info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

City hopes to make Olathe’s trash system even more efficient

info2018-06-08T08:15:33-05:00June 8th, 2018|

Olathe residents continue to lead the region in terms of recycling their garbage and expressing satisfaction in their city’s trash pickup services. But consultants see potential problems on the horizon and are advocating a number of steps as part of the city’s first solid waste master plan to make Olathe’s trash system more efficient and better able to deal with the city’s growing population. “We want to optimize the performance of the existing systems because you guys have a great program right now, and we want to continue that program,” Anastasia Welch, a project manager for SCS Engineers, told the City [...]

New dystopian TV show is called ‘Kansas City’ — but it will be filmed in Atlanta

info2018-06-08T08:12:44-05:00June 8th, 2018|

Kansas City will soon become the center of a dystopian society, divided by a Berlin Wall-esque line that separates liberal and conservative states. Or, at least it will on Hulu. The streaming site has ordered a pilot run for “Kansas City,” which will begin filming this month in Atlanta, a haven for film tax breaks. Producers from Amblin Television — the studio behind “The Americans” and "ER" — came to Kansas City around a month ago to get a feel for the area, said Stephane Scupham, the city's film commissioner. Unlike Georgia, neither Missouri nor Kansas offers incentive programs, such as [...]

Augusta City Council approves flags, banners for downtown

info2018-06-08T08:11:05-05:00June 8th, 2018|

Following the usual approval of meeting minutes and an appropriation ordinance, Augusta City Council considered a request from the Augusta Lions Club to purchase and install American flags and mounting brackets on downtown light poles. The Council had previously granted permission to Downtown Augusta, Inc. to display banners on light poles in the downtown area, and the organization has funds to install banners and brackets on the four corner posts at four downtown intersections. The plan includes additional banners and brackets to be added as funding becomes available. Wendell Corneil with the Lions Club told Council members that the local organization [...]

McPherson selected to host Kansas Barn Sale

info2018-06-08T08:08:41-05:00June 8th, 2018|

The City of McPherson has been selected to host the 2018 Kansas Barn Sale later this year. It will be held Oct. 6 in Lakeside Park. The event attracts vendors and shoppers from across the Midwest to sell and buy antiques, vintage, re-purposed, handmade and artisan goods. Hours will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is expected to draw 5,000 to 7,000 shoppers and at least 130 vendors. Owner Beki Hastings created the event to provide Kansans more access to antiques and original artwork. The need for additional space resulted in her decision to move the event to [...]

News safety signs in place at intersection in Barton County

info2018-06-08T07:29:25-05:00June 8th, 2018|

The new signs have been installed at the intersection of 30 Road and Washington Avenue, the site of a fatal crash that killed 18-year-old Shealee A. Stover on April 17, County Works Director Darren Williams reported to the Barton County Commission Monday morning. These include larger, 48-inch stop signs, larger “Cross Traffic Does Not Stop” signs and larger “Stop Ahead” signs, all with ultra-high grade reflectivity. In earlier action, on May 21, the commission changed the speed limit at the junction, extending the 45 mph zone a half mile north of the corner. Prior to the change, the speed limit on [...]

Reason for sales tax vote explained in Ark City

info2018-06-08T07:28:00-05:00June 8th, 2018|

Voters in Arkansas City will receive mailed ballots in early August asking whether they want to jettison two sales tax initiatives for South Central Medical Center in favor of one. Instead of paying 1.5 percent on purchases in town to keep the hospital afloat, as they are now, residents and others would be paying just 1 percent, if the tax is approved. The deadline to return the ballots will by Sept. 6. As city officials explained it, the key difference is that the new, 1-percent tax would not have an ending date, as the others do. That would help reassure those [...]

Bids approved for sidewalk, bike trail construction in El Dorado

info2018-06-08T07:26:48-05:00June 8th, 2018|

The 5-foot wide Sixth Avenue sidewalk will stretch from Orchard to Star Streets along the south side Sixth Street. The bid awarded to SPS was $97,912.50. Pearson Construction also submitted a bid of $226,955. The engineer’s estimate of the project was $149,655. The sidewalk is being paid for with excess sales tax dollars. The 8-foot wide bike trail from North Main Street to Country Club Drive on McCollum Road will cost a total of $66,365 to complete through SPS. The engineer’s estimate was $106,225. Pearson Construction bid the job for $115,225. USD 490 and the City of El Dorado are co [...]

People of color may be the majority in Kansas by 2066. Here’s what that means

info2018-06-08T07:25:37-05:00June 8th, 2018|

If current trends continue, the majority of Kansans will be black or Latino by 2066. Experts call this a source of opportunity for the state, but also say Kansas will face increasing challenges unless racial and ethnic disparities are addressed in education, health and other areas. “Change is gonna happen no matter what,” said Steve Coen, president and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation. “This change is coming, so either we view it as an opportunity or we don’t, and I think we need to view it as an opportunity.” From 2000-2016, all the population growth in Kansas was among racial [...]

Regulators moving forward with application for injection wells in Douglas County

info2018-06-08T07:22:19-05:00June 8th, 2018|

Kansas regulators on Thursday reiterated their plan to hold a hearing later this month on a request by Midstates Energy to inject saltwater waste into two injection wells in eastern Douglas County. In addition, though, the Kansas Corporation Commission denied a request to offer public comment at that hearing from a Mission Hills woman who has argued that the permitting process being used does not comply with federal rules under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The KCC regulates oil and gas production in Kansas in addition to regulating public utilities. Midstates Energy filed the application in October, and a number of [...]

Downtown El Dorado designated as Opportunity Zone

info2018-06-08T07:21:00-05:00June 8th, 2018|

Downtown El Dorado has been designated as one of 74 Opportunity Zones in Kansas. This is the only designated area in Butler County. As an Opportunity Zone, eligible business in Downtown El Dorado will receive capital gains incentives from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. “The Opportunity Zone is a federal designation,” El Dorado City Manager David Dillner said. “The governors submitted eligible census tracts and then the Department of Treasury had to certify them. It’s incentive for capital gains taxes.” “The goal of the legislation is to give folks that have seen significant advances in their portfolio to [...]

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