info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

KU Will Offer Redesigned, Remote Training For Volunteer Fire Officers In Kansas

info2023-03-29T10:21:28-05:00March 29th, 2023|

The University of Kansas Achievement & Assessment Institute’s Center for Certification & Competency-Based Education (C3Be) has partnered with KU's Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute (KFRTI) to develop a new volunteer fire officer training course through the adoption of a competency-based instructional and authentic assessment model. Set to launch in early April, the redesign will make the course more accessible to volunteer firefighters across the state of Kansas, including those in rural communities, and will improve leadership at all ranks. KFRTI provides science-driven training and credentialing for fire and emergency services personnel. Courses are comprehensive, designed for entry-level firefighters through executive [...]

Newton School District cancels school as it victim of “network security incident”

info2023-03-29T07:59:29-05:00March 29th, 2023|

The Newton School District will not have school Wednesday, as it is experiencing a district-wide Internet outage. It was out of Internet on Tuesday. “Upon further investigation, we have learned that it is a network security incident,” a district release stated. “We have been working with external information technology experts to conduct a detailed technical investigation into the incident. We have also notified law enforcement. Please remember that our investigation is in its earliest stages and is still ongoing.” The release stated, out of an abundance of caution, the district will remain offline until it’s confident it can safely bring its [...]

Harvey County trying new technique to solve cracking on Halstead Road

info2023-03-29T07:56:55-05:00March 29th, 2023|

Harvey County Road and Bridge Superintendent Jim Meier said the county would be trying a new technique this summer for a vexing problem that has resurfaced again and again – how to keep cracks from returning on Halstead Road. Meier said the six-mile stretch between Southwest 36th Street to the county line had a history of lateral cracking in a relatively short period, especially compared to other roads. He said the cracks that appeared were wider than those that appeared on other road projects. That allows more water to penetrate the surface and new paving material. He said the water seeped [...]

Kansas Senate moves ahead with bill limiting train length, parking distance from crossings

info2023-03-29T00:53:41-05:00March 29th, 2023|

Sen. Carolyn McGinn has found herself on the wrong side of the track as idling freight trains miles long blocked crossings in her home community of Sedgwick. It’s more than an inconvenience to local residents, the Republican said, because motionless trains also presented life-safety hazards. Not everyone has patience to wait out the delay, she said. “In one situation,” McGinn said, “it was 20 degrees out and the kids were trying to get home from school. They started crawling underneath the boxcars to get home. Very dangerous situation.” Source: Kansas Reflector

This Johnson County suburb was named the most pickleball-obsessed city in the country

info2023-03-29T00:52:35-05:00March 29th, 2023|

Betting and gambling site Offer.bet analyzed Google searches around the country to find out which city was the most obsessed with Pickleball. It named Overland Park because of internet search patterns in the city, and the abundance of venues dedicated to pickleball. Overland Park ranked number one over cities like Salt Lake City, Grand Rapids, Michigan and Tempe, Arizona. St. Louis also made the list coming in at 26 out of 50 cities. Pickleball was created nearly 60 years ago, after three men tried to improvise a game of badminton and wound up inventing a brand new paddle sport. Source: KC [...]

Wichita police to test new Tasers and virtual reality, consider expanding body cam use

info2023-03-29T07:57:36-05:00March 29th, 2023|

Wichita police are wanting to test a virtual reality training simulator and a new Taser, with plans to implement them department-wide if the tests are successful. Officials from Arizona-based Axon Enterprise were in Wichita on Tuesday presenting its products to the department’s highest-ranking officers. Police Chief Joseph Sullivan said the new Taser 10 is safer for both officers and the suspect and the virtual reality would cut down on taking officers off the street for long periods of time for training. Sullivan said they use the current Taser “pretty frequently.” Source: Wichita Eagle

Tricia Reiser hired as new Winfield USD 465 superintendent

info2023-03-29T07:58:04-05:00March 29th, 2023|

Tricia Reiser, assistant superintendent at Great Bend USD 428, has been hired as the new superintendent at Winfield USD 465, the Winfield board of education announced Tuesday morning. Reiser was one of five candidates interviewed for the position last week. She will replace current USD 465 superintendent Nathan Reed, who has accepted a job in the Wichita area. Reiser will begin working here on July 1. Source: The Arkansas City Traveler

Kansas Legislature approves bill raising legal smoking age to 21

info2023-03-29T00:42:51-05:00March 29th, 2023|

The Kansas Legislature has passed a bill that raises the minimum age for buying, possessing or consuming tobacco products in the state from 18 to 21. If the legislation is signed into law by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, the state could gain $2.1 million in federal funding for tobacco enforcement and lose an estimated $7.6m in state sales tax and cigarette stamp revenue. The Kansas Senate approved the measure with a 28-11 vote. Earlier this month, the Kansas House passed it on a 68-53 vote. Source: KMBC.com

Topeka officials host special meeting to improve communications, working relationships with staff

info2023-03-29T07:58:49-05:00March 29th, 2023|

Topeka's City Council had a special meeting this week instead of their normal weekly meetings. The main focus on their agenda was improving communications. The city officials and staff held a brainstorming session, hosted by University of Kansas consulting services manager, Patty Grentrup. A former city administrator who works with governing bodies to help them reach their goals. Providing local governing bodies a neutral party in the room, that acts as a "safe space." To help stimulate growth and an open line of dialogue between the city officials and staff. Source: KSNT 27 News

Kansas Hunts for Water as Aquifer Levels Fall

info2023-03-28T16:51:44-05:00March 28th, 2023|

Southwest Kansas officials have long pushed a moonshot aqueduct project to send Missouri River water across the state to their region, where a $12.5 billion agricultural economy relies on a dwindling underground aquifer. While the effort has been dismissed as legally impossible and expensive, the persistence of the idea demonstrates how drought and a steadily shrinking water supply have created broad consensus that water policies need to be overhauled. In Kansas, where federal data shows that nearly every county was experiencing some level of drought at the end of 2022, water is among the most urgent issues facing the state legislature [...]

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