[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6642955,"mediaKeyId","2532665-c60e7ad3e8b9a2e9c21c645c673667c5","parentId",2532665,"title","County approves $100‑a‑year lease with Leroy for radio tower site; emergency management outlines exercises and tower timeline","audioSeconds",151,"startMs",757000,"endMs",908000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2532665-c60e7ad3e8b9a2e9c21c645c673667c5&start=757&end=908","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2532665-c60e7ad3e8b9a2e9c21c645c673667c5/thumbnail_757000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6642955/Coffey-County/Kansas/County-approves-100ayear-lease-with-Leroy-for-radio-tower-site-emergency-management-outlines-exercises-and-tower-timeline","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6642955-14404674f233c873be3f1d754691c7ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1770610811&Signature=NZwtMXOxiSCpKaPWcxZ2knLPawA13DNg1pSOlou3XBa3uREFgiBE64L9glnSNaJJruE~fNGIrd7NDBi5x9lkIb~G5YLqBJVm11JmaKS6favuSGhMdLvkeQbqnIkhadS7aPRJajk80tqzwTE7HptIgA-tzM-hmnli5zaB46vCv2Ot~9JHQvF0iEDikcuTsfmMzWw26EbSTD3zHnUiZIXjRtYEb9mbKtYQeGiU~Sr-Ku~iYbS6epkXVNlRbn6y~opZMQhd55Q-mC6UgT~c2z~TnUjXsDRaQ3ASSK6mD4SE8lj2uMf3EWnNE62LktIDJbHICz8dqeoQu6KFFADmWEXfvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Coffey County, KS","date","2025-03-10T23:35:34.993Z","article","The Coffey County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize the chairman to sign a land‑lease agreement with the City of Leroy for a 75‑by‑75‑foot tract at 424 Ninth Street in Leroy, Kansas, at a lease rate of $100 per year. The site will host one of three planned county radio towers to improve public safety communications.

The motion was made at the recommendation of the Emergency Management director and was approved after the county attorney reviewed the form of the agreement. During the department update, the emergency management director told the board that most land issues are complete and that the county is “just waiting for tower parts to come in and towers to be built,” saying, “we should have all the land things complete.” The director also briefed commissioners on recent training and preparedness activity: the county hosted severe‑weather awareness outreach, the National Weather Service cancelled the statewide tornado drill due to weather, and the National Weather Service public weather talk is scheduled for March 20 at 7 p.m. at the 4‑H Building.

Emergency Management also outlined exercises tied to Wolf Creek: a pre‑exercise on April 9 and an evaluated exercise on June 8. The department plans to schedule Emergency Operations Center role training for commissioners and staff the week of March 24 and other exercises tied to those dates.

Commissioners approved the lease and directed the chairman to sign. The county attorney indicated he had reviewed the agreement as to form.

Provenance: The land lease motion and emergency management department update appear in the transcript during the department update segment and vote recorded during the morning business items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Meeting 3-10-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Coffey County Board of Commissioners authorized a 75x75 foot land lease with the City of Leroy for $100 annually to host one of three county radio towers and received an update from emergency management about tower construction and upcoming exercises.","taxTitle","Coffey County, Kansas","taxId",73123,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6642960,"Coffey County approves cold‑mix, liquid‑asphalt contracts and hires engineering consultant for highway projects",90,3246000,3336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2532665-c60e7ad3e8b9a2e9c21c645c673667c5&start=3246&end=3336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2532665-c60e7ad3e8b9a2e9c21c645c673667c5/thumbnail_3246000.jpg","/articles/6642960/Coffey-County/Kansas/Coffey-County-approves-coldmix-liquidasphalt-contracts-and-hires-engineering-consultant-for-highway-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6642960-c9b937493d960ee84b91c8d291b2dd18/orig.mp4?Expires=1770610811&Signature=nMafUfXaUtrNDnFkxNSEvUOJjQ~5cPpeYGngJtT02N1A-FImXaujyv4FCoKHd16JBOwGDiA3rxsuqV2U7LFPTd48KC5BuyKal847HPaetR-r4vq64iwnB8OPvWLsBJxls7tSDA9o5zaU48hsTTWnU0X3grOMIGkwQBJA9HGIr84DF6aLCGwQv5kuVlC6-md7o8sSLZxqohMN0aaM9806XDsZAeMmu1IMaxi3jb4LFHudq7CkkYGzSXb86ZWXEN417Sd2RnEbzJ51ZKyVLbPxPm~tS6BdVfM5yTaD2N9krv8iS1HhcSPwKW1mTFwiCxjO~qBmnvFTHo~OKNtIYKXpDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Coffey County Board of Commissioners approved multiple Road & Bridge procurement actions and a new engineering services contract to support the county highway program.

Road and Bridge Superintendent Ryan Durst briefed commissioners on vendor bids and recommended awarding cold‑mix patching supply contracts and liquid asphalt (chip oil/fog seal/patching oil) to bidders shown on a March 5 bid tabulation. Commissioners approved a purchase of cold‑mix patching and accepted the recommended suppliers for the liquid asphalt products; funds were authorized from the Road & Bridge budget lines.

