info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Proposed sales tax would help Plains grocery store

info2023-11-03T13:31:29-05:00November 3rd, 2023|

Voters in Plains, in Meade County, will be voting on a sales tax to help the local grocery store. Grand Avenue Market opened in 2021. The city used a $500,000 federal loan to build the facility, and repayments start in a few weeks. Tuesday, voters consider adding a .5% city-wide special retailers' sales tax to help pay off that debt. The money would go to the Community Enhancement Foundation of the Plains, a foundation that owns and operates the Grand Avenue Market. Store co-manager Kim Wurdeman said the money from the proposed sales tax will help them keep their doors open. Source: KSN-TV

Ascension Via Christi Emergency department set to close in Fort Scott

info2023-11-03T13:32:05-05:00November 3rd, 2023|

The decision to close the emergency room at Ascension Via Christi in Fort Scott, Kansas, has sparked criticism from state leaders and residents alike. The move to cease emergency department operations, effective December 20th, has drawn concerns about the impact on rural healthcare accessibility and emergency services in the area. Ascension Via Christi cited several reasons for the closure, including a steady decline in emergency room visits and economic challenges. Source: KOAM News

Emily Randel, Mission’s deputy city administrator, to leave after decade

info2023-11-03T13:32:51-05:00November 3rd, 2023|

Emily Randel, the city of Mission deputy city administrator, is leaving at the end of January. Randel has been with the city of Mission for 10 years and has worked her way up from a neighborhood services coordinator, who oversaw code enforcement and managed the grant program, to deputy city administrator over the past decade. Once she hit the 10-year mark in May, she said she saw it as a chance to evaluate next steps. Randel said she believes Mission is poised for a bright future, making it the right time to hand over her responsibilities to someone else. Source: Prairie [...]

Marshall Co. voters to see city sales tax question on ballots

info2023-11-03T13:33:46-05:00November 3rd, 2023|

Two towns in Marshall County are asking residents to vote 'yes' or 'no' for the creation of a sales tax to improve city-wide infrastructure. The cities of Waterville and Blue Rapids are asking its residents to vote on a retailers' sales tax question that will be on the ballots for this year's general election. Each city is proposing a 0.5% retailers' sales tax that, if approved, will take effect Jan. 1, 2024, according to information from the Marshall County Election Office. In Waterville, the city will use the funds to reconstruct, repair, maintain and improve the streets, curbs and gutters in [...]

City officially owns Hotel Topeka with a hefty price tag

info2023-11-03T12:03:01-05:00November 3rd, 2023|

The City of Topeka has finalized the purchase of Hotel Topeka. A spokeswoman for the City of Topeka announced the Topeka Development Corportation now officially has retained ownership of Hotel Topeka for more than $7.6 million. The hotel is remaining open for business and all services are expected to continue like normal. “We are excited about the purchase being finalized, and steadfast in our desire to see the hotel redeveloped and eventually brought back to private ownership,” Topeka Mayor Michael Padilla, who also serves as president of the corporation’s board of directors, said. “In the coming months, the corporation, board of directors, and [...]

Derby Planning Commission considering changes for accessory structure regulations

info2023-11-03T13:35:38-05:00November 3rd, 2023|

Following discussion among the Derby City Council and an official addition to its list of priorities earlier this year, changes to the city’s zoning regulations for accessory structures came to the Planning Commission for consideration in October. Presenting on the history of zoning regulations, City Planner Scott Knebel said none existed in regards to accessory structures for single-family or two-family dwellings prior to 2022. However, leading up to that, several large, agricultural-style metal garages/barns were constructed on single-family residential lots, which led to “a lot of complaints.” Starting Jan. 1, 2022, the zoning regulations were amended to state that any accessory [...]

Governor Kelly Announces $85M for Two New Water-Related Grant Programs

info2023-11-03T13:36:03-05:00November 3rd, 2023|

Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Water Office announced that $85 million over five years will go toward water projects with the launch of the Technical Assistance Fund Grants and Water Projects Fund Grants programs. Both grant programs provide funding for up-front technical assistance and on-the-ground actions needed to address water quantity and quality issues around the state. The grants were made possible when Governor Kelly signed Senate Substitute for HB 2302, a bipartisan bill from the 2023 legislative session that increased funding for the State Water Plan Fund and established these two grant programs. Source: Governor of the State of Kansas

Mayor Mike Boehm: 32 years of celebrated service

info2023-11-01T12:54:33-05:00November 1st, 2023|

Lenexa’s longest-serving mayor, Michael Boehm, will soon wrap up an exceptional career in service to our community. After five consecutive terms as mayor, he decided not to run for reelection in November. A lifelong resident of Lenexa, Boehm’s career in public service began on the Lenexa Planning Commission in 1991. He was then elected to the City Council in 1995 and became mayor in 2003. “It has been an honor to serve Lenexa as mayor for the past two decades, and I believe that now is the right time to step aside,” said Boehm. “What we have accomplished over the past [...]

Buhler USD opening up daycare in 2024 to help with childcare crisis

info2023-11-01T12:53:25-05:00November 1st, 2023|

Deanna Herron has been teaching math at Buhler High School for 4 years. Its easy for her to take care of her students, but for a long time it was hard to find someone to watch after her own because there wasn't a lot of daycare options. "Finding daycare that was reliable, that I could trust with my kids and just leaving them in general with anybody, you know, you always have that sense of anxiety with it.” Herron’s kids are now old enough to be in school but her experience is one still many people are dealing with across Kansas. [...]

At the ‘UFO capital of Kansas,’ a celebration of the weird and wonderful

info2023-11-01T12:51:48-05:00November 1st, 2023|

Welcome to Dimension G. Once you enter the Geneseo City Museum, it takes a few minutes to adjust to the high strangeness contained within. Never mind the creepy ventriloquist dolls in the corner staring at you with their dead eyes. What you’ll really want to concentrate on is the UFO Room, where you’ll find hair of a dog from Venus, spring water preferred by interplanetary travelers, and blueprint-like drawings from an entire fleet of craft from Venus, Mars and beyond. At least that’s what the man who collected these things believed, and the museum has done its best to preserve the [...]

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