info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Kansas Humanities grant supports Kansas Rural Center Town Halls

info2019-06-23T23:17:02-05:00June 23rd, 2019|

TOPEKA – Humanities Kansas recently awarded $4,000 to the Kansas Rural Center (KRC) in support of the “Kansas Future of Farming & Food Town Halls.” KRC will host a series of five town hall meetings across the state in July and August focused on engaging the public in conversations about the future of food and farming, climate and energy issues, and rural revitalization, using stories from our past and present to address future solutions with a holistic and inclusive approach. “Humanities Kansas supports projects that create dialogue about important issues,” said Julie Mulvihill, Humanities Kansas Executive Director. “This series of public [...]

Lenexa plans to condemn, acquire properties along Sante Fe Trail Drive for road, trail project

info2019-06-23T23:14:56-05:00June 23rd, 2019|

Lenexa is making public improvements to a stretch of Sante Fe Trail Drive and the intersection at West 95th Street. City leaders this week authorized the acquisition and condemnation of land along the project area, which provides easements and rights-of-way for construction and utility work. The project involves the construction of turn lanes, replacing traffic signals, relocating drive approaches, replacing storm and drainage facilities, and constructing a multi-use trail. (Read more: Prairie Village Post - Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)

County, Overland Park agree to extend micro-transit pilot to Farmers Market

info2019-06-23T23:11:57-05:00June 23rd, 2019|

Beginning July 6 people who want to go to downtown Overland Park on Farmer’s Market Saturdays will have a new transportation option. The city and county decided this week to extend a micro transit pilot project to provide Saturday service to the market. Micro transit is a relatively new concept being explored by the county as an alternative to the bigger fixed-route bus service. Basically it works like the Uber or Lyft ride-share programs. Users hail a ride with an app or a phone call and are picked up at a nearby intersection. The difference is that they ride in a multi-passenger [...]

Will they come if you build it?

info2019-06-24T08:07:50-05:00June 23rd, 2019|

For years, (Abilene) parents have told stories of driving teams to towns all across the state for weekend tournaments. They seem to mention they are gone almost every weekend from early May until mid July traveling 1,000s of miles busing kids to either a baseball or softball tournament. Funny thing – they never mentioned staying at home and playing in a tournament. Why is this? In a time when the City of Abilene and the County of Dickinson County are scratching their heads and wringing their hands trying to figure out an economic developmental solution – why not look no further [...]

KDOT approves plan for OCCK to manage Abilene public transportation

info2019-06-24T08:06:00-05:00June 23rd, 2019|

The Kansas Department of Transportation has given its approval of OCCK taking over the city of Abilene’s public transportation, Interim City Manager Jane Foltz told the Abilene City Commission at a study session earlier this week. The city of Abilene primarily provides demand-response transportation as well as curb-to-curb service through the Parks and Recreation Department. Foltz, director of the parks department, said the process of OCCK taking on the public transportation has been a long one. Read more: Abilene Reflector-Chronicle.

Budget proposal to increase city commissioner pay from $9,000 to $38,000 sparks debate among city leaders

info2019-06-21T07:36:45-05:00June 21st, 2019|

City Manager Tom Markus’ recommended budget is proposing the first salary increase for city commissioners in 20 years, but commissioners disagree on how much salaries should go up. Budget and Strategic Initiatives Manager Danielle Buschkoetter told the commission at its meeting Tuesday that the recommended budget would increase salaries for commissioners to $38,000. Buschkoetter said there wasn’t a good benchmark for what other communities paid their elected leaders but that the increase would bring City Commission salaries more in line with what Douglas County commissioners make annually. While most commissioners said they thought the raise was needed so that the commissioner [...]

Kansas leader talks rural growth

info2019-06-20T23:23:11-05:00June 20th, 2019|

WATHENA — A Kansas leader is on a tour to assure constituents and businesses that he won't approach their needs with a "Let them eat cake" attitude. Visiting Marie Antoinette's Gluten Free Bake Shoppe and the Dairy Barn family restaurant on Thursday afternoon in Wathena, Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers emphasized how the Democratic-led administration of Gov. Laura Kelly wants to dispel the notion that the state government cares only for Topeka, Johnson County and other high-population communities. "For both Governor Kelly and myself, that's really important. We want to be out in the country and on a regular basis," Rogers said. [...]

City unveils new wastewater treatment plant

info2019-06-20T23:20:30-05:00June 20th, 2019|

After nearly four years of planning and construction, the new Emporia Wastewater Treatment Plant was unveiled during a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday morning. The plant has been converted to an Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge — or IFAS — system to allow the city to comply with new environmental regulations. The City of Emporia first became aware of the upcoming regulations — which are set to take effect in 2022 — in 2015. This is the first system of its kind in Kansas. (Read more: Emporia Gazette)

Company wants Kansas, other states to join the 14 that allow lemonade stands without permits

info2019-06-20T23:04:12-05:00June 20th, 2019|

Grab those extra pennies and dimes, because it’s almost the official start of summer, which means kids are getting ready for peak lemonade stand season. There’s one thing that could stop them from opening up shop on those hot neighborhood streets though: the law. Only 14 states allow unpermitted lemonade stands, according to Country Time. So if you’re not in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, North Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, Missouri, Louisiana, Illinois, New York, Vermont, Rhode Island or Connecticut, those adorable kids selling you lemonade without permits are breaking the law. But one lemonade mix company wants to change that. (Read more: KAKE - [...]

What’s next for the USDA relocation

info2019-06-20T23:02:06-05:00June 20th, 2019|

It was hurry up and wait when it came to the the U.S. Department of Agriculture's June 13 announcement that hundreds of jobs would be coming to the Kansas City area as a result of the relocation of two agencies. While the selection process that started in the fall is now complete, the agency appears to be moving quickly on its relocation to Kansas City. The USDA plans to move two agencies to Kansas City: the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) (Read more: Kansas City Business News)

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