info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Douglass fire adds new truck to their fleet

info2024-03-27T10:24:04-05:00March 27th, 2024|

Butler County Fire District #8, (Douglass), has recently got a new truck to add to their fleet. The fire department now has a total of nine apparatus: two engines, three grass trucks, one tanker, one rescue and water rescue, and two support trucks. The biggest obstacle is water,” said Fire Chief Aaron Guyot. That shouldn’t be an obstacle anymore with the new beast of a tanker the fire department received in late January. This truck is made by Fouts Bros out of Georgia with a 515 Horsepower engine and a 4,000 gallon tank that can pump 1,500 gallons per minute. The [...]

Lawrence school district looks to staffing incentives, other cost-saving ideas as enrollment declines

info2024-03-27T10:22:56-05:00March 27th, 2024|

As enrollment keeps trending downward, Lawrence school board members on Monday heard some additional details about possible ways to cut costs, including hiring specialized positions rather than going through contractors. Executive Director of Finance Cynde Frick gave the board a budget update on Monday, which included data from the district’s annual enrollment headcount, taken every Sept. 20. The district counted 9,820 students enrolled for the 2023-24 year, down 135 from the 9,955 total for 2022-23, according to the presentation. Frick said the district could consider incentives to hire speech language pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, plumbers, carpenters and other professionals as district employees [...]

City officials seek community input regarding “Pittsburg 150”

info2024-03-27T10:20:46-05:00March 27th, 2024|

Pittsburg is preparing for its 150th birthday and the community has to opportunity to help plan the celebration. According to a press release from the city of Pittsburg, the celebration "Pittsburg 150" is a year-long celebration honoring the community's past and highlighting its resilience and progress. "Celebrate Pittsburg is a group representing organizations across the community that is working with the City of Pittsburg to create a structure for a year-long, community-wide celebration," says City of Pittsburg Community Development Specialist Sarah Runyon. "We want businesses, civic groups, churches, schools, individuals, and anyone else to feel ownership in this milestone." City officials [...]

Citizens talk pros, cons of proposed lake project

info2024-03-27T10:12:51-05:00March 27th, 2024|

Concerns about state legislation that would create a lake and other developments in the northwest part of Bourbon County drew a crowd of more than 100 people to a community meeting on the subject Friday evening in Mapleton. The meeting, which was led by Joe Bisogno, owner of Timber Hills Lake Ranch in Mapleton, provided a forum for county residents and others to voice questions about Kansas Senate Bill 497, which according to Kansas District 13 Sen. Tim Shallenburger, who introduced the bill, has been removed from a legislative committee after hearing concerns from the public. Source: Fort Scott Tribune

FSCC to switch to 4-day class week starting fall of 2024

info2024-03-27T10:11:42-05:00March 27th, 2024|

A few schools across the 4-States are testing 4-day class weeks and FCCC is also giving it a shot. Fort Scott Community College announces the plan to move to a 4-day class week on a Facebook post. According to the post, the school is making the change in hopes students will have more study time and relaxation. The move to 4-day class weeks is expected to begin the fall semester of 2024. Source: KOAM News

Pittsburg Installs 14 Cameras: Deputy Chief of Police Clarifies Purpose

info2024-03-27T10:09:39-05:00March 27th, 2024|

Some Pittsburg residents have noticed the 14 cameras installed around the city, raising concerns about privacy and surveillance. Speculations ran rampant on social media platforms. "I hope it's not so they can start charging us for driving on the highways," expressed one resident, while another voiced, "They want to track our every move." Others labeled the initiative as "unconstitutional" and compared it to "Big Brother." In an attempt to answer these concerns, KOAM reached out to the Pittsburg Deputy Chief of Police for clarification on the purpose and function of the cameras. "One of the speculations that we've heard is privacy [...]

Rural area EMS departments in Kansas facing staffing shortage, potential closures

info2024-03-27T10:02:42-05:00March 27th, 2024|

A southern Kansas county is in danger of losing one of its EMS departments as rural area EMS departments are being stretched thin. Barber County EMS coverage consists of two departments: one in Kiowa and one at the hospital in Medicine Lodge. Both are made up of volunteers. With many of them now at retirement age and the inability to recruit younger people for a position that is not full-time pay, EMS and County leaders say they are looking for solutions. Barber County Commissioner Michael Roe says this is an issue faced statewide. "Out of 105 counties, I'd say half of them are [...]

Garden City cleaning up tornado damage despite blizzard-like conditions

info2024-03-27T09:59:21-05:00March 27th, 2024|

Cleanup continues despite blizzard-like conditions after a tornado caused damage in Garden City. A National Weather Service team surveyed the damage Monday morning. They say the tornado was an EF1 with winds of 90 miles per hour. It started around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. The path was 2.5 miles long and 50 yards wide. The NWS did not issue a tornado warning for the storm. According to KSN Storm Track 3 Meteorologist Jack Maney, Garden City saw a 30-degree difference in temperatures. Cleanup crews have been out since 9 a.m. working on cleaning up some of the mess caused by this tornado. This is [...]

Shawnee could use grant to add exercise area at city park

info2024-03-27T09:56:40-05:00March 27th, 2024|

An outdoor fitness court could be part of $3.8 million in improvements coming to Garrett Park in Shawnee this year. As part of a plan to build 5,000 courts in the the U.S. by 2030, the National Fitness Campaign awarded the City of Shawnee $40,000 to build an exercise area at the park off of West 47th Street near Monticello Road. The court would be incorporated into a $3.8 million redevelopment plan for Garrett Park, which also includes improvements to its playground, parking lot and sidewalks. The Shawnee City Council will consider whether to accept the grant at tonight’s meeting at 7 p.m. at [...]

Overland Park police officials say shoplifting is a ‘crisis.’ What does the data say?

info2024-03-27T09:55:06-05:00March 27th, 2024|

In recent public presentations to city leaders, Overland Park police officials have called shoplifting and retail crimes a “crisis.” The statement, made by Interim Police Chief Simon Happer during the Jan. 10 Overland Park City Council Public Safety Committee, followed two relatively high-profile incidents involving shoplifting that seriously endangered bystanders. “It’s been a big crisis,” Interim Chief Happer said. But a review of data the Post obtained through public records requests tells something of a different story. Those figures suggest that, in fact, the prevalence of reported retail thefts and arrests are not increasing but staying broadly static over the past decade. That being said, [...]

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