info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Mercy looks to complete acquisition of Pittsburg hospital by Sept. 1

info2024-06-17T13:03:19-05:00June 17th, 2024|

Mercy Hospital Joplin’s top official said Thursday progress continues toward the acquisition of the existing hospital in Pittsburg. Mercy announced in February that it planned to acquire the 50-bed hospital in Pittsburg from Wichita-based Ascension Via Christi ministry. Mercy's presence in Southeast Kansas already includes the 26-bed Mercy Specialty Hospital Southeast Kansas in Galena and the 25-bed Mercy Hospital Columbus, as well as a number of clinics and medical offices. Mercy officials said the transition of the Pittsburg hospital was delayed for about a month by an apparent cybersecurity problem in the Ascension Via Christi computer system that forced the two groups to hold [...]

Portrait of a Kansas town that went all-in on clean energy after a devastating tornado

info2024-06-17T12:59:39-05:00June 17th, 2024|

Greensburg was mostly destroyed by the tornado of May 4, 2007. Some homes on the outskirts were repairable. But most of the core of the town was completely wiped out. Debris was everywhere. Hohl’s son’s bedsheet was lodged in a tree, where it would stay for 10 years. And the town’s roughly 1,400 residents had to not only figure out how to put their own lives back together but how to rebuild the town and the community that many had been part of for generations. The decision they made, not to rebuild the town as it was, but to use the [...]

Freeman plans to open emergency room, 10 inpatient beds in Fort Scott, Kansas

info2024-06-17T12:56:54-05:00June 17th, 2024|

Freeman Health System announced a further expansion into Southeast Kansas on Thursday. Freeman CEO Paula Baker told a crowd gathered around the emergency entrance to the former hospital in Fort Scott — now known as the Bourbon County Medical Facility — that Freeman would reopen the emergency department at the former hospital. Freeman would also have 10 inpatient beds in the building. Baker said: “We’re going to have six separate bays, and we will have 365-day coverage, 24/7, by licensed physicians and nurses that are specifically trained in emergency medicine. We’re also going to have some support for that emergency department, such as [...]

Wind energy banned in Shawnee County, solar on one year moratorium

info2024-06-14T09:39:01-05:00June 14th, 2024|

Shawnee County Commissioners are moving one step closer to shaping the future of wind and solar energy within the county. ... Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the solar moratorium. That gives the planning department one year for extensive research into regulations, looking into the viability for solar farms in Shawnee County. Source: KSNT 27 News

Newton police getting new training facility

info2024-06-14T09:04:22-05:00June 14th, 2024|

The Newton City Commission approved the plans for a police training facility Tuesday night. The city bought a building near City Hall in August and is now asking contractors to put in bids to update it. Newton Police Chief Craig Dunlavy says headquarters will remain at the courthouse, but the department will use the new facility for monthly training and staff meetings as they need more space. Right now, they are asking community partners to borrow their space. The facility is not replacing the state law enforcement training center. It’s going to be used for auxiliary training purposes. Chief Dunlavy says [...]

Pittsburg city leaders support $50 million “Gorilla Rising” project for downtown with $10 million investment

info2024-06-14T09:02:47-05:00June 14th, 2024|

City leaders throw their support behind a project to bring a new college of business to downtown Pittsburg. Building on the success of Block 22, project Gorilla Rising is an initiative to build a new college of business at 3rd St. and Broadway. It`s expected the new college of business would be approximately 54,000 square feet and provide space for administrative and faculty offices, educational centers, and additional downtown parking space. Along with that, the historic Besse Hotel on 4th St. will be redeveloped, to create more than 60 new students housing beds and space for the PSU reading and testing [...]

In Newton, Professionals organize to serve, unite Latino and Spanish-speaking community

info2024-06-14T08:57:47-05:00June 14th, 2024|

Navigating a new country, culture, bureaucratic system and language is no easy task. Sal Lujano Jr. said he watched his family do it firsthand when they came to Newton from Mexico. “When we first came here, we didn’t have a bilingual person to go to with many things,” he said. “My dad had to figure it out all on his own.” He said it doesn’t have to be that way anymore. He, along with seven other professionals in the community, have been working to create a group named “Latinos Unidos.” The group, with members fluent in Spanish and English, aims to [...]

Roeland Park now offering residents composting service. What are other JoCo cities doing?

info2024-06-14T08:54:17-05:00June 14th, 2024|

There’s a new way for some Johnson Countians to start composting food waste. The city of Roeland Park is partnering with Price Chopper and Kansas City, Missouri-based nonprofit KC Can Compost to offer residents the chance to sign up for a monthly composting subscription. This partnership follows similar efforts to divert food waste from the landfill by Overland Park and KC Can Compost to offer services to some apartment complexes in that city. Here’s how Roeland Park’s pilot program works, and what composting looks like in other Johnson County cities. Source: Johnson County Post

Tradition vs. economic opportunity for Kansas: How Kansans feel about possible KC teams relocation

info2024-06-14T08:53:21-05:00June 14th, 2024|

Haysville teacher Kelly Kennedy doesn't hide his love for the team that's been his favorite since he was a kid. "I grew up in Haysville. And, and my dad was one that said you cheered for your home team," Kennedy said. "We considered the Chiefs, our home team, even though they're three hours away." However, he has mixed feelings about the possibility of the Kansas City Chiefs possibly moving to Kansas. "It would be great for the state and everything else but my whole thing is Arrowhead is such an iconic stadium and that's pretty much all I've known is Arrowhead [...]

‘Time for a reckoning.’ Kansas farmers brace for water cuts to save Ogallala Aquifer

info2024-06-14T08:50:19-05:00June 14th, 2024|

JETMORE, Kan. — An inch or two of corn peeks out of the dirt, just enough to reveal long rows forming over the horizon. Sprinkler engines roar as they force water from underground to pour life into dusty fields. Thunder cracks. The wind whips up dirt as a trail of dark storms looms. The crashing hot and cold fronts would probably set off tornado sirens — if there were any in this remote part of the state. It’s spring in southwest Kansas, a hub for the nation’s crop, dairy and beef industries. As the familiar seasonal rhythm plays out, some farmers [...]

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