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Next month, the new Sunflower Fire Station will officially open in De Soto.

The fire station, in the Northwest Consolidated Fire District, is a $17.1 million project mostly funded by Panasonic Energy.

Panasonic Energy contributed $9.6 million. The contributions from Johnson County and the Kansas Department of Transportation's totaled $7.5 million.

It's one of Johnson County's largest public safety projects in more than a decade.

"It's time and we do deserve this," said Chief Todd Maxton.

The Northwest Consolidated Fire District covers 7,500 square miles of Northwest Johnson County.

Its current De Soto-based fire station in downtown is in an 80-year-old building, according to Chief Maxton.

Construction of the Sunflower Fire Station, also known as St

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