info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Kansas Court of Appeals: Tort Claims

info2024-02-16T11:30:12-06:00February 16th, 2024|

Turner v. City of Topeka: While jogging on the Kansas Avenue Bridge in Topeka, Kansas, Trong Do Turner leapt over a concrete barricade to enter the center of the Bridge where he fell through a large gap and injured himself. The district court granted the City summary judgment, finding it was immune from liability under the Kansas Tort Claims Act. Finding no error in the district court's well-reasoned opinion, this court affirms. Grey v. City of Topeka: After growing impatient waiting for a ride from a friend, Julie Kathleen Grey ... climbed over the concrete barricades blocking the center of the [...]

USD-440 approves moving forward with bond election

info2024-02-14T13:06:19-06:00February 14th, 2024|

The USD-440 Board of Education made it official Monday night by unanimously approving a resolution to authorize the calling of a bond election. The district intends to hold a special election to vote on general obligation bonds to pay the estimated $28,500,000 costs to construct, furnish, and equip: (a) additions, improvements, and renovations to Bentley Primary School, including secured entry, site improvements, and renovation and modernization of library, classrooms, cafeteria, restrooms, special education areas and gymnasium. (b) additions, improvements and renovations to Halstead Middle School, including site improvements, renovation and modernization of pre-K classrooms, cafeteria and restrooms, and a new entrance for facility [...]

Shawnee Mission school district names longtime administrator as its next superintendent

info2024-02-14T13:04:05-06:00February 14th, 2024|

The Shawnee Mission school district has named its next top leader. The school board on Monday announced that Michael Schumacher will be the district’s new superintendent, as Michelle Hubbard steps down at the end of the school year. Schumacher currently serves as associate superintendent of human resources. He will take over as superintendent in July. “I recognize the importance of the role that you selected me for and the trust you have shown in me, and I do not take it lightly,” Schumacher said in a statement. “I believe deeply that public education is the great equalizer in this country and [...]

A little insight into township roads

info2024-02-14T12:58:36-06:00February 14th, 2024|

Recently, there’s been significant discussion at Harvey County Commission meetings about the state of rural roads, following weeks of snow and slush. But not all rural roads are the county’s responsibility. The upkeep of many roads falls to the townships they are located in. The Harvey County Road and Bridge Department is responsible for all the paved roads and bridges within the county (outside of the cities), according to County Clerk Rick Piepho, as well as 74.28 miles of unpaved roads. These roads include dirt roads such as Woodlawn and long stretches of East Lake Road. The rest of the unpaved roads are [...]

Recycling costs concern Council

info2024-02-14T12:54:51-06:00February 14th, 2024|

Cost was the main concern among Iola Council members with a proposed drop-off recycling program presented Monday. The evening’s discussion was the second of its kind since the Council has decided to offer a recycling program in some form to the community. Council members agree the need is there, but they are not willing to raise utility fees if necessary to accommodate a program. The Council initially discussed offering curbside pickup and constructing a recycling facility at the Jan. 22 meeting but balked at the projected investment of $585,000. Tasked to research other alternatives, City Administrator Matt Rehder presented a new drop-off [...]

USD 246 OKs four-day week

info2024-02-14T12:53:51-06:00February 14th, 2024|

After months of deliberation and extensive input, the Northeast USD 246 Board of Education approved a four-day school schedule at Monday’s meeting, held at the high school. The Northeast School District joins a growing number of Kansas schools switching to a four-day week. According to a report from Natalie Wallington of the Kansas City Star, the Kansas State Department of Education listed 71 public schools with four-day weeks in 2023, increasing from 69 schools in 2022 and just 56 in 2021. The bulk of the districts adopting four-day weeks were in the western and southern regions of the state. The board unanimously accepted [...]

Winfield police preparing for body cameras next week

info2024-02-14T12:51:18-06:00February 14th, 2024|

The Winfield Police Department is equipping officers with body cameras starting next week. The department will have 27, which means one for each officer and a few spares. The hardware plus the first year of video storage costs about $30,000. The city will have to continue to pay for yearly secure video storage costs. "Really, when you start adding it, it's the storage piece that gets expensive. And so we're trying to plan long term. With the car side of it, the cars actually have three cameras, so the amount of data we're actually going to start collecting is going to just really [...]

Johnson County weighs options as landfill nears capacity — ‘Alarm bells are ringing’

info2024-02-14T12:46:21-06:00February 14th, 2024|

With visions of higher trash collection fees on the not-too-distant horizon, Johnson County commissioners will look at ways this year to squeeze as much use as possible out of the county landfill in Shawnee before it runs out of space. That could happen as early as 2037 — only 13 years off, according to projections from a January regional landfill study by the Mid-America Regional Council. “It’s a big hole in the ground and it will eventually fill up,” said Trent Thompson, the county’s solid waste program manager. Commissioners heard the sobering presentation on landfill capacity last week. Although the study estimated [...]

Education legislation to watch

info2024-02-14T12:14:37-06:00February 14th, 2024|

During Monday night’s board of education meeting, USD 250 Superintendent Rich Proffitt brought several current bills in the Kansas legislature to the attention of board members. Proffitt, always wary of legislative developments that affect education, briefed the board on a few potential bills that, if passed, will be felt by USD 250. The first matter of concern is the Kansas Supreme Court’s decision to relinquish oversight of the Gannon decision. In 2017, the court ruled that legislative changes to K-12 school funding, which reduced state-aid payments augmenting funds generated through property taxation in school districts with lower property values, violated the [...]

Sedgwick Library offers a STEM program for kids

info2024-02-14T12:13:32-06:00February 14th, 2024|

Last summer, the Harvey County Extension office ran a STEM program at Lillian Tear Library, and according to Librarian Chantel Rindt, everybody loved it. So she went out and got a grant and now runs a monthly STEM program for elementary-aged students. Last week, 13 kids (Rindt said they average 15 to 18 each month) gathered to build using sticks, marshmallows and gummy bears. Then they played a game of rolling dice that required adding to complete rows. Rindt said she doesn’t have a specific curriculum for the program but searches the Internet and uses a couple of books to come up with [...]

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