What’s Closed, What’s Not In Kansas

Several places in Kansas are feeling the impact of the federal government shutdown.

Two photocopied pieces of paper taped to the front door of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site is letting visitors in Topeka know the building is closed.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene is closed.

It has a message on its website and on its answering machine.

The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and Fort Larned are also closed.

The Cimarron National Grasslands In Morton County are closed.

Seven-hundred Kansas National Guard personnel were sent home as the impact of the federal government shutdown took hold.

Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, adjutant general of the Kansas National Guard, says Tuesday that the furloughs affect about one-third of the Guard’s federal employees.

The soldiers perform a variety of administrative, maintenance and unit readiness functions.

The lack of a resolution to the federal budget means thousands of employees at the Army’s Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth will be furloughed until a new spending bill is approved. Employees were being notified which positions would be impacted.

In Wichita, more than 300 civilian employees are going to be out of work at McConnell Air Force Base.

Specific missions will go forward.

Some support services like the library are closed.

Some security and fire protection workers along with maintenance are not on the job as of noon.

Those services are still staffed, but support staff will be at home and not getting paid during the shutdown.

Even though the monuments are closed, the Kansas Honor Flight Program plans to keep its scheduled trip to Washington, DC next week.

Today, a group of veterans from Mississippi was met with barricades this Tuesday at the World War II Memorial, but several congressman showed up and let them in saying it’s not right to close an open air monument.

However, some services will continue like Social Security and Medicare.

Food stamps also known as SNAP will continue.

Unemployment checks will also go out, and mail delivery will continue.

Air traffic control and TSA employees will still report to work so planes can take off safely.

If you’re scheduled for a day in court, don’t expect a reprieve.

Federal courts are open for now.