info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Building a legacy in Garden City

info2018-09-24T06:47:43-05:00September 24th, 2018|

During his first month in Garden City, Steve Cottrell spent his evenings driving around town. It was 1975 and the 23-year-old, going on 24, had just graduated from the University of Nebraska to take his first job as assistant city manager for the City of Garden City. The city, with a population near 15,000, wasn’t too different from his western Nebraska hometown of Scottsbluff, he said. It was flatter, but still had ample feedlots, with wheat crops instead of sugar beat. Steering through main roads and neighborhoods, Cottrell memorized the town. He learned address ranges, streets and block numbers. He got [...]

Trails set for Little Jerusalem, located south of Oakley

info2018-09-24T06:36:46-05:00September 24th, 2018|

“They’re really stunning,” said Mike Goodwin on Tuesday of the towering chalk formations that stretch as far as the eye can see at Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park. As part of the Kansas Trails Council, Goodwin was walking the badlands, scouting trail locations and setting pink flags to mark the route for two new trails at Kansas’ newest state park. “There are lots of canyons and rock towers,” Goodwin said. “Every time you turn a corner it’s an interesting view.” Few people have seen the new state park. Not yet open to the public, Little Jerusalem has no public access infrastructure [...]

Municipal Airport discussion continues in Gardner

info2018-09-24T10:23:10-05:00September 24th, 2018|

If words were actions, Gardner would have a KCI-type airport in place of the city’s municipal airport. Since taking Gardner Municipal Airport over in January 2016, untold hours have been spent discussing the airport’s future, although little action has been taken to improve or maintain the property. According to the Aug. 20 city council meeting minutes, a report document prepared for the council by “Lee Moore’s spouse,” provided a timeline of council input regarding GMA. The document was reviewed by the city council and obtained under the Kansas Open Records Act. According to the report, in Sept. 2015, Laura Gourley, finance [...]

BNSF says Kansas can’t regulate how long trains block traffic; State calls that ‘absurd’

info2018-09-21T11:37:01-05:00September 21st, 2018|

The BNSF Railroad is challenging a Kansas law limiting how long trains can block intersections and a lawyer for the state says if the railroad wins, the answer could be forever. The case spins off a blockage of two crossings in a rural part of Chase County, but how the court decides it would have ramifications for railroad crossings throughout the state. A three-judge panel of the Kansas Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in the case Thursday at a special session held at Wichita State University. The case revolves around lengthy blockage of two railroad crossings near the town of [...]

Manhattan to use Wichita as guide for alcohol policy

info2018-09-21T10:39:34-05:00September 21st, 2018|

The Manhattan City Commission wants to use Wichita as a guide to amend its policy on special events with alcohol. The commission on Tuesday continued the discussion about making changes to allow for alcohol throughout an entire event area within the Aggieville Business District, the Downtown Business District (including Manhattan Town Center Plaza), and Blue Earth Plaza. The current policy only allows for fenced-in beer gardens where only people 21 or older can enter. Wichita requires a special event applicant to notify adjacent businesses at least six weeks prior to the event and list on the permit application any drinking establishment [...]

Lawrence City Manager Tom Markus announces plans to resign in spring 2019

info2018-09-21T10:29:12-05:00September 21st, 2018|

City Manager Tom Markus has announced that he plans to resign in spring 2019. Markus, 67, made the announcement at the end of the Lawrence City Commission’s meeting Tuesday evening. In a letter to the commission, which he read aloud, Markus said that he was clear during the hiring process that he would not likely be a long-term city manager in Lawrence. Markus stated that while he had hoped that his tenure might be longer, he had decided it was time for him to move on. After reading the letter, Markus told commissioners that the decision had not been easy. “And [...]

Lawrence city leaders grateful for changes Markus made at City Hall, begin to consider next city manager

info2018-09-21T10:28:13-05:00September 21st, 2018|

Though Lawrence city commissioners said they were sorry to hear City Manager Tom Markus’ announcement that he plans to resign, all said they are grateful for the changes he’s brought to City Hall. Markus, 67, announced Tuesday that he plans to resign in the spring of 2019, which will mark approximately three years since he began his position as the city’s top administrator. When Markus was interviewed, he said he planned to hold the position a maximum of five years, and Markus said on Tuesday that he felt it was time for him to move on and that he hopes to [...]

After pushback from neighbors, Lenexa council rejects Vistas at Canyon Creek apartment project

info2018-09-21T10:07:28-05:00September 21st, 2018|

A group of homeowners living near a proposed apartment complex in western Lenexa gathered nearly 200 petition signatures and sent a flurry of emails to City Council members in opposition to the project, and many showed up in force at Tuesday’s council meeting. In the end, the council unanimously rejected the project. The Vistas at Canyon Creek, proposed for the northwest corner of Canyon Creek Boulevard and Kansas Highway 10, would have required rezoning for the construction of 294 apartments in 12 buildings and a convenience store with gasoline pumps. ... Kristin Kippes, a homeowner who lives near the proposed project, [...]

Overland Park moving forward with plan to install 37 new bike racks in downtown OP

info2018-09-21T10:06:08-05:00September 21st, 2018|

Bicyclists stopping by downtown Overland Park will soon have many more places to hitch up. The city is in the process of getting 37 new racks to be distributed throughout the downtown area. Three racks would go outside the Matt Ross Community Center. “Downtown is a natural destination for bikes but there are really very few racks,” said Doug Johnson, of the city’s planning and development department. That will change with the acceptance of a proposal from BikeWalkKC that the city council approved Monday night. The bike racks come at no cost to the city. Instead, the $9,270 to install them [...]

Augusta hears about next generation of 9-1-1 call system

info2018-09-21T07:45:06-05:00September 21st, 2018|

Augusta Department of Safety Director Bob Sage ... explained that currently when someone calls 9-1-1, the phone will ring several times while the call processes through the system. With the transition to an ESINET system, the dispatcher may answer the call before the caller hears it ring. ESINET helps Kansas boost 9-1-1 reliability, speed emergency responsiveness and improve disaster recovery. For Kansans, this means a faster, more reliable 9-1-1 experience. (Read more: andoveramerican.com)

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