Kansas starts program to cut costs for community centers
The Blueprint to Build initiative, announced by the Kansas Department of Commerce, streamlines the process for small towns to create multi-use community spaces by providing pre-designed building plans and construction funding, aimed at reducing costs and accelerating development.
'For many Kansas communities, finding affordable solutions for community facilities can be difficult,' Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said in a news release. 'This innovative new CDBG program provides immediate resources to build vibrant community spaces across Kansas.'
Restaurant in Old Town seized for overdue taxes: KDOR
Eligible communities can apply for grants up to $2.5 million for three standardized, energy-efficient building designs featuring essential amenities like multipurpose rooms and telemedicine offices, with optional gymnasiums or aquatic spaces.
The goal is to reduce costs by eliminating custom architectural work, allowing communities to focus on construction expenses. The centers will be located in walkable downtown areas or near public facilities to lower infrastructure and maintenance costs.
Larger communities such as Wichita, Topeka, and Overland Park are not eligible. Towns with fewer than 2,500 residents can request up to $1.5 million, while those above that population threshold can request up to $2.5 million.
The application period opens on May 1 and will close on Nov. 14. Pre-applications can be submitted.
More information on the grants is available at KansasCommerce.gov or by contacting the Kansas CDBG team at CDBG@ks.gov.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
City of Stockton now accepting applications for Stocked Full of Produce Grant Program
Applications are now being accepted for the city of Stockon Stocked Full of Produce Grant Program. "The City's Stocked Full of Produce Grant Program addresses food insecurity through grant funding to help with infrastructure upgrades to retail stores, to promote the sale and storage of healthier food options," the city's website states. Grant funds are available up to $15,000, and the money can be used for improvements, such as installing new refrigeration or shelving, according to city officials. According to the city's website, properties eligible must be retail stores like corner or convenience stores, in Stockton within city limits and in a targeted area according to the Stocked Full of Produce program map. "Many families rely heavily on corner stores, also referred to convenience stores, for food purchases because they live in communities without supermarkets, farmers markets, or stores where fresh produce and healthy items are commonly sold nearby or within walking distance," a city's Stockton Full of Produce, Program Guidelines and Procedures document from September 2020 states. "Healthy corner stores have the power to positively impact the health of community members by providing easier access to healthy foods, such as fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, whole grain snack items, and low‐fat dairy products." Funding for the program is offered through federal funding from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and through a partnership with Refresh San Joaquin, "to address food insecurity in Stockton," a 2020 program brochure states. What is food insecurity? Feeding America, a nonprofit organization reported that in 2023, San Joaquin County had a 13.6% food insecurity rate with a 107,140 food-insecure population. Food insecurity happens when a household doesn't have access to enough food due to a financial restraints and other factors, according to Feeding America officials. "It is often linked to one or multiple factors that lead to food insecurity, creating a cycle that can be hard to break," the Feeding America website states. "These factors can be related to household income, expenses, access to affordable health care, the surrounding social and physical environment, and barriers to opportunity which play a role in preventing some households and communities from being food secure." San Joaquin County has an average meal cost of $3.77, with 33% of above SNAP threshold and 67% below SNAP threshold of 200% for estimated program eligibility among food insecure people overall, the Feeding America website states. According to Feeding America, $76,505,000 additional money is required to meet the food needs of San Joaquin County. Stocked Full of Produce Grant Program eligibility: Be a commercial business with a storefront such as a small corner store or convenience store Business must be located within targeted areas in Stockton city limits Have a valid city of Stockton business license Eligible use of funds: Store layout improvements that encourage customers to purchase healthier food options Infrastructure improvements that support storage of healthier food options Eligible equipment such as cold storage units, shelving, or storage for healthier food options Labor for installation of improvements How to apply? To apply for the Stocked Full of Produce Grant Program create a profile and complete an application through the city's Neighborly application portal at For more information contact the Stockton Economic Development Department at (209) 937-8539 or Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@ or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. To support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at This article originally appeared on The Record: Want to offer healthier options? Stockton grants available Solve the daily Crossword
The Hill
08-07-2025
- The Hill
Nebraska sues GM, OnStar over alleged sale of driver data recorded by vehicle tech
