info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Wichita police using social media to connect with families and spread awareness

info2022-02-24T00:43:39-06:00February 24th, 2022|

Wichita police are now using social media to reach teens-- before it's too late. TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat are just a few places that investigators say kids are setting up drug deals that have ended in shootings. "We have something important to discuss,” said Officer Alex Avendano with the Wichita Police Department in a TikTok video posted Tuesday. It might just seem like a simple video on your social media feed. But it's a new way Wichita Police officers in the Juvenile Intervention Unit are trying to spread awareness. "So, in the video, you see a guy taking pictures of drugs, and [...]

Kansas House overwhelmingly rejects proposal to ban no-knock warrants

info2022-02-24T07:44:13-06:00February 24th, 2022|

Rep. Tim Johnson says he can count on one hand the number of times he executed a no-knock search warrant during his 31 years in law enforcement. The Bonner Springs Republican says he is certified in the use of special weapons and tactics and has written articles on the subject. There are times, he said during a debate Tuesday in the House, that officers need a no-knock warrant. “I still remember one particular night,” Johnson said. “We did not have a no-knock search warrant. I was the point man. And as we went in, things went south very rapidly. I never [...]

Russia’s Ukraine incursion could complicate the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decisions

info2022-02-23T09:29:26-06:00February 23rd, 2022|

The outlook for Federal Reserve rate hikes after March may become less clear if Russia continues its incursion into Ukraine. That's because the tensions have pushed up the price of oil and gasoline, a major purchase for many Americans, and it's the U.S. consumer that drives about 70% of the U.S. economy. The prices of oil and other commodities have been rising on concerns that Russia's troop movements into Ukraine and sanctions from the U.S. and allies could potentially lead to limited supplies. Russia is a major exporter of oil and natural gas. ... Economists said it will be the price [...]

Critics say the Kansas criminal justice system’s fees and fines trap people in a cycle of poverty

info2022-02-23T09:25:54-06:00February 23rd, 2022|

After Tyler Williams spent much of his teenage years locked up in the juvenile jail system, he found himself at 19 owing more than $1,000 to the state of Kansas — including an $840 fee for hauling him from Oklahoma to face charges in Junction City. Working a minimum wage job, it took Williams two years of his young adulthood to wipe out all the fees and fines from his crimes as a kid. “It was a sigh of relief,” he said. “Having that burden gone definitely helped me get into a better mindset and take control of my life.” Fines [...]

‘The Lowrider Teacher’: How a mechanic became a top Johnson County school leader

info2022-02-23T09:07:20-06:00February 23rd, 2022|

Erazo has worked his way up from serving as a school security officer to becoming one of the top administrators in the Olathe school district. Through his perspective, Erazo has created programs — like his lowrider bike club — that have transformed the lives of dozens of students, while helping to reshape the community they live in. ... Despite being the executive director of diversity and engagement, Erazo doesn’t spend his time sitting in the district’s administrative offices. He works out of the alternative high school, to be near the kids he’s hoping to reach, or at the auto tech center, [...]

Great Plains Manufacturing is expanding in Salina. What does that mean for central Kansas?

info2022-02-23T08:53:31-06:00February 23rd, 2022|

One of the largest employers in Saline County is adding positions. Great Plains Manufacturing is expanding its footprint in the community. Even though Great Plains is now a part of the larger corporation of Kubota, it has roots extending back to the 1970s in Salina. David Disberger, executive vice president for Great Plains Manufacturing, said when Great Plains became part of Kubota in 2016, it was with an understanding that Great Plains knew the strategies that worked best in the industry for this part of the world. "(Kubota said) we're not here to change you, but to learn from you," Disberger [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for February 22, 2022

info2022-02-23T08:51:20-06:00February 23rd, 2022|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. Every issuer's credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.

New Goddard water park is going to be a Blast

info2022-02-23T08:48:37-06:00February 23rd, 2022|

When Rodney Steven II opens his new indoor water park in Goddard this spring, he aims to make more than just a splash. The Genesis Health Clubs owner has worked to create a one-of-a-kind theme park within his almost 100-acre Genesis Sports Complex at 19800 W. Kellogg. “It seems like water parks are always themed the same,” Steven said. “I just want it to be unique.” The new Blast Off Bay is a play off of several things. That includes all the aviation and space names for buildings in the Goddard school district and Wichita’s status as the Air Capital of [...]

Kansas House advances constitutional amendment requiring elected sheriffs

info2022-02-23T00:11:26-06:00February 23rd, 2022|

Rep. Eric Smith encouraged House members Tuesday to support a constitutional amendment requiring counties to elect sheriffs, rather than risk the possibility of a county commission gaining authority to appoint the position. Smith, a Republican from Burlington who said his “real job” as a deputy sheriff for Coffee County supports his political hobby, joined other supporters of the proposal in arguing it is important to shield top law enforcement officers from the scrutiny of other elected officials. “I just want want you to consider the idea that when you have an elected sheriff out there, that individual serves you and serves [...]

Wichita school board votes to drop mask mandate after debate over when it should end

info2022-02-23T08:50:00-06:00February 23rd, 2022|

Starting March 11, face masks will no longer be required in Wichita Public Schools, although they will still be “encouraged and welcomed.” The Wichita Board of Education voted 4-3 Tuesday to end a masking mandate that has been in place in Kansas’ largest school district since last August. A substitute motion supported by the board’s three most conservative members that would have immediately ended mandatory masking for students, staff and visitors failed 3-4. Face coverings will still be required on school buses, because of a 2021 federal order that they be worn on all forms of public transportation. And the motion [...]

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