info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Ellis Co., business owners at odds over roads in incorrectly platted addition

info2019-05-16T11:05:17-05:00May 16th, 2019|

Businesses in the L. Kuhn Addition 4 want Ellis County to start maintaining its roads again. However, County Public Works Director Bill Ring said the county stopped maintaining the road about two years ago when he learned the property was not properly platted. This means the roads legally are on private property. According to state statute, the county can’t work on private property. It also risks liability if it sends workers or equipment to the site. (Read more: Hays Post)

Topeka Fire Department shares plans to offer advanced life support

info2019-05-16T11:04:35-05:00May 16th, 2019|

The Topeka Fire Department shared information Tuesday with the Topeka City Council about its plans to transition beginning next year from providing basic life support to providing advanced life support as firefighters respond to emergency medical calls.The department can start that transformation without going outside its existing budget, said Richard Sigle, its emergency medical services chief. (Read more: Local Government - The Topeka Capital-Journal)

Sheriff’s office shows off new armored rescue and response vehicle

info2019-05-16T11:01:20-05:00May 16th, 2019|

The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office’s acquisition of a new, heavily armored rescue and response vehicle will enable it to far more safely extract people from dangerous situations, such as school shootings, Sheriff Brian Hill said Wednesday. “If you look in the rear of that, you could get a classroom of kids in there,” he said of the large, green vehicle, which has bulletproof windows. Hill’s office on Thursday showed reporters the new Lenco Bearcat Rescue Vehicle, which it acquired in early April from Lenco Industries Inc. at a cost of $311,826. That was paid using $211,826 in federal forfeiture money seized [...]

Battle over wind farm proposal takes strange turn

info2019-05-16T11:01:00-05:00May 16th, 2019|

Although a proposal to build a wind farm in the southern portion of the county has drawn strong opposition since August, not everyone stands against its construction. Expedition Wind Farm, proposed by National Renewable Resources, would span from Florence to Aulne to north of Peabody. Opponents have contested its construction since August. The opponents, however, are not among the 41 landowners who have 81 contracts with NRS. (Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Common noises louder than wind turbines

info2019-05-16T11:00:11-05:00May 16th, 2019|

A frequent contention among opponents of a proposed wind farm in the southern portion of the county is that wind turbines are noisy. The website consumer.healthday.com reports on a 2018 Canadian government study of wind turbine noise. The study shows that living near a wind turbine can be annoying, but “doesn’t answer questions about how their noise might affect human health.” (Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Allen County checks cost of adding Chanute to 911 service

info2019-05-16T10:59:07-05:00May 16th, 2019|

...after crunching the numbers, Allen County 911 Communications Director Angela Murphy estimates it would cost about $167,000 annually to absorb the city of Chanute into its emergency system. Murphy suggested three more employees would be needed, which would entail additional licensing fees. Chanute currently pays $180,000 for 911 services through Neosho County, but has been unhappy with the results, which have not improved despite 3-5 percent fee increases, Murphy said. Bruce Symes said he was pleased with Chanute’s estimation of Allen County’s services, but was wary of venturing into a “hornet’s nest” between Chanute and Neosho County. (Read more: The Chanute [...]

Firefighter dresses up scrapped hydrants in Chanute

info2019-05-16T10:58:36-05:00May 16th, 2019|

Between working as a Chanute firefighter and part-time with the ambulance service, a Chanute man has found stress relief in painting fire hydrants. Jeff Baum, a member of the Chanute Fire Department who also works for Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center EMS, said he has painted two fire hydrants over the past two years as a hobby, and plans to do a couple more. The hydrants he paints are scrapped ones, and no longer in active use. “I’ve always wanted one,” Baum said. The two he did are yard decorations at his house, and although he has a “live” hydrant nearby, [...]

Manhattan eyes potential speed cameras

info2019-05-16T10:56:37-05:00May 16th, 2019|

The Manhattan City Commission wants traffic data and state input before setting up speed cameras around the city. At a work session Tuesday evening, Dennis Marstall, assistant city manager, discussed some of the details and legal issues. The commission had previously asked city administrators in March to examine the possibility of setting up speed cameras, particularly around school zones. Marstall said these cameras would be different than red light cameras, which are set up specifically at intersections to look at movement after a light change. Speed cameras would look more closely at traffic flows. (Read more: Atchison Globe Now)

Career winding down for longtime Derby fire chief

info2019-05-16T10:56:08-05:00May 16th, 2019|

Derby Fire Chief Brad Smith’s career has been a satisfying endeavor, but the time has come to stop being on call for the latest alarm and make a change in his life’s direction. With that in mind, Derby’s first full-time paid fire chief will be retiring July 5, the day after the city’s new Fire Station 81 opens. Smith, 67, started in the profession in 1977 and came to Derby in 2004. He transitioned the department from all-volunteer to mainly paid. “It’s been very fulfilling to watch the city grow like it did. There were just a lot of things going [...]

Emporia realtors discuss housing shortage

info2019-05-16T10:55:31-05:00May 16th, 2019|

With the spring buying season underway, Emporia is already seeing a shortage of homes available on the market, leading to higher prices and quick sales. Local realtors are keeping a close eye on this trend which, while good for sellers, is posing some challenges to the local market overall. “Currently, we have a very low supply of homes for sale in Emporia and Lyon County,” Jamie Sauder, a realtor with Coldwell Banker Emporia Real Estate, said. “Historically, we average about 35 - 40 transactions per month market-wide, so that leaves about a 1.75-month supply of homes for sale. A healthy — [...]

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