info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Hutchinson city manager, police chief discuss recent disciplinary action

info2018-11-01T07:38:04-05:00November 1st, 2018|

In a room filled with law enforcement, dispatchers and media, Hutchinson Police Chief Jeffrey Hooper and City Manager John Deardoff held a press conference to discuss the recent events involving the Hutchinson Police Department. While few other details were given about the recent personnel matters within the department, they did take time to discuss changes that are ahead and how the department is coping with the recent events. During the press conference, Hooper informed those in attendance that the incident involving an off-duty officer has led to a number of personnel changes. Hooper says one of the three officers terminated was [...]

Eudora city officials hope designs spark developer interest in downtown gateway properties

info2018-11-01T06:40:30-05:00November 1st, 2018|

With conceptual designs in hand, city of Eudora officials are looking for investors to redevelop two properties on the southern entrance to downtown. Eudora City Manager Barack Matite said one of the properties is the 4,320-square-foot former public safety building at 840 Main St., which has been used for storage since the city’s fire and police departments moved in July 2013 to a new building at 930 Main St. The other site is west across Main Street from the old public safety building and includes a city-owned vacant lot and a privately owned car wash. The city requested proposals to purchase [...]

Reno County residents still want moratorium on proposed wind farms

info2018-10-31T10:16:52-05:00October 31st, 2018|

Although the Reno County Commission met, it had no agenda items to approve. However, commissioners did get more comments on proposed wind farms in Reno County and how the county needs to have a moratorium while it puts together blanket zoning for such facilities. (Read more: Hutch Post)

Hutchinson Police Department shakeup includes suspensions

info2018-10-31T10:14:27-05:00October 31st, 2018|

Besides the firing of Hutchinson Police Capt. Troy Hoover on Monday, other personnel at the police department have been suspended pending completion an internal investigation, Hutchinson Police Chief Jeffrey Hooper confirmed Tuesday. Hooper would not say how many individuals are on suspension or identify them. “We will be taking further action this week,” Hooper said. “I’d rather not say at this point (the number or the individuals) because it’s an internal matter and we are still working with them. I’d hate to find out it was more or less than I say is involved.” The internal investigation should be wrapped up [...]

Hutchinson’s assistant police chief fired

info2018-10-31T10:13:45-05:00October 31st, 2018|

Hutchinson Police Department’s Capt. Troy Hoover, the department’s assistant chief for more than a decade and a veteran of more than 30 years, was fired on Monday afternoon by the city’s new police chief. Hoover and City Manager John Deardoff both verified the firing. The News was unable to reach Chief Jeffrey Hooper, who started in the job less than two weeks ago. Deardoff said there would be a press conference Wednesday afternoon about the firing. (Read more: News - The Hutchinson News)

As Shawnee Mission’s first tax increment financing districts expire, evidence that things don’t always go as planned

info2018-10-31T10:11:23-05:00October 31st, 2018|

The promise was there, twenty years ago, as cities began to dabble in a new way of raising money for hard-to-develop land. Cities, the county and school districts would forgo revenue from higher property values on newly improved land. Instead that money would go to developers for their costs. After a couple of decades, those costs would be paid and that revenue would be a boon to be reclaimed by the schools and cities. It was called tax increment financing, and back in the 1990s, only a few Johnson County cities were brave enough to dip in a toe to an [...]

Kansas communities may apply now for designation as an Opportunity Zone

info2018-10-31T09:23:30-05:00October 31st, 2018|

On Tuesday, Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. announced that the Kansas Department of Commerce is now accepting proposals from communities to designate eligible low-income census tracts as Kansas Opportunity Zones under the new Federal Opportunity Zones program. Opportunity Zones are a new economic development tool enacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 designed to encourage long-term investments in low-income urban and rural communities. Based upon the number of low-income communities identified by the Federal Census, the Governor can designate 70 census tracts in Kansas as Opportunity Zones. Census tract eligibility is based upon population and income. Information about census [...]

Voters to decide on commission expansion in Leavenworth County

info2018-10-31T09:21:57-05:00October 31st, 2018|

In this year’s general election, voters will decide whether the Leavenworth County Commission should be expanded from three members to five. A group known as Give Me Five collected the necessary signatures to have the question placed on the ballot for the November election. Janette Labbee-Holdeman, who helped spearhead the effort, argued that expanding the commission to five members will provide better representation to southern Leavenworth County. “To me, that has not been well represented,” she said. She said a lot of people are moving into Basehor and Tonganoxie. Currently, both communities are represented by one county commissioner. (Read more: Leavenworth [...]

Designers detail features of new Johnson County courthouse set to open in 2021

info2018-10-31T09:19:33-05:00October 31st, 2018|

The new Johnson County Courthouse will open in early 2021 with 24 finished courtrooms, up-to-date accessibility and an entry-way sculpture of multi-colored chains by Los Angeles artist Benjamin Ball, according to a presentation by design team members to the county commission. Designers and county officials are working on final details of the building’s interior as they prepare to set the next round of guaranteed maximum price limits on the building. The entire courthouse building project is expected to cost about $175 million. Once the details are nailed down, work will begin early next year, with the building to be enclosed by [...]

Reno County will cover insufficient postage on mail ballots

info2018-10-31T09:16:21-05:00October 31st, 2018|

Reno County advance mail ballot voters are advised in the mailing from the county to put $1.21 in postage on the envelope when mail back the ballot. A U.S. Postal Service Forever stamp currently costs 50 cents and many voters are putting three such stamps on the large envelope, measuring 14 and a half inches by 9 and one-quarter inches, according to Reno County Clerk and Election Officer Donna Patton. But if a voter puts insufficient or no postage on the envelope, it still will be delivered to the Reno County clerk’s office. The Postal Service will not send it back [...]

About info