info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Long-time city clerk in Sedgwick retires

info2023-11-07T23:40:53-06:00November 7th, 2023|

Janise Enterkin has attended 464 city council meetings, 108 special council meetings, and 57 Hillside Cemetery meetings during her 19 years as Sedgwick’s city clerk. She served through four mayors and 18 council members. Now, after 21 years, Enterkin is retiring from the City of Sedgwick, effective Dec. 1. But if you want to see her in the office one last time, this Thursday (Nov. 9) will be your last chance. She’s using vacation time to bridge the gap. Enterkin heard about a position at the city 21 years ago while working for Jerry Alderson at Voice and Data Connection. When [...]

Voters approve change to Reno County liquor law

info2023-11-07T23:39:17-06:00November 7th, 2023|

The people of Reno County have voted to enact changes to the liquor license law so restaurants no longer need to have 30% of their sales be from food to keep their license. The food rule was passed by the State of Kansas in 1986, with it's three classifications for county alcohol sales. There are wet counties with no restrictions, dry counties with no alcohol sales and semi-dry counties, where in order to have a liquor license you need to have 30% of your sales be food. Because of this law, Sandhills Brewing in Hutchinson was almost forced to close since they [...]

Kansas abandoned wells project reinvigorated, but thousands left to plug

info2023-11-07T23:37:13-06:00November 7th, 2023|

The state’s efforts to plug abandoned wells are back on track after delays in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to project coordinators. Ryan Hoffman, conservation division director with the Kansas Corporation Commission, updated lawmakers on the well situation during a Tuesday legislative meeting. The Kansas Corporation Commission oversees the well plugging process. “We are moving forward,” Hoffman said. Wells left unplugged can pose a health and safety risk to Kansans if they are near communities. Due to leakage, abandoned wells could leak into the water supply and or release methane into the air. Source: Kansas Reflector

Liberal creates new way for public to engage

info2023-11-06T13:07:48-06:00November 6th, 2023|

The City of Liberal has launched the use of Polco, an online engagement platform, in an expanding effort to gain resident feedback to support local government decision-making. City staff will use Polco to post surveys and poll questions for citizens to participate in using Polco’s app or website, where users can answer and comment on a variety of topics. “Our staff and commission agree that creating a better future for Liberal takes all of us, and it’s important for us to hear from our citizens in order to work to meet needs effectively,” Liberal City Manager Rusty Varnado said. “We also [...]

KDOT warns of staffing shortages ahead of winter

info2023-11-06T13:06:24-06:00November 6th, 2023|

The Kansas Department of Transportation is committed to keeping the highways clear whenever inclement weather impacts the state. However, KDOT staffing shortages create the potential for highways to not be cleared of snow and ice in a timely manner. The agency is in need of equipment operators – the agency’s primary snowplow operators. The agency has dealt with reduced staffing in the past, but the shortages have been greater in recent years. Across the state, KDOT is about 25% short of its preferred number of snowplow operators needed to be fully staffed. Source: Little Apple Post

Why Municipal Bonds are Outshining Treasuries

info2023-11-06T12:11:49-06:00November 6th, 2023|

Thanks to their par values and steady coupon rates, bonds are often seen as the ‘safe’ asset class, particularly when compared to stocks. But lately, federally-backed bonds aren’t seeming too safe. The recent debt ceiling issues, credit downgrades, and rising deficits have many investors on edge. Treasury bonds might not be as safe as they seem. But municipal bonds? It’s steady as she goes. According to asset manager Northern Trust, munis’ credit quality is better than ever before. And that makes them a great buy, potentially over Treasury bonds. For investors, adding a dose of munis continues to be the right [...]

Franchisees explain reasons behind McDonald’s closures in Wichita, Kingman and Anthony

info2023-11-06T11:33:40-06:00November 6th, 2023|

The franchisee of the McDonald’s at 1050 N. Broadway that closed on Tuesday says the decision was made by McDonald’s corporate as part of an occasional “screening” the company does of all of its restaurants. The same process resulted in the closure of the McDonald’s in Kingman on the same day, he said. And Anthony’s McDonald’s also was scheduled to close on Oct. 31, but a fire earlier this month shut it down early. Michael Lane, who owns 11 McDonald’s restaurants in the area, said that the company didn’t share with him all the reasoning that led to its decision, but [...]

Valley Center Recreation and Aquatics Center will add ‘quality-of-life’ amenity for residents, city official says

info2023-11-06T12:12:30-06:00November 6th, 2023|

A project long-discussed in a suburban Wichita community is progressing toward reality. Work on the over 40,000 square-foot Valley Center Recreation and Aquatics Center began in August and is set to wrap by the close of 2024. Valley Center city administrator Brent Clark called the project "transformational" for the city just north of Wichita. "We have a town of nearly 7,500 people, but we also have over 750 residential lots coming online," he said. "When we're attracting residents and new homeowners, they look for quality-of-life amenities." It was not a quick journey to get to this point. Clark said the community [...]

Lawrence school district to seek community input on skills graduates need

info2023-11-06T11:29:14-06:00November 6th, 2023|

The Lawrence school district will hold two public input sessions to get the community’s feedback on how to best prepare graduates for what comes next. During its “Portrait of a Graduate” public input sessions, district leaders hope to learn the experiences and skills that community members think students should possess when they graduate. Patrick Kelly, chief academic officer, said the input will help the district “identify the postsecondary assets our community values and would expect upon graduation.” “In today’s world, the demands for students are tremendous as they move on to college, career, and adult life,” Kelly said via email from [...]

Overland Park to turn old Marty Pool site into a new park

info2023-11-06T11:25:43-06:00November 6th, 2023|

The site of the former Marty Pool in northern Overland Park is set to get a new life as a neighborhood park in the next couple of years. On Wednesday, the Overland Park City Council Community Development Committee voted 5-0 to recommend approval of a contract with landscape architecture firm Confluence to design the new park. Councilmember Sam Passer, who serves as the committee’s vice chair, was absent from the meeting. Overland Park decommissioned the pool near West 75th and Conser streets in 2022 after decades of offering neighborhood families a place to cool off in the summer. Mary Pool’s closure [...]

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