Ranson Financial, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Governor Kelly Announces Elanco to Invest $130M, Create 70 Jobs in Elwood

Governor Laura Kelly announced today that Elanco Animal Health Inc., a global leader in animal health, is investing $130 million to expand and renovate its manufacturing facility in Elwood. The expansion in Doniphan County is expected to create approximately 70 new jobs over the next two years. “The continued investment by Elanco speaks to the work my administration is doing to attract and retain businesses,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Elanco’s expansion is not only creating new jobs but is adding to the unparalleled economic momentum that has made Kansas the best state in the nation to live, work, and raise a family.” Elanco is located within the Animal Health Corridor, which is the single largest concentration of businesses working to improve animal health worldwide. These businesses produce everything from veterinary pharmaceuticals to specialized food for livestock and pets. Elanco’s Elwood site currently manufactures and ships its Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody and will be the flagship location for Elanco’s future monoclonal antibody manufacturing. This product is the first and only USDA conditionally approved targeted treatment for parvovirus, which affects an estimated 330,000 dogs annually in the U.S. The expansion will add the needed capacity to support Elanco’s growth in monoclonal antibody innovation. “Expanding the capabilities at our Elwood manufacturing site is a critical step toward executing the most exciting pipeline in Elanco’s 70-year history,” Elanco Manufacturing and Quality Executive Vice President Grace McArdle said. “In partnership with our Elanco research and development colleagues, this site plays a key role in delivering solutions that are transforming the way veterinarians and pet owners care for the world’s animals. We appreciate the commitment of the State of Kansas, Doniphan County, and the City of Elwood to help pets live longer, healthier, more active lives.” This project will help enhance the local economy through increased tax revenue and serve as a stable long-term employer in Elwood. The company will be better positioned to optimally serve customer demands with improved project development and commercialization lead times. “Sitting in the heart of the Animal Health Corridor, Kansas is a powerhouse in this critical sector – attracting companies from across the nation and around the world,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Elanco is an excellent example of the top-notch employers the Kelly-Toland administration is committed to partnering with as we grow the state’s economy.” Design-build firm Burns & McDonnell, headquartered in Kansas City, is leading the expansion project as the primary provider of integrated design and construction services.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

Ranson Financial2024-08-21T10:21:00-05:00August 21, 2024|News|

Halstead sets another public hearing for battery storage

With the City of Halstead still awaiting feedback from Concurrent LLC, the planning commission tentatively set a public hearing for their next meeting on Monday, Sept. 16. City Manager Ethan Reimer hoped this would get a response from Concurrent, a company wishing to locate a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Halstead. The commission listed regulations at a meeting in June. The city attorney then sent the regulations to Concurrent but hadn’t heard back. “I’m hoping this will put pressure on them,” Reimer said. Reimer said if he told them there was another public hearing, he hoped that would encourage Concurrent to respond to the BESS regulations proposed. According to past reporting by Harvey County Now, the commission requested regulations around the noise level. After testing areas in town, the commission agreed that the noise decibel should not exceed a level of 75 within 100 feet of the property. The commission also set restrictions of a 25-foot setback for the side and rear of the property. The commission said they wanted regulations available to the public before the meeting so that the meeting had different community feedback from the last public hearing. “I want regulations up so people can look at them ahead of time,” Tessa Windling, chair of the planning commission, said. The commission said they would reschedule the public hearing if information wasn’t up for the public two weeks out from the meeting. The commission also approved a conditional use permit for two accessory structure requests. The sheds were for personal use and would be 1,500 square feet, which exceeds the 720 square foot limit.
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2024-08-21T10:19:11-05:00August 21, 2024|News|

Lawrence City Commission agrees to put sales tax increase on ballot, continues discussion of 2025 budget

