mcre Media .......[Henry McClure Publisher]

Look here, folks. A while back—May of 2024—I put up a post on the blog about this exact thing. Molly Howey, who was running GO Topeka at the time, sent over their list of grants, contributions, sponsorships, and scholarships from 2022 and 2023. You can still find it at mcremedia.blogspot.com if you want to see the whole thing with your own eyes. That list tells the story plain as day. Good golly MOLLY Sales tax money earmarked for economic development was going out the door to: New Mount Zion Baptist Church for community drive-thru dinners and back-to-school events Shampayne Lloyd Ministries for a “Victorious Woman Retreat” Topeka Center for Peace and Justice Topeka Family and Friends Juneteenth Celebration YWCA Northeast Kansas for scholarships and Women of Excellence dinners NAACP Topeka Branch for their Freedom Fund Banquet Oakland Garden and other community grower groups NOTO Arts and Entertainment District for “diversity and inclusion” A pet nursing hotel that won a pit...

Lauren’s Bay Finally Moving Forward: Unpaid Taxes Lead to Auction and New Builders By Henry McClure | MCRE, LLC In the spirit of transparency and keeping Shawnee County informed on local development news, I wanted to share a strong summary of recent reporting from This Is Topeka (thisistopeka.com). All credit goes to This Is Topeka Staff for their July 21, 2026 article: “ Years of Unpaid Taxes End With Lauren’s Bay Sold to Three Builders .” I highly recommend reading the full piece for the complete details. Key Developments at Lauren’s Bay After years of stalled progress, unpaid taxes, and debates over special assessments, more than 100 vacant lots in the southwest Topeka subdivision (near SW 47th and Wanamaker, Auburn-Washburn School District) were sold at a Shawnee County judicial tax foreclosure auction on June 10, 2026. The buyers include three reputable local builders: Diamond Homes of Topeka (formerly Dultmeier Homes) – approximately 40 lots. Drippé Homes – approximatel...