Ranson Financial, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Voters choose yes on USD 409 Bond election

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 million bond issue, while 706 voters said no. According to the school district, the $27.3 million bond would come with no increase to the bond and interest mill levy, meaning zero tax increase from those dollars to be used for a wide range of improvements for USD 409. Some specific improvements are the repair and replacement of school facility HVAC systems, as well as facility roofs. Atchison High School would see renovation for a new entrance, upgrades of the band and choir rooms, new turf, for football and baseball, as well as a resurfaced track, and renovation of the locker room. Atchison Elementary School is also slated to benefit from the bond with renovations for a new entrance, a single office suite, Pre-K renovations in the interior of the school as well as safety and security improvements.
Source: County Government | atchisonglobenow.com

Ranson Financial2024-02-09T11:37:38-06:00February 9, 2024|News|

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

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 street issues can do so via the City of Manhattan Report It app, available for Androids and iPhones, or via the city’s website at cityofmhk.com.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Ranson Financial2024-02-09T11:31:53-06:00February 9, 2024|News|

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

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 department, she said, and the HSD will be under the city manager’s office. The city does not yet know how many employees the HSD will have, but it does plan to fill the homeless programs coordinator position, Bosch-Hastings said. Prior to her work with the city, Bosch-Hastings worked at the Topeka Rescue Mission Ministries, and she previously served as the housing and homelessness project coordinator/Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) contact for the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services. “Ending chronic homelessness in any community is a huge, monumental task that takes the combined efforts of many organizations and people to find the right solutions,” Bosch-Hastings said in the release. “Fortunately, Lawrence is a community filled with people who care and who want to find solutions to homelessness. I look forward to working with our City team and partners throughout the County to accomplish our goals.” Assistant City Manager Brandon McGuire said in the release that Bosch-Hastings has been an invaluable leader for the team since her first day with the city.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2024-02-09T11:30:32-06:00February 9, 2024|News|

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

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 that groundwater contamination and high radon levels might be at the center of the problem,” the Johnson Cancer Research Center at K-State said in a news release. The researchers will sample water and air in Russell, Lincoln and Ellsworth counties. Ellsworth County will serve as the control in the study. It is right next to Russell and Lincoln counties but does not have high cancer rates. Radon is a radioactive gas often found in homes. It works its way up from the ground, through cracks in the foundation, and becomes trapped in homes. It is called a silent killer because you can’t see, taste or smell it. One in four Kansas homes has high levels of radon.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2024-02-09T11:28:10-06:00February 9, 2024|News|

Topeka Police Chief announces retirement

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 a whole,” Interim City Manager Richard Nienstedt said. “Chief Wheeles leads by example. His calm, pragmatic, reliable presence in times of crisis is felt far beyond the police department. He is the first to offer help wherever he is needed and he will be deeply missed.” “Thirty years of dedicated police service, within one community, makes me very proud,” Wheeles said. “There are a lot of amazing people working at TPD and it has been an honor, beyond my ability to truly express, to serve beside them all these years. I loved my job and got to make a difference. When you come to the end of a career and look back, it’s hard to ask for more than that. It has been a great ride, in a great community and I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family and seeing what life brings me out of the uniform.” Wheeles will work as Chief of Police until July, 1, 2024.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:33:35-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Commissioners discuss county’s unpaved roads

The combination of recent weather events that adversely impacted unsurfaced roads in Harvey County didn’t show deficiencies in the roads, it created them, according to Jim Meier, director of the Road and Bridge Department for Harvey County. Meier addressed the Harvey County Commissioners on Tuesday morning at the request of Commissioner Becky Reimer after multiple calls and emails on the rough road conditions in January. In his written report, Meier listed a history of regrade projects and major road improvements dating back to 2012, including last year’s big project on N. East Lake Road from NE 60th north 1.75 miles for $43,790. Meier said that regrade projects are very weather-sensitive and can only be performed during certain times of the year. He said the limitations on projects include temperature, moisture and road closure.
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:32:29-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Commercial solar ban set to expire in March, requirements could be changing

