info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Pittsburg is landscaping with new “four-wheel-drive weed eaters”

info2023-09-15T07:36:11-05:00September 15th, 2023|

The City of Pittsburg has a new landscaping team - one with a new "environmentally friendly" approach. "The area that customers are looking to maintain will show up while fenced off with a portable electric fence. And then, we'll turn to goats in there. And then, depending on how far down, we usually try to do 70 to 75% vegetation reduction. But it's up to the customers how long they want to leave the goats in there," said Robert Dutton. Source: KSNF/KODE

Century-old pipes, water tower maintenance cause water main breaks in Emporia

info2023-09-15T07:35:09-05:00September 15th, 2023|

A combination of water tower maintenance, shifts in water pressure and 80 to 100-year-old pipes is causing water main breaks across Emporia. On Wednesday, the City of Emporia issued a Water Watch after a 20-inch pipe from 1926 broke. After the pipe was isolated the watch was rescinded. "The tower being out of service is changing the water pressure patterns, and we have selected water hydrants open to reduce pressure levels," Emporia spokeswoman Christine Torrens said. Source: KSNT 27 News

‘It’s not really about the bikes’: Advocates seek ideas to improve Wichita’s livability

info2023-09-15T07:34:08-05:00September 15th, 2023|

Ten years ago, Wichita had less than 60 miles of bike paths. When the city asked people how to make Wichita more bike friendly, over 4,000 responded, calling for more paths – and more safety awareness from drivers. That level of public interest was something the city couldn’t ignore. So it created its first bike master plan to guide cycling development for the city and make Wichita more welcoming for bikes. Since then, more than 50 miles of bike paths have been added, and the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Board was appointed to gather advice from cyclists. Source: Local News | [...]

The Kansas Supreme Court could strike down a Wichita ordinance used to arrest a protester

info2023-09-13T14:34:03-05:00September 13th, 2023|

Kansas Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical Tuesday of a Wichita city ordinance used to justify arresting a protester. They will decide whether the ordinance is a violation of First Amendment rights. In 2020, Gabrielle Griffie led a protest over the death of George Floyd. The group marched through Wichita, even walking through streets and blocking some traffic. The demonstration ended at the steps of the federal courthouse. Nobody was arrested the day of the protest. But Wichita Police watched social media videos after it happened and charged Griffie with disorderly conduct for blocking traffic. ... At the heart of the debate [...]

Saline County takes advantage of new federal provision, redirects ARPA money to roads

info2023-09-13T14:33:02-05:00September 13th, 2023|

Saline County canceled two projects that failed to get off the ground and reallocated American Rescue Plan Act funds to go toward road projects Tuesday. Following a new federal provision which provides counties with additional options for investing coronavirus relief dollars, the county elected to create a new category to help fund a couple small road improvement projects. The U.S. Department of Treasury, through an interim final rule approved in August, now allows ARPA funds to be used for three new areas: transportation and infrastructure, disaster relief and community development. Federal provisions had previously not allowed the funds to be used [...]

At many banks, pandemic-era bond purchases are still tugging at profits

info2023-09-13T14:40:29-05:00September 13th, 2023|

Banks' pandemic-era bond investments are still hampering some lenders, dragging down the profitability of those that are saddled with low-yielding portfolios for months or even years to come. The concerns are far less severe than they were in March and April, when the failure of Silicon Valley Bank brought scrutiny of surviving banks whose large bond portfolios were also underwater. The question now is less about whether more banks are at risk of failing — and more about how much their profitability will be squeezed. The pressures aren't universal since some banks held off on putting much cash into bonds during [...]

Wichita city council approves changes to short term rental rules

info2023-09-13T09:30:30-05:00September 13th, 2023|

Inside the Wichita City Council chambers on Tuesday, Kelli Reid is sitting and listening to the council debate an issue that will impact her directly. They're talking about new rules and regulations regarding short term rental properties. “When we first started out in 2018, there were there really was no policy per se," Reid said about getting her Airbnb's up and going. She added that she went "through the process of making phone calls to the city and to the county and to the state to find out how we go about doing this here in Kansas. It was cumbersome.” The [...]

Overland Park will require some new streets to be paved with concrete

info2023-09-13T09:27:15-05:00September 13th, 2023|

Starting at the end of this year, Overland Park will require some new streets to be built with concrete instead of the traditional asphalt mix. The move is expected to cut down on the disturbance from regular street maintenance on these new roads and, overtime, reduce the city’s reliance on chip seal as a road resurfacing tool. Overland Park expects to eliminate about 220 lane miles from the future list of candidates for chip seal over the next 15 to 20 years. On Monday, the Overland Park City Council unanimously accepted the city staff’s plan to begin paving all new residential and [...]

Douglas County Commission to consider policy to pay people with lived experience

info2023-09-13T09:26:02-05:00September 13th, 2023|

Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday will consider a new policy that would allow the county to pay people who have lived experience for their input on community issues and initiatives. County staff members want to seek input from people who are experiencing homelessness, in particular, and the new policy is in hopes of addressing barriers that prevent people from participating in listening sessions and work group meetings. Source: The Lawrence Times

Kansas schools brace for utility rate increases

info2023-09-12T10:24:27-05:00September 12th, 2023|

It's been five years since energy provider Evergy requested a rate increase for customers in the Wichita area. This year, the company has asked the Kansas Corporation Commission for a residential rate of just less than 10%. But the base rate increase for school customers starts at 25%. An Evergy spokesperson tells KSN this week the net increase for schools in rates could be between 11-12%. Some schools say they have budgeted for energy increases, but they are closely watching to see what gets approved by the KCC. Source: KSN-TV

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