Government Stories

Honeywell investing $84M in Olathe aviation innovation, adding 150+ jobs, ‘dream careers’ for young workers 

As Kansas works to reframe perceptions of the region around its health innovation and biologics industries, corporate and government officials on Friday announced a win for another innovation-driver and “compelling megatrend” for the Sunflower State: the future of aviation. Honeywell Aerospace Technologies plans to invest $84 million to expand its Olathe manufacturing facility, the company…

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, Wednesday at Ronawk in Olathe

Legislation to support Native American entrepreneurs could boost grants to tribes, Hawaiian natives

A bipartisan effort to strengthen and expand government-backed opportunities for Native American entrepreneurs got a boost this week, with legislation championed by a Kansas lawmaker advancing in the U.S. House. The Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act — introduced by U.S. Reps. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, and Eli Crane, R-Arizona — moved out of committee Wednesday, according…

New capital programs for KC small businesses unveiled, starting with micro-biz grants 

Editor’s note: Kansas City’s KC BizCare Office and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation are financial supporters or partners of Startland News. A new collaborative effort aims to boost Kansas City’s small business and startup ecosystems by building greater capital readiness among entrepreneurs and increasing access to starting capital, said Tracey Lewis. The Economic Development Corporation…

EDCKC boasts right team at the right time, CEO says as agency rebuilds its reputation

With 18 months of foundational work now laid, Tracey Lewis said, the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City is well on its way to rebuilding the trust, respect, and effective communication needed to execute the agency’s economic development goals. That takes repairing bridges between the City of KCMO and the EDCKC, he said, as well…

PayIt forward: Kansas renews contract with KC tech company that took DMV headaches off the road

For the more than 1 million Kansans who’ve already avoided long lines at the DMV thanks to PayIt’s award-winning digital payments platform, that experience — and others — will only get more convenient with the mobile-first technology’s Sunflower State renewal through at least 2026. PayIt this week announced a new deal with the State of…