info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

New retail stores could boost Pittsburg’s economy

info2024-06-26T09:44:40-05:00June 26th, 2024|

The city of Pittsburg approved a tax incentive for a new retail development featuring three major stores. The plan includes adding Ulta, Rack Room, and Five Below to the city’s shopping options, aiming to retain local shoppers and provide more variety. The agreement with a group representing the Pittsburg Town Center Shopping Complex redistributes the 1.5% local sales tax collected by three new retailers. 2/3 of it will go to the city. The other 1/3 will go to the developer to recoup construction costs, with a cap of $600,000 or 20 years of collections, whichever comes first. Officials expressed interest in [...]

Shawnee Mission task force looks to clarify district’s approach to accepting, allocating donations

info2024-06-26T09:40:38-05:00June 26th, 2024|

Troubled by what they see as a perceived pattern that favors wealthier neighborhoods, some Shawnee Mission school board members have begun to discuss how the district should handle private donations, bequests and gifts. A three-member task force of board members Jessica Hembree, Jamie Borgman and David Westbrook met for the first time on the topic last week. Their aim is to better understand the existing policies on donations and find a way to clarify the district’s position on how that money should be spent. Almost every Shawnee Mission school board meeting includes at least one vote on whether to accept private donations [...]

AGCO announces layoffs, citing ‘weakened demand’

info2024-06-26T09:32:43-05:00June 26th, 2024|

AGCO has announced that around 6% of its workforce will be laid off due to "weakened demand in the agriculture industry." It is not known exactly how many employees will be affected at their Hesston production facility, or the timing as to when the layoffs will take effect. In a statement, the company says the layoffs are not related to a shift in production to Mexico that was announced earlier this month. AGCO says that the Hesston facility will continue to manufacture Massey Ferguson windrowers, large square balers, combines and combine headers. The company has invested more than $28 million into [...]

Pittsburg approves purchase of garbage trucks for public trash service

info2024-06-26T09:29:56-05:00June 26th, 2024|

The city of Pittsburg approved the purchase of two garbage trucks for a total of $489,996 to help operate a public trash service. They also approved the purchase of 500 96-gallon poly carts, 50 2-yard dumpsters, and 50 4-yard dumpsters for a total of $97,108. The city is investing in a publicly operated trash service in the wake of issues residents have been having with CARDS Recycling and Waste Management. Officials say the public service will be another option for residents. KOAM will continue following the progress and updates for residents concerning the City's planned trash service. Source: KOAM News

Fire departments speak out against proposed OSHA regulations

info2024-06-26T09:28:38-05:00June 26th, 2024|

First responders like firefighters are known to be in dangerous jobs. But OSHA, the federal agency that set and enforces standards for workplace conditions is hoping to help make those work environments as safe as possible. According to OSHA, the "existing safety and health standards do not adequately protect the emergency response workforce from these hazards." The federal agency has proposed a set of new regulations that would replace the current fire brigade standard implemented in 1980. “From what I can gather from OSHA is they're wanting to combine a whole bunch of, like, 22 guidelines into one mandate. Mandate is [...]

AGCO downsizing due to weakening demand in agriculture industry

info2024-06-26T09:25:54-05:00June 26th, 2024|

AGCO states they are reducing their salaried workforce by about 6% due to weakening demand in the agriculture industry. The company is not saying what locations are being affected. AGCO is estimating that they will spend $150 million to $200 million, which includes severance payments and employee benefits. They expect that amount to be spent this year and in the first half of 2025. The company said the decision to reduce its workforce is not related to the shift in production to Mexico, which was announced earlier in June. "Hesston will continue to manufacture Massey Ferguson windrowers, large square balers, combines and combine headers [...]

A Mammoth mitigation plan

info2024-06-26T09:24:15-05:00June 26th, 2024|

Killing two birds with one stone. This was the idea behind Mammoth Sports Construction’s presentation at Monday evening’s joint meeting of the Iola City Council and school board. Riverside Park poses flooding issues for the city and USD 257 has a need for ballfields that can still be utilized following heavy rains. The solution? Synthetic turf fields, bigger holding ponds and larger pumps to mitigate and redirect flood waters, according to Mammoth. The scope of the $3.733 million project includes an artificial turf softball, baseball, and football field that will help store flood waters during a major storm event. The fields [...]

SE Kansas under drought watch, Galena enacts emergency measures

info2024-06-26T09:23:05-05:00June 26th, 2024|

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly put all of Southeast Kansas under a "drought watch" on Monday. A water drought emergency ordinance continues in Galena. It came from the state through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and required the city to establish three stages of water conservation measures in case of an emergency. The city uses wells and is working on getting another one up and running. "I hope everybody, myself included, is conscious of their water usage - because I think we take a lot of things for granted - and at any time, something could turn on the dime," said [...]

Sedgwick County regulators hold up giant solar farm on Wichita’s outskirts amid objections from neighbors

info2024-06-26T09:21:04-05:00June 26th, 2024|

Sedgwick County appeared poised to follow its ban on wind farms with widely vetted regulations that would allow acre after acre of solar panels pumping renewable energy into the electrical grid. Instead, the county still has a moratorium on the construction of large-scale solar farms. “Boils down to a simple phrase: not in my backyard,” said Walt Chappell, a solar power booster and longtime critic of local government. The stall leaves the industry frustrated and some environmentalists upset that objections from neighbors who’d be near a proposed Chisholm Trail utility-scale solar project west of Maize may have blocked the project. Sedgwick County needed regulations for [...]

New expressway officially opens in SE Kansas

info2024-06-26T09:19:52-05:00June 26th, 2024|

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has officially opened the newly constructed U.S. 166/400 four-lane expressway, improving travel from Baxter Springs to the Kansas-Missouri border. This long-anticipated development is set to streamline traffic and enhance connectivity in the region. Currently, eastbound traffic on the new lanes is limited to a single lane until the final placement of pavement markings is completed. Motorists are advised to follow the signs and exercise caution as work continues. As construction activities are still ongoing in the project area, KDOT urges drivers to stay vigilant, obey traffic signs, and adhere to reduced speed limits to ensure safety for [...]

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