info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

By a narrow margin Overland Park voters OK raising sales tax for road construction

info2023-06-23T14:11:57-05:00June 23rd, 2023|

By a relatively slim margin, Overland Park voters agreed to raise the city’s sales tax to fund road construction and repair work, extra money that officials say will help slow the use of the controversial chip seal method to resurface streets. In a mail-in election that concluded Thursday, 53.4%, or 19,157 voters, agreed to raise the tax, while 46.6%, or 16,703, voted no. The city saw nearly 25% voter turnout, with 35,897 people casting ballots. The infrastructure sales tax will jump from one-eighth of a cent to three-eighths. The tax will last for 10 years, starting next April. The lower tax [...]

Hutchinson residents can now keep 8 chickens, but still no roosters

info2023-06-23T14:08:08-05:00June 23rd, 2023|

The Hutchinson City Council also decided to increase the number of chickens a resident can own, changing it from three to eight chickens on most city properties. However, roosters are still not allowed in Hutchinson. Jim Sietnater, interim planning director, said keeping chickens is a growing trend. If someone wants a larger flock of chickens and has the area to do that, they can add an additional chicken for every 250 square feet. That maxes out at 20 chickens. All chickens must be fenced in, with coops being kept ‘neat’ in appearance. Source: Hutch News

Powell Says Interest Rates Likely to Rise Further

info2023-06-23T13:30:07-05:00June 23rd, 2023|

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank didn’t raise interest rates last week as it wanted to slow down its historically rapid pace of increases, but stressed it would likely lift rates again in coming months. “We moved very quickly at the beginning, and we’ve gradually slowed down. This is just a continuation of that,” Powell said Thursday at a Senate Banking Committee hearing. The decision to hold rates steady, after 10 consecutive increases, was designed “to give ourselves more time—to stretch out the time for making these decisions.” Inflation and economic activity haven’t slowed as much as many [...]

Officials work to deliver weather warnings to Spanish-speaking population in southwest Kansas

info2023-06-23T09:17:05-05:00June 23rd, 2023|

National Weather Service meteorologists and media professionals in southwest Kansas are working to reach more underserved populations by offering bilingual weather information. NWS-Dodge City meteorologist-in-charge Lindon Steadman said his office is creating and distributing materials, such as safety posters, that are printed in both Spanish and English. He said he is currently the only Spanish speaker working in the western Kansas weather office, in a region of the state where the population of native Spanish speakers has grown in the past decade. Source: Kansas Reflector

Labette County obtains funding for firefighters from state insurance department

info2023-06-23T09:09:53-05:00June 23rd, 2023|

Labette County has received $91,253.76 from the Kansas Insurance Department to benefit firefighters. The department made its annual distribution to local Firefighter Relief Associations (FRAs), according to Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. Pursuant to the Kansas Firefighters Relief Act, $16,863,037.79 was distributed among 554 local FRAs throughout Kansas. “Firefighters put their lives on the line to keep us safe, and the Kansas Firefighters Relief Act acknowledges that by providing additional protections for firefighters and their loved ones,” Schmidt said. “The act not only gives first responders needed safety nets, but it also allows local communities to provide their citizens with improved [...]

Overland Park voters OK increased sales tax for street maintenance

info2023-06-23T09:05:46-05:00June 23rd, 2023|

A three-eighths cent special sales tax dedicated to street and infrastructure maintenance has won approval by Overland Park voters with just over 53% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Johnson County Election Office. The results from by-mail and dropbox voting showed the measure passed with a total of 19,157 votes in favor, to 16,073 against. Turnout was 24.6%. Voting closed at noon Thursday. Results will be canvassed and official totals finalized on Wednesday, June 28. Source: Prairie Village Post

County poised to liberalize dress code

info2023-06-23T13:50:40-05:00June 22nd, 2023|

Bare midriffs, form-fitting pants, and short shorts were among items discussed by county commissioners in a 1¼-hour discussion Tuesday of county personnel policies. County clerk Tina Spencer suggested that the county’s rarely enforced dress and appearance code might need to be updated and possibly liberalized. Commissioners suggested changes that would allow employees to wear overalls, painter pants, and military-type pants. Source: PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

Re-ride late but mail was delivered

info2023-06-22T10:06:58-05:00June 22nd, 2023|

Marysville’s Pony Express Barn and Museum was humming at dawn Saturday. Expectant riders, with families along to watch, prepared to drive horse trailers out on the National Pony Express Trail and wait their turn to relay the mail to St. Joseph, Mo., on horseback. Dressed in the bright red shirts and buckskin vests of the National Pony Express Association, Marysville brothers Mike and Rich Pacha were ready for their turn on the trail. Mike Pacha held the Bible and read the association’s oath to the group of riders before they dispersed. Source: The Marysville Advocate

USPS changes slow water sample deliveries to KDHE

info2023-06-22T10:02:10-05:00June 22nd, 2023|

For Jackson County water customers, whether they get their water through a rural water district or a city water supplier, knowing that the water they get from their kitchen faucets is safe to drink is of high importance - and the people who provide that water to them feel the same way. Just ask Dennis Ashcraft, who oversees water treatment and distribution for Public Wholesale Water Supply District 18 and the city of Holton, who collects several water samples every month and sends them to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment lab in Topeka. Source: Holton Recorder

‘Dollar Store onslaught’: Topeka group fighting against new Dollar Store city responds

info2023-06-22T09:58:59-05:00June 22nd, 2023|

A community group is taking a stand against dollar stores by bringing a petition to Topeka city leaders. Fighting the Onslaught of Dollar Stores (FOODS) is a local group that seeks to bring awareness to Topekans regarding the number of dollar stores, such as Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree, in the city. Specifically, the group has its sights set on the planned installment of a new Dollar Tree in the 1400 block of SW 17th St., which FOODS claims the city approved without proper notification to local neighborhoods. Source: KSNT 27 News

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