info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Riley County commission approves corrections grants

info2019-05-02T06:47:57-05:00May 2nd, 2019|

The Riley County commissioners approved grants for both juvenile and adult corrections services. These grants came from the Kansas Department of Corrections’ $3 million pool. The funds total approximately $780,000 and will be used for the fiscal year 2020. The funds will be used to focus on three key areas for adult services. These areas are assessing cognitive behavioral health courses, looking at staff’s use of effective practices, and evaluating clients’ risk-need assessment scores. Community Corrections Director Shelly Williams says the allocations for fiscal year 2020 for adult services is projected to be approximately $336,000. This will be a 3.2% reduction [...]

Harvey County Commissioners question county’s juvenile expenses

info2019-05-02T06:36:46-05:00May 2nd, 2019|

Harvey County spends more on juvenile justice per case than McPherson County even though the two share a court district. During a review of the community corrections comprehensive plan for the district on Monday, Commission Chairman George “Chip” Westfall asked Community Corrections Director Janet Cagle why Harvey paid more for juvenile offenders than most other counties. Specifically, he said when commissioners went to out-of-town conferences, Commissioner Randy Hague typically asked commissioners from other counties what they were spending. “The answer I’ve been getting is that really it’s the county attorney that’s driving the costs for juveniles,” Hague said. “Ours is more [...]

Newton’s neighbors see strong Sundays selling alcohol, for now

info2019-05-02T06:32:04-05:00May 2nd, 2019|

With Newton City Commission poised to start allowing Sunday sales, sellers of spirits in nearby communities figure they’ll lose some business. Steve Rizza, owner of Rizza Retail Liquor in Halstead, said he was certain he would lose some business but not enough to discontinue being open on Sundays. “I wondered about that because Newton is apparently contemplating it,” he said. “I would say 30 to 40 percent are outside my usual customer base, and that’s just a rough estimate. I certainly see faces I’ve never seen before on Sunday.” Rizza said some of those who drove over to Halstead to buy [...]

Ellis Co. Commission presented with maintenance challenges on road tour

info2019-05-02T06:30:12-05:00May 2nd, 2019|

Members of the Ellis County Commission toured approximately 50 of the nearly 1,500 miles of Ellis County roads Monday as part of their annual road tour. Along the way, commissioners and members of the Public Works Department took a look at bridges in need of repair, areas that have been flooded or washed out due to recent rains, and the condition of the asphalt on Feedlot Road — one of the key routes of the Northwest Business Corridor. Ellis County Public Works Director Bill Ring said Monday the annual road tour is something that has been going on for several years [...]

Ballots on property tax hike to fund Shawnee community center are hitting mailboxes. Here’s what voters need to know

info2019-05-02T06:28:11-05:00May 2nd, 2019|

Ballots for the mail-in election on a proposed property tax increase to pay for a proposed community center in Shawnee are hitting mailboxes starting today. Registered voters in Shawnee will decide if the city will issue up to $38 million in general obligation bonds — covered by a property tax increase — to pay for building and maintaining a community center at West 61st Street and Woodland Drive. If Shawnee voters approve the ballot measure, the city will finance the costs for the community center through the issuance of bonds for a 20-year period. That means the city would pay about [...]

Petition circulating to draft ordinance that prohibits transport of animals in the back of trucks

info2019-05-01T11:13:07-05:00May 1st, 2019|

A Manhattan woman is hoping to push city commissioners to draft an ordinance to prohibit the transfer of live animals in the back of trucks. Keleigh Schettler became concerned after noticing in March 2018 a tow truck with a dog chained to it driving down Fort Riley Blvd. According to Schettler the chain was long enough that, if the dog fell, it would have easily been strangled. In addition to the danger it poses for the animal, Schettler says there’s also a risk to drivers. Schettler approached the city commission last fall but got no response at the time, partly due [...]

KDOT announces Kansas airport improvement projects

info2019-05-01T10:46:26-05:00May 1st, 2019|

Forty-one projects totaling a combined award of $5 million have been granted for the Kansas Airport Improvement Program (KAIP) funding for planning, constructing or rehabilitating public use general aviation airports. The aviation industry represents $20.6 billion economic impact and employs more than 92,000 Kansans. In addition, 94 percent of the state’s population is within 30 minutes of air ambulance operations. “We are proud of the collaboration between our department and airport sponsors to increase safety, enhance economic development and support the transportation needs of Kansans,” said Secretary of Transportation Julie Lorenz. The KAIP program requires airport sponsors to share in project [...]

Equifest of Kansas moving to Salina in 2020

info2019-05-01T10:44:39-05:00May 1st, 2019|

After being hosted four years in Topeka, Equifest of Kansas is moving to Salina in 2020. Justin Staten, Kansas Horse Council executive director, said there are several reasons for the move, including impending construction at the Kansas Expocentre. Other reasons include rising costs and declining cash sponsorships, according to a news release from KHC. “We have enjoyed four years in Topeka and become well acquainted with many leaders in Shawnee County and we appreciated the support received,” Staten said. Equifest of Kansas was held in Topeka from 2016 to 2019. A $48 million project is set to begin May 1 to [...]

Parsons seeks StormReady designation

info2019-05-01T10:43:48-05:00May 1st, 2019|

The city of Parsons is preparing to be a StormReady community, a designation that could reduce fatalities and injuries in storms by sharing clear and timely details of storm or flood events. Parsons Police Sgt. Jason Ludwig said he is about midway through the application process with the National Weather Service, which has a 32-page guide for seeking a StormReady designation. Since the program’s inception in Oklahoma in 1999, over 2,000 counties, cities, towns, universities, Indian nations, commercial sites, government facilities and military installations have been recognized as StormReady. The program recognizes emergency management programs that meet the StormReady guidelines, demonstrating [...]

Frontenac, Arma schools included in Apollo Redesign Project

info2019-05-01T10:42:46-05:00May 1st, 2019|

Two local school districts will be taking part in Apollo, the fourth phase of the Kansas Can School Redesign Project. Forty-one schools representing 19 districts across Kansas will take part in Apollo, including local schools, Frontenac Junior High, Frank Layden Elementary and Northeast High School. According to the Kansas Department of Education website, the Kansans Can School Redesign Project, “was announced in 2017 in support of Kansas’ vision for education” created in 2015 based on community and business feedback across the state. The principals at each of the schools said they are excited for the school redesign opportunity. “We want to [...]

About info