Salina

Salina is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States. In 1858, settlers from Lawrence founded the Salina Town Company with a wagon circle. It was named for the salty Saline River. Salina boomed until the Civil War by establishing itself as a trading post for westbound immigrants, gold prospectors bound for Pikes Peak, and area American Indian tribes. It boomed again from the 1940s-1950s when the Smoky Hill Army Airfield was built for World War II strategic bombers. Now a micropolis and regional trade center for North Central Kansas, Salina is home to KSU College of Technology and Aviation, Kansas Wesleyan University, Tony's Pizza, Philips Lighting, Exide Battery, ElDorado National, and Asurion. The city is located in the heart of the Kansas prairie, which was once dominated by the High Plains tribes of Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Sioux, which had expanded into the area, driving out the Pawnee. The U.S. government had established forts throughout the territory to provide security for established commercial trade trails, including the Smokies Hill Trail and the Santa Fe Trail. In the early 1700s, the site that would become Salina was located within the western territory of the Kansa people. Claimed first by France as part of Louisiana and later acquired by the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, it was within the area organized by the U.S. as Kansas Territory in 1854.

History

Salina is the primary city name, but also Bavaria are acceptable city names or spellings. The site that would become Salina was located within the western territory of the Kansa people. Claimed first by France as part of Louisiana and later acquired by the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. By the time of the first tentative settlements by United States citizens, the site was claimed as hunting grounds by the High Plains tribes of Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Sioux. Battle of Indian Rock: 1857 was "one of the fiercest and most cruel Indian battles known to white settlers" The town's growth with the outbreak of the American Civil War halted the growth of the area's Indian population when much of the male population left to join the Union Army. The westernmost town on the Smoky Hill Trail, Salina established itself as a trading post for westbound immigrants, prospectors for Pikes Peak, and gold prospectors. The town is now the county seat of Salina County, which was named after the county's first postmaster, William A. Phillips, who died in 1858. The city's name was changed to Salina in 1870 after the town was incorporated as a city. It is located at the confluence of the Saline, Saline and Solomon Rivers, and is on the U.S. Army's Fort Riley/Fort Larned Road, which crossed the river to the southwest. It was also the site where the first water well was built, one block west of 5th St and Iron Ave near the first well.

Geography

Salina is located at 38°5025N 97°3641W (38.8402805, -97.6114237) at an elevation of 1,224 feet (373 m) It is 81 miles (130 km) north of Wichita, Kansas, 164 miles (264 km) west of Kansas City, Missouri, and 401 miles (645 km) east of Denver, Colorado. The annual average temperature in Salina is 56.1 °F (13 °C) The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 31.0°F (0.6°C) in January to 81.1 °C (27.3 °C), on average, in July. On average, Salina receives 32.2 in (818 mm) of precipitation per year with the largest share being received from May to August. The average relative humidity is 64%. Snowfall averages 18.4 inches (47 cm) per year. The city is in a region prone to severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes. On June 21, 1969, an F3 tornado struck the southern part of the city, severely damaging or destroying more than 100 homes and businesses and injuring 60 people. On September 25, 1973, a second EF3 tornado passed through the southeast part of town, injuring six people and destroying two houses and a trailer park. Salina has a total area of 25.15 square miles (65.14 km²), of which 25.11 square miles of land and 0.04 sq mi of water.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 47,707 people, 19,391 households, and 12,024 families residing in the city. The population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median income for a household was $42,027, and the median family income was $54,491. The city is the anchor city of the Salina Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Saline and Ottawa counties. In 2000, the population was 45,679 people, 18,523 families, and 11,873 families. The racial makeup was 87.76% White, 3.57% Black or African American, 0.56% Native American, 1.96% Asian,0.05% Pacific Islander, and 2.32% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latino of any race were 6.71% of the population. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was2.98. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female. In the city, the median age was 36.4 years, and for every 100 females there were 92.8 males. The per capita income for the city is $23,253.

Economy

As of 2010, 71.0% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: educational services, health care, and social assistance (21.2%) manufacturing (17.8%) and retail trade (13.1%). The cost of living in Salina is relatively low; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost-of-living index is 80.9. Salina hosted the first garment factory for Lee Jeans, which opened in 1889. Tony's Pizza, a Schwan Food Company brand, produces frozen pizzas and food for school cafeterias and other institutions. Philips Lighting is a manufacturer of lighting; Exide Battery, a storage battery manufacturer; Great Plains Manufacturing, a farm equipment manufacturer; ElDorado National, a commercial bus manufacturer. Asurion, an insurance provider, is the city's top employer. The median home value was $109,700, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,070 for housing units with a mortgage and $396 for those without, and the median gross rent was $599. The city has a population of 2,788. The unemployment rate is 3.7%. Salina has a crime rate of 2.2%. The crime rate is 1.9%. The economy has a unemployment rate of 3.8%. The city's unemployment rate has been 3.6%. The cost- of living index in the city has been 80.8.

