info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Parsons City Commissioners agree to pursue $25M road grant

info2019-05-08T06:46:15-05:00May 8th, 2019|

Parsons will spend $30,000 for assistance in designing a proposed $25 million highway project that would use federal funds. After discussing the details of the proposal in a Thursday work session, city commissioners quickly approved an agreement with transportation planning and engineering firm TranSystems on Monday evening. TranSystems will assist the city in applying for a grant of up to $25 million, the maximum amount allowed for cities, through the federal BUILD program. BUILD stands for Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development. The plan as it stands now calls for widening of North 16th Street to four lanes from south of [...]

Extra penny of sales tax OK’d for Wanamaker retail district

info2019-05-08T06:44:15-05:00May 8th, 2019|

The company that owns multiple retail properties at the southeast corner of S.W. 17th and Wanamaker Road will be allowed to raise the sales tax customers pay there by 1 cent, and to use the revenue to help finance renovation costs. Topeka governing body members voted 8-2 Tuesday evening to establish a community improvement district covering those properties owned by Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Equity Investment Group Wanamaker LLC. Tuesday’s move levies a 1 percent tax on retail sales and services within the district involved. The tax will be in effect for as long as 22 years, with revenues reimbursing private investment [...]

More than 200 protest petitions filed against NextEra plan by Tuesday’s deadline

info2019-05-08T06:42:19-05:00May 8th, 2019|

More than 200 protest petitions were filed by Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline in opposition to NextEra Energy’s proposed wind farm in southeast Reno County, incliuding a 2-inch thick stack submitted last Friday. Officials in the Reno County Clerk’s office, where the petition was filed, estimated the initial filing included some 350 pages. That is because each petition required a legal description of the property, as well as signatures of all owners of the individual parcel, so many of the petitions were multiple pages. More petitions trickled in individually Monday and Tuesday, and then another half-inch stack was submitted as a packet [...]

Drainage District ballot floats to victory in Reno County

info2019-05-08T06:40:50-05:00May 8th, 2019|

On a day when thunderstorms and flooding affected the region, voters in Reno County Drainage District No. 3 emphatically said yes to a potentially higher mill levy to fund operations, infrastructure, and maintenance of a levee system. The unofficial tally from Tuesday’s special election in Haven showed 24 voted yes for greater taxing authority. Not a single voter checked no. State statute limits a drainage district’s general fund levy to five mills. For years, however, Drainage District No. 3 has well exceeded that cap, with the board unaware it needed voter authorization. It was only when district officials began asking how [...]

Greensburg Municipal Airport celebrates grand opening

info2019-05-08T06:38:35-05:00May 8th, 2019|

More than 40 mph wind gusts blew across Kiowa County on Thursday, April 25, 2019 but that didnt stop the Greensburg from marking an historic day for rural western Kansas. City and state leaders cut a ribbon for the Grand Opening of the Greensburg Municipal Airport despite that fact that the wind did stop three different airplanes from flying in to the new airport as part of the planned ceremony. According to a feasibility study done by KDOT Aviation, an airport in the Greensburg area is needed to serve Kiowa County’s almost 3,000 residents. The local economies and small businesses of [...]

Topeka Metro bus wrap celebrates 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board

info2019-05-08T06:36:35-05:00May 8th, 2019|

A Topeka Metro bus is being transformed into a moving mural that will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Brown v Board of Education Supreme Court case. The bus wrap features artwork from the Brown v. Board mural that was completed this past summer on the south side of a building at S.E. 15th and Monroe. The mural’s location is across the street from the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. Work on applying the Brown v. Board bus wrap was taking place on Tuesday morning in a maintenance facility at the Topeka Transit location at 201 N. Kansas [...]

Sunset for St. John’s Military School in Salina

info2019-05-08T06:35:28-05:00May 8th, 2019|

Moods from solemn to celebratory reign this week at St. John’s Military School, while crowds assemble and pay lasting respects to the pillar of north Salina. Tissues have dabbed tears of both sadness and joy as reunions continue from now through this weekend. Final commencement at the 131-year-old institution is 10:30 a.m. Saturday on the parade grounds in front of Jack Vanier Hall. Officials have been planning for months to give the hallowed institution a proper sendoff in the wake of prolonged sad news. It has landed a blow to many in Salina, other parts of Kansas, neighboring states, and places [...]

Labette County gives $370K to ambulance service

info2019-05-08T06:20:34-05:00May 8th, 2019|

The Labette County Commission on Monday agreed to transfer $370,350 to Labette Health Ambulance Service’s capital outlay fund with money generated from a quarter-cent sales tax that supports the service. Voters approved the quarter-cent sales tax in 2001 for health care. Under an agreement with the county, the hospital compiles a financial report for the ambulance service and shares it with commissioners, generally in May. Also under the agreement, if the hospital ambulance service experiences a direct loss, the county agrees to reimburse the hospital 95 percent of its loss, or 100 percent of the revenue generated by the sales tax, [...]

Kansas schools innovating a 21st century education

info2019-05-07T09:56:00-05:00May 7th, 2019|

"When I'm in there, I don't really feel like I'm in school," said Cole Thompson, a student at Haysville Campus High School. He works in the branch of the Valley State Bank in the school's commons area. His job part of the school's business program. Banks, general stores, carpentry businesses, those are just some of the new ways Kansas schools are bringing your child's education into the 21st century. "It is what we have used for years, for decades!" said Dustin Little, principal of Norwich High School. He's talking about the traditional school scheduling. "I mean, that's what I had when [...]

Commissioners approve 3-year contract for Shawnee County dispatchers

info2019-05-07T09:54:54-05:00May 7th, 2019|

Shawnee County emergency dispatchers will be working under a new three-year contract, thanks to a 3-0 vote Monday morning by Shawnee County commissioners. Changes reflected in the new contract for dispatchers, who work in the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center, include: • A personal leave day off may be taken after the employee completes 120 days of employment from his or her initial hire date. • A change in the number of hours management allows to be scheduled each day from 24 to 20. • A one-time retention bonus of $1,500 to any Communications Workers of America employee hired before Jan. [...]

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