info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Rossville community clears debris after EF2 tornado damages town

info2024-03-15T12:19:10-05:00March 15th, 2024|

A local man lost much of his property to Wednesday's EF2 tornado. The next day, many in the community showed up to lend a helping hand. Chad Shafstall's friend experienced the wicked storm that rolled through Rossville around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. "It messed his house up pretty good," Shafstall said. "Took out all of his buildings to speak of. Luckily, he was just fine. He was in a safe room in the basement and that kept him from having any issues." From roofing companies, to Rossville's chief of police directing traffic, Shafstall said the community quickly came to their aid. "We've got Free [...]

Shawnee County tornado sirens turn controversial for some local residents

info2024-03-15T12:17:54-05:00March 15th, 2024|

A local emergency management spokesman is weighing on why the decision was made to turn tornado sirens on during Wednesday night's storms. Tornado sirens could be heard across Shawnee County in the evening hours on March 13. 27 News spoke with Dusty Nichols with Shawnee County Emergency Management about the thinking behind setting off the county's tornado sirens. Tornados were reported in nearby counties with Shawnee County being placed on alert by the National Weather Service (NWS) as the storm system moved through northeast Kansas. Nichols said the sirens were activated as reports of tornadic activity came in from weather radar and storm [...]

Emporia nominated for USA Today’s favorite main street

info2024-03-15T12:16:11-05:00March 15th, 2024|

Emporia has been nominated by USA Today as one of the nation's favorite main streets for the 2024 Readers' Choice Awards. Every year nominees are selected by a panel of experts. This year six 10Best editors narrowed the final list of nominees. Each year the panel of experts selects 20 cities across the nation. "Emporia Main Street has been nominated as one of the Best Main Streets in the country by USA TODAY! Help us win the top spot by voting each day between NOW and Monday, April 8th," Emporia Main Street wrote on Facebook. In 2016 Emporia took the title of best main [...]

FREE Rural Health and Prosperity Grants 101 Workshop

info2024-03-15T10:58:32-05:00March 15th, 2024|

Registration Now Open! FREE Rural Health and Prosperity Grants 101 Workshop Mark your calendars! State and federal agencies are again collaborating to present a Rural Health and Prosperity Grants 101 Workshop in McPherson on April 16 & 17, 2024. Two track options to choose from, Health and Community. Health and social services providers, community and economic developers, city commissioners, city and county staff, faith-based and community leaders, school board members, workforce development boards, and bankers or other lending organizations are encouraged to attend. Discover grant opportunities, hear success stories, and get application tips for your community or organization. Visit the event page for [...]

Wichita vs. Griffie: Constitutionality of Noise Ordinance

info2024-03-15T09:53:30-05:00March 15th, 2024|

This case requires us to decide whether the provision within Wichita Municipal Code of Ordinances (W.M.O.) § 5.24.010(c) criminalizing "noisy conduct tending to reasonably arouse alarm, anger or resentment in others" is unconstitutionally overbroad under the First Amendment. Both the district court and the Court of Appeals held the provision constitutional. We disagree. Applying the substantial overbreadth doctrine used by Kansas courts to adjudicate First Amendment overbreadth challenges, we conclude the noisy conduct provision within W.M.O. § 5.24.010(c) is unconstitutionally overbroad because it prohibits a substantial amount of protected activity in relation to the provision's plainly legitimate sweep. But our conclusion [...]

Liberal city buildings to see solar panel installation

info2024-03-15T08:20:55-05:00March 15th, 2024|

Green energy is becoming more important than ever and soon, the City of Liberal will be dipping its toes into just that. A handful of buildings throughout town will soon see the installation of solar panels, and Solar Grids Chief Operating Officer Jacob Koke said the project has been in the works for a little while. “We'd started working with the City of Liberal and took into account what their utility bills are and then did an analysis of multiple different sites throughout Liberal,” Koke said. “We determined the four best sites as far as having the best exposure to the sun [...]

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Mary Billington, Baxter Springs Museum

info2024-03-14T08:04:56-05:00March 14th, 2024|

What town is in the very corner of Kansas? In southeast Kansas, it is the historic community of Baxter Springs. Today we’ll learn about how this community is honoring its history and that of the region. Mary Billington is director of the Baxter Springs Heritage Center and Museum, and the Route 66 Visitor’s Center in Baxter Springs. Baxter Springs is located in Cherokee County. Source: Hays Daily News

Great Bend Municipal Court to dedicate Robert G. Suelter Courtroom

info2024-03-13T13:45:24-05:00March 13th, 2024|

The Great Bend City Council and staff extend an invitation to the public for the dedication ceremony of the Robert G. Suelter Courtroom at the Great Bend Municipal Court. ... The dedication ceremony honors the esteemed legacy of Suelter, retired City Attorney whose contributions have significantly impacted the legal landscape of our community. The newly built courtroom stands as a testament to his dedication and service. Source: Great Bend Tribune

With toll lanes off the table, KDOT explores other ways to upgrade K-10 in Lenexa

info2024-03-13T13:44:57-05:00March 13th, 2024|

As traffic is expected to increase in growing parts of western Johnson County, the Kansas Department of Transportation is looking to alleviate congestion in residential areas spilling off Kansas Highway 10. New neighborhoods and the Panasonic plant coming soon to De Soto have increased Johnson County’s residential and commercial activity further west, and KDOT has started looking for solutions to address that growth. Now that the idea of adding express toll lanes on K-10 are off the table, KDOT is exploring alternatives for two major north-south corridors passing through Lenexa and Olathe. Source: Johnson County Post

New study will focus on Johnson County’s rural roads as area grows

info2024-03-13T13:44:30-05:00March 13th, 2024|

Plans to study how to re-connect rural roads in and around the former Sunflower Army Ammunition plant are moving forward. ... Late last month, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners agreed the county should join in a seven-party agreement that would fund the Southwest Metro Area Transportation Connection Plan. The idea was to develop some expert recommendations on the future of roads in an area that is becoming more and more industrialized, especially with the construction of the Panasonic lithium ion battery plant. The study is set up so a consultant would make recommendations with the guidance of a “core [...]

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