info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Task force hoping for full-time child care coordinator in Harvey County

info2024-07-24T15:20:24-05:00July 24th, 2024|

With a large gap in child care options in the county, a child care task force hopes a dedicated employee could lead the charge in finding solutions. The task force is working to address issues around child care in the county. According to Child Care Aware of Kansas, the county currently can only fulfill 25 percent of the potential child care slots needed and needs up to 1,400 more child care slots. In the past, they reached out to child care providers to learn what their biggest issues and needs were. Now, to be as effective as possible, the task force [...]

In SMSD, one school raised $610,000 in donations, while another took in $300. Is that fair?

info2024-07-24T15:18:02-05:00July 24th, 2024|

Donation statistics presented to a special committee Friday by Shawnee Mission School District administrators showed a lopsided giving advantage when it comes to the district’s wealthiest schools. But whether that disparity is resulting in more staff positions or better educational outcomes for those schools gifted more money wasn’t clear. It’s also not immediately clear if the district plans to do anything to address the gaps among schools. Over the previous three school years, about 80% of donations dedicated to a particular school — funds brought in through traditional PTA fundraisers, as well as more direct gifts like checks written by parents [...]

Citizens ask for limited zoning in Bourbon County

info2024-07-24T15:14:18-05:00July 24th, 2024|

Bourbon County Commissioners on Monday learned more about a topic that has cropped up during discussions on solar panel developments – limited zoning. Commissioners have discussed zoning in recent months and have also been asked by citizens to consider adopting limited zoning as it relates to certain land uses. Commissioners have discussed both sides of the debate on solar panels, and heard from landowners who oppose the developments for various reasons. Source: Fort Scott Tribune

JoCo OKs $3.7M to renovate Lenexa hotel into homeless shelter

info2024-07-24T15:12:36-05:00July 24th, 2024|

The proposed homeless services center at a repurposed Lenexa hotel took another step forward last week, as a majority of county commissioners agreed to fund $3.3 million in renovations. The commission also voted to approve a 10-year agreement with reStart Inc., the Kansas City-based nonprofit tasked with operating and ultimately owning the shelter. Commissioners considered whether to use federal Housing and Urban Development funds for the renovations, but rejected the idea because of the added cost and extended time period. Using a HUD grant would require an environmental impact statement that could take up to two years to complete, and the [...]

City of Bentley entering Stage 1 of water conservation plan

info2024-07-24T15:10:08-05:00July 24th, 2024|

The City of Bentley is entering Stage 1 of its water conservation plan. Bentley City Administrator Tim Bryan said the town is one of the few communities to purchase raw water from the City of Wichita. Wichita is planning for Stage 2 status and has been in Stage 1 since January 2023. Gary Janzen, the director of Wichita Public Works and Utilities, said Tuesday that projections indicate Wichita will reach Stage 2 criteria by Aug. 1. If the Wichita city manager issues a public declaration of Stage 2, residents will only be allowed to water lawns one day a week. The [...]

Sedgwick County commissioners looking for new way to fund arts and culture services

info2024-07-24T15:08:45-05:00July 24th, 2024|

A plan to fund arts and culture services in Sedgwick County through a sales tax continues to move forward. Currently, arts and culture services are paid for with property taxes. County commissioners are trying to come up with a way to lower property taxes while funding community-centered programs. Commissioner Jim Howell thinks such a plan may need to get approval from the state legislature but says it could be a way to keep funding going without ever touching property taxes. He says property taxes should only fund core government and public safety services and is proposing a one-eighth-cent sales tax to [...]

The ‘Big Ditch’ prevents major flooding in Wichita. Could it serve another purpose?

info2024-07-24T15:06:34-05:00July 24th, 2024|

Eighty years ago this spring, the Little Arkansas River spilled out of its banks in a way that spelled big trouble. Swollen by heavy rain, the river and nearby Chisholm Creek drove an estimated 5,000 Wichitans from their homes, washed out bridges and covered much of downtown. In Riverside Park, the historic Park Villa building was surrounded by acres of water four feet deep. In the stockyards along 21st Street, workers loaded 4,000 hogs onto railroad cars to keep them from drowning. To the north, Valley Center and a swath of Sedgwick County were under water. Flooding was blamed for two [...]

As drought deepens, Wichita is poised to double rates for biggest water users

info2024-07-24T15:04:49-05:00July 24th, 2024|

Wichita could soon raise rates for its high-volume water users as it ramps up its response to the drought. Next month, public works director Gary Janzen will present the City Council with a proposal to roughly double rates for tier two and three water customers, which would largely affect businesses that get their water from the city. Most residential customers would not be affected by the proposed rate changes. Only 18% of residential customers ever reach tier two (more than 110% of average winter consumption) and only 2% reach tier three (more than 310% average winter consumption), according to data provided [...]

Lawrence Police Department, DOJ to hold community partnership workshops

info2024-07-24T15:02:15-05:00July 24th, 2024|

The Lawrence Police Department, working with the Department of Justice, will hold two half-day workshops “where DOJ facilitators hope to improve trust and develop partnerships between police and community members.” The program’s goals are to improve trust and develop partnerships between law enforcement and the community, engage in dialogue to identify issues and solve problems collaboratively and address longstanding community distrust and historical barriers, according to a flyer about the workshops. “I’ve always said I want our officers to police our community the way the people want to be policed,” Chief Rich Lockhart said in the release. “When I heard the [...]

Lawrence school district administrators say cell phone ban in draft handbook was a mistake; board approves teacher raises

info2024-07-24T15:00:58-05:00July 24th, 2024|

A districtwide cell phone ban was included in a draft of an updated student handbook, but Lawrence school district administrators and board members made some clarifications on Monday. Students aren’t to have their cell phones out while they’re in class across the district. Elementary and middle school policies don’t allow students to use their phones at all during school hours unless granted permission. High school students, however, are still permitted to use their phones outside of class time. The handbook draft originally included in the school board meeting agenda for Monday said that “students found using their phone during school hours [...]

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