info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Leavenworth County elected officials to be removed from pay plan

info2019-04-19T07:19:36-05:00April 19th, 2019|

While they took no vote, Leavenworth County commissioners seemed to reach a decision Wednesday to remove the salaries of elected officials from a county pay plan. Commissioners discussed the issue during a work session, which took place Wednesday afternoon. The work session came after commissioners had met earlier in the day for a regular weekly meeting. Salaries of the county elected officials are set each year by the commission. But currently, the salaries of the elected officials follow the same pay plan used for employees of the county government. The elected officials include the commissioners as well as others such as [...]

Wind farm opponents speak again

info2019-04-19T07:17:29-05:00April 19th, 2019|

Opponents of a proposed wind farm spanning from Florence to Aulne to north of Peabody once again showed up at county commission meeting to ask for a moratorium on wind farm development. “What it comes down to, I think, is money,” said Hillsboro resident David Marsh. “If you have a moratorium, it will buy you time.” He said other counties have extended the time allowed for protest of wind farm zoning decisions. Peabody farmer Randy Eintzen said, "What we need is time to try to get through those issues, to figure out how we're going to get through this." Eintzen, who [...]

KSHSAA shares update on public-private high school sports dilemma after striking survey

info2019-04-18T14:18:06-05:00April 18th, 2019|

In late March, Paola High School principal Jeff Hines sat at attention listening to Bill Faflick speak at the Kansas State High School Activities Association’s executive board meeting and heard something promising. He even wrote it down. “This is step one,” Hines wrote, transcribing Faflick’s words. “It’s mission accomplished, but it doesn’t stop there.” Between executive board meetings held in January and March in Topeka, KSHSAA brought in representatives from every private school in Kansas to discus the findings of a January survey that showed more than 87 percent of Kansas high schools want a change to the state’s public-private dynamic. [...]

Scraping of right of ways has been done before in Wellington, Council learns

info2019-04-18T14:08:23-05:00April 18th, 2019|

Several Wellington residents have been wondering about the scraping of the right of ways occurring around town, especially alongside the curbing on U.S. 160. Wellington Director of Public Works Jeremy Jones said at Tuesday’s city council meeting periodically the curbs need to be scrapped due to sand build up accumulated from years of using a snow plow and traffic residue. The city has not done this process since before 2008. Jones said there are three reasons for this: 1) it helps with drainage, 2) it is easier to mow, and 3) makes it aesthetically pleasing. He said many of the curbs [...]

Newton/North Newton popular migrating stop for turkey vultures

info2019-04-18T14:33:47-05:00April 18th, 2019|

Nothing’s dead in North Newton. It just happens to be a pit stop for vultures. Last fall, Newton resident Howard Schrag counted about 90 turkey vultures flying around in the northern part of Newton/southern part of North Newton near the co-op/Northridge Elementary School/St. Matthew’s Church area. On Monday night, there were far fewer than that there, gliding on the breeze, letting it take them on the air as the sun set, spreading oranges, reds and yellows on the Newton landscape. Schrag, who has an advanced degree in animal behavior, said the turkey vultures now are migrating north following the winter, and [...]

Great Bend to receive two more firework displays

info2019-04-18T14:03:58-05:00April 18th, 2019|

Two more firework shows are scheduled this spring and summer after the Great Bend City Council approved the displays following a pair of Great Bend Bat Cats games. The summer collegiate baseball team’s manager Roger Ward met with City of Great Bend officials on April 4 to discuss the displays at certain home games. The safety area surrounding the launching site will only necessitate the short closing of the west roadway around Veterans Lake. “These would be Class C fireworks,” said Great Bend City Attorney Bob Suelter. “The fireworks will be set off near the center field fence. We have a [...]

Kansas law gives counties new options for polling sites

info2019-04-18T14:02:44-05:00April 18th, 2019|

A new law gives Kansas counties the legal option of letting voters cast ballots at any polling site within their county, but spotty internet service and aging voting equipment is expected to curtail its availability in many places, election officials say. The legislation signed this week by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly aims to expand and improve voting opportunities in Kansas by giving local election officials the discretion to allow all registered voters on Election Day to cast their ballot at any polling place in their county, rather than only at an assigned polling site. It is still unclear how many counties [...]

Agriculture census shows farm numbers decreasing, sizes increasing

info2019-04-18T14:01:31-05:00April 18th, 2019|

Results of the latest U.S. Census of Agriculture were released last week, and following a trend that has continued over the past decade, they show the total number of farms in the state decreasing as the average farm size increases. The Census of Agriculture is taken every five years. Although the last one was in 2017, the results were not published until April 11 of this year. In 2007 there were more than 65,500 farms recorded in Kansas, a number which decreased to less than 62,000 in 2012, and most recently dipped below 60,000 for a total of 58,569 farms in [...]

Louisburg expands facade improvement program funds to assist with residential repairs

info2019-04-18T14:00:21-05:00April 18th, 2019|

The city’s Facades of Louisburg Improvement Program (FLIP) has expanded its pool of money available to qualified residents who want to spruce up their homes. City Administrator Nathan Law said the residential portion of FLIP has been successful this year, and that just more than $4,000 of the $5,000 set aside for the 2019 program has been allocated for reimbursement to residential property owners. The money is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Law said city staff receives multiple inquiries weekly about the program. The residential program provides money to homeowners or renters to make improvements to the fronts of their [...]

Mulvane police settling into new facility

info2019-04-18T13:54:06-05:00April 18th, 2019|

After 30 years in the basement of city hall, the Mulvane Police Department has a new home. Located at 410 E. Main, the building was formerly leased to Cowley County by Dennis Donahue of Topeka. He sold the building in 2018 to the City of Mulvane for $675,000. The funds came from $1 million in bonds issued by the Mulvane Public Building Commission. That left about $300,000 for the police department to equip and renovate the new station. “Overall, [the new station] just gives us the ability to run the way we should be running,” said Gordon Fell, director of public [...]

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