info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Marysville raises lifeguard pay

info2021-04-15T08:00:17-05:00April 15th, 2021|

Lifeguards at the Marysville Aquatic Center will see a 50-cent-per-hour raise this year, bringing entry-level pay to $8.50 per hour. Marysville City Council approved the raise Monday by a 6-1 vote. Voting yes were council members Parker Price, Diane Schroller, Colleen Behrens, Todd Frye, Keith Beikman and Terry Hughes. Council member Kevin Throm voted no. Bobbi Pippia was absent. Throm said he was against giving the lifeguards a raise, in part, because the city pays for lifeguard certifications, which cost $225. Source: The Marysville Advocate

Marshall County wind farm agreements approved

info2021-04-15T08:01:37-05:00April 15th, 2021|

Construction of the Irish Creek Wind Farm will begin soon, NextEra Energy attorney Alan Anderson said Monday after Marshall County commissioners voted to approve four agreements with the company. The agreements included haul routes, buried electric line cabling routes, improvements to county and township roads and bridges, and decommissioning plans for wind tower sites. The improvement agreement states NextEra will pay the county $779,350 to replace five bridges and a culvert within the area where the wind farm is to be built. The affected area will also receive $85,000 per year for 10 years for road use, which will be distributed [...]

Ditch baling permits now required in Barton County

info2021-04-15T08:03:06-05:00April 15th, 2021|

As the Barton County Commission Monday morning approved a resolution establishing a permitting system for baling hay in county rights of way, it was noted the issue boiled down to safety. Included with the resolution is a Barton County Harvesting Hay on County Right-of-Way application which describes the permit, performance and liability directives, County Works Director Darren Williams said. The permitting fee is $1,000, but $500 will be returned to the applicant if there is no damage to adjoining property. Source: Great Bend Tribune

Geary County School District gets $24 million grant to build new elementary school

info2021-04-15T08:03:28-05:00April 14th, 2021|

USD 475 Geary County is getting a new elementary school to replace the aging Jefferson Elementary building in Fort Riley. Geary County School District officials announced Monday the approval of a $24.4 million grant from the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) within the U.S. Department of Defense to build a new school on Custer Hill. The grant provides 80% of the $30 million total budget for the project. David Wild, USD 475 chief operations officer, said in an email that demolition of Jefferson Elementary will begin as early as August of this year, with earthwork on the new school [...]

Harvey County employees get 1.5 percent pay hike

info2021-04-15T08:03:58-05:00April 14th, 2021|

The Harvey County Board of Commissioners approved 1.5% raises for employees Tuesday morning, effective April 17. Commissioner Randy Hague voted against the market-adjustment raises for all employees, and he opted out of accepting a raise for himself. “Yeah, I’d like to make that request,” he said. “I don’t feel comfortable taking an increase.” County Administrator Anthony Swartzendruber gave commissioners an option of either a 1% or 1.5% hike. The 2021 budget includes $90,000 earmarked for a 1% increase. He said money was available for the higher amount of $106,000, since the county saved about $167,000 on its health insurance renewal. Source: [...]

ACLU warns Merriam new ordinance limiting panhandling is ‘unconstitutional’

info2021-04-14T12:26:22-05:00April 14th, 2021|

The city of Merriam is standing firm on its new ordinance that prohibits pedestrians from standing in medians at nine major intersections. Merriam’s City Council approved the ordinance in a 6-2 vote on February 8, despite concerns that the measure singles out panhandlers — though the ordinance doesn’t mention panhandling. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the National Homelessness Law Center, a national legal organization dedicated to ending homelessness, are now also raising concerns. On March 15, the two organizations sent a four-page letter to the city council and mayor expressing their objections to the ordinance, saying it is [...]

This Hoxie restaurant owner proves rural western Kansans have good taste

info2021-04-14T07:43:03-05:00April 14th, 2021|

Without looking at a map, who knows where Hoxie is? Some of you are raising your hands. For the folks who are struggling: It’s where you get Seattle-style sushi in a town of maybe 1,200 people. As far as big cities go, Hoxie’s about 270 miles east of Denver and 350 miles west of Kansas City. There’s one flashing stoplight. “We are in a food desert out here,” says Emily Campbell. “We don’t have a lot of eating options.” Her restaurant, The Elephant Bistro and Bar, is changing that. When it opened almost three years ago, the number of dining establishments [...]

Wichita may tighten rules after Airbnb killing

info2021-04-14T07:42:56-05:00April 14th, 2021|

A Crown Heights house where a man was shot to death at a party early Sunday morning was an unlicensed bed and breakfast, operated in violation of city code and will be ordered shut down, city officials said. The incident could lead to tighter rules on vacation-style online rentals across Wichita. City Manager Robert Layton said Tuesday that once the current situation is dealt with, he plans to put together a multi-departmental task force to consider rewriting regulations for temporary rental of rooms or homes as B&Bs. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Demand for Muni Bonds Pushes Short End to Record Lows, 10-Year Below 1%

info2021-04-14T07:26:16-05:00April 14th, 2021|

A flurry of diverse credits in the primary helped to guide the secondary with the 10-year falling below 1% on both Bloomberg BVAL and IHS Markit as municipals continue to grind lower. One-year municipal debt has fallen to record lows with benchmark yield curves at 0.05%. The yield currently on the 30-year municipal triple-A hovers at or just below the 10-year U.S. Treasury. New deals in both the competitive and negotiated markets were oversubscribed... Source: Bond Buyer.

Natural gas bill now law

info2021-04-14T07:18:17-05:00April 14th, 2021|

The governor didn’t sign or veto the Energy Choice Act, merely letting it become law. Now, no Kansas municipality can put a ban on the use of natural gas, a result desired by those in the natural gas industry. This comes after fears that cities would have done so after Berkeley, California, put a ban into place in 2019. The city of Lawrence had opposed this bill, as it had committed previously to powering the city with all renewable energy by 2035. With the act now law, it’s going to complicate if not outright stop, that effort. Source: GC Telegram.

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