info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

More Johnson County residents can now keep this feathered pet in their backyards

info2023-11-27T10:49:41-06:00November 27th, 2023|

The Overland Park City Council has agreed to permanently allow residents to keep chickens in the backyards of smaller, single-family homes. The council on Monday voted 7-3 to approve an ordinance allowing hens on lots as small as 0.2 acres, with certain regulations. The city also is establishing a permit fee to raise chickens, which would be $100 for the first year and $50 to renew it. The decision comes after a two-year pilot program, where the city tested out allowing homeowners to obtain permits to keep chickens on lots as small as a quarter-acre. Overland Park previously only allowed backyard [...]

Mulvane talks solar panel field proposal

info2023-11-27T10:43:33-06:00November 27th, 2023|

During its Nov. 6 meeting, the Mulvane City Council considered a proposal from the Kansas Power Pool to set up a solar panel field in the city, according to The Mulvane News. While there would be no cost to the city, council would need to find 12 to 13 acres where a large array of solar panels could be located – to help reduce the cost of power for local residents. No official action was taken, but it was reported that the council was interested in the project. The Mulvane City Council directed staff to scout potential sites for the solar [...]

Kansas moves ahead with $6.46 million grant program to bolster local food supply chains

info2023-11-27T14:52:57-06:00November 27th, 2023|

The Kansas Department of Agriculture began accepting applications Monday under a $6.46 million grant program designed to improve local or regional supply chain infrastructure across the state for foods destined to be consumed by humans. The Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program initiated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture seeks to expand processing, manufacture, storage, transportation as well as wholesaling or distribution of agricultural products. The investments would be concentrated on the middle of the food supply chain, which could be defined as the area bookended by harvests and retail stores. The program would feature businesses engaged in specialty crops, dairy produce, grains for [...]

Overland Park weighs new scooter pilot after Bird’s abrupt departure

info2023-11-27T10:23:14-06:00November 27th, 2023|

Overland Park is looking to start another pilot program with a new vendor to bring electric scooters and bikes to the city. During a recent Overland Park City Council Public Works Committee meeting, city staff and councilmembers discussed a potential path forward to continue to offer the devices now that scooter company Bird has left. Previously, the city had a two-year agreement with Bird to offer pay-to-ride electric bikes and scooters through the end of November. But the company removed all of its devices from the city by August, citing staffing woes. That move unofficially ended the pilot program with the company [...]

Johnson County looks to convert abandoned factory into trail hub

info2023-11-27T10:19:35-06:00November 27th, 2023|

Thirty years ago, the old Kuhlman Diecasting plant just south of 159th Street and Mission Road was abandoned, gradually becoming a toxic eyesore and a danger to the school children who made it their forbidden playground. Now, after years of frustration, the plant’s demolition and environmental clean up, local officials are considering making the site a trail hub that would connect bike and nature trails in the area and, they hope, improve the Blue River watershed. Johnson County Park and Recreation board members last Wednesday took a first look at some park use concepts for the Kuhlman site in unincorporated Johnson County [...]

Rose Hill gearing up for annual festivities

info2023-11-27T14:54:20-06:00November 27th, 2023|

The city of Rose Hill is set to host its annual Hometown Christmas festivities all day Dec. 9 at various locations around town. Activities are set to be hosted at the Rose Hill Recreation Center, Rose Hill school buildings, Rose Hill Public Library, Historical Museum and more. Christmas festivities set to be held that day include pictures with Santa, an ugly sweater contest, cookie decorating and hot chocolate, a North Pole petting zoo, used coat drive, carriage rides, holiday parade and more. For a full schedule of events and more information, visit rosehillchamber.org. Source: Derby Informer | Area

Solar develops flocking to Kansas, but communities are skeptical

info2023-11-27T14:54:53-06:00November 27th, 2023|

About 10 miles north of El Dorado on U.S. Highway 77, a break appears in the rolling cattle ranches and farmland of the Flint Hills. It’s a different sort of farm – a solar farm. It supplies electricity to several small towns throughout Lincoln Township in Butler County. “We’re not anti-solar,” said Terry Lowmaster, a trustee of the township, which gets some of this electricity. “We have a one megawatt here in our backyard that benefits our local residents.” At the same time, he and other local residents protested earlier this year when a Chicago-based developer applied for a permit to [...]

Halstead schools embracing new reading method

info2023-11-27T10:12:05-06:00November 27th, 2023|

After seeing a decrease in reading scores from COVID-19, the Kansas Department of Education is funding new education for teachers, which Halstead schools are welcoming. Marcie Carr, the director of student learning at Halstead, said she’d seen the dip in scores herself among students. Carr said, during the pandemic, learning was interrupted as schools switched to remote learning, and this interruption created the dip in scores schools are seeing now. Carr said the district looked at scores to fill in gaps where students were struggling and is using the new education many staff members received to better educate students on reading. The staff [...]

New book ‘How Salina Works’ tells stories of life and work in Salina

info2023-11-25T09:48:57-06:00November 24th, 2023|

Mike Durall has something in common with those who are naturally curious. He likes to write about places and things he knows nothing about. He admits this in an introduction to his new book about Salina in which he peers into what keeps the growing town's gears turning. Each page inks a story he used to know nothing about, but after connecting with the people whose lives shape those narratives, he was able to learn quite well what makes Salina special. ... From stories about the Salina Sirens Women's Roller Derby team, a narrative on managing the Rolling Hills Zoo, the [...]

Trying to save an ER in rural Kansas

info2023-11-20T11:01:33-06:00November 20th, 2023|

When the emergency room in Fort Scott, Kansas, closes next month, the next closest in-state facility will be 40 minutes away — and some patients may not make it that far. Mayor Matthew Wells says the closure shows the need for the Kansas Legislature to pass Medicaid expansion. When Fort Scott, Kansas' Mercy Hospital closed in early 2019, the community of 7,550 people in southeast Kansas briefly lost its emergency room. Mayor Matthew Wells remembers the time without an ER clearly. Now, his town is once again in that position after the community’s stand-alone ER closed, leaving residents to travel at [...]

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