info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Shawnee County Commission allocates $3 million to Expocentre project

info2019-01-08T06:45:55-06:00January 8th, 2019|

Shawnee County commissioners on Monday morning voted 2-1 to approve $3 million in excess reserve funds to help pay for major upgrades at the Kansas Expocentre, placing the price tag on the renovation and construction project at $48 million. The vote didn’t come without opposition from two citizens who voiced their concerns during a public comment session, however. And to make sure his sentiment opposing the allocation on Monday was clearly expressed, Commissioner Bob Archer exclaimed “no” when the actual vote was taken. Voting for the measure were commissioners Shelly Buhler and Kevin Cook. With the vote, the Expocentre project budget [...]

Pittsburg city commission welcomes new member

info2019-01-08T06:43:31-06:00January 8th, 2019|

Dan McNally was sworn in as Pittsburg’s newest city commissioner last week after the seat was vacated by Mayor Jeremy Johnson, who resigned in December. Johnson was elected to the Crawford County Commission in the November election after a ballot recount. McNally earned degrees in social work and clinical psychology from Pittsburg State University and the University of Kansas. He now works with Spring River Mental Health & Wellness in Riverton. The new commissioner has more than a dozen years of experience working with children and families at the Family Resource Center in Pittsburg. McNally has served as vice chair for [...]

Salina approves City Manager employment contract

info2019-01-08T06:42:31-06:00January 8th, 2019|

The Salina City Commission voted unanimously Monday afternoon to approve an employment contract for Mike Schrage, Salina’s next city manager. Schrage has been serving as interim city manager since June, when former City Manager Jason Gage resigned to become city manager in Springfield, Mo. Before that, Schrage served as Salina’s deputy city manager for 12 1/2 years. The Salina city manager is responsible to the city commission for the administration of all activities, functions, and programs of the city, in accordance with state law and policies adopted by the city commission. The commission’s vote formalizes its Dec. 21 decision to offer [...]

Lawrence sees increase in staff resignations, needs to fill 18 full-time positions

info2019-01-07T08:24:44-06:00January 7th, 2019|

City of Lawrence officials say the city is losing specialized staff at a high rate, and that significant pay raises could be required to stem the tide of outgoing employees. More than 20 highly specialized city staff members whose jobs require formal technical and scientific training have resigned in the past few years, according to information the city provided the Journal-World. About 10 of those resignations were employees in the city’s municipal services and operations department and occurred over the past several months. City Manager Tom Markus said that the resignations are mainly market driven. He said that amid record-low unemployment [...]

Maxine preserves Opolis history

info2019-01-07T08:20:27-06:00January 7th, 2019|

Need to know a bit of history about the city of Opolis? Maxine Seal Miller is your woman. Maxine — who was born locally and raised in Opolis — practically spent her whole life collecting bits and pieces of Opolis history. She had a friend, Elma Bateman, who was a bit older than her. Elma too, had a collection of Opolis history. “She grew up in Opolis when it was just a little town and it grew into a fairly nice size town as she grew up,” Maxine said. “When she passed away, her daughter gave me all of the things [...]

Uber and Lyft lights are illegal on Kansas streets

info2019-01-07T06:52:24-06:00January 7th, 2019|

Glowing logos in the windshield for popular rideshare companies Lyft and Uber help passengers identify what vehicle to get into, but Kansas Highway Patrol troopers say the lights are illegal. Christopher Hockett, a Wichita rideshare driver, says he did not realize he was violating the law with his green Uber LED light. "I didn't know what I was getting pulled over for," said Hockett. In a video from his dash cam, you can hear an officer explain that the lights in the window are illegal. According to Kansas statute 8-1729, the only lights drivers can have on their vehicles that are [...]

Ellis expands application deadline for New Retail Business Sales Tax Rebate

info2019-01-07T06:46:50-06:00January 7th, 2019|

A revision to the city’s New Retail Business Sales Tax Rebate Program was unanimously approved Dec. 17 by the Ellis City Council. The application deadline has been expanded to 60 days. City Clerk Amy Burton and City Attorney Olavee Raub presented the revised draft of the proposed New Retail Business Sales Tax Rebate Program. Ms. Burton noted two discrepancies between the current Utility Incentive Program and the proposed Sales Tax Rebate program – the definition of a qualifying new business and the deadline for application into the programs. It was the consensus of Council to modify both programs to reflect a [...]

Lansing, township officials to meet concerning Lansing withdrawal from Leavenworth Fire District No. 1

info2019-01-07T06:42:59-06:00January 7th, 2019|

Lansing city officials are looking to set up a meeting later this month with representatives of the Delaware and High Prairie townships to discuss the planned withdrawal from Leavenworth County Fire District No. 1. “We’re looking at mid-January,” City Administrator Tim Vandall said. But no date has been set. He said the meeting would be between representatives of the city and two townships rather than the entire governing bodies of the three entities. Plans for the meeting come after members of the Lansing City Council announced their intent to withdraw from Leavenworth County Fire District No. 1. Fire District No. 1 [...]

Winfield residents call for citizen’s group to advise elected officials; elected officials point out they don’t need a group to do it

info2019-01-07T06:38:24-06:00January 7th, 2019|

Some Winfield residents are trying to form an informal citizens’ advisory group that would present concerns to the Winfield City Commission. The idea for the group came after several events last year, including the firing of a police officer and the former city manager’s leaving his job. Winfield residents Willie Tuttle and Merrill Gordon brought up the topic with commissioners at their Thursday work session. Interim city manager Brenda Peters said she’d also had some citizens bring up the issue with her. Gordon said the idea is to have a loosely organized group of citizens who would discuss questions or concerns [...]

Parsons to consider pool subsidy

info2019-01-07T06:35:00-06:00January 7th, 2019|

Parsons city commissioners on Monday will consider approval of an annual $22,000 subsidy to support the Municipal Swimming Pool. The city owns the swimming pool but the Parsons Recreation Commission operates it under a yearly maintenance agreement, which the commission also will consider during its regular Monday evening meeting. Gary Crissman, recreation commission director, presented the commission information on the finances of the pool for 2018 during a Thursday afternoon work session. Last year was the first in at least several years that the public pool operated in the black, Crissman said, although the city did help with the subsidy and [...]

About info