked, breaded chicken pieces were being held in a container with a date mark past seven days, but the person in charge said the date mark was wrong and hadn't been replaced. The inspector said used containers should not hold new food product without the container first being cleaned and sanitized.

The meat grinder that was supposedly clean had a grinding shaft with dry, hardened food stuck inside. The refrigerated food prep table was not keeping food cool enough, including noodles, cabbage and cooked shrimp. There was no written procedure for using time as a control for buffet food items.

The establishment remained out of compliance during a Sept. 24 follow-up inspection that found three violations.

The meat grinder had caked residue of ground meat stuck inside. The refrigerated food prep table was not keeping food cool enough, including cooked noodles and raw vegetables. Refrigerated cream cheese filling did not have a date mark.

The Sept. 6 first operational inspection after licensing found three violations.

The establishment had a residential refrigerator not intended for use in a commercial kitchen, where being next to the stove and opening and closing of the door compromises the temperature inside, which was not being kept cool enough. A container of oxtails inside was not kept cool enough.

There was no food thermometer. There were no sanitizer test strips.

The establishment was back in compliance after a Sept. 26 follow-up.

A Sept. 5 routine inspection found one violation.

The ware washing sink hot water was not hot enough, and they had been boiling water on the grill to wash dishes.

The establishment was back in compliance after a Sept. 16 follow-up.

A Sept. 4 routine inspection found one violations.

Hot water was not hot enough at the hand washing and ware washing sinks, and the hot water tank was awaiting repairs. After being educated by the inspector, they started using hot water from the coffee and tea brewer when washing dishes.

The establishment was back in compliance after a Sept. 5 follow-up.

Inspections found these Topeka establishments were in compliance

The following service establishments were in compliance when inspectors visited in September with either no violations or only relatively minor ones.

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

This story was updated with additional information.

The Burger Stand, 2833 S.W. 29th St. in Topeka, will soon close its doors.

Owners Simon and Codi Bates announced the closure Tuesday on the business's Facebook page.

"Dear Burger Friends – After 13 incredible years, we are announcing the closing of The Burger Stand Topeka location at the end of October," the post said. "We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported us along the way, and it has been a true pleasure to serve this amazing community.

"We couldn’t be prouder of our staff, whose dedication to great food and service has made this journey so special. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lives and memories."

When will the Burger Stand officially close its doors in Topeka?

The Bates said they will be serving customers their favorite burgers and fries until Oct. 26.

"So, be sure to pop in and share some final moments with us!" the post added. "And be sure to stop in and enjoy the original Burger Stand in downtown Lawrence."

More:Shawnee County farmers are growing a special barley for beer at a local brewery

The Burger Stand opened its doors in the College Hill neighborhood in 2011, becoming one of Topeka's popular burger spots serving gourmet burgers. It moved to 2833 S.W. 29th St. in 2021.

Local businessman Cody Foster said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that this year has been the toughest year for restaurants and retail.

"With news of The Burger Stand closing, it's worth sharing that this has been the toughest year I've ever witnessed for restaurants & retail," Foster said. "If you would be sad if 1 of your favorite local spots closed down, go support them this weekend. A lot of local places are barely surviving."

Keishera Lately is the business reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. She can be reached at klately@cjonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @Lately_KT.