info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Paola police department launches Take Me Home program

info2018-09-06T08:34:45-05:00September 6th, 2018|

Sgt. Ryan Rayzor of the Paola Police Department wants to make sure all local residents are kept safe, especially those dealing with disorders that could potentially lead to misunderstandings with law enforcement. That’s why he has spearheaded the creation of the Take Me Home program at the police department. The program is similar to others across the country that are based on the official Take Me Home program created in 2003 by officer Jimmy Donohoe in Florida. The program is endorsed by the Autism Society, and it was created so that children on the autism spectrum who wander will be returned [...]

Louisburg voters to decide fate of special sales tax in November

info2018-09-06T08:33:33-05:00September 6th, 2018|

The sales tax in Louisburg could rise next year if residents approve its increase on the November ballot. The Louisburg City Council voted Aug. 20 to ask voters to double the current infrastructure improvement sales tax from .25 to .5 of 1 percent, which would increase the total sales tax in the city from 9.25 percent to 9.5 percent. If approved, the sales tax increase would not go into effect until July 1, 2019. The current infrastructure improvement city sales tax of .25 percent was approved by voters in 2010 to be collected for 10 years. That tax is set to [...]

Miami County Commissioners decide fate of old jail

info2018-09-06T08:31:30-05:00September 6th, 2018|

The graffiti was still legible. But the splintered paint on the bars and walls of the empty cells were indications the 1960s-era building that once housed the sheriff’s office and jail had stood vacant for some months in the shadows of the three-story Miami County Detention Center across the street. The 96-bed center was dedicated in November 2017. Miami County commissioners recently toured the old jail as they mulled options for the structure, designed to house 22 inmates. Commissioners discussed several options for the tired building, including renovation for office space or turning it into storage. Another possibility, commissioners said, was [...]

Marion County Commission agrees to commission expansion proposal

info2018-09-06T08:29:17-05:00September 6th, 2018|

Marion County Commission might grow by two members in January, depending on how the November election goes. Commissioners at Friday’s meeting passed the decision unanimously, cancelling the need for chairman Dianne Novak to circulate a petition. If the resolution passes in November, commissioners will have until Jan. 1 to restructure county districts with balanced populations. “I believe the voters in the county want to decide that,” commissioner Kent Becker said. If the county expands the commission, it cannot change district numbers for four years. “It feels like the further away you get from Marion, the more you find people who want [...]

Wichita is close to a deal with New Orleans Baby Cakes Triple-A baseball team

info2018-09-06T08:27:22-05:00September 6th, 2018|

Wichita is in talks with the New Orleans Baby Cakes franchise, an affiliate of the Miami Marlins, to be Wichita’s new Triple-A team, several sources said Wednesday. The deal is close to being finalized but is not yet done, sources say. Mayor Jeff Longwell plans a baseball announcement of some sort at his regular Thursday briefing. Longwell didn’t return a call for comment, nor did Augusto “Cookie” Rojas, the Baby Cakes senior vice president and general manager. The Wichita Wingnuts, an independent baseball franchise, played its final game on Monday. The city plans to tear down the 84-year-old Lawrence-Dumont Stadium downtown [...]

Great Bend City Administrator to hold quarterly community chats

info2018-09-06T10:53:39-05:00September 6th, 2018|

Taking over the job July 30, Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis is making an effort to make himself more accessible to the public. Francis announced at Tuesday’s Great Bend City Council meeting that he would be holding “Kendal’s Coffee” on a quarterly basis. During the coffee sessions, community members can come to talk to Francis about concerns or thoughts on the City. (Read more: Great Bend Post)

Great Bend moves forward with no Public Works Director

info2018-09-06T10:54:21-05:00September 6th, 2018|

When Charlie Suchy resigned as Great Bend Public Works Director in June, no timeline or procedure to find his replacement was announced. Now it appears that for the time being, the city will operate without a Public Works Director in place. According to Great Bend City Attorney Bob Suelter, City Administrator Kendal Francis will oversee the Public Works Department with assistance from a newly hired Assistant Public Works Director. Suelter says Francis has a background in public works, serving for nearly 20 years in Beloit with the city’s water and wastewater department. That person will be Simon Wiley who began his [...]

Attorney General, Sunshine Coalition to offer free training sessions on open government laws in Topeka

info2018-09-06T07:04:27-05:00September 6th, 2018|

Free training sessions on Kansas open government laws will be offered next month in Topeka and Johnson County, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and the Kansas Sunshine Coalition for Open Government announced today. “Open access to the functions of government is important to self-government,” Schmidt said. “As our office investigates complaints of violations of open government laws, most often we find the violations were inadvertent and can be avoided through better education. I encourage public officials, candidates for public office, staff, members of the media and the public to participate in these training sessions to learn more about how these laws [...]

Church fire mistake sparks new sharing agreement between city and county departments

info2018-09-06T07:03:48-05:00September 6th, 2018|

Two months after a historic church suffered major fire damage and a Wichita fire truck was prematurely called back from the scene, the city and county have reached a new agreement on sharing resources to try to make sure it doesn’t happen again, officials said Wednesday. The new agreement places the decision of whether to release equipment in the hands of the on-scene commander at an emergency, said County Manager Michael Scholes and City Manager Robert Layton. The new accord on shared support was reached Aug. 30. The agreement rises from the ashes of the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Andale. [...]

Kechi receives funding for arts district

info2018-09-06T10:57:58-05:00September 6th, 2018|

It's been a long time coming. The City of Kechi announced this week that it received funds to design and construct a downtown arts and business district in the city. The city has been waiting for approval for four years. "The city council and staff members have been going the extra mile over the last few years to get to this point," said City Administrator Robert Conger. "Once the planning phase is complete, things should move rather quickly since the funding has already been approved." In a 2015 strategic plan, residents expressed a vision for a vibrant, downtown arts and business [...]

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