info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

USD 383 looking for input on budget plan for $7.25 million federal grant

info2022-02-07T00:55:17-06:00February 7th, 2022|

USD 383 is seeking public input on a budget plan for millions of dollars of federal funding coming to the district. The Manhattan-Ogden school district was allocated over $7.25 million by Congress in March of 2021 intended to help elementary and secondary schools respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in various ways. This is the third round of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency (ESSER III) funds distributed since 2020, provided this time as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). USD 383 previously received over $812,000 through the CARES Act and over $3.2 million as part of the CRRSA Act. “The [...]

Kansas provides $2M for electric vehicle charging stations

info2022-02-07T00:53:49-06:00February 7th, 2022|

Kansas has awarded $2 million in grants to the operators of travel centers on Interstate 70 and the Kansas Turnpike to install charging stations for electric vehicles. The state Department of Transportation announced grants Friday for stations in seven locations. The grants are financed with funds from legal settlements with German automaker Volkswagen Corp. over its admission in 2015 that diesel-engine cars were programmed to turn on emissions controls during government lab tests and turn them off while on the road. The department said the grants were designed to put charging stations along the state’s most-traveled highways. Source: Andover American

Hillsboro experienced a record-breaking sales tax numbers

info2022-02-07T00:52:10-06:00February 7th, 2022|

Hillsboro experienced a record-breaking tax income with December’s sales tax, according to Hillsboro City Administrator Matt Stiles in the Hillsboro City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 4. Stiles said they do not know the exact reasons for the month’s collections of $872,024.52, which was 23 percent higher than 2020 and 47 percent than the rolling five-year average. “There could be any number of reasons. Car sales were high, and we also have new businesses doing well with The Building Center and bomgaars,” said Stiles. Mayor Lou Thurston added, “And frankly all of our businesses do a really good job and work [...]

JCDHE works with City of Mission to improve recycling, decrease contamination

info2022-02-07T00:49:02-06:00February 7th, 2022|

Johnson County Department of Health and Environment is partnering with the City of Mission and GFL Environmental (trash and recycling hauler) to provide recycling education to reduce contamination and improve recycling habits as part of the “Recycle Right” campaign. On Monday, Feb. 7, JCDHE’s recycling specialists will be walking through neighborhoods in Mission, assessing the contents of recycle bins. If non-recyclable items are found, feedback offering tips on ways to improve their recycling will be left on the bin. The first area to be observed will be the part of the city that has a Monday recycling collection. Source: Johnson County [...]

Lenexa police officer helps deliver baby

info2022-02-07T00:41:44-06:00February 7th, 2022|

Police find themselves in all kinds of emergency situations. Even so, what happened on Interstate 35 early Thursday morning is something a Lenexa police officer will likely always remember. Officers responded to a QuikTrip at I-35 and 95th Street around 12:15 a.m. When they arrived they found a woman in labor. Her husband had been driving her to the hospital, but they weren't going to make it before the baby arrived. A 15-year veteran of the police force helped the woman deliver the baby in the family's car before paramedics arrived. "And units responding to 95 and Lenexa Drive, your baby [...]

Osawatomie reestablishes tourism committee

info2022-02-07T00:36:02-06:00February 7th, 2022|

A big box store may not be in Osawatomie's future. But city officials agreed tourism can play a larger role in driving Osawatomie's economy. With that in mind, the city has reestablished the Osawatomie Tourism Committee in part to promote signature events designed to draw people to the community. The city is seeking applicants for the newly reformed tourism committee, which was originally established in 2013 but has been dormant for some time. The city is accepting applications through Wednesday, Feb. 9. See the city’s website www.osawtomieks.org for more information and details about how to apply. Source: Local News | republic-online.com

Chanute tourism board continues work on proposed mini golf course

info2022-02-07T07:16:15-06:00February 7th, 2022|

Members of the Chanute Chamber Tourism Committee discussed proposals for a downtown mural and miniature golf course at Friday’s monthly meeting. The discussion continued plans to apply for grant funding for a miniature golf course along the hike-bike path near the Chanute Public Library and the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum. The Chanute City Commission has approved $13,200 for design work on the course, to be paid from the Transient Guest Tax fund. The deadline is March 11 to apply for Tourism Attraction Sub-grants for Kansas program funding. New member Nancy Isaac, who is a city appointment to the committee, [...]

Two Columbus students start composting programs in Cherokee County

info2022-02-07T00:29:33-06:00February 7th, 2022|

Two Columbus High School seniors who aren’t afraid of getting their hands dirty to protect the environment have helped launch an effort to implement composting programs on campus and throughout Cherokee County. Emily Welch, 17, and Casey Soper, 18, have been composting at home with small containers since the onset of the pandemic, but they felt like they needed to step it up a notch. Now, they’re encouraging others to do the same. “Last year, I did a majority of the greenhouse work for my ag class,” said Welch. “I had started putting the plant scraps into a bucket and thought [...]

Scott City ‘port’ will expand rail import, export opportunities for region

info2022-02-04T09:30:35-06:00February 4th, 2022|

Why would Scott City be the destination for fertilizer from Russia and grain from North Dakota? The bigger question, asks Michael Deines, is, “Why not?” The local businessman and his partner, Woodrow Fanning, have a shared vision of making Scott City a regional trade hub with construction of additional railroad and warehouse facilities over the next year. Those plans are quickly moving from the drawing board to reality. “Even as we speak, our first shipment of fertilizer is being loaded in Russia,” Deines said on Tuesday afternoon. After being off-loaded in Texas, about 45 days from now that shipment will be [...]

Cities open to hiring non-residents to fill jobs

info2022-02-04T09:24:29-06:00February 4th, 2022|

Arkansas City commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance this week that will allow the city to employ outside residents. City Attorney Larry Schwartz said the ordinance will exempt the city from a state statute that requires individuals appointed to a city office to live within a two-mile radius of the city. “We are asking and recommending that you do away with that requirement,” he said. “We live in a different time and a different space.” Winfield City Manager Taggert Wall said Thursday that Winfield has the same exemption in place and does have several nonresident employees. Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

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