info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Galena police offer medication disposal site

info2018-08-03T06:47:47-05:00August 3rd, 2018|

The Galena Police Department now has a medication disposal safe for Cherokee County residents who wish to dispose of any expired or unwanted medication. The safe is located in the lobby of the Municipal Building and can be accessed during normal business hours. The unit was provided by DCCCA Inc. through a federal grant. DCCCA works to identify and provide resources to communities identified as high-risk by starting medication disposal programs. The grant was awarded to the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (Read more: www.joplinglobe.com)

Hospital request for sales tax vote fails again in Marshall County

info2018-08-03T06:46:40-05:00August 3rd, 2018|

Time is running out for a sales tax to benefit Community Memorial Healthcare to be put on the November ballot. The deadline for the decision is Sept. 1 and on Monday a motion by Marshall County Board of Commissioners Chairman Dave Baier for a five-year, half-cent sales tax ballot question failed without a second. Commissioner Bob Connell said his constituents were not in favor of the ballot question. “I had a lot of phone calls yesterday, and none of them was in favor of letting it go to a vote,” Connell said. Commissioner Lynn Feldhausen said he was in the same [...]

Judge to hear arguments in case against Kansas commissioner

info2018-08-03T06:41:29-05:00August 3rd, 2018|

A federal judge plans to hear oral arguments on whether the federal government has needlessly interjected itself in matters traditionally reserved for states when it charged a Sedgwick County commissioner Michael O'Donnell. U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren set on Wednesday a hearing for Aug. 17 on two pending defense motions seeking to dismiss all or part of the indictment. O'Donnell is accused of misspending more than $10,000 in campaign funds and then covering it up. He has pleaded not guilty to a 12-count indictment alleging wire fraud and money laundering. The defense argued "over zealous prosecution" sometimes occurs when prosecutors throw [...]

Emporia discusses several grants at monthly meeting

info2018-08-03T05:17:47-05:00August 3rd, 2018|

The Emporia City Commission held a public hearing Wednesday at its weekly meeting concerning a potential project to help owners of low-to-moderate income homes on the southwest side of the city to improve their homes. Housing Specialist Jeff Lynch attended the meeting to talk about the project and get approval from the commission to apply for a community development block grant for the project. The grant totals $300,000. Commissioners accepted a 2018 Emergency Solutions grant totaling $67,758. Of this, $65,000 goes to emergency housing, $975 for reporting fees and $1,783 in administrative funds. This money will benefit SOS. The Commission discussed [...]

Beautiful new murals were just painted in north Wichita

info2018-08-03T04:41:24-05:00August 3rd, 2018|

Wichita’s North End was known for its murals way before they were en vogue. The neighborhood, which is heavily populated by people of Latino and Southeast Asian descent, has for years been home to some of Wichita’s most impressive murals. Count nine more among them. Last week, artists with the Horizontes project painted nine new murals in north Wichita — including two near the historic Dunbar Theatre at 9th and Cleveland. (Read more: Wichita Eagle)

In Sedgwick County, early-voter turnout is nearly double what it was in 2014

info2018-08-02T10:15:35-05:00August 2nd, 2018|

Early voter turnout in Sedgwick County is nearly double what it was in the 2014 primary election. As of Wednesday, 1,478 Sedgwick County residents have voted early at the county courthouse. By this date in the 2014 primary election, 739 people had voted early. The 2014 primary election saw a 19.2 percent turnout of eligible voters in Sedgwick County; there was a 25.7 percent turnout in 2010. “I would expect to see it closer to 2010 (turnout),” Lehman wrote in an e-mailed statement. Her prediction for this year is based on early-voter turnout. The 2010 primary election drew 905 early voters [...]

Harvey County wages growing, still behind

info2018-08-02T10:14:11-05:00August 2nd, 2018|

Low wages may be keeping area employers from recruiting highly-skilled workers, according to the Wichita State University Center for Economic Development and Business Research. Wages in Harvey County are lower than other area counties, as well as the state average. A worker in Harvey County made $36,918 on average in 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is 18 percent lower than the state average of $45,117. In Sedgwick County, the wages are even higher. In 2017, the average annual wage for a worker in Sedgwick County was $46,392 — 26 percent higher than Harvey County. Jeremy Hill, Director [...]

Amtrak amendment sails through Senate

info2018-08-02T10:12:34-05:00August 2nd, 2018|

Although a vote wasn’t expected until Thursday, the amendment to maintain Amtrak train services along the established, long-distance passenger rail route of the Southwest Chief was included today in the 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The bill passed the Senate on an overwhelming 92-6 vote. Amtrak’s SW Chief makes a stop in Newton July 27. The amendment was introduced by Kansas Senator Jerry Moran and Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico. Moran commented on the passage of the bill. In addition, this amendment would effectively reverse Amtrak’s decision to substitute rail service with bus service [...]

Unusual quakes jolt Marion

info2018-08-02T10:11:33-05:00August 2nd, 2018|

What police initially thought were two explosions Monday night turned out to a pair of mild earthquakes, unusual in that they were close enough to the surface to be heard as well as felt. The larger of the two measured 2.4 on the Richter scale and was centered three miles beneath the surface, east of US-77 between 170th and 180th Rds. on Victory Rd. “We’ve been watching this area for some time,” senior scientist Rick Miller of the Kansas Geological Survey said Tuesday. “We’ve had a couple of dozen, maybe 15 events over the last couple of years in that general [...]

Goessel City Council discusses water rates to attract valuable grant dollars

info2018-08-02T10:08:18-05:00August 2nd, 2018|

The council once again discussed the need to raise sewer rates in order to receive grant money for sewer system upgrades. Goessel’s sewer rates are too low; the city will not qualify for the grant if the rates are not raised to an appropriate amount. City clerk Jennifer Whitehead reminded the council that the city currently charges $36.95 per month. It is possible that the city might need to raise the rates to $48.98 per month. However, the council decided to make several raises instead of one larger one. Therefore, the council proposed an incremental raise of $5 at this time, [...]

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