info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Reno County commissioners divided on tax abatement for local company

info2019-05-01T10:35:10-05:00May 1st, 2019|

Reno County commissioners made no decision on whether to grant 10 years tax abatement for Wifco Steel to build a new office building on its property. The plan is to build the 5,400-square-foot office building then tear down the current office space and add space for additional manufacturing. The plan would include adding at least 10 more employees in 2020 with an additional payroll of $250,000. However, the commissioners cannot agree on how long the abatement should last. Commissioner Ron Sellers called it unfair to other taxpayers and wanted the abatement to be less than 100%. Commissioner Ron Hirst says he’s [...]

Recycling supporters address Crawford county commission

info2019-05-01T10:33:48-05:00May 1st, 2019|

Several local residents showed up at Tuesday’s Crawford County Commission meeting to speak in support of Southeast Kansas Recycling, Inc., which recently requested funding from the county to keep its operations up and running. Bert Patrick, of Pittsburg, said that recycling reduces the amount of trash that has to go into the landfill. “The bulk of those items that we do take to the Recycling Center are non-biodegradable, and those items as a consequence are just going to be in that landfill for decades and decades,” Patrick said, “and long-term we don’t know the actual effect that that does have in [...]

City cleans storm drains to stop street flooding

info2019-05-01T07:00:47-05:00May 1st, 2019|

Miguel Rivas has worked for the City of Wichita for close to 15 years. So it doesn't take him and his co-workers any time to clean out clogged storm drains. Once they are dispatched to a drain, they use water to blast the clog free. Then, they take a giant vacuum to suck out the debris, usually consisting of leaves and sticks. In about 30 mintues they have the drain open and move on to the next clogged drain. (Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Reno County sets tentative hearing date to take up NextEra permit

info2019-05-01T06:59:53-05:00May 1st, 2019|

The Reno County Commission has tentatively set a special meeting for May 21 to take up the NextEra Energy application for a conditional use permit for its proposed wind farm in southeastern Reno County. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Atrium Hotel and Conference Center, 1400 N. Lorraine. No public comment is expected to be taken during the meeting, though county staff will present a report to the commission on whether any new information “that could not have been known” at the time of earlier Reno County Planning Commission public hearings has been presented for consideration. The County [...]

City to reconsider communications tower permit

info2019-05-01T06:57:14-05:00May 1st, 2019|

A proposal to put up a 100-foot communications tower at 513/519 S.W. Taylor remains alive, despite Topeka’s mayor and city council’s having voted 6-4 on April 2 to reject it. The mayor and council did not appropriately dispose of the matter because votes from seven members are required to overturn a recommendation by the Topeka Planning Commission, which recommended they approve the measure, Topeka attorney Glenda Cafer — representing AT&T — noted April 24 in a letter to Topeka City Attorney Lisa Robertson. The mayor and council are consequently scheduled to consider reconsidering the matter when they meet at 6 p.m. [...]

Small tornado damages Paola church, causes cemetery damage

info2019-05-01T06:54:54-05:00May 1st, 2019|

The National Weather Service says a tornado near the eastern Kansas town of Paola was a small one, but it was still enough to cause damage. The Kansas City Star reports that the twister with winds estimated at 80 mph to 85 mph was reported at 4:10 a.m. Monday just south of Paola. Jason Leighton of the National Weather Service says it was an EF-0, 15 yards wide, and lasted three minutes. The tornado damaged the roof of Trinity Lutheran Church and toppled headstones in a nearby cemetery. It also bent a flag pole. No injuries were reported. (Read more: Top [...]

City of Topeka to consider approving $50,000 claim for backhoe damage to house

info2019-05-01T06:53:29-05:00May 1st, 2019|

Topeka’s mayor and city council next week will consider voting to pay an insurance company $50,000 to settle a claim arising from extensive damage a city backhoe allegedly did in April 2018 to a house at 1111 S.E. 33rd Terrace. Topeka city attorney Lisa Robertson’s office recommends the mayor and city council vote to pay the claim, according to the preliminary agenda for that meeting, which will begin at 6 p.m. May 7 in the council chambers at 214 S.E. 8th. hawnee County appraisal records indicate the house at 1111 S.E. 33rd Terrace has been owned since June 2013 by John [...]

Lawrence and firefighter union prepare for ‘lively debate’ on pay, staffing as part of contract negotiations

info2019-04-30T09:22:17-05:00April 30th, 2019|

Discussions between city and firefighter union representatives will include wage increases, overtime pay and longevity bonuses, and both sides are preparing for a “lively debate.” The current contract covers firefighters, fire engineers and fire lieutenants in the Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Department, and it expires at the end of this year. Representatives for the city and the association of Lawrence Professional Firefighters, Local 1596, agreed to open contract negotiations, and the first meeting was held Monday at City Hall. Read more: LJWorld.com.

Salina changes how they test and handle sewage sludge

info2019-04-30T09:10:35-05:00April 30th, 2019|

Salina Utilities Director Martha Tasker said city staff has changed how they test and handle sewage sludge, a byproduct generated by the Salina Wastewater Treatment Plant. This was done after the Environmental Protection Agency determined the city had broken a federal regulation regarding the amount of molybdenum the sludge can contain before it can be applied to farmland. Under the new procedures, no sewage sludge leaves the wastewater treatment plant until staff verify that it complies with federal regulations. City staff are also testing the sludge more frequently and taking multiple samples to ensure the results are representative of the entire [...]

Journalism Class Provides News For Town Without Newspaper

info2019-04-30T09:20:25-05:00April 30th, 2019|

As the media landscape continues to change across the country, more communities are finding themselves in news deserts, without the coverage where they once had thriving newspapers. Meanwhile, journalism students are looking to learn their craft and gain real-world experience. In Kansas, one community is close enough to campus for the two to partner to provide coverage and lessons in today’s media realities. University of Kansas students from the William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications are providing news coverage for Eudora, a city of roughly 6,300 residents about 10 miles from campus. The project began as a way [...]

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