info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Kansas lawmakers use subpoena to force Ford County clerk to cooperate with election audit

info2024-08-12T11:01:11-05:00August 12th, 2024|

The Kansas Legislature’s bipartisan auditing committee voted to issue a subpoena to compel the Ford County clerk to cooperate with the state’s security examination of voting-related documentation and equipment used in the 2022 general election. House and Senate members participating in the committee meeting Monday took the extraordinary step of immediately relaunching the election security audit investigation that had been stalled long ago by Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox. The committee directed Cox to comply with audit team information requests helpful in evaluating accuracy of voting machines relied on during the statewide election two years ago. In addition, Cox must provide [...]

‘Under Five Flags’ documentary premieres at Boot Hill Museum

info2024-08-12T10:49:30-05:00August 12th, 2024|

Dodge City has always been a melting pot of diversity, and the documentary titled “Under Five Flags,” which premiered on Thursday, Aug. 1 at the Boot Hill Museum Mariah Gallery, reflects this rich history. Tracing history, the short film reveals how Ford County has been governed by five different flags in its history: France, Spain, the Republic of Texas, Mexico, and the United States. A collaborative effort between various organizations, including Humanities Kansas, Dodge City Community College (DC3), the City of Dodge City’s Cultural Relations Advisory Board, Main Street Dodge City, and Boot Hill Museum, the documentary condenses more than 500 [...]

Burrton working to attract more industry

info2024-08-12T10:47:52-05:00August 12th, 2024|

With the assistance of Harvey County Economic Development, Burrton is taking steps to start an industrial park. Missy Ducimetiere, mayor of Burrton, said talks began a few years ago but never were finalized. When Ducimetiere took over as mayor in January, the committee reached out to her. When she attended her first meeting, she was immediately interested. “I said, ‘How can we do this?’” Ducimetiere said. The first step is estimating costs to add utilities to areas that aren’t developed. “We’re in very preliminary stages,” Ducimetiere said. She hopes to have the estimates ready for the economic development committee (EDC) by [...]

Why doesn’t Harvey County have a brewery? Local businesses, brewers, police talk about 30 percent food rule

info2024-08-12T10:45:21-05:00August 12th, 2024|

Why doesn’t Harvey County have a brewery? It’s a question enjoyers of craft beer, supporters of economic development and people looking for social spaces have asked over the years while watching neighboring communities. By fall, Butler County will have four. Reno County and McPherson County both support breweries. And Sedgwick County has had 14 different licenses granted for the establishments. The law in Harvey County is that any establishment with a liquor license—which breweries must obtain—has to derive 30 percent of its revenue from food sales. Four Kansas brewery owners referenced the “30 percent rule.” “It’s a ridiculous rule,” Walnut River [...]

New slides make positive impact at Holton pool

info2024-08-12T10:42:16-05:00August 12th, 2024|

Recent oppressive heat drove several young people in Holton to the city’s municipal swimming pool, where kids of all ages took advantage of a pair of water slides in their quest to keep cool that day. One of them was nine-year-old Jaxon Miller of Holton, who took turns going down each of the slides, a recent addition to the pool. “They’re really fun! We’re really happy to have them,” Miller said of the slides, which he added provides him with opportunities to go down differently each time. Eleven-year-old Graysen Aubert of Holton, joining Miller in using the slides that afternoon, agreed, [...]

Jackson County donates $30K toward library expansion project

info2024-08-12T10:41:03-05:00August 12th, 2024|

Fund-raising efforts to expand Beck Bookman Library received a boost on Monday after the Jackson County Commissioners presented a $30,000 check on behalf of the county to Amy Austin, library director. The donated funds were from the county’s tax on alcohol sales. “We think this is a great way to use that money,” Commissioner Keith Kelly said. So far, about $1 million of the $2.5 million fund-raising goal has been raised for the expansion project, which will allow the library to provide a free meeting space and private work/meeting rooms in the community, as well as make the building compliant with [...]

‘I get to keep my memories’: Tenant purchases home, former public housing unit

info2024-08-12T10:30:22-05:00August 12th, 2024|

Lawonder Markham’s home is her comfort place — it’s where she raised her daughter, where she took care of her mother until she died and where she’s lived since 2003. But she didn’t own her home until July. It used to be public housing. The city of Wichita announced plans in January of 2022 to sell its 352 single-family public housing units. Tenants were given the option to begin the process to purchase and own their home. Markham leaped at the opportunity to purchase her home. “I’ve been through a lot of stuff in this house. I don’t want to lose [...]

Kansas counted 2,800 homeless people this year. There are likely many more.

info2024-08-12T10:28:52-05:00August 12th, 2024|

Every year on a single night in January, hundreds of volunteers fan out in several communities across the state of Kansas to count every homeless person they encounter – on streets, in shelters, along rivers and within motel rooms. This year, organizers counted 2,815 homeless Kansans across the state, according to numbers released Wednesday by the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition. This is a 6.8% increase from last year’s total of 2,636. This tally, called the point-in-time count, is important for establishing a foundation for how prevalent homelessness is in communities across the country. But it’s data gathered on one night in [...]

Arma gears up for 78th annual VJ Day homecoming

info2024-08-12T10:19:43-05:00August 12th, 2024|

The community of Arma is preparing for its 78th annual Arma VJ Day Homecoming. The celebration is to remember and mark the end of World War II. The event is starting on Thursday, August 8 with activities including pickleball and golf tournaments, a parade, concert, car show and a dance. Source: KOAM News

City of Lawrence on latest count of unhoused people: ‘City is focused on knowing each person by name’

info2024-08-12T10:16:57-05:00August 12th, 2024|

In response to the latest point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness in Douglas County, the City of Lawrence says employees are making individual connections with people, leading to “powerful milestones of impact.” The latest count of people experiencing homelessness in Douglas County show a total just slightly higher than 2020, the previous record year. “The point-in-time count represents real people, each with their own stories, struggles, and hopes,” the city said in a news release Thursday morning. “Through collaborative efforts with Douglas County, the Lawrence Community Shelter, and other dedicated service providers, the City is focused on knowing each person by [...]

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