Lawrence city commissioners decided Tuesday that they will ask Lawrence residents to vote on whether to approve a .05% sales tax increase to fund homelessness programs. Otherwise, much of the 2025 city budget is still up for discussion. Commissioners heard from more than 30 people during their budget hearing, most asking them not to increase property taxes. Many also asked commissioners to maintain funding to staff Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical fire trucks with four staff members rather than cutting staff for each truck to three, as the city manager’s budget had proposed. In their discussion, commissioners considered ways to save on costs and potentially lessen tax increases, such as using fund balances — essentially the city’s savings accounts, or funds kept on hand in case of emergencies. They agreed that spending fund balances was not sustainable but thought it could help get through a particularly difficult year when sales tax revenues came in far below what the city anticipated. Commissioner Brad Finkeldei summarized items the commission would like city staff members to look into and bring back for further discussion: Funding 149 total operational staff for Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, and staffing each fire truck with four people; Adding one LDCFM deputy chief; Funding non-sworn personnel for the Lawrence Police Department; Postponing the start of construction of new fire stations by one year; Looking at using special funds to fix some playgrounds; Authorizing Parks and Recreation to look into advertising and sponsorships; Charging the University of Kansas for false fire alarm calls; and Decreasing the amounts of raises some city staff members will receive. Here’s the full text of the question commissioners approved to put on the ballot: “Shall the City of Lawrence, Kansas be authorized to repeal the 2019 Sales Tax in the amount of five one-hundredths of one percent (0.05%) in the City of Lawrence, Kansas, and replace it with the levying of a new special purpose retailers’ sales tax in the amount of one tenth of one percent (0.1%) for the purposes of (1) providing and improving the quality, availability, and affordability of housing in Lawrence, acquiring land for future affordable housing units, investing in private/public partnerships for the provision of affordable housing, and such other related affordable housing purposes as may be in the best interest of the City, and (2) providing temporary emergency shelter for persons experiencing homelessness and related services including but not limited to providing food, laundry, transportation, storage, non-prescription medical supplies, case management, and outreach services as well as homeless prevention services including but not limited to rent stabilization funding, utility assistance, assistance obtaining government identification cards, government benefits, and such other related programs and services for persons experiencing homelessness as may be in the best interest of the City, the collection of such sales tax to commence on April 1, 2025 and shall terminate ten years after its commencement, all in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 12-187 et seq. and amendments thereto?”
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2024-08-21T10:17:40-05:00August 21, 2024|News|

Manhattan is ‘special place’ for incoming city manager Danielle Dulin

Home is where the heart is, and Manhattan’s newest city manager said she is returning to work in a community she always has loved. Long before the Manhattan city commission appointed Danielle Dulin as city manager early this month, she was an economics student at K-State. She grew up in the small Kansas town of Bucklin about 30 miles southeast of Dodge City, but it was in the Little Apple that she met Mike, her husband and a fellow K-State graduate, and began her professional career.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Ranson Financial2024-08-21T10:13:30-05:00August 21, 2024|News|

Property crime up, violent crime down in Kansas

An annual report on crime in Kansas shows property crime rising and a decline in violent crime, providing benchmarks that may guide law enforcement and community leaders. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Index Report, which summarizes crime data submitted by law enforcement agencies from across the state, shows property crime increased by 2.6% and violent crime decreased by 3.7% from 2022 to 2023. The number of reported property crimes increased to 66,782 cases. The report said the overall crime index was “heavily impacted” by the uptick in property crimes, increasing from 26.7 offenses per 1,000 people in 2022 to 27 offenses per 1,000 people in 2023. The property crime rate was 10% below the 10-year average. “Property offenses have steadily declined in recent years, making 2023 the first year since 2017 that the state experienced an uptick in property crime reports,” the report said. “Property crime offenses are assumed to be underreported to law enforcement.” The crime that saw the largest individual increase was motor vehicle theft, which was up 4.8% Law enforcement agencies recorded 13,294 violent crimes throughout the state. The violent crime rate was nearly 10% above the 10-year average. The number of reported rape cases decreased by 12.6%, or 161 cases, from 2022 to 2023. Although crime stats compiled by the KBI can be helpful for identifying trends, the KBI said in a news release “it is often not possible to draw further interpretations or conclusions from the data. It is dependent on victims reporting crimes.” “We typically see more property crimes than violent crimes based on raw numbers,” said Sgt. Drew Fennelly, public information officer for the Lawrence Police Department. “Crime touches each community very differently. The reasons for trends could be very different in Wichita, Kansas City or Dodge City.” Melissa Underwood, spokeswoman for the KBI, didn’t respond to inquiries for this story. Adrianne Nuñez, spokeswoman for the Willow Domestic Violence Center of Lawrence, said the data is important for looking at crime on a broader scale. Agencies like the Willow use a variety of data from across the state to spread awareness or use in training, she said. “We believe tracking crime data is important. It gives us a snapshot of what is happening in our communities,” Nuñez said. “We hope these statistics continue to drop to the point that our job is unnecessary. More specifically, we hope these statistics continue to evolve to reflect the most accurate information in our communities while allowing survivors to be safe.” The report does not track specific categories of murder or aggravated assault in the data, which can make it difficult to draw conclusions about statewide violence within smaller communities. While the 3.7% decrease in violent crime overall is a step forward for Kansas, organizations like Moms Demand Action still worry about gun violence and incidents that are not counted in the annual report. “I do think it’s beneficial to track the data because data gives us things that we can improve on,” said Shannon Little, a Moms Demand Action co-leader and volunteer. “Comparing different sets of data will give you different answers. Even though our violent crime rate has gone down almost 4%, Kansas still has some of the weakest gun safety laws in the country.”
Source: Derby Informer | Area

