Ranson Financial, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

City of Emporia’s drinking water places third at international water contest

The City of Emporia placed third in at the Berkeley Springs Water Tasting event, where more than 100 entries from five continents were up for consideration. The winners were announced Saturday. This is the second year in a row the city has earned a top-four finish. The competition is hosted by Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. The city took third in the Municipal Water category, behind Santa Ana, California, and the City of Montpelier, Ohio. According to a written release, the municipal water category saw a U.S. sweep, from the West Coast to the East Coast, and all three medalists have formerly been awarded Gold. “The consistency in winners from year to year with different panels of judges validates the choices,” said watermaster Arthur von Wiesenberger. “It also speaks to the impressively high caliber of the waters entered.” Berkeley Springs Water Tasting Event said the waters were rated for each attribute including appearance (it should be clear — or slightly opaque for glacial waters), aroma (there should be none), taste (it should taste clean), mouth feel (it should feel light), aftertaste (it should leave you thirsty for more).
Source: Emporia Gazette

Ranson Financial2024-02-28T10:02:17-06:00February 28, 2024|News|

Halstead Planning Commission considers the risks of BESS

Pat Hughes, an attorney with Adam Jones Law Firm in Wichita, said the zoning regulations were written before battery storage systems were created, and it’s not clear what’s required to build one in the heavy industrial district. It’s possible that you could read the zoning code to say that it’s allowed as a matter of right, because it’s one of these utility storage uses that’s allowed in an I-2 zone,” Hughes said. “It’s also possible to read the zoning code and say, ‘No, it would have to be a special use permit.’”
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2024-02-26T15:12:32-06:00February 26, 2024|News|

Wichita unveils free Narcan vending machine, already used more than 100 times

Thursday a new chapter opens in the fight against the opioid crisis with the opening of a new Naloxone vending machine. “Wichita is disproportionately affected by the opioid problem and we want to get these machines into the communities where they can do the most good,” said Bryan Baier, president of Healthy Blue Kansas. Wichita received one of the first Naloxone vending machines in the state and it’s incredibly easy to use. You just type in your zip code and out pops a Naloxone kit. Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2024-02-26T15:11:51-06:00February 26, 2024|News|

Prairie Village removes some pickleball courts at city park. Will that fix noise issue?

Some pickleball nets are coming down at Prairie Village’s Windsor Park. At least, for now. After months of debating how to handle noise coming from six new pickleball courts at Windsor Park, the Prairie Village City Council last week voted 11 to 0 to temporarily remove nets on four of the courts. Later this year, the city plans to see how, if at all, having fewer pickleball courts impacts neighboring residents’ noise concerns — and potentially take further measures, including removing nets at the remaining two courts, if necessary.
Source: Johnson County Post

Ranson Financial2024-02-26T15:11:14-06:00February 26, 2024|News|

White House sends $5.8 billion water infrastructure funds to states

The Biden administration Tuesday announced $5.8 billion in water infrastructure funds for states, tribes and territories, the latest round of funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act record level of clean water investment. Th money includes $3.2 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for water projects and $2.6 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for storm and wastewater infrastructure. The funds include $1 billion for seven major rural water projects, $1 billion to address “forever chemical” contaminants, and $1 billion for Great Lakes drinking water projects. “Every person should have a right and the ability to have access to clean water, and it should not matter where you live or how much money you earn or how much money you got in your back pocket,” said Vice President Kamala Harris Tuesday in Pittsburgh, where she announced the funds. “With this investment, we are continuing our urgent work to remove every lead pipe in the country and ensure that every American has access to safe and reliable drinking water.” State revolving funds for drinking and wastewater act as the primary federal funding for states, which then often leverage the money by issuing municipal bonds, most of which feature triple-A ratings, to make low-interest loans to cities, counties, water districts and other governmental entities to finance infrastructure projects.
Source: The Bond Buyer

Ranson Financial2024-02-26T14:56:35-06:00February 26, 2024|News|

State funding to improve short-line railroad systems

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has announced funding for 17 short-line railroad expansion and rehabilitation projects. The governor said almost $16.5 million will be made through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Rail Service Improvement Program (RSIP), and the projects will improve the state’s agriculture supply chain. RSIP recipients will use the funds for expansion and capacity improvements, major track rehabilitation, and rail replacement. These projects support rail improvements that enhance safety, expand carload capabilities, reduce truck traffic, increase operating speeds, and improve operating efficiencies.  Governor Kelly said the projects will help Kansas farmers and ranchers connect to regional, national, and international markets. The projects include more than $859,000 for the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad for a major rehabilitation project in Sedgwick County, and over $562,000 for a rehabilitation project for Viterra USA Grain in Sedgwick County.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Ranson Financial2024-02-26T14:55:10-06:00February 26, 2024|News|

