info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Health assessment shows uneasy feelings in Hutch

info2018-11-19T09:41:36-06:00November 19th, 2018|

As part of their effort to determine where to direct efforts to improve community health, a Community Health Assessment Steering Committee made up of members from nine agencies conducted a recent scientific survey throughout the county. They are still assessing the data collected, said Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti, but they found some 17 percent of those surveyed rated their overall health as unhealthy, and a third felt their health was being impacted by environmental issues. Air and water quality were listed as the largest environmental concerns impacting health, he said. “Some 76 percent felt their households were doing [...]

National League of Cities Announces $100 Million in Partnerships to Support Entrepreneurship, STEM Education and Innovation in Communities Across America (including Hays and KCK)

info2018-11-19T10:18:35-06:00November 19th, 2018|

Today, the National League of Cities (NLC) is announcing $100 million in local partnerships to expand America’s innovation economy. These investments come at a critical time when there is a growing need for resources to create startups and train the next generation of science and engineering talent in communities across America. Currently, 80 percent of venture capital goes to just five metropolitan areas, and computer science is not offered in 75 percent of American high schools. Cities must lead on the nation’s most pressing issues in the absence of federal leadership. Over the past year, NLC, with support from Schmidt Futures, [...]

Century II Task Force Committee to give updates at Rotary Club meeting Monday

info2018-11-19T06:54:00-06:00November 19th, 2018|

We're getting closer to some answers about the future of Century II in downtown Wichita. Since February, a task force committee has studied the options and challenges facing the nearly 50-year-old performing arts facility. The years long debate weighs renovating the round building or building a new one. The committee will present its findings during the Rotary Club of Wichita's meeting Monday. Friday we caught up with the performing arts community in anticipation of the task force's update. "I think most of us who work here would very much welcome a new facility provided that it gave us the things that [...]

Wichita firefighters complete new search and rescue training

info2018-11-19T06:52:53-06:00November 19th, 2018|

Firefighters have one of the most dangerous jobs, their training has to be realistic. That's why the Wichita Fire Department created a new learning experience for all firefighters. No, there wasn't a trailer fire in Wichita Friday, but city firefighters got to practice for one, in a staged scenario. "There is an adult and two children inside, unknown location.," said one firefighter. The training is to make sure they're ready to navigate, during the real deal. "Once we force that door everything that we hear that we learn, gets challenged," said Capt. Carlos Rodriguez, Wichita Fire Department. Firefighters have been practicing [...]

‘I cannot explain it’: Hand recount shows drop in votes in S.E. Kansas county commission race

info2018-11-19T06:51:36-06:00November 19th, 2018|

The official results of a hand recount for the District 3 Crawford County Commission race show Democrat Jeremy Johnson defeating Republican Chad Ulepich by a margin of 25 votes. It was a much different scene on Friday when the Crawford County Board of Canvassers met to carry out their duties on the results of Thursday’s hand recount of the District 3 Crawford County Commission and District 2 Kansas State Representative races, The Pittsburg Morning Sun reported. The room that was packed to capacity for Tuesday’s canvass was practically empty and neither candidate was present. “It was a lengthy process,” County Clerk [...]

Moody’s draws attention to Kansas’ positive economic indicators

info2018-11-19T06:48:36-06:00November 19th, 2018|

The revised revenue forecast recently released for the state of Kansas, along with other positive economic indicators, led Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday to make a “credit positive” statement about the state. Although a credit positive declaration doesn’t carry the weight of a rating or outlook change, it is indicative of the effect of a distinct event or development as one of many credit factors affecting the issuer, said David Jacobson, Moody’s spokesman. The greater-than-expected revenue growth in Kansas, particularly from state income taxes, will reduce the burden of increasing education funding and also enable the state’s flexibility to improve reserves, [...]

Derby sales tax dispute settled

info2018-11-19T06:46:58-06:00November 19th, 2018|

Attorneys for the city of Derby and the Kansas Department of Revenue have reached an agreement on terms to settle a dispute over how the state has been distributing revenues from the half-cent Derby Difference sales and use tax. The parties filed a request Nov. 15 in Shawnee County District Court for a consent judgment and final order to ensure the state begins in December 2018 to remit all revenues collected from the Derby tax to the city instead of remitting a considerable portion of those revenues to Sedgwick County. In 2013, the 0.5 percent tax was approved by Derby voters [...]

City of Humboldt, Ks hires a new Police Chief

info2018-11-19T06:44:51-06:00November 19th, 2018|

The Humboldt City Council appoints Shannon Moore as the new Chief of Police. Moore grew up in Humboldt and has served in law enforcement for 23 years, including 13 years in an administrator capacity. "I am extremely honored to be able to serve my hometown and look forward to leading our department into the future, alongside the community, schools, businesses and other law enforcement agencies. It takes all of us working together to succeed and provide the best law enforcement possible for this community," says Moore. Chief Moore graduated from Wichita State University with a degree in criminal justice and a [...]

Draft affordable housing plan includes new ideas, including buy-back program for certain old rentals in Lawrence

info2018-11-19T06:43:34-06:00November 19th, 2018|

Many older homes in Lawrence’s core neighborhoods have long since been converted to rental properties, with some physically divided into apartments. Now, the city could consider a program that would undo some of those changes. The city’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board is reviewing the first draft of a plan to address specific deficiencies identified by a recent housing market study. The approximately 50-page draft plan, called the Lawrence Housing Toolkit, includes various options the board will consider to address the city’s housing issues, including zoning changes, funding assistance and a program to purchase and renovate certain rental properties and convert them [...]

Survey: Rural economy being hurt by tariffs, low prices

info2018-11-19T06:43:06-06:00November 19th, 2018|

For the first time this year, a monthly survey of bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states indicates the regional rural economy is shrinking. The overall index of the Rural Mainstreet survey for November sank to 49.9, the first time it's dipped below 50 since January and down from October's 54.3. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy in the months ahead, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the farm sector continues to be weakened by tariffs and low commodity prices. (Read more: KOAM - Local News)

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