Press Releases

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.

The Topeka Police Department received 60 calls relating to fireworks this weekend. The City of Topeka would like to remind everyone of the fireworks ordinance and encourage them to celebrate safely on July 3rd and 4th.

It is not legal to discharge fireworks within the city limits of Topeka except for the hours between 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on July 3rd and from 10:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on July 4th. If you would like to report a fireworks violation please call (785) 368-9551 or 911. Enhance the joy of this holiday period by practicing Safe Sane and Sober fireworks life-safety habits. For more information regarding the rules and regulations regarding fireworks consult Municipal Code 8.35.070 https://www.codepublishing.com/KS/Topeka/

The following Fireworks Safety Tips are shared to enhance your awareness:

Keep a ready source of water available i.e. a connected hose; a fire extinguisher or bucket of water should suffice.

Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Appoint an adult or responsible person to be your designated igniter and to be on the lookout for sparks which may start unintended fires elsewhere. The adult can also activate emergency response (911), if a fire cannot be readily extinguished.

Adult Supervision Required. A person under the age of 18 years must be under adult supervision and in the physical presence of the adult to possess and discharge permitted consumer fireworks

.Wet down all ignition and fallout areas before lighting any fireworks. This way if a sparks does hit the ground then, chances of that spark igniting a fire will be minimal.

Always ignite fireworks on paved surfaces i.e. concrete or asphalt whenever possible; if not, select a dirt area where there is no grass or vegetation growth present.

Never ignite or discharge fireworks into, under, or from a car or vehicle, whether moving or standing still, or on a public roadway or the right-of-way adjoining a public roadway.

Be aware of wind conditions when preparing to enjoy your fireworks; if it is too windy then wait until such conditions subside.

Never park your vehicle on dry grass or close to where fireworks are being discharged.

Never attempt to relight a “dud” firework. Wait 10 – 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.

The City of Topeka Municipal Court will start a Food for Fines program during the month of October. Any person with a payment due to the Municipal Court between October 1st and October 31st will receive a $25 credit towards their fine with a donation of ten cans of non-perishable canned goods.
All the non-perishable food items that are collected will be donated to Project Topeka.
“I’m pleased that the Topeka Municipal Court is able to help people pay off their fines and help those in need at the same time. The Topeka Community donated over 2,000 pounds of food to Project Topeka last year,” said Municipal Court Judge Lori Dougherty-Bichsel. “We are excited to partner again with Project Topeka, who will distribute the food drive items to food pantries all over our community.”
The food donations allow for a one-time max credit of $25 for each case. The Food for Fines program only allows for credit in cases with payments being made with the court and not in collections. The program cannot be used for court costs, diversion fees, reinstatement fees, restitution or seatbelt tickets.
“Project Topeka is glad that the City of Topeka Municipal Court is working with us to help give back and help the members of our community who need it the most,” said Dan Woodard, President of Project Topeka. “Thirteen percent of people in Shawnee County struggle with food insecurity. Food drives go a long way to help out the 1 in 8 people struggling with hunger in our community.”
Project Topeka is a volunteer organization that distributes non-perishable food items to seven food banks in Topeka and Shawnee County. Since 1986, Project Topeka has collected over 58,000 food items and distributes nearly 200 tons of food annually.
Cans must be taken to the Municipal Court Clerk’s office to receive credit. Dented, rusted, non-labeled, or expired food items will not be accepted. Food must be sealed in its original packaging.
For more information, please call the Municipal Court at (785) 368-3776.