info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Celebrating four decades of fire service

info2024-01-24T10:38:56-06:00January 24th, 2024|

Longtime Osawatomie Fire Chief Brian Love has had a passion for fighting fire ever since he was 12 years old and going on fire runs with his dad, Bob, in Hiattville, Kan. Bob was a volunteer firefighter and farmer in the rural community southwest of Fort Scott, and Brian has childhood memories of the fire phone ringing in the house when there was a fire. “It would sound one solid ring until someone answered,” Brian said. “When we picked it up, we would just listen to get the details of the fire. It was like a party line.” After high school, [...]

Westwood wants judge to rule in legal back and forth over controversial project

info2024-01-24T10:36:32-06:00January 24th, 2024|

The city of Westwood has filed a lawsuit seeking a judge’s ruling on whether a state law applies to the sale of Joe D. Dennis Park to make way for a much-discussed new office and park development on Rainbow Boulevard. The city last week filed the lawsuit in Johnson County District Court seeking a declaratory judgment on three items — including whether the law, K.S.A 12-1301, applies to the sale of Joe D. Dennis Park at the corner of 50th Street and Rainbow. That statute specifically deals with the sale of public park land, and a group of Westwood residents has argued the city [...]

Topeka and police chief seek suit dismissal

info2024-01-24T11:18:49-06:00January 24th, 2024|

Topeka’s city government and Police Chief Bryan Wheeles filed a motion for summary judgment Friday seeking the dismissal without trial of a gender discrimination suit filed last January by three female Topeka police administrators. The motion includes explanations of Wheeles’ reasoning behind key decisions in which he chose to promote men instead of the women who filed the suit, Major Jana Harden and Capts. Colleen Stuart and Jennifer Cross. In each case, the document says, Wheeles picked the best person for the job. “The Plaintiffs have been promoted by males and over males for the entirety of their careers,” the motion said. “COT (the [...]

Kansas Attorney General Opinion 2024-1: Zoning beyond city limits

info2024-01-23T14:36:18-06:00January 23rd, 2024|

Synopsis: Although the Kansas Legislature may legally permit a city to impose its land subdivision requirements on county residents within three miles of city limits, it should be cautious when granting cities extraterritorial authority. Cited herein: K.S.A. 12-749. Read more: Opinion No. 2024-1

Planning Commission advances new wind energy regulations for Douglas County

info2024-01-23T07:43:49-06:00January 23rd, 2024|

The Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission voted 6-3 early Tuesday morning to move forward with a new set of wind energy regulations at the end of a meeting that stretched six hours. ... Commissioners aimed to balance the need for rigorous regulations that protect Douglas County against the need to allow continued renewable energy development. The result was a set of new regulations with a series of modifications derived from public comments and commission discussion over the last few months. Source: The Lawrence Times

Wichita plans to close a number of elementary, middle schools at end of school year

info2024-01-23T07:42:39-06:00January 23rd, 2024|

An unspecified number of Wichita schools will be closed at the end of the school year to help offset a looming $42 million budget shortfall. Staff will make recommendations on which schools should be closed and why at the next school board meeting on Feb. 12. Decisions will be finalized by spring break, after ample opportunity for public input, Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld said. Closures will be limited to elementary and middle schools because of the logistical challenges of relocating 1,000 to 2,000 high school students. Source: Wichita Eagle

Pickleball noise has become nuisance at this Prairie Village park. Is there a fix?

info2024-01-23T07:34:27-06:00January 23rd, 2024|

Prairie Village residents who live near Windsor Park will need to wait on any pickleball noise relief. The Prairie Village City Council on Tuesday voted 9-2 to send the pickleball noise issue at Windsor Park back to the city’s parks and recreation committee for a solution. Some residents near Windsor Park have complained about pickleball noise — what has become both a national and local uproar — since six courts were installed in June. Source: Johnson County Post

How costly will the boil water advisory be for Topekans?

info2024-01-23T07:33:47-06:00January 23rd, 2024|

Topekans will see only a trickle of additional costs, if any, due to the problem that forced the city last week to declare a boil water advisory, city officials say. The city, which uses about 20 million gallons of water on a normal day, was able to flush the entire 60 million gallons involved through its distribution system in about three days, co-interim city communications director Rosie Nichols told The Capital-Journal Friday. Source: CJonline

County Commission approves state of emergency from Jan. 8-9 storm

info2024-01-22T11:53:28-06:00January 22nd, 2024|

The Finney County Commission approved a severe winter weather emergency declaration for the Jan. 8-9 blizzard at its regular meeting on Tuesday. During the week of the storm, Commission chairman Gerry Schultz declared the emergency, but it needed to be confirmed by the Commission Tuesday’s meeting. Paul Resley, Finney County Emergency Management Director, said the emergency declaration was needed because they got inundated with the snow and wind from the storm. “We had so many people stranded that we were losing resources faster than we could find them,” he said. “So, we were reaching out for some help. The governor eventually did declare an [...]

‘Some days, you just might have to rescue a swan’: Wichita firefighters trek onto ice

info2024-01-22T11:50:36-06:00January 22nd, 2024|

Firefighters trekked out onto a frozen pond Friday morning in north Wichita to rescue a swan that had been stuck for a couple of days. Residents near 21st and Amidon called first responders Friday morning about the swan being stranded in the middle of a pond. Firefighters in specialized rescue suits went out onto the ice and pulled along a raft. “Our Rescue team ... found that the swan was likely unable to move due to the size of the hole he was in versus the size of his feet,” the Wichita Fire Department said on social media. “Crews reported he wasn’t harmed [...]

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