Durst also presented a proposed engineering contract with K. Browning Engineering LLC to provide engineering assistance to the Coffey County Highway Department. The contract specifies on‑call engineering support, not to exceed about 20 hours per week, at a negotiated hourly rate to help with drainage sizing, pavement management, plan reviews and other technical needs. Keith Browning, introduced to the board, summarized his experience as a former county engineer and local road engineer for the Kansas Association of Counties and said he would provide part‑time advisory services and review work as needed.

Commissioners approved the engineering contract and directed staff to schedule a short planning session on 2025 road construction projects. Durst said staff will continue to review specific site designs and costs and will bring construction priorities to a future work session.

Provenance: Motions and votes for cold mix, liquid asphalt awards and the K. Browning Engineering contract appear in the Road & Bridge department update segment of the meeting transcript and the engineering contract presentation.","The Coffey County commissioners approved purchases of cold‑mix patching and liquid‑asphalt supplies, awarded specific material bids, and authorized a limited engineering contract with K. Browning Engineering to support the Highway Department’s project and pavement‑management needs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6642964,"Coffee Health System presents 2024 finances; board weighs possible closure of obstetrics service after $1M loss",725,6183000,6908000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2532665-c60e7ad3e8b9a2e9c21c645c673667c5&start=6183&end=6908","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2532665-c60e7ad3e8b9a2e9c21c645c673667c5/thumbnail_6183000.jpg","/articles/6642964/Coffey-County/Kansas/Coffee-Health-System-presents-2024-finances-board-weighs-possible-closure-of-obstetrics-service-after-1M-loss","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6642964-2b1093c21f4d425ab4e81cea1cb874c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770610811&Signature=M2QHR0SG4pLTGMQt3z81rOEw2JBi3rHFv~1dbCua25O6qyZmUwhu~9p4UkNT2OC~mPo1qD6P~-y4hjw35HfItPZgu6DIGV75B-IGGz~uuvtYK4tpu~hFVGuaLOAKcgWtgUyybaJ4EBP3lBajInjpe5aY49pC72xZX1VAOZB~T3dAv0nqYJGof4CPE-LiGWv7TALZUUPrhSkXkF1XGSTbTvrhl~WXgei1J2EviKUFJGmLBlr9xko5-6VTnQXUfyAqKb9EepQqlr8cHjANx4MgLLn0kuXxK4JLeeKlLaICK99nBzlLDMRYsagQzbJ2Hcefa4h46i~5tJeBu~Odfn1IWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Coffee Health System executives briefed the Coffey County Board of Commissioners on Thursday on 2024 financial results and 2025 projections, reporting persistent operating losses, tightened cash reserves, and a potential plan that could include suspending inpatient obstetrics if volumes and reimbursement do not improve.

Stacy Oginski, Coffee Health System chief executive officer, told commissioners that statewide hospital finances are under stress and that Coffee Health is not exempt from those pressures. “Coffee Health System is not exempt from this,” Oginski said as she summarized statewide trends, including lower days‑cash‑on‑hand and staffing cost increases.

CFO Ray (surname not specified on the record) presented financial detail showing gross patient revenue near $45 million for 2024, net patient revenue and operating losses after operating expenses, and nonoperating revenues that offset a portion of the deficit. The system reported an operating loss of roughly $1.9 million in 2024; after a $1.3 million noncash loan forgiveness entry, reported net results moved to a small positive amount, though management said the forgiveness was a nonrecurring item.

Hospital leaders said the hospital spent about $4.2 million on capital improvements over the past two years, including the electronic medical record (EMR) conversion and an MRI acquisition and renovation. Management also reported improved cash collections for 2024 compared with 2023 after billing and collections workflow improvements.

Oginski and trustees told commissioners that the labor and delivery service line had a significant loss in 2024 — about $1 million while performing 68 deliveries — and that volumes are projected to decline again in 2025. At a recent hospital board meeting, trustees discussed the possibility of suspending obstetrical services; the board did not make a final decision, but hospital leaders said eight of nine trustees supported further action to address the unsustainable financial trajectory.

If obstetrics were discontinued, hospital officials said emergency obstetrical care would still be handled through the emergency department as needed, with plans to provide staff training for acute delivery situations; scheduled prenatal and postnatal care arrangements would be worked out with local providers. Hospital management said it would provide advance notice and transition assistance for patients if the board votes to close the service.

Hospital leaders asked commissioners to remain engaged on capital and operational needs and said they would present options, including capital requests, during the county’s budget process. Oginski invited commissioners to a hospital board retreat on March 31 with a guest speaker from the National Rural Health Association to review rural health trends and potential local strategies.

