Press Releases

The City of Topeka has created a COVID-19 website to provide information for businesses and the public. https://data.topeka.org/pages/covid19information provides a list of city phone numbers, locations of US Bank locations where people can pay their water bills and a link for businesses to report hours and closures.

A business survey link is available for local businesses to report hours of operation. The City of Topeka asks for businesses to complete this survey to help identify critical infrastructure services. https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/7e1deddaf0fa4847bf5f6f9bfb7c19c5?

Critical Infrastructure includes:

• Chemical
• Communications and Information Technology
• Critical Manufacturing
• Defense Industrial Base
• Energy
• Financial Services
• Food and Agriculture
• Hazardous Materials
• Healthcare/Public Health
• Law Enforcement, Public Safety, First Responders
• Other Community-Based Government Operations and Essential Functions
• Public Works
• Transportation and Logistics
• Water and Wastewater

The Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center will be accepting used live Christmas trees again this year beginning as early as December 26 but the Zoo is asking that a different tree drop off location be used.
It is as easy as dropping the tree off at our new location just east of the horseshoe court parking lot inside Gage Park. When entering Gage Park from the 10th St. entrance, take your first right on Munn Memorial Drive; heading northwest. Look for the orange snow fence and place your tree in the grass, behind the “Trees Here” sign.
“There is no need to make an appointment,” said Zoo Director Brendan Wiley. “We’ll find them and get them to the animals that can use them.”
In order for the trees to be able to be used by the zoo animals, the trees need to be free of ornaments tinsel, tree stands and not in plastic bags.
“This allows the trees to be used beyond the holiday season,” said Wiley. “Animals that benefit from them include lions, tigers, owls, mountain lions, giraffes, elephants, bears and many others.”
Once the animals have had plenty of fun with the varieties of conifers donated, they will be ground up through a chipper and made into mulch for continued reuse.
The zoo will accept the trees through Jan. 8th 2019.

The Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center would like to invite members of the media to the ribbon cutting ceremony which will mark the unveiling of the Kay McFarland Japanese Garden on Thursday, August 27, at 10:00 AM. Attending and speaking at the ceremony will be Consul General Kenichi Okada from the Japanese Consulate in Chicago and James Kanki Honorary Consul of Japan in Kansas City. The ribbon cutting will occur in traditional Japanese style.
Also speaking at the event will be Mayor Michelle De La Isla, Friends of the Zoo Board President Pat Colley, Japanese Garden Master Koji Morimoto and Trustees Elaine and Howard Schwartz.
Because of Covid-19 restrictions, attendance at the ribbon cutting is by invitation only.
Guests will be greeted at the event by Three Trails Taiko, a Japanese drum group. As guests check in, they will be given an origami crane. At the conclusion of the ceremony after the Sake drum has been broken, a procession will lead to the Garden’s entrance. Along the way, guests will be instructed to hang their origami crane with a wish on one of the plants. Kimonos will be on display in the Event Venue.
Members of the media can arrange for a preview of the Kay McFarland Japanese Garden beginning Monday, August 24. Interviews can be arranged during the preview with the Zoo Director, Garden Master and Trustees if desired. We would ask that any stories developed through the preview experience be embargoed

Local fire and law enforcement personnel are teaming with the American Red Cross for the 3rd annual Battle of the Badges blood drive to see who can recruit the most eligible donors in their community to donate blood.
Individuals can join the Battle of the Badges blood drive by donating May 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Holliday Building, 620 SE Madison. Donors’ blood donations will help decide who wins bragging rights and the traveling trophy.
“The Battle of the Badges blood drive is one of those yearly events where a little competitive spirit takes over between the members the Fire Department and the Police Department to benefit a great cause,” said Topeka Police Chief Bill Cochran. “Best of all, at the end of the day everyone in our community benefits and the comradery between our two departments becomes even stronger. We hope you will come donate blood and make a difference.”
Battle of the Badges is a friendly competition to encourage community members to join their local first responders and perform their own heroic act with a blood donation.
“I know this event is known as the “Battle of the Badges,” blood drive but to me it is really the “Pledge of the Badges,” said Topeka Fire Chief Craig Duke. “Each year both departments look at this special way to serve our community. We pledge to go beyond our daily way of public safety servitude by donating blood. Why? Because that’s who we are.”

