info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Kansas grant program to invest $1.5 million into aging downtown areas

info2022-12-09T12:41:55-06:00December 9th, 2022|

According to an official from the Kansas Department of Commerce (KDC), the agency has allotted $1.5 million in 2023 to help communities around the state restore aging downtown areas. Linda Hunsicker, a specialist with the Department of Commerce’s Community Development Block Grants program, says that the funds will "take aim at blight in Kansas' communities." “The goal is to strategically invest grant funds to prevent the spread of blighted conditions to structures,” Hunsicker said. “We want communities to improve downtown buildings so that those buildings will continue to thrive in the communities and (residents) will have a nice, beautiful downtown.” These [...]

Around 200 sick in USD 504 Oswego; cleaning scheduled

info2022-12-09T12:42:47-06:00December 9th, 2022|

According to Superintendent Mitchell Shaw, USD 504 in Oswego, Kansas, has around 200 students and staff sick. Besides general sickness, some are ill with RSV and Influenza A. One school has 44 percent of students out. School officials met with the board and health officials to organize a deep clean in all buildings ahead of Monday. The district has canceled school and all school activities for Thursday and Friday (Dec. 8-9). At this time, classes and activities are planned to resume on Monday, December 12. Source: KOAMKOAM

KU launches new program to evaluate police, sheriff’s departments across the state

info2022-12-09T08:18:45-06:00December 9th, 2022|

A branch of the University of Kansas has gotten into the business of evaluating the operations of law enforcement agencies across the state and offering accreditation to police and sheriff’s departments. The Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, which is based in Hutchinson but run by KU, has recently launched the Kansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. The program reviews police and sheriff’s departments that sign up for the program, and ultimately certifies whether the agencies are meeting a set of best practices for law enforcement. Source: LJWorld

As city stops taking new residents at North Lawrence homeless camp, concerns grow about life and safety issues at East Lawrence camp

info2022-12-09T08:17:53-06:00December 9th, 2022|

The city of Lawrence is no longer allowing new residents in its sanctioned camp for the homeless, but now there is concern that an unsanctioned camp along the railroad tracks in East Lawrence is growing. At the unofficial camp behind the Amtrak depot near Seventh and New Jersey streets, there are now tents for the homeless about 25 paces from the active Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad line. A business neighbor, Tony Krsnich of Kennedy Glass, said that’s closer than he’s seen at any point in the last two years, and he estimated the footprint of the overall campground has approximately [...]

Amid assessment of Lawrence development code, consultant lays out some anticipated changes

info2022-12-09T08:17:21-06:00December 9th, 2022|

After assessing Lawrence’s development code for the past few months, city-hired consultants have laid out some changes for an update that will affect where and how the city grows. Those include changes to the setup of both residential and commercial districts and what types of developments and uses are allowed where. ... The development code update will implement the community’s comprehensive plan, Plan 2040, and the development-related aspects of the Downtown Lawrence Plan. It also seeks to establish simpler and more consistent development procedures, according to a project overview. The purpose of the code assessment is to establish a framework for [...]

Miniature golf park in the works for Pittsburg

info2022-12-09T12:43:13-06:00December 8th, 2022|

A new miniature golf park is one step closer for Pittsburg’s Lincoln Park... Riggs Chiropractic recently donated $10,000 to the city’s parks and recreation department, which is overseeing the project. Expected cost for the new course is $350,000. Other funding streams include a hoped-for $175,000 federal grant through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, that Toby Book, Parks and Rec director, wrote. Also, Joe Leek, former president of Community National Bank, has so far raised $50,000 for the effort. Book hopes the necessary funding will be in place by spring with dirt work beginning in the summer. “And we could have [...]

Hiawatha asks for community input on stoplight issue

info2022-12-09T12:43:50-06:00December 8th, 2022|

Hiawatha city officials are asking for the community's input on the First and Oregon Street intersection stoplight issue. For the past few weeks, the stoplights have been in blinking mode since a possible wiring short occurred from excess rain. The city has determined the price tag to fix the stop lights range from $15,000 for a potential temporary fix up to $250,000 to replace the entire intersection’s once overhanging lights. The state Department of Transportation has determined the intersection does not get enough east-west traffic to warrant a stoplight and therefore won’t chip in any funding for the project. Source: hiawathaworldonline.com

Newton celebrates mural, time capsule

info2022-12-08T21:20:02-06:00December 8th, 2022|

As Newton’s sesquicentennial year draws to a close, a group of around 30 showed up to celebrate the completion of a new mural across from the Amtrak station at 414 N. Oak Street to commemorate the event. The mural–called the “Ice House” or “Tie-Dye Flag” mural–portrays a Newton flag with all the colors of the rainbow. The flag will be visible to residents as well as those coming in on Amtrak trains, thanks to the City of Newton pitching in for lighting. The mural was completed by the Newton Murals and Arts Project after the city approached the group about doing a [...]

Emporia discusses skate park expansion

info2022-12-09T12:45:30-06:00December 8th, 2022|

The Emporia City Commission continued discussions on potential updates to the Lorenzo Delgado Sports Complex skateboard park Wednesday afternoon. The skateboard park received an anonymous $250,000 donation last year to make improvements and updates. The donation came after Maddox Gutierrez, a local teenager, petitioned the city to do some work on the park. In March, the city reviewed renderings from American Ramp Company as well as pricing quotes for construction, with costs ranging from $250,000 - $500,000 for the work. Some hiccups to the plans emerged when it was discovered that the Santa Fe Railroad, which owns the property on which [...]

Eudora looking for new city manager as longtime leader takes Maryland job

info2022-12-08T22:16:46-06:00December 8th, 2022|

The City of Eudora will be looking for a new city manager just as the eastern Douglas County community is expected to see an influx of growth from development of the nearby $4 billion Panasonic battery plant. Longtime City Manager Barack Matite announced at Monday’s Eudora City Commission meeting that he had accepted a job as deputy city manager in Rockville, Maryland, a community of about 70,000 people in the Washington, D.C., metro area. He will start that position in late January. Eudora Mayor Tim Reazin said the City Commission would soon announce an interim city manager and would begin working [...]

About info