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PITTSBURG —
When looking back at the Top 10 of 2011, so many stories were unexpected going into the year. Who could have predicted the Joplin tornado, the downtown fire, the blizzard and heat wave and drought, or that Pittsburg State would win the Division II title?
Others, while not necessarily unexpected, were still surprising, including John Van Gorden announcing his planned retirement and Sheriff Sandy Horton announcing he would not run for re-election in 2012.
While unexpected or completely unpredictable events will inevitably occur in 2012, there are a number of plans, projects and announcements to keep an eye on as the new year approaches.
Certainly the search for Van Gorden’s replacement as Pittsburg city manager will dominate many of the year’s headlines. That is not a position the city can afford to get wrong. Further, it’s not a position in which the city can settle for anything less than the best.
Beyond the city manager search, there are a number of elections in 2012 that could affect the look and feel of politics in the region.
Of course, there is the major race of 2012 — the presidential race. President Barack Obama will be competing to keep his spot in the White House against whoever emerges from the GOP primaries.
On the local front, State Sen. Bob Marshall, R-Fort Scott, is up for re-election in 2012. State Reps. Bob Grant and Terry Calloway are also up for re-election.
That will all likely come after the political redistricting this year, which will almost inevitably include the removal of one state House district from southeast Kansas. Furthermore, the redistricting battle could drastically reshape the state’s U.S. House districts.
Once the politicians take their seats, whether in Washington or Topeka, there are a number of major issues to be solved.
Gov. Sam Brownback has indicated he would like to tackle the issue of school funding, which has at times been an issue of the courts. Brownback says he wishes to simplify the system of school funding. Opponents are worried that whatever changes are made will disadvantage rural districts.
Or what about plans to do away with or drastically change the state’s tax base? Legislators have talked about pending changes, including doing away with the state income tax. But no matter what changes arise, the battle will be worth watching.
In recent years, a lot of headway has been made on U.S. Highway 69 funding. In 2011, the idea of the Arma Connection arose later in the year. Perhaps 2012 will see the funding of this six-mile stretch to become four-lane and eventually complete a four-lane U.S. 69 from Kansas City to Pittsburg.
When looking back at the Top 10 of 2011, so many stories were unexpected going into the year. Who could have predicted the Joplin tornado, the downtown fire, the blizzard and heat wave and drought, or that Pittsburg State would win the Division II title?
Others, while not necessarily unexpected, were still surprising, including John Van Gorden announcing his planned retirement and Sheriff Sandy Horton announcing he would not run for re-election in 2012.
While unexpected or completely unpredictable events will inevitably occur in 2012, there are a number of plans, projects and announcements to keep an eye on as the new year approaches.
Certainly the search for Van Gorden’s replacement as Pittsburg city manager will dominate many of the year’s headlines. That is not a position the city can afford to get wrong. Further, it’s not a position in which the city can settle for anything less than the best.
Beyond the city manager search, there are a number of elections in 2012 that could affect the look and feel of politics in the region.
Of course, there is the major race of 2012 — the presidential race. President Barack Obama will be competing to keep his spot in the White House against whoever emerges from the GOP primaries.
On the local front, State Sen. Bob Marshall, R-Fort Scott, is up for re-election in 2012. State Reps. Bob Grant and Terry Calloway are also up for re-election.
That will all likely come after the political redistricting this year, which will almost inevitably include the removal of one state House district from southeast Kansas. Furthermore, the redistricting battle could drastically reshape the state’s U.S. House districts.
Once the politicians take their seats, whether in Washington or Topeka, there are a number of major issues to be solved.
Gov. Sam Brownback has indicated he would like to tackle the issue of school funding, which has at times been an issue of the courts. Brownback says he wishes to simplify the system of school funding. Opponents are worried that whatever changes are made will disadvantage rural districts.
Or what about plans to do away with or drastically change the state’s tax base? Legislators have talked about pending changes, including doing away with the state income tax. But no matter what changes arise, the battle will be worth watching.
In recent years, a lot of headway has been made on U.S. Highway 69 funding. In 2011, the idea of the Arma Connection arose later in the year. Perhaps 2012 will see the funding of this six-mile stretch to become four-lane and eventually complete a four-lane U.S. 69 from Kansas City to Pittsburg.
That would certainly be good news for Pittsburg State, which sees more incoming freshmen students from Johnson County these days than from Crawford County. In 2011, the school was within spitting distance of an all-time record enrollment, ending just three students shy. Whether that trend continues will be key not just to the university, but to the community.
In order to accomodate that growth, Pittsburg State completed its master plan in 2011. But which projects will come to fruition first? Will the Performing Arts Center reach its goal, or will the Event Center be funded first? What about the other projects and renovations?
And lastly, we come to Pittsburg State football. Legendary coach John Wooden once said, “Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.” 2011 showed the talent of the Gorillas. We’ll keep an eye open in 2012 for their character.
