info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Detour problems near Ark City trigger moves by state, county

info2018-12-21T07:04:31-06:00December 21st, 2018|

State and local authorities are taking action after growing safety concerns caused by the detouring of traffic away from the closed bridge near Arkansas City. A.J. Wilson, an engineer with Kansas Department of Transportation, was on hand at the Cowley County Commission meeting Tuesday night to address detour complaints caused by the closing of U.S. Highway 166 bridge. The bridge is being replaced and the project is expected to take 18 months. Local roads, particularly Lovers Lane, have become favored detours for those vehicles used to traversing the Arkansas River over the bridge, which is being replaced and will be closed [...]

Mission council passes non-discrimination ordinance on 7-1 vote

info2018-12-21T07:01:59-06:00December 21st, 2018|

Two days after Prairie Village passed a similar measure, the Mission council on Wednesday approved a non-discrimination ordinance with legal protections for LGBTQ+ residents and employees. The ordinance, which goes into effect Jan. 1, extends legal protections in the city to sexual orientation and gender identity, and also covers currently protected classes at the state and federal levels (such as race, ethnicity, military status, etc.). The 7-1 vote drew a round of applause from the packed council chambers. Because the ordinance covers currently protected classes in addition to sexual orientation and gender identity, the city of Mission can investigate all cases [...]

Reno County Planning Commission to begin discussion on wind farm

info2018-12-21T07:00:30-06:00December 21st, 2018|

The Reno County Planning Commission will begin discussion on a possible conditional use permit that is expected from NextEra Energy in regards to the proposed wind farm near Pretty Prairie on Thursday. Planning Director Mark Vonachen says the commission will discuss various matters pertaining to the wind farm, including scheduling alternative meeting dates. The planning commission was left to make some of the major decisions on the wind farm after a moratorium that was requested by area residents failed to gain any support by the commission. Vonachen says that once the permit is filed, the planning board will have to piece [...]

Commission votes put Washburn Tech East site on track to open by summer

info2018-12-21T06:58:34-06:00December 21st, 2018|

Two Shawnee County Commission votes taken Thursday were expected to put Washburn Tech East on track to offer classes beginning next summer out of its planned permanent site at 2014 S.E. Washington. Commissioners Kevin Cook, Shelly Buhler and Bob Archer voted 3-0 to enter into a contract that county counselor Jim Crowl said resolved all issues resulting from the county terminating its agreement with the initial general contractor, Champion Builders. Commissioners then voted 3-0 to enter into a contract through which the county will pay Kelly Construction to complete the project. The company accepted responsibility for finishing it by May 1. [...]

Wyandotte Co. sues opioid industry, joining other Kansas, Missouri localities

info2018-12-20T12:10:07-06:00December 20th, 2018|

Wyandotte County joined the parade of local governments lining up to sue opioid manufacturers and distributors Tuesday, filing suit in federal court against 14 industry giants and their affiliates. Wyandotte County is at least the 20th local government in Kansas and Missouri to file suit against the companies, accusing them of getting rich by hooking people on pain meds while costing citizens large amounts of money in health care and law enforcement to deal with drug addiction, diversion and overdoses. (Read more: Government & Politics News |)

High-tech incubator that the Lawrence and Douglas County purchased for $3M in 2010 now ‘bleeding cash’

info2018-12-20T12:07:45-06:00December 20th, 2018|

Local governments made a nearly $3 million investment into a high-tech incubator space in northwest Lawrence that city leaders now say is losing more than $400,000 per year. In 2010, Lawrence and Douglas County spent $2.9 million to purchase and renovate the former Oread Labs building, 4950 Bob Billings Parkway. The University of Kansas Bioscience and Technology Business Center operates the building’s lab and office space as an expansion facility to its main building on west campus, but BTBC leaders say the facility is struggling financially and needs more money from the city and county. The city and county made the [...]

Douglas County approves subsidy for new psychiatrists, discusses Fire Medical negotiations

info2018-12-20T12:06:40-06:00December 20th, 2018|

The Douglas County Commission meets in the historic courtroom on the second floor of the county courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. The Douglas County Commission agreed Wednesday to subsidize the hiring of three new psychiatrists for $350,000 — a move that one official said would allow about 1,100 more people to get the mental health treatment they need in 2019. The subsidy will allow Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center to hire a new full-time psychiatrist and will allow Lawrence Memorial Hospital to hire two psychiatrists who will work part of the time on contract for other agencies, said Bob Tryanski, the [...]

City Commission in Junction City grants Community Partnership Empowerment Program request

info2018-12-20T07:55:53-06:00December 20th, 2018|

The Junction CIty Commission has approved a request from the Community Partnership Empowerment Program for the use and waiver of fees at the 12th Street Community Center on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings of 2019. City Manager Allen Dinkel said, “They’re trying to offer another program to help people help themselves in this community and they just want to have a place where they can get together. Counsel people from job searches and everything else. I think it’s a great thing to serve people in our community. The program will be designed to allow participants to get those resources needed [...]

Hiawatha City Commission votes to move forward on brick streets

info2018-12-20T07:53:50-06:00December 20th, 2018|

Monday night marked the final meeting of the year for the Hiawatha City Commission, and with all commissioners present, the group voted to authorize KDOT to move forward in awarding the bid for the Brick Streets Project to Amino Brothers Company, Inc. There was some concern among commissioners, as Amino Brothers was the State contractor for the walking trail, and there were some issues during that construction. Despite those concerns, the commission understood that with state funding— minus the $177,000 that the City must pay before the end of January — there is little they can do about the State-selected contractor, [...]

Olathe Council OKs plans to revamp Great Mall site, despite competing OP project

info2018-12-20T07:52:41-06:00December 20th, 2018|

Olathe City Council members on Tuesday signed off on a developer’s plan to request $69.5 million in Kansas state tax incentives to build a hockey arena and a mixed-use development at the former Great Mall of the Great Plains site. The 6-1 vote came despite the concerns of at least one resident and even some of the council members themselves that the project, called Mentum, could be on a collision course with a proposed development 10 miles away in Overland Park that is also seeking more than $63 million in state incentives and would also include a hockey arena. “I’ve spoken [...]

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