info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Wichita seeks to build six-level parking garage, bus station near new ballpark

info2019-06-17T10:17:18-05:00June 17th, 2019|

Wichita plans to build a six-level, 543-space parking garage and bus station near its new ballpark, according to city documents. It’s projected to cost as much as $17.5 million. The new development is envisioned as a “Delano Multimodal Center and Park-N-Ride” that would cut down expected traffic congestion in Delano and downtown. It would provide people “a place to park their vehicles and go to work, enjoy the downtown, Delano District or patronize an entertainment venue by using the Q-Line, Transit buses, scooters, bicycles or walking,” a city staff report included with the plan says. Detailed plans for the garage and [...]

Local summer food service programs create communal spaces

info2019-06-17T10:16:25-05:00June 17th, 2019|

The basketball courts neighboring Lee Richardson Zoo and The Big Pool were at once warm, lazy and busy in Thursday’s early afternoon as several dozen children and parents turned a Meals on Wheels distribution site into a time to be outside and be together. Garden City USD 457 and Holcomb USD 363 both coordinate food service programs for children and adults during the summer, providing hot and sack breakfasts and lunches almost every weekday through June and July. Each reach hundreds of hundreds of children each summer. (Read more: News - SJ News Online - St. John, KS)

Kansas A to Z: ‘Q’ is for Quivira National Wildlife Refuge

info2019-06-17T10:14:55-05:00June 17th, 2019|

STAFFORD — The East and West merge just 30 miles west of Hutchinson, Kansas — quite literally. Quivira National Wildlife Refuge — 30 miles west of Hutchinson and 35 miles southeast of Great Bend — covers the area where the tallgrass prairies of the east and shortgrass prairies of the west meet and mingle. That merger, along with the area’s salt marsh wetlands, creates a haven for many migratory birds, mammal and reptile species, and more that is unique to central Kansas. (Read more: News - SJ News Online - St. John, KS)

Kansas A to Z: ‘P’ is for Plaza Theatre

info2019-06-17T10:13:35-05:00June 17th, 2019|

OTTAWA — Taking a drive down the Historic Main Street in Ottawa, a marquee sign sticks out over the sidewalk. You may be surprised to see the latest movie available in the small town. Ottawa is home to the Plaza Cinema, a movie theater that holds the distinction as the oldest cinemas in the world. The Plaza opened on May 22, 1907, but was originally named The Bijou. It was also called The Yale and The Crystal before opening as The Plaza in 1935. (Read more: News - SJ News Online - St. John, KS)

Pittsburg Public Library eliminates overdue fines

info2019-06-17T10:12:26-05:00June 17th, 2019|

PITTSBURG — Did you get sucked into your book, enchanted by the words within and now you are several days late on your library book? As of June 1, Pittsburg Public Library has eliminated overdue fines. The Pittsburg Public Library Board of Trustees approved the new policy on overdue, lost or damaged items on May 8. “We have been talking about this for quite a while, because we do recognize that —and we’ve heard from kids themselves — they just don’t come to the library or avoid it because of the fear of accumulating library fines,” PPL Director Bev Clarkson said. Clarkson said [...]

Westwood City Council directs staff to draft non-discrimination ordinance; Roeland Park updates NDO language

info2019-06-17T10:04:24-05:00June 17th, 2019|

After neighboring cities Mission Woods and Westwood Hills passed their own non-discrimination ordinances in recent months, the Westwood city council on Thursday directed city staff to begin drafting an ordinance of its own. Such ordinances, which provide legal protections for LGBTQ+ residents and employees that are not offered under current federal or state law, have now been passed by six Shawnee Mission area cities: Mission Woods, Westwood Hills, Mission, Merriam, Prairie Village and Roeland Park. Mission Hills has been considering an NDO as well. (Read more: Prairie Village Post - Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)

Shawnee Mission administration sends apology letters to student plaintiffs in 1st Amendment case

info2019-06-17T10:01:55-05:00June 17th, 2019|

As part of compliance with the settlement agreement approved by a federal judge in April, the Shawnee Mission School District has issued letters of apology to students who sued the district last year for violating their 1st Amendment rights during the National School Walkout protests in spring 2018. Plaintiffs received letters by certified mail in recent weeks with a letter signed by Superintendent Michael Fulton. The copy of the apology is as follows: On behalf of the Shawnee Mission School District, I want to express my sincere and heartfelt apology to you for the incidents that took place around the April [...]

Motoring Monday – Dog Parks in Kansas

info2019-06-17T10:48:37-05:00June 17th, 2019|

Are you scratching your head about where you can take your dog to experience a fun day of play? There are more than 20 dog park locations that offer plenty of open spaces for your pup to release some energy and have a ball. We are highlighting a few of them in today’s Motoring Monday. Starting in northwest Kansas and located off of Old U.S. 40 in Hays - the Friends of the Hays Dog Park offers two separate fenced-in areas depending on the size of your furry friend. There are shelter houses and doggy drinking fountains to help keep your [...]

Some Lawrence leaders express concern about proposed utility rate increases; average utility bill would be more than $100

info2019-06-17T10:23:38-05:00June 16th, 2019|

Utility rate hikes proposed for 2020 would increase the average Lawrence household’s bill to about $103 per month, and some city leaders are asking whether such a steep increase is actually necessary. City utility bills are made up of charges for water, solid waste and stormwater, and rates for all three services would increase as part of the budget recommended by City Manager Tom Markus. The recommended budget calls for an 8% rate increase for water, a 3% rate increase for solid waste and a 3% rate increase for stormwater. The utility rate increases would amount to a $78 annual increase [...]

Newton animal-control officer helps shelter pets affected by flooding

info2019-06-14T10:35:48-05:00June 14th, 2019|

Monty wasn’t used to being caged. He’d meow. He wanted attention, and he got it. “Monty was very loving and wanting to be cuddled,” said Jennifer Burns, City of Newton animal control officer who volunteers with the Kansas State Animal Response Team (KS SART), which sets up animal shelters during disasters. “Everyone got to hold Monty at some point in the day.” Monty was one of nine cats sheltered during flooding evacuations at the end of May in Manhattan. In all, they took in nine cats, two dogs and two parakeets at a church in Manhattan that’s perched high on a [...]

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