LINCOLN, Kan. (KSNW) — The Nebraska attorney general's office said Tuesday it has filed a lawsuit against General Motors (GM) and OnStar for allegedly collecting, processing and selling sensitive driving data from Nebraskans without their knowledge or consent. State Attorney General Mike Hilgers accuses GM and OnStar of installing telematics systems in their vehicles that collect data, including speed, seatbelt usage, driving habits, and location. That data was then allegedly sold to third-party data brokers who used it to create driving scores for individual drivers. Those scores were then sold to insurance companies, who used them to raise rates, deny coverage or cancel policies, according to the lawsuit. Nebraska drivers were never informed that their data was being collected or used against them. Among the key allegations: 'Nebraskans deserve to work with companies that are truthful and honest about what they are doing,' says Attorney General Hilgers. 'That is not what happened here, and we filed this lawsuit because one large company decided that it wouldn't honestly tell Nebraskans that their data was going to be used to impact their insurance rates. This is wrong. Our office will hold companies that mislead Nebraskans accountable, no matter how large.' You can read the full complaint below. When asked for comment on the lawsuit, a spokesperson for GM told Nexstar's KSNW, 'We remain committed to protecting consumers' privacy and will conduct a review of the complaint.' Nebraska is seeking civil penalties, restitution for affected Nebraskans, and an injunction to prevent GM and OnStar from continuing these practices in the state. GM is not the only company accused of misusing telematics programs. A 2024 investigation by the New York Times found instances of drivers who had not knowingly opted in to a telematics program being tracked. Data recorded without their consent was sold to third parties, sometimes resulting in a spike in insurance premiums, according to the Times.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Kansas launches new resources for small businesses, entrepreneurs
Taylor Overton leads the new Kansas Department of Commerce Small Business Office. She spoke Tuesday at the Tee Box in Topeka. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Tools for small business owners are now available through the Kansas Small Business Office, leaders with the Kansas Department of Commerce announced Tuesday while highlighting the need to encourage entrepreneurship and business development in the state. Connect KS, a resource website that will answer questions of small business owners and help them find resources in their part of the state, is part of the SBO, said Taylor Overton, who heads up the new office. The resources were announced at an event at the Tee Box in downtown Topeka that drew entrepreneurs from across the state to share the importance of finding programs and information to help them succeed. In addition, many spoke about being part of a Kansas delegation recently at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Indiana. 'One of the reasons why this is so important is that new businesses under five years old create the most net new jobs in our economy,' said Jason Grill, with Right to Start, a nonprofit organization that advocates for small businesses. 'They also grow GDP, and they increase lifetime incomes. They increase community wealth, very much so, in lifetime incomes, they diversify our goods and services in our communities, and they fight inequality and poverty.' Grill told about 50 people gathered that for every 1% increase in entrepreneurship in a community, there is a 2% decrease in poverty. Joshua Jefferson, deputy secretary of business development at the commerce department, said the coordination of resources throughout the state is key to the new initiatives. 'We're here to commit to the work of a new era in small business support here in Kansas,' he said. 'The COVID 19 pandemic exposed that the Kansas Department of Commerce was not doing enough for small businesses in the state of Kansas. In the wake of a once-in-a-century economic crisis, we examined the way that the agency was working, and in the process, we discovered that we really weren't supporting small business as much as we could, or that we should.' Jefferson said the creation of the SBO, along with resources like Connect KS, was the culmination of those efforts to change the state's support network. 'We can do more, and we will do more,' he said. He outlined resources included in the SBO and stressed that part of the task has been making them easier to navigate and accessible to all Kansans. 'By creating a coordinated statewide hub for entrepreneurs at every stage, we're coordinating key resources and creating centralized points of contact for entrepreneurs who are navigating the tough work of business development certifications, permitting access to capital, mentorships and much, much more,' he said. Much of the work of the SBO is connecting people with opportunity, and Overton said she was excited to take a Kansas delegation to the global congress to network with people from around the world. Wichita business owner Kristin Kienzle, who attended the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Indiana, said she is learning about creating a successful franchising model that can be replicated nationwide as she explores opportunities to expand into Oklahoma. Kienzle, who owns Utopia Modern Salon Suites, grew her unique approach to offering salon services from one site to three in Wichita, with more on the way. 'I learned some tactical things. I learned some inspirational things and then I also just kind of learned some things about myself,' she said. Being with other entrepreneurs helped her realize how little people understand about what it takes to start a business and manage all the risks. 'As an entrepreneur, we just do what we do,' she said. 'So being in the room on a grand stage with all these people who have done great things, everyone from Mark Cuban down to the guy who started this business six weeks ago, and everything in between was just so it just made me realize, wow, these people, and this is a really unique crowd.' Trademark attorney Julie Grabbe, of Hays, said meeting people from other countries was valuable. 'I'm in west Kansas, so we're in a different situation than a lot of the more metropolitan cities,' she said. 'But commerce is very important to us. We want to be able to keep our young talent. We want to keep growing our cities. We want it to be a vibrant place to live. I think one of the ways to do that is really to have the support of the state to go out and do these kinds of things and get these ideas.'
