info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

As aquifer levels decline in the Great Plains, states weigh the need to meter irrigation wells

info2023-10-13T11:12:31-05:00October 13th, 2023|

About a quarter of the United States’s irrigated cropland sits on top of the Ogallala Aquifer in the Great Plains. But water levels are dropping, and states are taking different approaches to monitoring how much groundwater irrigators are pumping out. Mike Shannon first learned about the Ogallala Aquifer because he made a costly mistake. In the mid-1980s, Shannon was new to city government when one of his hometown’s wells started to go dry. “I just assumed, maybe I ought to go somewhere else and stick another hole in the ground and we’ll get more water,” Shannon said. “Well, unfortunately, I stuck [...]

Sedgwick County home prices jump in September compared to a year ago

info2023-10-13T11:10:48-05:00October 13th, 2023|

Even with elevated mortgage rates delivering a consistent headwind to demand and sales volume, Sedgwick County saw its fifth straight month of year-over-year home price increases in September, according to a new report. South Central Kansas MLS data, covering last month's housing market activity, found the median sale price in the county rose 8.6%, compared to September 2022, to $240,000. That's the largest year-over-year percentage increase since March's 8.7% jump. Meanwhile, the decline in Sedgwick County sales volume versus 2022 didn't let up, with September sales dropping 10.5% to 614 closed listings. So what's maintaining the seller's market with mortgage rates over 7% and overall sales [...]

New federal law modifies 2022 Safer Communities Act to allow archery in schools

info2023-10-13T11:09:04-05:00October 13th, 2023|

More than a million students in 49 states will be able to participate in school archery programs using "dangerous weapons" after bipartisan legislation sailed through U.S. Congress and was signed into law by President Joe Biden. The “Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act” passed with unanimous consent in the Senate and a 424-1 vote in the House of Representatives in September. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, was the only vote against the act. When President Biden signed the bill into law last week, it amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow schools to use federal education funds to [...]

Kansas becomes the 10th state to require 2-person train crews, despite the industry’s objections

info2023-10-13T11:05:42-05:00October 13th, 2023|

Kansas became the 10th state in the nation Wednesday to require two-person railroad crews despite objections from freight railroads, but the industry may challenge the rule in court as it has in other states like Ohio. The major freight railroads have long pushed to cut crews down to one person, but unions have resisted because they believe it’s safer to have two people working together to operate trains. Gov. Laura Kelly said two-person crews “will protect workers from the effects of fatigue, prevent train derailments and reduce risks in the many Kansas communities along our railroad tracks.” The new administrative rule took effect Wednesday. [...]

Fort Hays State working to expand nursing in rural Kansas

info2023-10-13T11:04:17-05:00October 13th, 2023|

Fort Hays State University has announced they are receiving new federal funds to expand the number of nurses serving rural communities in Kansas. The university has received two Health and Human Services Administration federal grants totaling more than $4 million. Fort Hays offers both a bachelor's and master's program for nursing. The Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Program (ANEW) grant will provide over $2 million over a four-year period. Nursing students who commit to working in western Kansas after graduation will receive a stipend of $20,000 over the final three years of the program. They will also be able to receive continuing education and skills [...]

Maize Fall Festival underway this weekend

info2023-10-13T11:03:30-05:00October 13th, 2023|

The Maize Fall Festival gets underway Friday night and runs through Saturday. The festival is at Clair Donnelly Amphitheater at 311 W. Academy. There will be a concert at the park at 7 p.m. Friday. There will be a beer garden for the adults, food trucks, vendors and a kids korner with yard games. On Saturday, a parade will kick off at 10 a.m. Fireworks will end the night. Source: KSN-TV

Derby updates code to crack down on disorderly conduct

info2023-10-13T13:50:20-05:00October 13th, 2023|

During the Oct. 10 meeting, the Derby City Council went through its annual review of both Derby’s traffic ordinance and public offense code, approving recommended changes for both. While a number of updates were made in line with legislative changes at the state level over the past year, further review of the public offense code and discussion amongst the city attorney and city prosecutor led them to address issues that have come up recently regarding disorderly conduct. Two proposed changes were suggested – and ultimately approved – to the section of the public offense code on disorderly conduct. The first change [...]

Pittsburg Mayor upbeat about State of the City

info2023-10-13T13:50:41-05:00October 13th, 2023|

For the first time since 2019, the Mayor of Pittsburg delivered the State of the City in person to a packed house at Memorial Auditorium with a complimentary breakfast provided by the Blue Spoon. Mayor Ron Seglie spoke briefly about the city’s accomplishments and the challenges that lie ahead and what the near future looks like. Seglie highlighted a number of recent civic initiatives such as his Spruce Up Pittsburg campaign. As part of that effort, the city has been divided into specific neighborhoods and a council appointed to oversee clean-up. Over the past few years, nearly 60 dilapidated buildings have [...]

Water contamination invades Augusta community

info2023-10-13T10:57:32-05:00October 13th, 2023|

An old issue continues to spread in a Southwest Augusta community. Water contamination is not something anyone wants to imagine dealing with, yet these residents have been dealing with it for years. High levels of hard water minerals, salt and now oil are plaguing the community’s water system, with no relief. After purchasing her home in 2019, Jenna Krob, her husband and children of three were like any other family, until last month. That’s when the family began to smell an awful odor emitting from their toilet bowl and running water. “When you entered the home, it would burn your nostrils,” said Krob. [...]

Lawrence school district’s initial headcount shows dramatic decline of about 300 students in one year

info2023-10-13T08:01:40-05:00October 12th, 2023|

The Lawrence school district’s recently completed annual enrollment count shows a dramatic decline of hundreds of students compared with last year’s count, and the amount of decline in just one year is what a consultant recently had predicted for an entire five-year period.... The whole picture of why there has once again been a large enrollment decline likely won’t be clear until the district team has a chance to look at this year’s enrollment data more closely, Superintendent Anthony Lewis told the Journal-World Thursday afternoon. But for now, Lewis said one potential cause could be the impact of low birth rates, [...]

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