info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Defending the water supply from blue-green algae

info2022-11-29T07:53:26-06:00November 29th, 2022|

Big or small, a Kansas town that depends on lakes or reservoirs for its water supply faces the increasing threat of toxic amounts of blue-green algae making it into the homes of consumers. That hasn’t happened. But preventing it has, or will, come at a cost, sometimes a significant cost. Braxton Copley, Topeka utilities director, says the capital city is in the planning stages of updating two water treatment plants at a cost of about $20 million to help ensure clean drinking water into the future. Topeka faces significant challenges since it gets “every last drop” of its water supply from [...]

Learning to live with toxic algal blooms in Kansas

info2022-11-29T07:52:45-06:00November 29th, 2022|

Toxic blue-green algae threaten cattle and have collectively robbed Kansans of thousands of hours of recreation. They drain millions from lake-based economies when outbreaks close lakes to public access. Drinking water is susceptible to the toxin, too, rendering it smelly and foul-tasting. Although there are efforts to combat them, cyanobacteria aren’t going away. As with so many other environmental and health challenges of the 21st century, Kansans will have to continue to adapt and find a way to live with them. Source: KLC Journal

City of Lawrence gives update on homeless camp after discovery of deceased woman

info2022-11-29T07:51:57-06:00November 29th, 2022|

The City of Lawrence has given an update on its controversial homeless camp following the discovery of a deceased woman. A social media post from the City of Lawrence on Tuesday gave an update on the future of a homeless camp established in the North Lawrence area following the recent discovery of a deceased woman. The City reports that there are no plans to close the temporary support site but will reevaluate it once the Winter Emergency Shelter opens on Dec. 1. A total of 60 people currently reside at the temporary support site and 75 beds will be available once [...]

City manager announces new feature for Emporia’s CodeRed notification system

info2022-11-29T07:51:29-06:00November 29th, 2022|

Since it went live just over two weeks ago, the City of Emporia’s new mass notification system has been put to use with significant frequency, and now more residents are able to receive those notifications. During a recent installment of KVOE’s Talk of Emporia, City Manager Trey Cocking announced the CodeRed notification system is now available in Spanish. Cocking says it makes sense to have the feature given the large Spanish-speaking population within Emporia. When it comes to additional languages being added to the notification system in the future, Cocking says that will be dependent on demand. Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

Emporia work, local connection leads to city receiving federal Rural Placemaking grant

info2022-11-29T07:50:53-06:00November 29th, 2022|

Emporia’s partnership with Atlas Community Studios has led to grant funding from the federal government as part of its Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge. The Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and several of its partner agencies — the Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas, Ignite Emporia and Visit Emporia — are working with Atlas to develop an action plan for guiding public and private investments for now and later. Regional Development Association President Chuck Scott says conversations began late this summer. Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

As Lenexa’s Schreck prepares to retire, he looks ahead to Johnson County development

info2022-11-29T07:43:41-06:00November 29th, 2022|

During the past 40 years, Blake Schreck watched downtown Kansas City grow from boarded-up storefronts and chained-up doors into the city we know today. He remembers the regional concerns about whether Kansas City would rise to the likes of other successful Midwest cities in the 1980s. But back then, Johnson County fueled the metro's growth and often kept the region afloat, which "caused some friction" with Kansas City, he said. “Johnson County has stayed true to what it had: the quality of life, education, infrastructure and safe neighborhoods,” Schreck said. “And it still does.” Source: Kansas City Business Journal

Remodeled downtown park to tell the story of Wichita sit-in, which sparked a movement

info2022-11-29T07:44:08-06:00November 29th, 2022|

For three weeks in the summer of 1958, young protesters sat defiantly at the lunch counter of Wichita’s Dockum Drug Store, waiting to be served. “As far as we were concerned, it was the right thing to do,” said Galyn Vesey, now 85. “All we wanted was to purchase food and drink just like anybody else.” Wichita’s NAACP Youth Council staged the first successful student-led sit-in of the civil rights movement, leading the drug store chain to desegregate all of its Kansas lunch counters 19 months before the better known Woolworth’s sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina. Source: Wichita Eagle

Rail strike again looms, putting chlorine shipments at risk

info2022-11-29T01:14:57-06:00November 29th, 2022|

After averting a strike between railroad operators and labor union representatives in September, another potential strike is again threatening to put water utility supply chains at risk. According to the unions, a strike could begin as early as Dec. 9. Prior to the agreement in September, leading water sector organizations urged Congress to intervene in the strike, noting that chlorine shipments via rail could be affected. As NACWA noted in September, however, that as long as a possibility of a strike remains, chlorine would likely not be shipped by rail. Source: Water Finance & Management

WPD collecting donations for local shelters

info2022-11-29T01:13:02-06:00November 29th, 2022|

Wichita police are collecting donations to provide gifts for kids staying at local domestic violence shelters. Toys and other gift items can be dropped off on December 5, at the Patrol West station, at 5803 W Central. That is on Central just west of I-235. Gift idea include arts and crafts supplies, dolls or action figures, pajamas, and remote control toys. Gift items for teens are also needed, including things like earbuds and gift cards. Source: 101.3 KFDI

Coin toss determines Grant Township clerk race in Riley County

info2022-11-29T01:09:50-06:00November 29th, 2022|

A coin flip was held at Monday’s Riley County Commission meeting to break a tie in the election of the Grant Township Clerk. Travis Shanahan, the current clerk finished with 19 votes in the Nov. 8 election. So did Riley County resident Larry Noble. Riley County Clerk Rich Vargo explains that a coin toss, while rare in local elections, has happened before. Vargo pulled out a large coin, tossed it into the air, as Shanahan called it. Source: 1350 KMAN

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