info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

More hotel rooms coming for future Kansas State Fairs

info2023-08-09T23:34:14-05:00August 9th, 2023|

The 2023 Kansas State Fair is almost here. More hotels are planned for Hutchinson, but not in time for this year's fair. The fair is planning for more than 300,000 visitors for the 2023 Kansas State Fair, but not all will be staying in Hutch. Currently, there are about 700 hotel rooms after the largest Hutchinson hotel closed in 2019. The Kansas State Fair brings in anywhere from $75-100 million each year. "For 10 days specifically, that period is a huge boost for the entire community," said Visit Hutch Vice President LeAnn Cox. Source: KSN-TV

The post-fire plan for Rawlins Co. Jr.-Sr. High School

info2023-08-10T11:30:34-05:00August 9th, 2023|

After a fire heavily damaged the Rawlins County Junior-Senior High School in June, parents and students knew things would change. It has taken some time, but the district has a tentative plan for handling the new school year. Eric Stoddard, USD 105 superintendent, posted an update about the fire and the plans on the district's Facebook page. "We've had a, really a tragedy in our community," he said. ... USD 105 has contracted with a Wichita company to provide modular classrooms for the junior-senior high school, but the classrooms will not be installed until mid-September at the earliest. Source: KSN-TV

Forbes: Wichita ranks high for young professionals

info2023-08-09T23:31:47-05:00August 9th, 2023|

Companies trying to convince workers to move to Wichita have some new ammunition. Forbes Advisor ranks Wichita as the 12th best place for young professionals to live. The researchers behind the Forbes Advisor report compared the 100 most-populous metropolitan areas, 99 of which had available data. They weighed things like pay, job opportunities, housing prices, cost of living, and lifestyle. Source: KSN-TV

These are the rural Kansas hospitals at risk of closure

info2023-08-09T23:30:23-05:00August 9th, 2023|

Earlier this week, Governor Laura Kelly announced she would be pushing for Medicaid expansion after a study released in July 2023 by the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform (CHQPR) found 58% of rural hospitals were at risk of closure. “Already, too many rural hospitals have shut their doors," Governor Laura Kelly said in response to the report. "When that happens, the communities have been devastated. These Kansans have to drive hours now to receive their basic care. There is an obvious way to stop the bleeding: Expand Medicaid.” Source: KSN-TV

Lawrence Municipal Court to kick off night court pilot program

info2023-08-09T23:11:12-05:00August 9th, 2023|

Lawrence Municipal Court next week will roll out a pilot night court program, which will add an early evening docket once a month to create more flexibility for defendants. The move is part of a push to reduce failures to appear in court. If defendants miss court, judges can issue arrest warrants, and getting booked into jail can cause serious repercussions for those who have citations or offenses that would not otherwise have involved jail time. Night court will be staffed with Municipal Court Judge Chris Kopecky, a prosecutor, a courtroom clerk, a customer service clerk, a court security officer and a supervisor, [...]

Property tax rates vary wildly among states as some consider limits

info2023-08-09T23:09:27-05:00August 9th, 2023|

Property taxes vary significantly across the U.S. with northeastern states imposing effective property tax rates ten times higher than in southern states. That comes from a Washington D.C. group that noted some states are exploring property tax caps. The Committee to Unleash Prosperity, which advocates for free trade and limited government spending, found that the average single-family-home property tax in New Jersey hit $9,500 in 2022. That compares with the average of $928 in West Virginia and $1,022 in Alabama, according to a report from the group. Source: The Miami County Republic

Manhattan City Commission wants more businesses to keep property tax in check

info2023-08-10T11:33:44-05:00August 9th, 2023|

During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners discussed the city government’s five-year strategic plan progress. Local officials said there is an “intolerance” toward property tax increases, and that won’t go away any time soon. “With these assessments going up like they did, I thought we did a good job cutting a million dollars of revenue out of property tax,” commissioner Wynn Butler said. “But the folks out there don’t appreciate that because their taxes are still going up even though we lowered the mill levy. They’re still sending us notes saying, ‘You guys gotta do something about fighting this,’ but I also agree that [...]

Wakefield to honor POWs, MIAs

info2023-08-10T11:34:16-05:00August 9th, 2023|

Because of its efforts in recognizing, remembering and honoring the service and sacrifices of former prisoners of war, missing in action, and their families, the City of Wakefield has been officially proclaimed a POW-MIA City by the Jefferson Barracks POW-MIA Museum project, located in the Historic District of Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis. The official unveiling of the Wakefield’s POW-MIA City proclamation and POW-MIA City sign will take place on Aug. 26 as part of the town’s annual birthday bash. Source: www.ccenterdispatch.com

National law enforcement association recognizes Franklin County Sheriff as Sheriff of the Year

info2023-08-09T11:34:23-05:00August 9th, 2023|

A national law enforcement organization has honored Franklin County Sheriff Jeffrey Richards for dedication not only to his profession, but to the community he has sworn to serve and protect. Richards was recognized as the recipient of the 2023 Sheriff of the Year Award by the Small and Rural Law Enforcement Executives Association. The organization honored Richards for his dedication to his community and significant contributions to the improvement of small, rural ad tribal law enforcement across the nation. He was presented with the award during the group’s annual conference Aug. 1. With more than 30 years of service in law [...]

Sky is the limit for quality of life projects in Great Bend

info2023-08-09T09:17:13-05:00August 9th, 2023|

The November 2021 General Election results saw 1,067 Great Bend citizens vote in favor of a .15% quality of life sales tax increase. The sales tax question passed with nearly 55% of the vote, and now City of Great Bend officials are going through a master plan of ideas to enhance the community. Assistant City Administrator Logan Burns said there are big dreams of what can be created with the sales tax in the future if enough money is set aside including community centers, indoor walking track and an indoor pool. Source: Great Bend Post

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