info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

KGS: Groundwater levels up slightly or near steady in western KS

info2019-04-17T06:40:03-05:00April 17th, 2019|

Groundwater levels during 2018, on average, rose slightly or remained about even throughout most of western and central Kansas, according to preliminary data compiled by the Kansas Geological Survey. “By and large, 2018 was a good year for groundwater levels,” said Brownie Wilson, KGS water-data manager. “Virtually all levels in south-central Kansas wells were up along with a good portion of those in northwest Kansas, and although southwest Kansas saw a few decline areas in the usual spots, they were not as great as in years past.” (Read more: Hays Post)

Kansas tells court it should OK school spending law because of bipartisan support

info2019-04-16T10:20:30-05:00April 16th, 2019|

Lawyers for Kansas told the state Supreme Court on Monday that it should sign off on a new law boosting spending on public schools and end a protracted education funding lawsuit partly because the law has broad, bipartisan support. Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican, filed written legal arguments defending the new law. It contains Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s proposal for an education funding increase of roughly $90 million a year and is aimed at satisfying a state Supreme Court ruling last year that education funding remained inadequate. (Read more: Local News |)

Retired police chief (and current Maize city administrator) remembers Herman Hill riot in Wichita, 40 years ago

info2019-04-16T10:15:06-05:00April 16th, 2019|

It was Easter Sunday on April 15, 1979 when Richard LaMunyon remembers getting the call of a hectic situation at Herman Hill park near Pawnee and Broadway.A musical concert was taking place in the park, but thousands more people came to the concert than what the park was set up for. People began parking in the street, blocking in nearby residents in their homes.Drugs and alcohol were also being passed around."They informed me that basically, they had a situation that was pretty much out of control and did not have sufficient officers to deal with it," LaMunyon said. (Read more: Top [...]

Hutch City Council to consider new job incentive policy

info2019-04-16T09:18:08-05:00April 16th, 2019|

The Hutchinson City Council will seek approval of a new policy for how it grants funds for economic development during Tuesday’s agenda session. For the past few years, the City Council has provided cash incentives for economic development projects creating new jobs on a case-by-case basis. According to a memo from City Manager John Deardoff to the council, previous councils have been comfortable with this approach, citing more flexibility when looking at the various job creation projects that come before the council. Other elected officials have cited the desire for a set policy like Reno County’s. For the past two or [...]

Finney County Commission OKs CIP requests

info2019-04-16T09:17:22-05:00April 16th, 2019|

With a consensus approval, Finney County commissioners approved the county’s list of requested capital improvement projects expected to be placed on 2020 department budget requests in June. All county departments and Finney County District Court submitted requests in February for the Capital Improvement Program spanning 2020 to 2024. With the list of many projects approved, department heads will now submit a budget request to the county with the projects in mind. County Administrator Randy Administrator pointed to a handful of projects at the forefront of the list, including a $200,000 expansion to the county’s fiber-optic network and $1.56 million in overlay [...]

Manhattan moving forward with Joint Maintenance Facility

info2019-04-16T09:16:06-05:00April 16th, 2019|

The City Commission has given approval to move forward with site acquisition and design of a future joint maintenance facility located on vacant land west of the Wastewater Treatment Plant off US Highway 24. The facility would consolidate and house hundreds of public works and parks and recreation employees. Currently, operations are scattered across the community in aging and undersized facilities for parks and forestry, street, water/wastewater distribution, and fleet divisions. The joint maintenance facility will create greater operational efficiencies to maintain and grow a high quality of life for residents and meet the needs of the community. (Read more: Manhattan [...]

City manager: Street markings took ‘a beating’ this winter

info2019-04-16T10:02:17-05:00April 16th, 2019|

The harsh winter in Hays was rough on the streets. In addition to numerous potholes caused by freezing and warming temperatures, a lot of sand and salt was applied to the streets, and the snowplows were kept busy. As the plows moved snow to the street edges, the machines were also scraping the street markings. “Our street markings have taken a beating,” says Toby Dougherty, city manager, “especially on the arterials. They’re very rough and they degraded very quickly over the winter.” Typically, the city improves the street markings as they begin to deteriorate. Employees can do some thermoplastic applications and [...]

Overland Park residents rally to try and save park gazebo

info2019-04-16T09:14:20-05:00April 16th, 2019|

Neighbors are fighting to preserve a popular Overland Park, Kansas gathering spot. They don't want to see the gazebo in Santa Fe Commons Park, along Santa Fe Drive, be replaced. The Overland Park City Council is expected to vote on the plan to replace the gazebo and rename the park Monday night. The City Council is expected to give final approval to the $3.6 million park renovation. Neighbors say the gazebo, which is on the chopping block, holds a lot of history, and brings character to downtown Overland Park. The gazebo was built in the early '80s. A grassroots effort to [...]

Parsons OKs joint drug enforcement task force agreement

info2019-04-16T10:19:55-05:00April 16th, 2019|

The Parsons City Commission approved an agreement on Monday evening that will set up a joint drug enforcement task force. The commissioners approved the memorandum of understanding with the Labette County Sheriff’s Department and Labette County Attorney Stephen Jones to set up the Kansas Combined Anti-Drug Task Force. The agreement outlines the scope, goals, staffing and budget implications to create K-CAT, a small force that will be devoted to drug enforcement. Police Chief Robert Spinks gave the details of the task force during a Thursday work session, so the commission had no questions and quickly approved the agreement Monday. (Read more: [...]

Kansas cops to patrol 4/20 pot holiday: ‘Impaired driving is not a victimless crime’

info2019-04-16T10:20:56-05:00April 16th, 2019|

Law enforcement agencies across Kansas will be patrolling for impaired drivers on the 4/20 marijuana holiday weekend. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office said the special campaign against impaired driving will run April 19-20 — or Friday and Saturday — and involve cops from Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. “This has been an increasing epidemic for the past several years ... Impaired driving is not a victimless crime,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. April 20, or 4/20, or 420, is the stoner holiday when some people tend to smoke more marijuana than usual. (Read more: Local News [...]

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