Ranson Financial2024-08-21T10:11:39-05:00August 21, 2024|News|

KDOT accepting applications for Innovative Technology Program

The Kansas Department of Transportation is now accepting applications for the fall 2024 round of the agency’s Innovative Technology Program. The Innovative Technology Program provides financial assistance to governmental and non-governmental organizations for innovative transportation-related projects that promote safety, improve access or mobility and implement new transportation technology. “Innovative technology” is broadly defined as any technology that does not currently exist in the local community of the project. This allows local communities to determine what projects to submit based on their specific needs. All transportation system projects are eligible, including roadway (on and off the state system), rail, aviation, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), bicycle/pedestrian, public transit, software and technology infrastructure. Candidate projects should include investments that provide transportation benefits and are not eligible for other KDOT programs. This round of grant funding has an overall budget of $2 million, with a maximum awarded amount of $1 million per project. A project concept must be submitted and approved by KDOT before an application is provided to the applicant. The project concepts deadline is Nov. 17, and the application deadline is Nov. 30. A facts sheet is available on the program at https://www.ksdot.gov/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/divInnovTech/Innovative_Technology_FactSheet.pdf. For the project concept submission form, go to https://forms.microsoft.com/g/FThTTFKQ5s. Both documents are on KDOT’s internet. A few past approved projects include Truck Driving Simulators for the CDL Program expansion at Seward County Community College, an AI-Based Road Condition Assessment in the City of El Dorado and a UAS Flight Operations and Simulation Center for Kansas State University – Salina.
Source: Emporia Gazette

Ranson Financial2024-08-21T10:09:55-05:00August 21, 2024|News|

Vote passed to let citizens decide if county commission should increase to five

The Bourbon County Commission plans to let voters decide whether to add two commission districts in the November election. On Monday, the commission passed by a 2-1 vote a resolution that would place the following question on the Nov. 5 ballot: “Shall the current number of Bourbon County Commission Districts set forth in KSA 19-203(1)(b)(c)(d)&(e) be increased to five Commissioner Districts?”
Source: Fort Scott Tribune

Ranson Financial2024-08-21T10:08:43-05:00August 21, 2024|News|

Common Consumption Area expanded

The Great Bend City Council adopted an ordinance Monday that greatly expands the downtown Common Consumption Area, which allows a committee to allow alcohol sales in designated areas during select events. The vote was 6-1, with councilmember Davis Jimenez opposed and councilmember Kevyn Soupiset absent (he arrived a short time later). Before voting, the council heard from audience member Dee Ann Grummon, who expressed her opinion that “expanding the ‘Common Consumption Area’ is not a wise idea.” “Is it impossible to draw a crowd with food, art and music/entertainment only, or is alcohol the magic ingredient for any event to be successful?” she said. Her comments will appear on the Great Bend Tribune’s public forum and a link will be provided later. The Common Consumption Area (CCA) was created by ordinance in 2021 at the request of Great Bend Economic Development. At present, it includes the 2100 block of Forest Ave., which is the block in front of the Tribune. Final Fridays on Forest events in this area involve closing the street to traffic and allowing food and alcohol vendors and live music. GBED’s Great Bend Alive sets up tables and chairs, with volunteers at the entrances to make sure alcohol is not brought in or carried out of the area. At the Aug. 5 City Council meeting, GBED Director Sara Arnberger asked for an ordinance expanding the CCA to also include: The crosswalk across Williams along the south side of Forest Ave. (to The Landing, a new gathering area); Half of the block that includes The Landing; Lakin Ave. between Williams and Main; 12th Street between Williams and Main Arnberger said the committee would not ask to use all of the area all of the time. “This gives us flexibility into the future,” she said. The item was tabled on Aug. 5 after councilmember Cory Urban said he would like to change the makeup of the CCA Committee that decides when to utilize the areas. City Attorney Allen Glendenning amended the ordinance at that was what was approved Monday night.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

