info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

The Biggest Finance and Management Issues to Watch in 2024

info2024-02-09T12:05:47-06:00February 9th, 2024|

Artificial intelligence has been around since the 1950s, but its sudden emergence as a consumer product and its potential to disrupt nearly every activity and industry has state lawmakers scrambling to address it. A dozen states have already enacted laws demanding agency research of AI and its use and consequences, while half the states have introduced bills to address its application both in government and the broader economy. AI has incredible potential for handling data, automating repetitive tasks and generally making many functions easier for humans to handle. But lawmakers at this point are rushing to get ahead of possible downside risks. [...]

Governor Kelly Announces Nearly $28M to Create 458 Child Care Slots, Construct New Community Multi-Purpose Facilities

info2024-02-09T11:55:00-06:00February 9th, 2024|

Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund today announced the creation of 458 new child care slots with the investment of nearly $28 million in Capital Projects Fund Accelerator (CPF Accelerator) awards to seven Kansas communities. These funds will build or renovate multi-purpose community facilities that create new licensed child care slots; provide access to high-speed internet; and house programs that facilitate work, education, and health care monitoring. “There’s no question that more Kansas families need access to child care to support their child’s development, enter the workforce, and contribute to our economy,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “By [...]

Sedgwick County to create citizens advisory board for 911

info2024-02-09T11:41:41-06:00February 9th, 2024|

Sedgwick County Commissioners have approved the creation of a citizens advisory board for Emergency Communications. 911 director Elora Forshee said the idea began with discussions in 2021 on how to engage the community on the services provided by emergency communications. There is a 911 advisory board that represents first responders, and a board that represents 911 employees, but there has not been a group that provides connections with the community. A citizens board was recommended by a community task force that was looking at standards for the youth corrections system in the aftermath of the September, 2021 death of 17-year-old Cedric Lofton [...]

KDOT says groundwater affected Bel Aire street project

info2024-02-09T11:40:57-06:00February 9th, 2024|

The Kansas Department of Transportation said groundwater levels caused pavement failure with a street project by the City of Bel Aire. KDOT released the results of an investigation into structural problems with an improvement project on Woodlawn, between 37th and 45th Streets North. The report pointed to different types of clay soils and a higher water table on the north end of the project. Clays on the north side of the project had “significant swell potential” and core samples at the north end of the project were still holding water after the samples were taken. The KDOT report has four options for Bel [...]

Boot Hill Solar Project to break ground in Ford County in 2025

info2024-02-09T11:39:01-06:00February 9th, 2024|

Sunflower Electric Power Corporation announced this week the state’s largest commercial solar facility will come to Ford County next year, and with it, extra funds for the Dodge City USD 443 School District. The 150-megawatt Boot Hill Solar Project will consist of 300,000 solar modules mounted on a single-axis solar tracking system on 1,000 acres near Sunflower’s Fort Dodge Station, one mile southeast of Dodge City. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025 and will take about one year to complete. In lieu of taxes for 10 years, the project will demonstrate good citizenship by providing funding to Dodge City Unified School District [...]

Voters choose yes on USD 409 Bond election

info2024-02-09T11:37:38-06:00February 9th, 2024|

The official voting results from last Friday’s special USD 409 Bond election have yielded results showing approval from the voters. The election was done by way of all mailed-out ballots with the deadline for those ballots to be returned to the Atchison County Courthouse the Thursday before the election was held at noon. Although late ballots were taken on Friday that were postmarked on or before election day. A canvass was conducted as part of the County Commission’s regular Tuesday meeting that made the results official. A total of 1,917 votes were counted showing 1,211 cast in support of the $27.3 [...]

City Manager says Manhattan is in “triage mode” as crews work to quickly patch potholes

info2024-02-09T11:31:53-06:00February 9th, 2024|

Manhattan Public Works crews continue to patch potholes across the city, following January’s frigid and wet conditions. City Engineer Brian Johnson says work is continuing on a stretch of Fort Riley Blvd. near Westwood Road, where traffic backed up for Tuesday morning’s commute. City Manager Ron Fehr joined KMAN’s In Focus Tuesday and says the city is essentially in triage mode trying to fix issues as they arise. City crews patched 529 potholes on Monday alone. Fehr says it’s been especially challenging, given the extreme cold spell that the area experienced in January, followed by an almost immediate warmup. Residents wanting to report [...]

City of Lawrence launching new homeless solutions division; homeless programs coordinator to become director

info2024-02-09T11:30:32-06:00February 9th, 2024|

The City of Lawrence is launching its new homeless solutions division, and Misty Bosch-Hastings, who has served as homeless programs coordinator for the city since summer, will serve as its director. Staff members of the HSD will “work with the Lawrence community on ending chronic homelessness, including service providers, advocates, and other parties actively engaged in the work,” according to a city news release Thursday. Bosch-Hastings will oversee the department. The HSD is not replacing the housing initiatives division — “This is just pulling homeless programs out of that division,” Bosch-Hastings said. The HID will still exist under the city’s Planning and Development Services [...]

High cancer rates in Russell and Lincoln counties, K-State will test water, air

info2024-02-09T11:28:10-06:00February 9th, 2024|

Researchers want to know why two counties in north-central Kansas have high cancer rates compared to the rest of the state. According to K-State Research and Extension, Russell County has the fourth highest cancer mortality rate per 100,000 population and colorectal cancer rate. Lincoln County has the highest prostate cancer rate and the third-highest lung and bronchus cancer rate. Researchers say they have checked for the usual culprits, such as high alcohol and tobacco use or limited colon cancer screenings, and those do not appear to be the reason for the high cancer rates. Now, they want to check for other potential causes. "We think [...]

Topeka Police Chief announces retirement

info2024-02-07T12:33:35-06:00February 7th, 2024|

The Police Chief for the City of Topeka, Bryan Wheeles, is retiring. According to a press release from the City of Topeka, Wheeles will be ending his three-decade long law enforcement career. He has worked in many roles at the Topeka Police Department (TPD) such as: patrol officer, narcotics investigator, homicide detective, a supervisor and many levels of police command and finishing in the highest position as the Chief of Police of the City of Topeka. "We extend our deepest gratitude to Chief Wheeles for his unwavering dedication and years of service to not only his fellow officers, but the city as [...]

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