info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Johnson County looks to convert abandoned factory into trail hub

info2023-11-20T10:08:33-06:00November 20th, 2023|

Johnson County officials are looking to convert the old Kuhlman Diecasting plant at 159th and Mission into a trail hub. Photo credit Roxie Hammill. Thirty years ago, the old Kuhlman Diecasting plant just south of 159th Street and Mission Road was abandoned, gradually becoming a toxic eyesore and a danger to the school children who made it their forbidden playground. Now, after years of frustration, the plant’s demolition and environmental clean up, local officials are considering making the site a trail hub that would connect bike and nature trails in the area and, they hope, improve the Blue River watershed. Johnson [...]

Iola: Build it and they will come

info2023-11-20T11:20:37-06:00November 20th, 2023|

More than a year ago, Iola council members voted 7-0 to extend water, electric and streets in the Cedarbrook Addition and followed through last spring by committing $1.7 million to the project with the goal of attracting developers. It worked. On Monday, council members sold the 22 lots to the mother-and-son duo Jennifer Chester and Blake Boone. The two plan to start construction in January 2024. When all is said and done, Iola will have at least 16 single-family homes and possibly another three larger homes or three duplexes. The new development is designated as Cedarbrook Third Addition. Time and again, [...]

New Shawnee County park may be destination playground

info2023-11-18T09:55:22-06:00November 18th, 2023|

Plans for the anticipated Shawnee County family park — with its destination playground for older play, 16 pickleball courts and a shelter house — are moving along. The Family Park will be built at the corner of S.W. Urish Road and S.W. 21st Street between Midwest Aquatics Center and the Cypress Ridge Golf Course. Efforts to begin crafting the park began in late July 2020 after Shawnee County commissioners hosted the first public engagement phase for the planning of the park. Public feedback was requested in October 2020 for park’s potential concept. Source: CJonline

Kansas counties need state permission to raise sales taxes. Here’s why that could change.

info2023-11-18T09:13:01-06:00November 18th, 2023|

Kansas may make it easier for local governments to raise sales taxes. State lawmakers on a Special Tax Committee have recommended that the Legislature remove a required step for counties to get legislative permission before asking voters for a tax increase. "This was something that I've been looking at, actually since I was a county commissioner, realizing that the process is extremely cumbersome," said Rep. Adam Smith, R-Weskan and the committee chair. The committee was tasked with studying various tax issues, among which was simplifying the process for counties in particular to obtain sales tax authority. "Just judging from the general [...]

Lenexa residents get to pick the new mural coming to Old Town

info2023-11-17T11:45:51-06:00November 17th, 2023|

As work on the Lenexa Community Center ramps up next month, the City of Lenexa is letting residents choose the mural that will grace it. Until Jan. 7, residents can vote here on what will be the next mural to greet visitors at the renovated location. The project called for designs for a 900-square-foot mural that will wrap around the southwest corner of the building. Two artists made the cut: IT-RA ICONS and Doodle Dood. Both artists hail from the Kansas City area, which was important to the project, said Logan Wagler, director of parks and recreation. “We’ve got great artists here in the Kansas City metro,” he said. “Why not tap [...]

Chef thinks his small-town ‘honor stands’ would also work in Wichita, plans to try soon.

info2023-11-17T11:44:10-06:00November 17th, 2023|

His new venture works well in Strong City, a town in the Flint Hills with a population of about 400. But will chef Stan Lerner’s “honor stands” — which invite people to grab fresh-baked bread and other items from unmanned pantries and trust them to leave the correct amount of cash on the “honor system” — also work in Wichita? Lerner, who owns Chef’s Stan’s Place — a tiny one-day-a-week brunch spot he opened last year in a former church building on the edge of Strong City — will be in Wichita this week scouting out spots where he might be [...]

Overland Park set to permanently allow backyard chickens on some lots

info2023-11-17T11:42:39-06:00November 17th, 2023|

Overland Park plans to permanently allow backyard chickens on smaller lots by making its backyard chicken pilot program into city code. Last week, the Overland Park City Council Public Safety Committee voted 6-0 to recommend the city adopt a new ordinance enshrining backyard chickens in Overland Park in city code. In early 2022, the city approved a temporary backyard chicken pilot program, following in the footsteps of other Johnson County cities. The proposed ordinance, which would codify it in a new chapter called “Keeping of Chickens,” does have some small changes from the short-term backyard chicken pilot. The two-year pilot allowed [...]

People in Fort Scott, Kansas, are trying to save their emergency room — or cope with the loss

info2023-11-17T11:41:19-06:00November 17th, 2023|

When Fort Scott’s Mercy Hospital closed in early 2019, the community of 7,550 people in southeast, Kansas, briefly lost its emergency room. Mayor Matthew Wells remembers the time without an ER clearly. “I watched several people, two in particular that I've known my whole life, die with injuries sustained that very easily could have been resolved in an ER,” Wells said. Now, the town is once again in that position after the community’s stand-alone ER closed, leaving residents to travel at least 20 miles to the nearest emergency center and raising concerns about attracting new residents and businesses. Local officials are [...]

‘Utmost respect’: Kansas City, Kansas’ interim fire chief to take on full-time role

info2023-11-17T11:40:04-06:00November 17th, 2023|

Dennis Rubin, who has served as the Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department’s interim fire chief for almost six months, will soon take on the role full time. Wyandotte County’s administrator, David Johnston, announced at Thursday night’s Unified Government meeting that he has hired Rubin for the position, which he will take over in the new year. He will become the KCKFD’s 18th fire chief. “I pledge that I’ll do my very best to continue the direction that we’re going in to serve folks with dignity and pride,” Rubin told the UG’s Board of Commissioners. Before becoming KCK’s interim fire chief in June, Rubin previously [...]

Residents have mixed reaction about large-scale solar farms in Sedgwick County

info2023-11-17T11:38:38-06:00November 17th, 2023|

Should large-scale solar farms be allowed in Sedgwick County? Thursday night, the public told officials what they think. Because of a moratorium, there can't be any solar applications until March 20th. So, Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita want to know what should happen once the moratorium has passed. “I just moved back from California. There are solar farms and wind farms. They're ugly, they're huge. I don't want those farms here,” said an unnamed person who spoke during public comment. “Everybody says what they don't want. Where do you want that electricity to be generated,” said Sedgwick County resident, [...]

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