Provenance: Hospital finance presentation and trustee discussion of obstetrics occurred in the work session portion of the meeting (approximately 10:58–12:12), where Stacy Oginski, Ray (CFO), trustees and board members presented details and took questions from commissioners.","Hospital leaders told the Coffey County commissioners that the health system ran an operating loss in 2024 and projects another shortfall in 2025; the board and hospital trustees discussed closing labor and delivery because the service lost about $1 million last year while overall operating pressures persist.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6642970,"Coffey County commissioners remove Oxon Road from minimum-maintenance listing after public hearing; ask staff for more research",272,1880000,2152000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2532665-c60e7ad3e8b9a2e9c21c645c673667c5&start=1880&end=2152","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2532665-c60e7ad3e8b9a2e9c21c645c673667c5/thumbnail_1880000.jpg","/articles/6642970/Coffey-County/Kansas/Coffey-County-commissioners-remove-Oxon-Road-from-minimum-maintenance-listing-after-public-hearing-ask-staff-for-more-research","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6642970-74eb9f0c626488ecdeb12955f8e58303/orig.mp4?Expires=1770610811&Signature=A-mHyc1EnyWrWeyJZLxO~JLSNUJd2OTW~m-aNoUXzOUi2fduR0Fy9PjvkHWXWO64KUKOBb~pAZOUtMwVp9ihTRMnPlAwNVpEtqT3hYXnZyN0Vaj26RmSdZbwOfR-QFQa2lviQaE3cxllUehwD5~aLabvWBoeVCgm-8TpYnXNQQ8xRW4C0gyopDa0eh2yqSaPwhM-WNTVtVsc5~PnYyb66LMC9KLBWRjGR2eCVPjFNurL-QOY04o73fmHAWfpwuqomjpxMhC2CtcGn3dbo83atLW7tFbXZPu4rjE7dYtlBnOdlH~bsHFxO5IUB4OMeoqbqS2-Q8UjtV5dwpBvxQ0WlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Coffey County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a revised resolution recommencing minimum-maintenance designations for roads in the county’s northeast quadrant but removed a one-mile segment of Oxon Road after public comment and staff requests for further research.

The revision — filed as revised Resolution No. 2024-944 — was approved after a public hearing in which nearby landowners and agricultural operators urged the county to reconsider classifying the Oxon Road segment between 20th Fifth Road and 20th Sixth Road as minimum maintenance. The board voted to approve the revision that excludes the Oxon Road segment and directed county staff to research whether federal funds were used in the road’s construction, a legal detail that would bar minimum-maintenance classification under state law.

The road-and-bridge superintendent told the board the county has been signing low‑volume roads to place liability‑notice signage and that maintenance levels would not change on signed roads. Planning staff explained the matter’s planning‑board history: the full list was first reviewed by the planning board in August 2024 and again in December, and two other roads had already been removed during that process. Planning Administrator Heidi Harris said the planning board had recommended removal of two numbered roads (14 and 15) and left the rest in place, and that Oxon Road remained under discussion.

Local agricultural producer Kevin Harsch, who identified himself as a transportation manager with the Kansas Army National Guard, told commissioners that Oxon Road is essential to daily farm operations and that lack of reliable maintenance imposes time, equipment and fuel costs on producers. “Time is money,” Harsch said during public comment, describing how an impassable mile can force longer detours for slow farm equipment and increase operating cost and risk.

Harsch also argued the road’s right of way and past status as a federal route could mean federal-aid rules apply. County counsel and staff agreed they needed to verify whether any federal funding or Federal-Aid Secondary (FAS) designation applied historically; if so, state statute (Chapter 68, Article 5, Section 102) would prevent classifying that segment as minimum maintenance.

Board members and staff discussed two parallel paths: short-term drainage and culvert work or a more extensive reconstruction. Road and Bridge said routine maintenance, culvert replacement and ditch cleaning are done on minimum-maintenance roads but that rebuilding for all‑weather access would be a larger undertaking requiring additional funding and study. The board voted to remove the Oxon Road segment from the recommencing resolution and to have staff examine the road’s federal‑funding history and drainage options. Commissioners also encouraged landowners to attend the county planning meeting on March 19 to further engage with the planning board.

The action allows the county to proceed with signage and minimum‑maintenance declarations for other roads in the northeast quadrant while pausing final action on Oxon Road until staff returns with the federal‑funding research and a scope of any needed improvement work.

Provenance: The discussion, public comments by Kevin Harsch, staff presentation by Road & Bridge and Planning, and the motion to revise Resolution No. 2024‑944 appear in the meeting transcript during the public hearing on minimum maintenance roads (public hearing opened at 10:00 and closed about 10:37).","After a public hearing with several nearby landowners, the Coffey County Board of Commissioners approved a revised resolution recommencing minimum-maintenance roads for the northeast quadrant while removing a one-mile segment of Oxon Road for further study of federal-aid history and drainage fixes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County approves $100‑a‑year lease with Leroy for radio tower site; emergency management outlines exercises and tower timeline

Coffey County approves cold‑mix, liquid‑asphalt contracts and hires engineering consultant for highway projects

Coffee Health System presents 2024 finances; board weighs possible closure of obstetrics service after $1M loss

Coffey County commissioners remove Oxon Road from minimum-maintenance listing after public hearing; ask staff for more research