info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

City holding ribbon cutting for revitalized park in downtown Wichita

info2023-09-18T10:46:38-05:00September 18th, 2023|

On Saturday, the City of Wichita will be holding a ribbon cutting for the Chester I. Lewis Reflection Square Park, along with a continental breakfast. The event begins at 10 a.m. with speakers and entertainment. At 11:20 a.m., the artists and architect will provide a tour of the park. Those in attendance will be able to hear from artists Ellamonique Baccus and Matthew Mazzotta, members of the Lewis family and other community partners, donors and local performers. The park is located at 205 E. Douglas Ave. Parking is available along side streets and parking garages. To view parking locations, the City [...]

Baxter Springs to add 4 pickleball courts at Kiwanis Park

info2023-09-18T10:45:28-05:00September 18th, 2023|

There's something new coming to Baxter Springs, and it's something that has virtually taken over many communities across the country - pickleball. City workers began the construction of four asphalt pickleball courts this morning at Kiwanis Park. Mayor Sherry Brown tells us that after a pickleball pop-up event took place recently in town, the high interest prompted the city to provide a place for residents to enjoy the sport. "Just another opportunity for families to spend quality time outdoors, exercise, spend time together and you know, we just like to make it everything we can, better for the families," said Sherry [...]

‘Noisy conduct?’ Case could have implications for political protesters across Kansas

info2023-09-18T10:44:35-05:00September 18th, 2023|

Wichita finds itself at the heart of a precedent-setting court case with statewide implications for political protesters. It involves a city law that prohibits “engaging in noisy conduct tending to reasonably arouse alarm, anger or resentment in others.” But what is noisy conduct? Who defines it, and does it involve what protesters are saying, or how they say it? Kansas Supreme Court justices are grappling with difficult questions about disruptive political expression and whether the government’s efforts to limit confrontations between citizens have a chilling effect on free speech. The case grew from 2020 demonstrations where participants were arrested for disrupting [...]

Wichita police announce initiative to help officers interact with people with autism

info2023-09-18T10:43:34-05:00September 18th, 2023|

The oldest of Wichita police officer John Biagini’s three children — who are all autistic and non-verbal — had run away from home. Luckily, the officers who found him knew who he was and were able to comfort him. “It could have gone awful,” Biagini said about the event that happened about 10 years ago. The longtime school resource officer now serving on the department’s exploited and missing children unit is the department’s liaison for its new initiative — one that aims to help officers be better equipped to work with autism or communication problems. The initiative will include several things: [...]

JoCo judge final ruling reinstates initial decision on Prairie Village petitions

info2023-09-18T14:19:05-05:00September 18th, 2023|

A Johnson County judge reversed course once again on the three resident-led Prairie Village petitions. Judge Rhonda Mason of Division 4 at Johnson County District Court in Olathe issued a final ruling late Friday evening that reinstated her initial oral decision from Sept. 6 regarding the “rezoning,” “abandon” and “adoption” petitions. She ruled that only the “abandon” petition — which aims to limit what petitioners call a “strong mayor” form of government — is eligible to put before Prairie Village voters. In line with her oral decision from Sept. 6, Mason’s final ruling from Friday, Sept. 15, finds the “rezoning” and “adoption” petitions are [...]

The Federal Reserve may not hike interest rates this week

info2023-09-18T14:19:22-05:00September 18th, 2023|

The Federal Reserve is likely to pause its aggressive interest rate hikes when it meets this week, experts predict. But consumers may not feel any relief. The central bank has already raised interest rates 11 times since last year — the fastest pace of tightening since the early 1980s. Yet recent data is still painting a mixed picture of where the economy stands. Overall growth is holding steady as consumers continue to spend, but the labor market is beginning to loosen from historically tight conditions. At the same time, inflation has shown some signs of cooling even though it remains well above [...]

Governor Kelly Announces 27 Cities to Receive $22M for Highway Improvements

info2023-09-15T08:45:21-05:00September 15th, 2023|

Governor Laura Kelly announced today that 27 cities across Kansas will receive a total of $22 million for projects to improve intersections and state highways extending through cities as part of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s City Connecting Link Improvement Program (CCLIP). ... KDOT was able to increase CCLIP funding for this selection cycle due to additional federal funds coming to Kansas as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation (BIL). The program will provide $5.1 million in state fiscal year 2025 and $16.9 million in state fiscal year 2026. Both federal and state funds are designated for the CCLIP program. Local [...]

Walnut Valley Festival in full swing for its 51st year

info2023-09-15T08:33:02-05:00September 15th, 2023|

The 51st annual Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield has kicked off. It runs through Sunday, Sept. 17. Everything you need to know is listed on the Walnut Valley Festival website. There are four stages with music all day long from over 30 performers, some new and some old. There are all sorts of food vendors and arts and crafts vendors with everything from tie-dye shirts to art pieces. "It's kind of a city in itself," Larry Junker said. "You don't really have to go outside." Larry Junker started writing the WVA (Walnut Valley Association) Daily in the 90s after starting to [...]

WPD launches new drone program

info2023-09-15T08:00:11-05:00September 15th, 2023|

The Wichita Police Department announced Wednesday that it will be creating a new drone program. The department took to social media Wednesday morning saying they will be partnering with Axon Air to create a new drone program to enhance their law enforcement capabilities. "The cutting-edge drones equipped with high-resolution cameras will help us monitor public events, traffic situations, and emergency scenes more effectively," WPD said. "This means quicker response times and improved situational awareness." The department added that drones will be "invaluable" in locating missing persons, assisting in natural disasters and allowing them to provide support in the Wichita community in [...]

Wichita City Council passes regulations, licensing for short-term rentals like Airbnbs

info2023-09-15T07:58:29-05:00September 15th, 2023|

Short-term rentals like Airbnbs and VRBOs will need to get a license and pay a fee to operate in the city of Wichita after the council passed new regulations Tuesday. Many of the short-term rentals that operate in residential areas currently do so against existing city codes. “I would venture to say there are very few short-term rentals in Wichita today that are in compliance with the zoning, unless they’re renting for seven days or more,” said Scott Wadle, the city’s planning director. The policy change City Council approved means short-term rentals can now operate legally, if they obtain the required licensing [...]

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