Stretch of Parsons Road reopened
Parsons Road, between Halstead Road and Fairchilds Road, has been reopened, the Saline County Road and Bridge Department announced through a press release.
The barricades have been set off to the side and will be removed when the signs are removed, which should happen within a few days, the press release stated.
Woman who hit house cited for DUI
A woman whose car crashed into a house at 805 W. Crawford Monday evening was cited for driving under the influence, reckless driving and having an open container, police officials said Tuesday.
Police also found marijuana and paraphernalia in the home of Kathy S. Blue, 52, 805 S. Fifth, after the crash, according to Salina police reports.
According to the police report, Blue told officers that she and her passenger, David N. Mutzer, 35, also of 805 S. Fifth, had been arguing and that he grabbed the wheel of the car, causing the crash. Mutzer told police Blue jerked the wheel herself. The car jumped the curb and struck the home owned by Lucas S. Packett.
Packett couldn't be reached Tuesday for comment.
Officers found two cups that smelled of alcohol in the vehicle, according to the report.
Both Blue and Mutzer were taken to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of injuries. Blue was treated in the emergency room, according to a hospital spokesman. Mutzer was admitted to the hospital and was in good condition Tuesday.
Several hours later -- between 11:15 and 11:55 p.m. Monday -- officers searched the home of Blue and Mutzer and found a small amount of marijuana and an aluminum foil pipe with marijuana residue, according to a police report.
Sign project close to getting started
The city of Salina is close to getting started on the wayfinding sign project that has been in the works for several years, City Manager Jason Gage told the Salina Downtown Inc. board of directors on Tuesday.
The last hurdle is finishing the design of "gateway" landscaping projects associated with the project. It will be at the Interstate Highway 135/Crawford and I-70/Ninth Street interchanges, Gage said. That could happen within a few weeks, he said.
"Getting those wayfinding signs in those corridors to get people into downtown is going to be real nice," Gage told the 10 board members. "The follow-up with the wayfinding signs in the downtown will really add to it."
The city also is close to completing its parking plan for downtown, Gage said.
Salinan pleads guilty to arson
LINCOLN -- A Salina man accused of setting fire to a storage building in Beverly on July 5 pleaded guilty in Lincoln County District Court to a charge of arson.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 3 for Timothy G. Casto, who was 43 years old when the crime occurred.
Officials said Casto was angry the night of July 5 as he left Hillbilly's Bar & Grill. He walked a little more than a block south of the bar and set fire to the storage building. The storage building and its contents, including car parts, a few antiques and other stored items, were a total loss.
The storage building was owned by Norm Rush, Beverly.
City to test some hydrants today
The city's Utilities Department will flow test fire hydrants today in the area bound on the south by Republic Avenue, Fourth Street on the east, and the city limits on the north and west. Water may be discolored because of the testing, and staining of laundry is possible. But the water will be safe to drink, city officials said.
Fire District No. 5 budget amended
The Saline County Commission voted 3-0 on Tuesday to amend the budget of Rural Fire District No. 5 to include the income of $25,000 from the sale of a vehicle.
The commission also accepted a bid of $6,890 for a copier and received information on Public Health Thank You Day and the purchase of a salt spreader.
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