info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

PrairieStar Health Center in Hutch readying for nearly $5 million expansion

info2018-07-02T09:50:37-05:00July 2nd, 2018|

Just three years after moving into new digs, PrairieStar Health Center is expanding. The project at the federally-designated health clinic will grow the current 31,400-square-foot operation at 2700 E. 30th Ave. by nearly 60 percent, and add vision services to its already myriad healthcare offerings. The center’s board of directors voted last week to award the project to Weins Constructions of Hutchinson, which submitted the lowest of about a half-dozen bids at $4.217 million, said Jackie Johnston, Director of Marketing & Public Relations. Equipment to furnish the expansion is estimated at another $500,000 to $600,000. Construction is expected to start by [...]

Hutch City Council will consider amendments to city planning codes

info2018-07-02T09:49:20-05:00July 2nd, 2018|

Long desired by area business owners, potential developers and some members of the Hutchinson City Council, some changes could be coming to city codes during the agenda session Tuesday. The council had asked late last year to make planning and zoning regulations more user-friendly for potential developers. Areas that will be amended include: parking regulations, landscaping requirements, site plan reviews, conditional and special use permits, and matters concerning the board of zoning appeals. It is hoped that the action will condense the broad range of categories and regulations currently in place. (Read more: Hutch Post)

Sales tax pitch in Ark City

info2018-07-02T09:44:56-05:00July 2nd, 2018|

The first town hall meeting to inform voters about the proposed sales tax changes for South Central Kansas Medical Center was met with a small turnout on Thursday night at the Ark City Senior Center. Fewer than 30 people gathered to listen to a presentation by Mayor Dan Jurkovich, more than half of the attendees were commissioners and medical center employees. Jurkovich narrated a short slideshow presentation illustrating problems the hospital faces in meeting its construction debt. He then discussed other suggested options, including closing the hospital down or selling it, which he said are not viable options because the city [...]

Eureka community remains positive after tornado

info2018-07-02T09:42:59-05:00July 2nd, 2018|

Hundreds of people exhausted from cleaning up after Tuesday's tornado gathered tonight in Eureka. The hope is to make sure everyone gets the help they need. "People remember what it was like last time, and they want to make sure that they get taken care of," said Eureka resident JoAnn Craighead. Joann and John Craighead moved to Eureka five years ago. In their short time here, they've seen two tornadoes and straight-line winds damage the small community. "Surprisingly, with as hot as it's been, long of days as we've been working, I'm still impressed, because everybody seems to just want to [...]

Lansing plans to withdraw from fire district

info2018-07-02T09:35:07-05:00July 2nd, 2018|

The city of Lansing plans to withdraw from Leavenworth County Fire District No. 1 at the end of next year. That is according to a letter signed by Mayor Mike Smith and most of the members of the Lansing City Council. Fire District No. 1 provides fire department services to the city of Lansing and Delaware and High Prairie townships. The district has a five-member governing board with three members from Lansing and one member from each of the two townships. The district is supported financially through its own property tax levy. The fire district has been in existence since 2004. [...]

Barton County Emergency Manager wants to see more wildfire education

info2018-07-02T09:33:30-05:00July 2nd, 2018|

A legislative audit says Kansas’ wildfire suppression system is underfunded and understaffed and operates with a fragmented leadership. Barton County Emergency Risk Manager Amy Miller read through the audit and felt that most of the audit’s issues came from the State of Kansas’ response to emergencies with the Kansas Department of Emergency Management, Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the Kansas Forest Service. Auditors recommended the legislature choose one agency to lead the state’s wildfire response and appropriate the money to ensure enough resources are deployed to fight fires. Miller would like to see more public education distributed to keep [...]

Neosho County reorganizes 911, emergency management

info2018-07-02T09:29:49-05:00July 2nd, 2018|

Neosho County Commissioners considered resolutions Friday to reorganize 911 dispatching and emergency management. With the retirement of Emergency Management Director Byron Shultz, Emergency Management and 911 dispatching become separate departments no longer under the Sheriff’s Department. The commission approved four resolutions to establish the two functions as departments and to appoint Lori Nally as 911 Director and Melanie Kent-Culp as Emergency Management Director. The resolutions also established a five-member 911 advisory board. The board will consist of the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center EMS Director, Chanute Fire Chief, police chiefs of Chanute and Erie, and the Neosho County Sheriff. County Counselor [...]

Water transfer plan meets challenge from local irrigators

info2018-07-02T09:28:34-05:00July 2nd, 2018|

Hays’ long-anticipated bid to transfer water from a city-owned ranch in Edwards County for municipal use hit an unexpected obstacle, as a local organization dedicated to protecting farmers’ water rights presented its case last Thursday afternoon. In a scheduled meeting of the Kansas Division of Water Resources at the Twilight Theater in Greensburg, KWR Chief Engineer David Barfield, along with representatives from Hays and Russell as stakeholders, presented the draft proposal outlining both the conversion of the R-9 Ranch’s agricultural water rights to municipal use and approval under the state’s Water Transfer Act. The draft summary was presented as the public [...]

Douglas county no longer using schools as polling places

info2018-07-02T09:26:24-05:00July 2nd, 2018|

The Douglas County Clerk’s Office sent letters this week to the more than 10,000 affected voters who will now be assigned to different polling places than they’ve used in the past, the Lawrence Journal-World reported . County Clerk Jamie Shew said Wednesday he made the change after Lawrence school district officials expressed concerns over allowing people easy access in and out of school buildings while classes were in session. “Now that we have put secure entrances in all of our buildings, we are finding it very difficult to provide an adequate level of security at the elementary buildings during polling,” said [...]

Dog park design named, approved by Spring Hill Parks Advisory Board

info2018-07-02T09:25:34-05:00July 2nd, 2018|

The dog park at the new Veterans Park has received a name: Melvin Murry Dog Park. At their May meeting, the Parks Advisory Board approved the design of the new dog park and its name. The dog park is planned to feature fire-themed items to honor the former, longtime Spring Hill fire chief, who died in 2014. The Murry family was present at the meeting in support of renaming the park. Currently, a different City park is named after Murry — Melvin Murry Park located in the Woodland Ridge subdivision. The Parks Advisory Board agreed to move the name to the [...]

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