Government

Salina is a city of the first class with a commission-manager form of government which it adopted in 1921. The city commission consists of five members elected at large, one of whom the commission annually selects to serve as mayor. The commission sets policy and appoints the city manager, who serves as the chief executive, responsible for administering the city government and appointing all city employees. Salina lies within Kansas's 1st U.S. Congressional District. For the purposes of representation in the Kansas Legislature, the city is located in the 24th district of the Kansas Senate and the 69th, 71st, and 108th districts of theKansas House of Representatives. The county courthouse is located downtown, and all departments of the county government base their operations in the city. The Salina Fire department operates four stations inside the city, and the county seat is in Saline County, which is located just outside of the city in the town of Leavenworth. It is the only city in Salina that does not have its own airport, and it has no plans to do so in the near future. It also has its own police department, which was established in the early 1900s. It was the first city in Kansas to have a police force of its own, and has since become one of the largest in the state. It has a mayor, who was elected for a four-year term in 1921, and a city manager who is elected for two-year terms. The mayor is chosen by the commission, who also picks a city council member.

Education

Salina USD 305 public school district operates twelve schools in Salina. Private schools include St. Mary's Grade School (PreK-6) and Sacred Heart Junior-Senior High School (7-12) Colleges and universities include Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus and Kansas Wesleyan University. Salina Normal University (closed in 1904) and University of Kansas School of Medicine, Salina are also located in the city. The city is also home to the Salina Area Technical College and Salina Christian Academy. The Salina River runs through the center of the city, which is home to a number of tourist attractions. The town is also the site of the annual Salina Water Festival, which takes place in the summer. It is also known as the "Salina River Festival" and is held in September and October each year. The river runs through Salina's downtown area, which has a population of around 2,000 people. It also runs through a small section of the town called the West Side, where it is known as "The West Side" and "The South Side" The city also has a small portion of its own park, which was built in the early 1900s. It was named after the town of Salina, Kansas, and is now called the "West Side Park" It is located on the west side of the river and is known for its beautiful scenery. The community also has some historic buildings, such as the Old Salina House and the Old Kansas City Jail.

Infrastructure

The city's main north-south thoroughfare, Ninth Street, becomes K-143 at its interchange with I-70. There are two hospitals in Salina: Salina Regional Health Center, a 204-bed not-for-profit general medical and surgical facility; and Salina Surgical Hospital, a specialized, 16-bed surgical facility. CityGo is the local public transport bus service, operating five routes in the city (yellow, blue, red, purple and green) Greyhound Lines provides bus service westward towards Denver, Colorado and eastward toward Kansas City, Missouri. The city government's Department of Public Works is responsible for water treatment and distribution, waste water removal, sewer maintenance, and trash collection. Westar Energy provides electric power. Residents primarily use natural gas for heating fuel; natural gas service is provided by Kansas Gas Service. Salina is the southeastern terminus of the Salina Subdivision of the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad. Union Pacific Railroad operates one freight rail line through Salina. Its Kansas Pacific (KP) Line runs northeast-southwest through the northern part of the city. It is used primarily for general aviation, with flights to Chicago O'Hare and Denver International Airport. The Salina Municipal Airport is located southwest of theCity. It hosts one commercial airline United Express with flights from Salina to Chicago. It also hosts flights to Denver and Kansas City. The CityGo bus service also provides intercity paratransit bus service to surrounding communities.

Culture

The city holds several community events throughout the year. The Tonys Pizza Events Center (formerly Bicentennial Center) is the primary venue in the city for large indoor events. The Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure is a public zoo and wildlife park located 6 miles (9.7 km) west of the city near Hedville. There are more than 70 Christian churches in and around Salina including the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salina. Salina was home to minor league baseball from 1898-1952. The Salina Blue Jays and other Salina teams played as a member of the Kansas State League (1898) and the Central Kansas League (1908-1910, 1912) Salina hosted the National Junior College Athletic Division I's women's basketball tournament each season in the 1960s and 1970s. The city's Christmas Festival includes a 5k run, a mile walk, live music, dance performances, childrens entertainment, and the Parade of Lights, a parade of floats decorated with Christmas lights. It is home to the Salina Community Theatre (SCT) which produces seven seasonal shows and three summer shows every year. It has animal exhibits, an art gallery, and a wildlife museum. The Smoky Hill Museum contains artifacts and exhibits on local history, agriculture, and education with collections dating back to 1879. It also hosts several car shows and high school sports events.Salina was an affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies (1941-1952) and played at Oakdale Park (1818-1918) and Kenwood Field (1922-1926).

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Salina, Saline County, Kansas = 85. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 33. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 91. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Salina = 4.6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 46,889 individuals with a median age of 37.3 age the population grows by 2.02% in Salina, Saline County, Kansas population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,800 residents per square mile of area (700/km²). There are average 2.39 people per household in the 18,940 households with an average household income of $42,024 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 5.70% of the available work force and has dropped -1.77% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 30.76%. The number of physicians in Salina per 100,000 population = 209.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Salina = 29.4 inches and the annual snowfall = 19.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 82. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 223. 93 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 18.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 28, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Salina, Saline County, Kansas which are owned by the occupant = 62.35%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 47 years with median home cost = $114,740 and home appreciation of 0.47%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $10.83 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,211 per student. There are 12.7 students for each teacher in the school, 604 students for each Librarian and 318 students for each Counselor. 5.86% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 14.11% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.39% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).