info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Manhattan gives initial OK to STAR expansion for Museum of Art and Light

info2022-03-03T08:04:19-06:00March 3rd, 2022|

The Museum of Art and Light is one step closer to reality. Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday unanimously gave their initial approval for expanding the sales tax and revenue (STAR) bond district boundary for the proposed museum, which would be west of Manhattan Town Center on Third Street. Bob and Tracey DeBruyn, the museum developers, asked for the district expansion because they want to use sales tax revenue from the city’s STAR bond district to generate $23 million for the project. The DeBruyns have secured $21 million in private donations. Source: themercury.com

Newton Fire/EMS sees triple the fires for 2022

info2022-03-03T08:01:24-06:00March 3rd, 2022|

Newton Fire/EMS has seen the number of fires it responded to triple in the first two months of 2022. Since Jan. 1, the department has responded to 35 calls involving fire compared to 12 from the same period last year. “We’re seeing everything from car fires, building fires and grass fires,” Fire Marshall Andy Harder said. He added that the department didn’t know why there’s been an uptick. “I don’t want to say I’m superstitious. Nothing has stood out as this is what’s causing them.” Harder said he’d be interested to look at weather data to see if that could in [...]

Hiawatha Commission bids farewell to City Clerk

info2022-03-03T07:48:44-06:00March 3rd, 2022|

At Monday’s meeting of the Hiawatha City Commission, City Clerk Tish Sims, who has been with the city for nearly four years, made it official that she will be leaving the position, thanking the commission for her time in Hiawatha and saying that she has appreciated her time here. Mayor Bill Collins, City Administrator Mike Nichols and members of the Commission all praised the work Sims has done with the City of Hiawatha and wished her well in future endeavors. Source: hiawathaworldonline.com

Sedgwick County commissioner with personal knowledge of Ukraine asks for prayers for the people

info2022-03-03T01:49:53-06:00March 3rd, 2022|

The chairman of the Sedgwick County Commission has a unique perspective on the situation in Ukraine. Commissioner David Dennis is a veteran. He says he spent three years in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. During the Board of County Commissioners meeting Wednesday, he asked the people of Sedgwick County to keep Ukraine in their prayers. "What is going on over in Ukraine right now is absolutely tragic," he said. "They are some of the finest people that I have ever met." KSN spoke to him after the meeting about his remarks. He said the conflict in Ukraine hits close to him [...]

Horse in Wichita Police Department Mounted Unit dies

info2022-03-03T01:42:59-06:00March 3rd, 2022|

In a Facebook post from the Wichita Police Foundation on Tuesday, they announced the death of Scout, a saddlebred paint gelding who had been serving with the Wichita Police Department Mounted Unit since 2014. "Scout was fearless, not afraid of anything. Rode him in some tough situations on patrol, and he always did great. He was my horse until I retired," said retired Wichita Police Department Sergeant and former Unit Commander Clark Bolan. Source: KSN-TV

Wichita City Council approves SAFER Grant application for fire department staffing

info2022-03-03T00:58:55-06:00March 3rd, 2022|

Wichita City Council is asking for millions of dollars to help the Wichita Fire Department (WFD). This SAFER Grant would add somewhere between 36 and 39 firefighters to WFD's staff. The additional staff would be added to two brand new ladder truck companies as well as supplement other ladder companies that are currently running with a three-person crew. "It'd be the added bonus that we're really needing to continue to serve the citizens as we're accustomed to and making the efforts to make sure that we have everybody safe," WFD Battalion Chief Jose Ocadiz said. While going from three to four [...]

Baxter Springs welcomes back former officer as new police chief

info2022-03-03T00:57:01-06:00March 3rd, 2022|

Law enforcement in southeast Kansas is getting a brand new face -- but it's one that's pretty familiar in a different part of the Four States. It's the new police chief for the Baxter Springs Police Department. Brian Henderson is in just his first week on the job, but it's a career he's familiar with. "January 1996 was my start date," said Henderson. The first time Brian Henderson was hired by the Baxter Springs Police Department as a reserve officer. Now he's back in a much different role. "So it's coming back home for me, after serving citizens of Joplin for [...]

Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport receives KAIP funding

info2022-03-03T00:51:49-06:00March 3rd, 2022|

Thirty-six projects have been selected for Kansas Airport Improvement Program (KAIP) funding for the purpose of planning, constructing or rehabilitating public use general aviation airports. “Grant programs such as the Kansas Airport Improvement Program make projects like these possible, and we are very fortunate to have been awarded three grants. It is a competitive program so I think these awards really speak to the progress that has been made with the airport,” Clinton McNemee said. The airport received $38,000 for design of the; primary apron expansion; $89,396 for construction on the new runway and $328,500 for construction of the primary apron. [...]

New e-scooters arrive in Overland Park

info2022-03-03T07:42:11-06:00March 3rd, 2022|

Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog took a ride on a Bird scooter Tuesday afternoon around downtown to celebrate the official launch of a two-year pilot program for the electronic devices. The program is similar to other rental scooter programs in the metro, including in neighboring Prairie Village. The vehicles are electric and can be unlocked for relatively short rides with an app and an account. The pilot was approved by Overland Park City Council unanimously in early February. Source: Prairie Village Post

Douglas County Commission to allow mask mandate to expire

info2022-03-03T00:29:38-06:00March 3rd, 2022|

As new COVID-19 cases have continued to drop in Douglas County, commissioners on Wednesday evening were set to let a countywide mask mandate expire. An emergency health order with a countywide mask mandate went into effect Jan. 7 as the county was seeing a rolling 14-day average of new cases nearly double previous pandemic spikes. That number eventually reached more than four times the previous records from November 2020, but new cases began to drop within two weeks of the mandate going into effect. Early last month, the commission had considered an option of a loosened mandate that would have required [...]

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