Wichita announces next round of public housing sales

The City of Wichita has announced the next round of sales of public housing units as the city continues to reposition its housing stock. The city is listing 12 properties for sale at fair market appraised value rather than traditional real estate prices, making them more affordable for residents. Open houses have been scheduled for 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, February 25th, and from 3 p.m. to 5 pm on Tuesday, February 27th. The following homes are up for sale: 917 S Whittier; 1233 N Lorraine; 2229 E 53rd Street S; 2236 E 53rd Street S; 5224 S Hydraulic; 1714 E Idlewild Dr; 1325 E Selma; 1213 E Selma; 2318 W 33^rd St S; 546 S Richmond; 840 N Nevada; and 991 N Robin. In all, the city has offered 37 public housing units for sale. The city has sold 13 units, seven are under contract, and four are going to contract. Three of the homes under contract are with previous tenants of public housing. The homes were approved for sale by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Detailed information on each unit and the process for submitting a written offer are available at https://www.wichita.gov/Economic/Pages/RealEstate.aspx.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Ranson Financial2024-02-26T14:42:19-06:00February 26, 2024|News|

No, you won’t get hepatitis A from Lawrence’s drinking water

The concentration of hepatitis A in Lawrence’s wastewater has been on the rise, but the drinking water is clean and safe, according to the city. Wastewater — aka sewage — is processed through the city’s water treatment plants. Drinking water and tap water have been treated. The City of Lawrence has received a number of questions about this lately, according to a news release Thursday evening. “WastewaterSCAN, a national wastewater monitoring system based at Stanford University in partnership with Emory University, recently noted an increase in the concentration of hepatitis A virus (HAV) detected in the wastewater processed at the Lawrence Kansas River Wastewater Treatment Facility beginning in early January,” according to the release. The city joined the nationwide initiative to detect wastewater levels of infectious diseases — including COVID-19, monkeypox, influenza A and RSV — in 2022. Levels of COVID-19 in wastewater were monitored as indicators of the prevalence of the illness in the community during the height of the pandemic; however, that did not indicate that people would get COVID-19 from drinking water. Douglas County is not experiencing a hepatitis A outbreak, but the wastewater detection may indicate that there is transmission within the community, according to the release. Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health officials are encouraging health care providers to be aware of symptoms of hepatitis and to vaccinate people who are at risk of contracting the virus.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2024-02-26T14:38:53-06:00February 26, 2024|News|

Fentanyl presentation draws large crowd

Approximately 115 people attended the United Way of Dodge City Learn @ Lunch program at the Dodge City Community College (DC3) Library on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The presentation, which featured Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) Director Tony Mattivi, was titled “The Fight Against Fentanyl: One Pill Can Kill.” While attendees enjoyed food provided and sponsored by PT Works Physical Therapy and Performance of Dodge City, Mattivi discussed the many dangers of fentanyl and the ongoing efforts of law enforcement officials to protect Kansans from the deadly drug.
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe

Ranson Financial2024-02-26T14:27:58-06:00February 26, 2024|News|

Wichita community, city leaders meet to discuss homelessness

Members of the Wichita community met Wednesday night at the Advanced Learning Library to discuss Wichita’s growing rate of people living on the streets. City Council member J.V. Johnston, who’s been working on the city’s homeless task force, said that it’s the goal of the city to achieve functional zero homelessness, meaning there are more people coming out of living on the streets than going in. “I think if we all work hard and all the agencies collaborate and work together, city and county and nonprofits all work together, including the business community, we can achieve it,” Johnston said. Sedgwick County’s COMCARE program says a recent count shows 702 homeless people in the area. “One of the easiest answers in our facilities where we can provide wraparound services, and we can provide a housing first approach, right? The data is out there, the information is out there, I encourage you to go out and understand better those two philosophies,” said Assistant City Manager Troy Anderson. However, some at the town hall expressed concern about Wichita spending money on different services to help and outside studies, and spoke in favor of keeping the money in Wichita to directly benefit the unhoused. “It’s passing the buck in a giant circle,” remarked one community member. “If you want results, you have to have accountability. And you cannot have accountability if you diffuse it into a zillion entities.” At the end of the event, Mayor Lily Wu said she was encouraged by the large turnout, and hopes to have more meeting on how to get to the city’s goal in the coming months.
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2024-02-26T14:19:12-06:00February 26, 2024|News|

About Ranson Financial

City of Emporia’s drinking water places third at international water contest

Halstead Planning Commission considers the risks of BESS

Wichita unveils free Narcan vending machine, already used more than 100 times

Prairie Village removes some pickleball courts at city park. Will that fix noise issue?

White House sends $5.8 billion water infrastructure funds to states

State funding to improve short-line railroad systems

Wichita announces next round of public housing sales

No, you won’t get hepatitis A from Lawrence’s drinking water

Fentanyl presentation draws large crowd

Wichita community, city leaders meet to discuss homelessness

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