info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Olathe’s Future Educators program aims to change the school district for the better

info2021-04-01T06:55:18-05:00April 1st, 2021|

A guaranteed job when you’re fresh out of college can be a strong incentive to graduate, and that’s what the Olathe School District is aiming to provide. The district’s new “Hire Our Own” program targets students in its 21st Century Future Educators Academy at Olathe East, with the hope of making them employees in four years. “This has kind of been a goal, with the national teacher shortages, to try to encourage our students to go into education,” said Cathy Donovan, director of staffing and talent acquisition for the district. The program is only open to students who are enrolled in [...]

North-Central Kansas pharmacy hitting the road with extra COVID-19 vaccine doses

info2021-04-01T06:54:28-05:00April 1st, 2021|

Too many COVID-19 vaccine doses, not enough arms to put them in, that is the situation S&S Drug in Beloit, Kansas found themselves in recently. The north-central Kansas community has been able to successfully vaccinate all residents that wanted a shot, so the local pharmacy is hitting the road to help vaccinate other communities. But how is that possible? "First of all, we are part of the Federal Pharmacy Partner Program it's the federal program that allocates vaccines directly to pharmacies we are currently not allocated any of our vaccines through the state or the KDHE," said S&S Drug Pharmacist Chris [...]

Labette County residents weigh in on potential wind farm

info2021-04-01T06:53:57-05:00April 1st, 2021|

Labette County could be the newest site for wind farms -- but not everyone is excited about it. Helen Erickson, Labette County Resident, said, "We are 31.7 miles away. We see the flashing lights at night." Wednesday's Labette County Commission meeting was where residents gathered to voice their concerns about the potential RWE wind farms. While an agreement has yet to be reached, RWE has already begun talking to local landowners. Source: KSNF/KODE

Fake palm trees have made an appearance in west Lawrence; whether they can stay is an open question

info2021-04-01T07:00:21-05:00April 1st, 2021|

Jeff Crick, the city’s director of planning and development services, [says] artificial trees haven’t become an approved use in the city. He pointed to the landscape material standards section of the city’s land development code, which reads, in part: “No artificial plants or vegetation may be used to meet any standards of this section …” Matt Gish with AllConstruct LLC, is building the home, ... said his reasons for installing the fake palm trees, which are about 20 feet tall or so, are simple: He’s trying to create a Caribbean feel for the home, which will have a pool near the [...]

Argonia looking into skyrocketed gas bills

info2021-04-01T07:01:30-05:00April 1st, 2021|

More Kansans are opening their gas bills and wondering how they will find the money to pay. The city of Argonia says most of its residents are seeing bills in the thousands for just one month. On a warm spring day in Argonia on Tuesday (March 30), people around town still feel the impact of February’s cold snap. They tried to prepare to avoid natural gas bills beyond what they could afford. “We turned our thermostat down to 65 during the day, 60 at night to try to conserve. It didn’t help,” said Argonia resident Ken Bradfield. Bradfield couldn’t believe what [...]

How the Shawnee Mission School District spent $3.8M in federal COVID-19 relief money

info2021-04-01T06:36:36-05:00March 31st, 2021|

The Shawnee Mission School District has allocated nearly $3.8 million so far in federal COVID-19 relief money since the start of the 2020-21 school year. Nearly $1 million of that, or roughly a quarter of the total, has been spent on upgrading schools’ air ventilation systems, seen as a critical need to tamp down potential spread of the airborne pathogen. In August 2020, the Board of Education approved spending nearly $800,000 to purchase and install heavy-duty negative air machines and air scrubbers to better filtrate air in school buildings and have since okayed the use of higher-grade air filters for buildings’ HVAC systems. Source: [...]

As vaccination rate lags, Sedgwick County hopes to convince skeptics to get a shot

info2021-04-01T06:44:51-05:00March 31st, 2021|

As the supply of COVID-19 vaccines has increased, Sedgwick County officials are grappling with a problem they weren’t expecting this early in the year — more vaccine doses than people who want a shot. “We’re trying to take away every barrier that we can think of regarding why someone would not get a vaccine,” Sedgwick County Manager Tom Stolz said Monday. Those efforts include hiring interpreters and holding mobile vaccine clinics to target neighborhoods with low turnout to the vaccine clinic at the former Central Public Library in downtown Wichita. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Libraries prepare for limited openings

info2021-04-01T06:38:11-05:00March 31st, 2021|

Both the Winfield and Arkansas City public libraries plan to open on a limited basis within the next several weeks. The Winfield library expects to move from Phase 3 of its reopening plan to Phase 4 next month. Starting April 14, adult patrons can make an appointment and are allowed 25 minutes to select books and make use of the computers, copier and the fax machine. Time slots for computer use will also be available for important needs such as job needs and printing. Masks will be required to enter the library and must be worn at all times. Some areas [...]

Latino leaders fighting COVID-19 vaccine myths

info2021-03-31T07:30:45-05:00March 31st, 2021|

Even as much of the country thrills at the prospect of getting their COVID-19 shots, sizable pockets need convincing. In the immigrant and refugee communities of southwestern Kansas, cultural barriers and access to the shots could leave those hit hardest by the pandemic in ongoing peril. So town by town, county by county, public health officials find themselves shooting down unfounded fears about the shots that could finally beat back a virus that has killed hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and millions around the world. Source: Hutch News.

‘Heroic’ crews key to halting fires

info2021-03-31T07:29:57-05:00March 31st, 2021|

Hutchinson Fire Chief Steven Beer called efforts he witnessed on Monday by firefighters working to save homes in rural Reno County “heroic,” noting “I’ve been doing this for 34 years and I saw stuff I haven’t seen in my entire career.” The result he said, was that they brought two major wildfires under control with damage to only one home. The efforts of nearly 160 firefighters from five counties resulted in saving more than an estimated $27 million worth of property. The battle continues, however, with both fires at only 50% contained late Tuesday morning. Source: Hutch News.

About info