Writing last week’s headline about the grant for Kanopolis’ water tower brought such a smile to my face.

I’ve been covering this Kanopolis City Council for a few years. The proposed water tower has been on the agenda since day one of my coverage. It was the item that would never go away. It remained “unfinished business” and lingered on the agenda.

Some months it was as simple as: “No water tower update.”

Other months, it was more complex, like when the funding hit a major snag and completely dried up.

All seemed lost. The council was understandably frustrated. If I’m being totally honest, I was frustrated for them. I saw the work they put into it and all of the “hurry up and wait” that the council and staff did.

For more than five years, the council worked with one simple goal: to bring a new water tower to town. The current tower is nearing the end of its lifespan. The council made the prudent decision to invest in the community’s future and pursue a new water tower.

It could be easy to think, “Why does this matter to Ellsworth County?”

Well, simply put, we have an attendance center in the community. Our middle school, not to mention the businesses and residents of Kanopolis, need water.

The ripples of one community absolutely influence those around them — both the successes and failures.

Having a community in Ellsworth County be granted full funding for a project, especially one that exceeds $1 million, is a feather in all of our caps. It shows our state is willing to invest in our collective futures.

We are thrilled about the recent announcement, and the long-term investment this brings to our slice of rural America.

Thank you Gov. Laura Kelly and the Kansas Water Office for the vote of confidence in Ellsworth County! Karen Bonar Publisher