Ranson Financial2024-08-21T10:06:48-05:00August 21, 2024|News|

‘Time to turn the page’: Attempt to recall Prairie Village mayor after housing saga fails

An attempt to recall Prairie Village Mayor Eric Mikkelson will not move forward after a group — unhappy with the city’s efforts to address its shortage of affordable housing — did not collect enough signatures to place the initiative on the ballot. “Time to turn the page,” Mikkelson said in a statement to The Star. “We move forward best when actually united.” It was a group of residents’ ninth attempt at recalling the mayor in recent months, as the northeast Johnson County city has been embroiled in controversy over officials’ consideration of adjusting zoning laws to allow for a wider variety of housing, such as duplexes and small apartment buildings. Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe rejected eight previous recall petitions, which cast a variety of accusations against the mayor, ruling that that they were insufficient and that their claims did not meet the grounds for ousting a local official under state law. Howe found the ninth petition met statutory requirements, allowing the group to collect signatures to try to put the mayoral recall up for a public vote. The group — which has called itself Save Prairie Village — had until mid-August to collect more than 4,000 signatures for it to be valid. But this week, the recall committee on its website said that effort had failed. The latest mayoral recall attempt centered on Mikkelson’s communication with a city-hired consultant firm during that tension last year. The recall committee accused Mikkelson of misconduct in office, alleging he misused taxpayer dollars by having the consultants help him advocate against previous petitions aiming to recall him. Mikkelson said the accusation is false and amounts to damaging, “abusive smear tactics.” Edward Greim, an attorney representing the recall committee, previously told The Star, “It is ironic that it was the very process of trying to fight off the earlier recalls that support this recall.”
Source: Joco 913 News

Ranson Financial2024-08-21T10:02:09-05:00August 21, 2024|News|

City council approves ordinance changes for short-term rentals, purchasing of naming rights

On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council approved the city budget for 2025, as well as several other items, including ordinance changes for short-term rentals and the purchasing of naming rights. The Wichita City Council approved ordinance changes regarding short-term rentals like Airbnbs. The changes make the renter responsible for issues like underage drinking, property damage, and illegal fireworks at a “nuisance party,” defined as “a social gathering of five or more people on a residential property in which certain nuisance-type activities occur.” The council will revisit who is responsible for dispersing parties if the police come during their meeting on Sept. 3. The City also voted to let private sector partners purchase naming rights at parks and cultural facilities in Wichita. The purchasing of naming rights could start late this year or early next year and establish agreements for 2026. The city council needs to approve each contract. The naming rights for the baseball stadium, tennis center, and ice rink are up for grabs.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2024-08-21T09:59:03-05:00August 21, 2024|News|

About Ranson Financial

Governor Kelly Announces Elanco to Invest $130M, Create 70 Jobs in Elwood

Halstead sets another public hearing for battery storage

Lawrence City Commission agrees to put sales tax increase on ballot, continues discussion of 2025 budget

Manhattan is ‘special place’ for incoming city manager Danielle Dulin

Property crime up, violent crime down in Kansas

KDOT accepting applications for Innovative Technology Program

Vote passed to let citizens decide if county commission should increase to five

Common Consumption Area expanded

‘Time to turn the page’: Attempt to recall Prairie Village mayor after housing saga fails

City council approves ordinance changes for short-term rentals, purchasing of naming rights

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