A six-month ban on commercial solar projects in Sedgwick County expires in March. County Commissioners are looking into what needs to change before projects get the green light. The Advanced Plans Committee of the Sedgwick County Planning Department did not recommend changing much when it came to the process of getting a conditional use permit for commercial solar. However, Sedgwick County Commissioner David Dennis raised some red flags during Tuesday morning’s meeting. “Up to this point, we really haven’t given any guidance on what we think ought to go into it,” said Dennis. Currently, there are no size restrictions on solar projects. Dennis said that has to change. “I disagree that there should be no size. We need to come up with a size that’s manageable, and 640 acres is exactly one square mile, and if you put solar panels on one square mile, that’s a pretty good-sized solar project,” said Dennis. Invenergy plans to file for a conditional use permit to build solar panels that would cover 750 acres of unincorporated land in Sedgwick County between Colwich and Maize.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:29:20-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Lessons for Kansans in Oklahoma City’s unified push on homelessness

Before its passing in 2012, Johnny’s Lunch Box in downtown Oklahoma City was a legendary gathering spot where the coat-and-tie crowd shared tables and banter with the blue-collar multitude. In the early 2000s, Dan Straughn often grabbed a bite there with fellow business and community leaders. The restaurant also provided a window into a perplexing local concern, given that it was located down the street from the main library, which was serving as a de facto day shelter for the homeless. “You could just sit there and watch a parade of stereotypical homeless-looking people walk back and forth,” recalled Straughan, then vice president of the city’s United Way. “One of the oil and gas guys at the table said to us other guys, and it was all guys at the time: ‘This homeless issue never gets better. Every year we put money into the system with our foundations and charitable giving, and the numbers never get any better. Or maybe they do, but do we even know what the numbers are? We’re all smart business guys, we ought to be able to figure this out.’” That conversation marked the beginning of a grassroots community effort to better coordinate homeless services and eventually create the Homeless Alliance, a one-stop center housing various agencies. Wichita appears to be reaching a similar crossroads.
Source: KLC Journal

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:28:12-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Commission discusses moratorium on zoning

Commissioner Carl Wood revisited the zoning issue in the county asking County Counselor Jim Emerson for more details on a moratorium. Emerson said that using a moratorium is a way to delay companies from building solar and wind farms as it gives the county time to update its strategic plan, zoning laws, and land usage. This is not a short process but can take a year or more to complete. Commissioners need to adopt a resolution giving Emerson the authority to draft a moratorium and hire an outside consulting firm to review zoning laws and the county’s strategic plan, which Emerson admits needs updating. Many of the county’s rural residents are opposed to countywide zoning laws, fearing it gives the county government the authority to say what is allowed or not allowed on private property. There are other options than zoning the entire county. Cities and towns are already zoned, so extending the boundaries of those zoned areas is one possible solution. Another is zoning only specific parts of the county to allow or disallow construction of alternate energy facilities. Not an advocate of zoning the county, Commissioner Bruce Blair says that some form of zoning is necessary to stop the construction of solar and wind farms in places they are not wanted. While passing zoning laws is a definite yes or no about what can be built where, a moratorium slows the process down and gives the commission and residents time to decide what is the best course of action.
Source: Morning Sun

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:26:07-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

Busy Bentley resident excited to serve on school board

Reba Lee, a former city council member for five years, looks forward to representing Bentley on the USD-440 Board of Education. Her first meeting was in January. Lee said that once children move from Bentley Primary School to Halstead Middle School, parents don’t give Bentley much of a thought after that, and she gets it. “I feel like sometimes Bentley does get overlooked a little bit, so maybe I can be the voice for Bentley,” Lee said. She thinks her time on the city council will help her term on the school board. “I learned a lot about different things that a lot of people don’t know about the ins and outs of the town, and I feel like I can bring that to the school board; just kind of give a perspective of the school board from Bentley,” Lee said. Lee and her husband have three children—a fifth grader, a fourth grader, and a 2-year-old—and have lived in Bentley for 10 years. Lee used to run childcare camps but said it wasn’t working out with her husband’s crazy deployment schedule, so in 2015, she decided to stay home with her children. Now, her husband runs a construction business and flips homes on the side. She has a pop-up consignment sale she runs three times a year. She also said she has a “small farm” in her backyard containing two pigs, three goats, some ducks, turkeys, chickens and dogs. Plus, she loves to garden. And if that wasn’t enough, the Lees purchased the old Independent office at 220 Main Street and are renovating it into a venue called Magnolia, which will open soon.
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2024-02-07T12:24:32-06:00February 7, 2024|News|

About Ranson Financial

Voters choose yes on USD 409 Bond election

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

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

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

Topeka Police Chief announces retirement

Commissioners discuss county’s unpaved roads

Commercial solar ban set to expire in March, requirements could be changing

Lessons for Kansans in Oklahoma City’s unified push on homelessness

Commission discusses moratorium on zoning

Busy Bentley resident excited to serve on school board

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