info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Emporia Public Library looks to future upon celebrating 150th birthday

info2019-12-17T19:16:09-06:00December 17th, 2019|

The Emporia Public Library celebrated a major milestone Saturday. The day marked exactly 150 years since, on Dec. 14, 1869, a group of Emporia citizens recognized the need for a library in the 12-year-old community. A year of special events, speakers and more culminated with a 150th birthday party. Library staff, board members and advocates along with local politicians and patrons helped mark the occasion. Emporia Public Library Director Robin Newell said it is the longest continuously operating library in Kansas. (Read more: Emporia Gazette)

Kansas fourth-grader rescues another student at lunch with Heimlich maneuver

info2019-12-17T19:15:07-06:00December 17th, 2019|

It’s always good to have a friend in the school cafeteria – especially when that friend is a hero. Scott City Elementary School fourth-grader Keller Turner wasted no time leaping into action to save a friend from choking at lunch. It happened on Friday around 1:30 p.m. in the Kansas school cafeteria. Nicole Turner, the proud mother of the 10-year-old, said the students were having lunch as usual when a friend of Keller’s started choking. “His face turned red really, really fast, and I knew he wasn’t joking,” Keller said. “I just took action instead of waiting for it.” (Read more: [...]

Hesston council discusses new grocery store possibilities

info2019-12-17T21:24:13-06:00December 17th, 2019|

Hesston Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Megan Smith and the Hesston City Council addressed the need for a grocery store in town during the Monday night council meeting, but didn’t come to any final decisions. “In the spring of 2019, the Hesston Chamber of Commerce formed a task force whose work would focus on bringing a grocery store back to the community of Hesston,” according to information handed to the council. “This group has worked diligently toward this effort. Activities have included surveying community members, analyzing market needs by utilizing outside resources, engaging with the Kansas State University Rural Grocery Initiative [...]

Kansas communities win funds to fuel local change

info2019-12-17T19:12:50-06:00December 17th, 2019|

Kansans from across the state are awarded $43,800 to help strengthen early childhood efforts in their local communities. A total of 45 Community Action Lab grants will be handed out, which organizations will use to address the question: “What can you create today to help ensure each child in your community has the best possible start in life?” The organizations in the northeast region of Kansas that received funding included the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas' Wathiithii: Community Nests in Horton. (Read more: hiawathaworldonline.com)

Groundbreaking for affordable housing in Valley Center

info2019-12-17T19:11:47-06:00December 17th, 2019|

Advocates for more affordable housing have been sounding the alarm here in the Wichita area. On Tuesday, a sign of progress for people on fixed incomes. The Mennonite Housing group from Wichita provides affordable homes to hundreds of independent senior citizens on fixed incomes, like Sunflower Gardens in Valley Center. "They just take good care of us and they love us because they give us good prices and help us out and we help each other," says Carol King, a resident at Sunflower Gardens. (Read more: KAKE - News)

Kansas Highway Patrol troopers stop to sled with some kids

info2019-12-17T19:06:51-06:00December 17th, 2019|

The Kansas Highway Patrol was busy Monday with the snow that rolled through Kansas. However, the snow didn’t stop them from having a little fun. Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Chad Crittenden shared a video of Trooper Mueller and Schnieder stopped to sled with some children between calls. (Read more: KSN-TV)

Finney County administrator picked to lead Reno County

info2019-12-17T19:05:44-06:00December 17th, 2019|

The Reno County Commission voted Tuesday to hire Finney County Administrator Randall Partington as the county’s next administrator, replacing Gary Meagher, who is retiring at the end of the year after a decade with the county. Partington, 43, is required to give 60-day notice at his current job, so he’ll start with Reno County on Feb. 17. Reno County Youth Services Director Bill Hermes will serve as interim administrator after Meagher retires at the end of the year, Meagher advised at the end of Tuesday’s county commission meeting. (Read more: Local - The Hutchinson News)

A business improvement district could bring vibrancy to Douglas, but not without a cost

info2019-12-16T09:32:08-06:00December 16th, 2019|

A proposed Business Improvement District along a stretch of Douglas Avenue could bring significant economic growth to the area, supporters of the initiative say. They argue it could mean more Wichita businesses are bolstered by organized marketing and programming efforts. More splashy murals for buildings and alleyways that a decade ago were desolate and colorless. And, ultimately, a BID could impact the city’s efforts to retain and recruit talent and new business. "It’s an all-ships-rise sort of philosophy," said Renee Duxler, executive director of the Douglas Design District, the group spearheading the effort to create the BID. “That when everybody’s successful [...]

Support ‘overwhelming’ for Hays officer with cancer

info2019-12-16T09:22:54-06:00December 16th, 2019|

When Tisha and Mitch Berens married in August, they had no idea that one of the bonds they had would enter their relationship so soon and in such a devastating way. Tisha is a breast cancer survivor. Mitch is a melanoma survivor. Having that in common was part of their attraction. The couple met online. She lived in Abilene, where she worked for a crop service company and was a substitute teacher. He is a patrol sergeant for the Hays Police Department, where he’s worked for 25 years. It was 19 years ago when Mitch was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. It [...]

Retiring Farmers Union president: Family farms still viable

info2019-12-16T00:31:59-06:00December 16th, 2019|

As Roger Johnson prepares to step down after 11 years leading the National Farmers Union group, he’s well aware of the many challenges facing its members: a painful trade war, the effects of climate change and the march of farm consolidation. But Johnson, a North Dakota native, believes smaller operators can still find a way to carve out a living. Here’s a look at Johnson’s thoughts on agriculture and the future of farming: (Read more: Wichita Eagle)

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