info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

In JoCo city feuding over housing, voters to decide on abandoning form of government

info2023-09-07T11:50:58-05:00September 7th, 2023|

Prairie Village residents in November will get to vote on whether to abandon the city’s mayor-council form of government, a Johnson County judge ruled Wednesday. But if that were to pass, nothing would change, according to the city’s legal counsel. City Attorney David Waters said state law requires a city’s form of government to remain in place until a new one is adopted. It’s a complicated next step in a protracted political battle in the northeast Johnson County suburb, where a group of homeowners has sought to restructure the city government, limit mayoral powers and cut the number of City Council [...]

As debate over housing rages, development in Shawnee cools

info2023-09-06T09:29:11-05:00September 6th, 2023|

Shawnee is at odds with itself over where future multifamily projects should be built — or if they belong at all in the city. Over the past few years, debates over how to develop the remaining parcels of land within Johnson County’s third largest city and reimagine its older sectors that are ripe for redevelopment have grown fierce and hostile. These debates have led to confusing processes where projects are left in limbo and neighbors scramble to block what they see as objectionable proposals in their backyard. Source: Prairie Village Post

Kansas is rich with small-town papers

info2023-09-06T09:27:58-05:00September 6th, 2023|

Another 50 subscriptions would help Rita Sharp sustain her small-town newspaper. Sharp has owned the weekly Lucas-Sylvan News since 2012. It covers the towns of Lucas in Russell County and Sylvan Grove, 12 miles away in Lincoln County. Sharp’s paper has weathered the coronavirus pandemic, the rise of social media as a source for news and advertising, and the aging and shrinking population in Lucas (population 337) and Sylvan Grove (population 285). Without missing an issue even when the pandemic closed schools, city and county businesses, and events, Sharp continued publishing. She mails about 450 copies a week to local residents [...]

Lawrence police now offering vouchers rather than tickets for some defective equipment stops

info2023-09-06T09:27:12-05:00September 6th, 2023|

If a Lawrence police officer pulls you over for having a taillight out, you might get a voucher to get it fixed instead of a ticket. LPD and its Blue Santa charity have partnered with Lights On!, a Minnesota-based program that aims to help prevent equipment violations from sending people who are already financially stressed on a downward spiral that could mean someone paying a ticket rather than buying food; being unable to afford a repair and getting another ticket; or even winding up in jail because of outstanding tickets and fines, which can then lead to losing employment or housing, [...]

Kansas invests $48.7 million to deal with safety problems of three dozen decrepit local bridges

info2023-09-06T09:26:11-05:00September 6th, 2023|

The Kansas Department of Transportation earmarked $42.3 million in federal funding to support $6.4 million in local government investment over the next two years to improve safety of nearly three dozen city or county bridges outside of the state highway system. KDOT said a total of 15 projects were included in the 2024 map and blended $21.8 million funneled through the state and $4.7 million in local matching dollars. The plan would replace 16 bridges and permanently remove 12 bridges from local road systems. The $7 million in federal aid and $2 million from Dodge City allowed work to proceed on [...]

New Director: Clay Center Library looking for ways to draw people in

info2023-09-07T13:19:34-05:00September 6th, 2023|

The Clay Center Carnegie Public Library isn't just a place to check out books – the library has become much more than that, said Brittany Girton the new director of the library, at a recent Lions Club meeting. Girton, who just completed her bachelor’s degree, said she’s familiar with the local library and its programs for children as she grew up being part of those reading programs. Source: www.ccenterdispatch.com

Paris Bans E-Scooters. Will More Cities Follow?

info2023-09-06T09:23:36-05:00September 6th, 2023|

Last Friday, Paris became the first European capital to outlaw e-scooter rentals. The ban, which doesn’t apply to privately owned scooters, was the result of a referendum this spring. An overwhelming 90% voted for the ban. Five years ago, Paris was one of the first major cities to allow these so-called micromobility devices, which went on to terrorize pedestrians and perplex city officials all over the world. Source: Bloomberg CityLab

Governor Kelly Announces $1M Available for Tourism Attraction Development Grants

info2023-09-07T13:20:02-05:00September 6th, 2023|

Governor Laura Kelly announced that $1 million in Attraction Development Grants is available from Kansas Tourism, a division of the Kansas Department of Commerce. Attraction Development Grants are designed to assist in the development of sustainable tourism experiences that influence travel decisions and create economic impact, including new jobs, capital investment, revenue, and increased visitation. “Kansas tourism is an economic driver that highlights the many reasons why our state is the best place in the nation to live, work, and raise a family,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “By investing in our tourism industry, we strengthen our economic growth and Kansas’ placement [...]

’I’m horrified’: JoCo residents fight office park plan that would replace real park

info2023-09-06T08:47:16-05:00September 6th, 2023|

Mike Coffman has, for more than 40 years, lived in a well-to-do Johnson County enclave whose city sign, beneath a canopy of mature oaks and maples, declares the town of 400 residents to be “the most beautiful little city in Kansas.” These days, Coffman and dozens of other residents in affluent Westwood Hills and neighboring Westwood (population 1,850) fear that the view outside their windows might soon, instead of being beautiful, become downright ugly. “My children used to play over there,” Coffman said, pointing across the street and across city lines to what is, effectively, Westwood’s only city park, located in [...]

Effort aims for renewal of downtown Peabody, Kansas

info2023-09-06T08:45:43-05:00September 6th, 2023|

Lindsay Hutchison’s year started with a whirlwind of activity. The 38-year-old mayor of Peabody – both the first woman to hold the office and the youngest in the city’s history – had less than a month to get 29 residents signed on to a grant application to provide money to preserve her community’s historic downtown district. With that financial boost, Hutchison and members of the Peabody Main Street Association could then rely on the biggest strength of any small community – its people. She and the Main Streeters had known for some time that their beloved buildings were in need of overdue [...]

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