The North Central Regional Planning Commission Executive Board has named Emily Benedick as the organization’s new Executive Director.

She will succeed Doug McKinney, who last year announced plans to step down from his position this spring. McKinney began with the North Central Regional Planning Commission in 1986 and has been Executive Director since 2008.

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Column by Doug McKinney

As many of you know by now, I am stepping down as Executive Director of the North Central Regional Planning Commission soon. It is time to place more focus on ailing family members and other important matters.

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Two high school seniors in North Central Kansas are being recognized with the John R. Cyr Rural Voices Award for submitting the top entries in the 2019-2020 Rural Voices Youth Contest sponsored by the NCRPC.

Jake Toole, a senior at Washington County High School,

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Several North Central Kansas communities recently learned they will receive grants to help complete a variety of improvement projects. The funding comes from the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce.

NCRPC staff assisted with the following projects and will provide project administration.

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Financial incentives offered through the NCK Home Ownership Pilot Program’s 2019 expansion to Ellsworth and Lincoln counties assisted in the purchase of 10 homes in Ellsworth County, 6 homes in Lincoln County and 1 in Mitchell County.

The program officially expanded to Ellsworth and Lincoln counties in June 2019.

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The North Central Kansas Community Network (NCKCN) is expanding! NCKCN now provides its fixed wireless Internet service to residents and businesses in another great rural community: Scandia, KS.

NCKCN is an Internet service provider that was originally formed in 1995 to help connect communities that were underserved by cable or fiber.

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