Duke continues, “On the lighter side, it is fun to see how Topeka Fire Department and Topeka Police Department make this a whole community event by competing in fun, to see who will have the most donated pints of blood for the Red Cross but in the end, we all win.”
This May, during National Trauma Month, the Red Cross is calling on donors to give blood regularly to be prepared to meet the needs of patients. In emergency situations, having blood available when a patient arrives at a hospital is vital. Regular donations can help ensure sufficient supplies are available for trauma patients when every second matters, as well as others with serious medical conditions.
“Fire and law enforcement units know firsthand how important it is to have blood readily available for emergencies,” said Susan Faler, account manager, Red Cross Central Plains Blood Services Region. “By hosting this blood drive, they are helping ensure that blood is on the shelves before it is needed.”

In thanks, all those who come to donate blood with the Red Cross now through June 10, 2019, will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email. (Restrictions apply; see amazon.com/gc-legal. More information and details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Together.)
To make an appointment for the Topeka Battle of the Badges, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and use sponsor code Topeka.
How to donate blood
All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SE Monroe St. will soon be open for traffic as the City of Topeka Utilities Department finishes work on Utilities Relocation Project 6. This is one of six relocation projects the city began in 2024 in preparation for the larger Kansas Department of Transportation
(KDOT) Polk-Quincy Viaduct (PQV) Reconstruction Project.

On Friday, December 20, the one-way SE Monroe St. will reopen to traffic from SE 3rd St. to SE6th Ave. The eastbound I-70 on-ramp at SE 4th St. will also reopen Friday. Project 6 consisted of necessary sanitary sewer, storm sewer and water line relocations. While current traffic control
will be removed on Friday, the outer right lane of Monroe St. between 3rd St. and 6th Ave. will be closed until Friday, January 3.

“We are happy to see roads downtown reopening as these utility relocation projects begin to wrap up,” said Utilities Director Sylvia Davis. “We understand maneuvering through detours has been a frustration for drivers, but we appreciate their patience and look forward to completing
city work so KDOT can begin their efforts to replace the aging Polk-Quincy Viaduct.”

About the COT Utility Relocation Project
The City of Topeka’s utility relocations began in early 2024 in order to relocate sanitary sewer,
storm sewer and water utilities before KDOT begins reconstruction of the viaduct in the spring
of 2025.

The city’s utility relocations include six total projects in the general area of the viaduct, titled
Project 2-7. The viaduct spans I-70 from MacVicar Ave. to 6th Ave. Project 2 and Project 7 were
completed earlier this year. Projects 4 and 5 are planned to be complete in early 2025.

Beginning on Monday, April 29, 21st Street will be fully closed to vehicular traffic and open to pedestrians and bike on the north sidewalk. There will be a signed detour using 17th Street. I-470 off and on ramps will be fully closed on the east side of the bridge, the west side ramps will both be open. Although through traffic will be prohibited, local access to the businesses between Belle Avenue and I-470 will be maintained. This section of roadway carries about 27,000 vehicles a day.

The complete “emergency” closure is being done for several reasons:
• The concrete pavement was already showing signs of significant deterioration at the joints, and the situation was made noticeably worse by the harsh winter.
• KDOT will be starting their project to overlay I-470 northbound on or before June 15. The City’s project must be completed prior to the beginning of that overlay work or wait until it is finished. It is our opinion that 21st Street cannot be adequately and safely maintained until after the I-470 work, so we have to act immediately.
• Worker and driver safety. This is a high traffic location. In order to protect construction workers and drivers, full closure is a safer alternative than a complicated, ever changing maze of signs, cones and barricades.
• The full closure will allow the work to be finished in a much shorter time period. The Contractor is required to be finished on or before June 1st or they will face financial penalties.
• A full closure costs significantly less. The cost of maintaining through traffic while constructing roads is expensive.
• There are several construction projects already underway on the west side of Topeka. But there are more projects scheduled to start later in the summer. It is important that the 21st work be completed before these other projects begin to help with the inevitable inconvenience of multiple projects.

