City of Atchison, Kansas Local Government

10/13/2026

Help us give a huge round of applause to Animal Control Officer Cassandra Shelton, our October Ace of the Month!

"Animal Control received a call about a juvenile raccoon running around a parking lot, hiding under cars for shade. After we received confirmation from a wildlife rehabber that they could take the raccoon if we could catch it, we headed that way. Animal Control Officer Shelton immediately got down on the hot pavement and began trying to wriggle the raccoon out of a wheel well. We knew it had to be terrified and overheating. For over 30 minutes, with the assistance of the Atchison Fire Department helping jack the car up, Cassandra was able to wrangle the raccoon out of the wheel well before it darted off. She really stepped up for our first hands-on wildlife call!"

Great job, Cassandra! Thank you for everything you do to keep our two-legged and four-legged (and masked!) residents safe!

Cassandra will receive a $50 gift card for any local business of her choice plus will be in the running for Ace of the Year!

10/13/2026

Reminder that this work on N 4th Street is about to begin! Water will be shut off at 9 am through the afternoon.
Once the water is back on, we strongly suggest customers run the cold water tap on a faucet that doesn't have an aerator or screen on it. A bathtub is always a good option for this given it doesn't have either a screen or an aerator and allows for a high flow. Let the faucet run for several minutes until any air in the system is gone and the water runs clear from any debris.

10/12/2026

**10/13 WATER MAIN REPAIR**

Tomorrow morning, Tuesday October 13, around 9 AM, City crews will be replacing a broken water main valve at the intersection of 4th Street and Mound Street. City employees went door to door today physically notifying residents of the water main shut down that will be associated with the valve replacement as it impacts a large area, including:

300-400 blocks of Mound St
200-300 blocks of Unity St
300 block of Riley St
900 block of North 3rd St
800-900 blocks of North 4th St

This work will NOT impact St. Benedict Catholic School

10/12/2026

The Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce is starting a small business incubator in Atchison! See their post below or contact Jill Thorne [email protected] for more information.

Do you want to open a business in Atchison?

The Locally Atchison Business Incubator is designed to support new and emerging businesses by providing affordable retail or office space, mentorship, and business development resources. The goal of the incubator is to help entrepreneurs launch sustainable businesses that will eventually transition into permanent locations within the Atchison community.

Contact [email protected] for more information.

10/09/2026

Haz-Mat exercise to be held in Atchison city limits on October 14th!
Atchison PD and FD will be taking part in this exercise.

PUBLIC NOTICE – FULL-SCALE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS EXERCISE

Atchison County will be conducting a Full-Scale Hazardous Materials Exercise on Wednesday, October 14th, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.

The exercise will involve multiple local emergency response agencies and healthcare partners. Its purpose is to evaluate emergency response capabilities, including interagency coordination, communications, hazardous materials response, patient care, public information, and incident command.

Exercise activities will take place in the areas of Gasoline Alley, Atchison County Health Department, and Amberwell Hospital.

Residents may notice an increased presence of emergency vehicles, first responders, and other exercise-related activity during this time.

This is only an exercise. There is no actual emergency.

We appreciate the public's patience and understanding as our local agencies work together to strengthen our preparedness for real-world emergencies.

10/07/2026

**MAJOR PAVING OPERATIONS**
The City's 2026 mill and overlay paving contractor Herzog is in town and starting work this morning. Over the next two weeks they will be completing large-scale paving operations around Atchison. Streets highlighted in red or blue on the attached maps will be the focus of their operations. Residents along these streets should receive door hangers and other notices to move vehicles when their street is next on the list. The first two streets will be Crowell and Green. Thank you for your assistance with vehicles so Herzog can complete their work as quickly as possible!
Note: these are not the only streets in Atchison being paved this year. City Street crews and other paving contractors continue working through smaller scale projects around the city as well.

10/07/2026

Atchison County will conduct its monthly Outdoor Warning Siren Test today at 10:00 AM.

Remember, outdoor warning sirens are designed to alert people who are outdoors. They should never be relied upon as your only method of receiving emergency warnings.
Please make sure you have multiple ways to receive alerts, including:

• NOAA Weather Radio
• Local television and radio stations
• Trusted weather apps and media sources

10/05/2026

Commission Meeting 10/05/2026

10/02/2026

Thank you to all first responders, pilots, and airport personnel who attended this event and training last night at Amelia Earhart Airport!

10/01/2026

**SINKHOLE UPDATE**
Crews completed the exploratory excavation in the intersection. They found that the sinkhole was small and localized and there were no large voids in any other directions. The area of excavation was 7 'x 7' x 7'. The crews have refilled the hole with rock and the street is back open to traffic temporarily. Crews will return to the site next week to check the pipes and utilities around the intersection. They will then repair any damaged pipes, utilities, or drains and fill the excavation area with concrete.
Please continue to drive carefully in the area until the full repair is complete. Thank you!

**SINKHOLE ALERT**
Please be aware that a sinkhole has opened up under the street at the intersection of South 6th Street and Spring Street. City crews have completed utility locates and are on site excavating the sinkhole to stabilize it. Streets are closed around the area at the red lines on the attached map. Please avoid that area if possible.

Thank you!