info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Wakefield City Council discusses “Big Sexy Summer” concert in park

info2023-03-16T12:31:37-05:00March 16th, 2023|

Council members discussed plans they have been presented for a summer concert event in the park called the “Big Sexy Summer” planned for July 21-23. The event calls for three days of music in the park with seven bands performing on stage from 2 to 11 p.m. No official acts or plans were presented but city council members discussed logistics such as alcohol sales and camping rentals. Despite the risqué sounding title, Mayor Chris Dumler said that he had been assured in an email by organizers that the event would be family friendly though he himself still had concerns regarding the [...]

EPA Proposes Limits for ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water

info2023-03-15T12:19:42-05:00March 15th, 2023|

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the first federal limits on so-called forever chemicals in public drinking water, a move that is expected to cost water utilities billions of dollars to filter out substances that have contaminated the water supplies of millions of people. The EPA is proposing maximum allowable levels for two compounds in a class of chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Known as forever chemicals because they take a long time to break down, they were used for decades in carpeting, clothing, food packaging, firefighting foam and other consumer and industrial products. Once prized [...]

Early returns are positive for new sign in Halstead

info2023-03-15T12:18:42-05:00March 15th, 2023|

The new sign is up at City Hall and so far the response has been all positive, according to the Halstead City Manager Ethan Reimer and the Halstead city council. “I don’t think the crew had been gone ten minutes and we started getting calls and people stopping in to say how great they thought the sign was,” Reimer said. Source: Harvey County Now

Wichita OKs changes to tobacco ordinance

info2023-03-15T12:17:32-05:00March 15th, 2023|

Wichita will no longer criminally penalize people under 21 for possessing tobacco products, although police can still confiscate cigarettes, vapes and chewing tobacco seized from minors. The legal age for purchasing tobacco products will remain 21 under the revised ordinance approved by the City Council on Tuesday, but the biggest enforcement shift aims to hold tobacco retailers accountable for underage sales rather than penalizing individual employees. Under the previous ordinance, clerks found to have sold to minors were charged with a misdemeanor but tobacco license-holders and store managers were not punished. Wichita’s municipal court saw 25 cases of selling to minors [...]

Analyst says Fed unlikely to hike rates in March given banking turmoil

info2023-03-15T12:12:52-05:00March 15th, 2023|

Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi thinks the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise interest rates at its March meeting as there is a "boatload of uncertainty" around the recent bank failures. The financial turmoil of the past few days will certainly affect monetary policy decision making when the Federal Open Market Committee meets next week, he added. "I think they're focused on the bank failures that roiled the banking system and markets over the last couple of days," Zandi told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Wednesday. "There's a boatload of uncertainty here," as a result the Fed will want to [...]

Missouri and Kansas lawmakers want to limit who can buy farmland

info2023-03-15T12:13:11-05:00March 15th, 2023|

Tense relations between China and the U.S. are trickling down into agriculture and more scrutiny into who owns farmland. It became a hot topic after the U.S. Air Force determined that a proposed Chinese-owned corn mill in North Dakota would be a significant national security threat. Now there are proposals restricting foreign ownership of farmland making their way through Congress and many state legislatures, including Missouri and Kansas. Source: KCUR News

Chick-fil-A plans new $31M distribution center in Johnson County, opening next year

info2023-03-15T12:13:39-05:00March 15th, 2023|

Chick-fil-A Inc. is planning a new $31 million distribution center in Olathe. Chick-fil-A Supply, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Atlanta-based company, will be at the Lone Elm Commerce Center off 167th Street, and and will service Chick-fil-A restaurants in the region. “The Kansas City area is a prime location to invest in our business, create jobs, and grow our supply chain operation,” Josh Grote, executive director of Chick-fil-A Supply, said in a statement. “The region has a deep pool of skilled talent that we know will excel in serving the franchise Operators, licensees and team members delivering an authentic Chick-fil-A [...]

Saline County landfill fires caused by ‘few dozen’ batteries

info2023-03-15T10:19:07-05:00March 15th, 2023|

Officials have determined the cause of several small landfill fires that popped up at the Salina Municipal Landfill on Monday. A news release from Salina Public Works says the fires were caused as a "direct result of a few dozen Lithium, Ni-Cad and alkaline batteries" that were disposed of in one load at the landfill. The release says Lithium batteries have a tendency to start fires when they are impacted by the machinery at the landfill or in the sanitation trucks as they are being hauled. Source: KSN-TV

Meet the new Paola Rec Director

info2023-03-15T10:17:44-05:00March 15th, 2023|

Wesley Joy is the first director of the recently formed Paola Recreation Commission. Joy, who previously served as the sports and special services director for the Winfield Recreation Commission in Winfield, Kan., was introduced during a recent Paola City Council meeting and again during the State of the City Breakfast at the Paola Country Club. Joy said he is originally from Burlington, Kan., and is familiar with the Miami County area. Before his recent stint in Winfield, Joy said he worked in the parks and recreation field in Colorado. Source: Local News | republic-online.com

City of Topeka awarded $90,000 to help people get internet access

info2023-03-15T10:15:28-05:00March 15th, 2023|

A grant that will be awarded to Topeka aims to help spread awareness and increase participation in a program that helps households get better internet access. City of Topeka spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker reports that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will award Topeka with a grant to boost participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). This program provides qualifying households with a discount on broadband and a one-time discount on connected devices. Those who qualify are eligible for a discount of up to $30 a month on internet service and up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer or tablet from [...]

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