Sunflower Paving is the contractor for this project. The project will be completed by June 1^st.

Beginning Monday, December 5, Topeka’s Municipal Court will be implementing a face mask requirement for all employees and visitors of the court.

The policy is being implemented to ensure the court can remain open, and serve its function of carrying out the administration of justice.

Influenza, RSV, and other viruses are currently being monitored by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Earlier this month, Stormont Vail Health reported community transmission of COVID-19 was steadily increasing, and considered to be at the “high” level.

Mask-wearing is currently optional for all other City of Topeka buildings. The city encourages social distancing, regular handwashing, and other practices.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the City of Topeka are joining forces to host a listening session for stakeholder agencies on the topic of broadband access on Thursday.

The listening session is part of the FCC’s efforts to gain additional information and understanding from affected communities, state, local, and Tribal governments, public interest advocates, and providers about challenges, barriers and experiences in ensuring all people of the United States benefit from equal access to broadband.

The FCC has made similar stops in Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington D.C.

The event, which coincides with Digital Inclusion Week, will be held on Thursday, October 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sunflower Foundation located 5820 SW 6^th Ave.

During the listening session, a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Michael Padilla’s Office will be read by Deputy Mayor Neil Dobler in recognition of Digital Inclusion Week. Deputy Mayor Dobler has been a champion for digital equity initiatives locally.

Around 40 representatives from federal, state and local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other interested stakeholders are expected to be in attendance, including the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Kansas Office of Broadband Development and the TSC – Get Digital Coalition, among others.

While the listening session is intended to be for stakeholders, members of the public are welcome to attend. Those who wish to attend are asked to RSVP to Monique Glaudeˊ, Director of Community Engagement at mglaude@topeka.org by noon on Wednesday. Members of the media are also invited to attend and audit the session. Media representatives who wish to attend are asked to RSVP to Gretchen Spiker at gspiker@topeka.org no later than noon on Wednesday. Lunch is being provided to attendees.

Learn more about the listening session on the FCC’s website.

City of Topeka Fire Station #6 is the second oldest fire station in Topeka, built in 1935, and is an integral part of the Oakland neighborhood. When the road around Fire Station #6 was redone the fire hydrant was put out of commission and replaced. The Firefighters at station #6 saw an opportunity repurpose the decommissioned fire hydrant and turn it into public art to honor the Oakland neighborhood. The Firefighter union donated funds to sandblast and prime the fire hydrant and local artist Andy Valdivia painted the hydrant to reflect the rich cultural heritage in Oakland. The fire hydrant is painted to show the Hispanic and German cultures in the neighborhood along with the historic fire station building.
“The firefighters who work in Station #6 love the Oakland neighborhood and its rich culture. We are so excited to repurpose this decommissioned fire hydrant into public art for all our neighbors in Oakland to enjoy,” said Fire Marshal Mike Martin. “We hope that this fire hydrant will remind people of fire safety in their homes and help be a reminder to check your smoke detector to make sure it is working.”
The fire hydrant will be unveiled to the public on Saturday, January 26th at noon at Fire Department #6 located at 1419 SE Seward. At the unveiling the Fire Department will be handing out applications for free smoke detectors. The American Red Cross will also be in attendance to talk about their Sound the Alarm campaign that will be in the Oakland neighborhood on April 27th to install free smoke detectors in homes in the area.
The City of Topeka Fire Department is committed to making sure that our citizens have working smoke detectors in their home in case of a fire and fire safety knowledge. In 2018 there were 7 fires in Oakland that resulted in one death, two injuries, one firefighter injury and approximately $210,000 in damages.