DesotoExplorer.com / Elvyn Jones

Recent stories

Officer, sheriff battle for GOP votes: By Elvyn Jones; July 23, 2008; Ken Smith said he feels a tinge of pity for his opponent for the Republican nomination for Johnson County Sheriff.
De Soto FlexRide numbers surging with gas prices: By Elvyn Jones; July 21, 2008; Johnson County Transit planning manager Cody Christensen said the two-day-a-week local system had 161 riders had in June, nearly double the 88 recorded in the same month a year earlier
De Soto’s population grows at 2.2 percent, Census Bureau estimates: By Elvyn Jones; July 16, 2008; De Soto grew by 118 resident in the latest annual estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau, which released figures last week of population trends that coincided with the start of the nationwide housing slump.
Revenue shortfall leads to CIP rescheduling in De Soto’s 2009 budget: By Elvyn Jones; 02:55 p.m., July 16, 2008 Updated 02:54 p.m.; Downtown streetscape project delayed
De Soto City Council schedules water workshop: Workshop to be rescheduled; By Elvyn Jones; 06:08 p.m., July 11, 2008 Updated 03:15 p.m.; The De Soto City Council postpones workshop to give customers added advanced notice
Pancake feed to help replenish Multi-Service Center food pantry: By Elvyn Jones; July 10, 2008; There was plenty of room on the shelves at the De Soto Multi-Service Center’s food pantry Tuesday for more food.
Inspection program working, officials say: By Elvyn Jones; July 10, 2008; Although more than half the rental units failed to pass on first visits, De Soto city officials say the six-month-old rental inspection program is working with good cooperation with landlords.
IRS spins Karmic wheel: By Elvyn Jones; July 3, 2008; The letter I got from the IRS in the mail Monday looked like a check. It was about 7 seven inches long and 3 inches wide and tear-off perforated edges on both ends. It even said “Stimulus check.” But it wasn’t my much-anticipated personal boost to our slumping economy.
City fireworks show Friday at DHS stadium: By Elvyn Jones; July 3, 2008; Small private celebrations of the Fourth of July began Monday as De Soto residents started shooting up the fireworks bought at three firework stands in the city.
De Soto draws antique road show: Car club tours Weller’s garage; By Elvyn Jones; July 3, 2008; Larry Hupp walked away from a tour of Dean Weller’s downtown garage thoroughly impressed.

Recent photos

De Soto's FlexRide transit program has seen a sharp rise in ridership in recent months as gas prices have increased to flirt with $4 a gallon.

As fuel prices cause concern to school districts developing 2008-2009 budgets, USD 232 is exploring an arrangement that would lock-in the cost of diesel for the next school year.

De Soto saw only 20 new single-family home starts from July 1, 2006, to June 20, 2008, but the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city had 118 new residents in the first 12 months of that period.

With a decline in development fees with the building slump, the planned sidewalk and landscaping improvements on 83rd Street from Wea to Shawnee streets was stricken from the capital improvement list in the city's 2009 budget. An $821,000 project to repave 83rd Street from Kill Creek Road east to the city limits remained in the CIP.