info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

An update on De Soto’s $4B Panasonic battery plant, including starting wages and talk of an expansion of Kansas Highway 10

info2022-12-08T10:56:03-06:00December 8th, 2022|

Many starting wages at the new $4 billion Panasonic battery plant in nearby De Soto will be in the $20 to $25 an hour range, a Lawrence consultant working with the company said. That’s good information for potential job seekers to have, but also valuable information for area companies as well, Rob Richardson, the Panasonic opportunities manager for the Lawrence chamber, told a crowd on Tuesday. Many area companies indeed will be vying for the same workers that Panasonic hopes to employ. “That is kind of what the competition is going to be,” Richardson said as he announced the $20 to [...]

‘It is killing people’: The fentanyl crisis in Lawrence is on the rise and ‘it’s everywhere in the city’

info2022-12-08T10:55:06-06:00December 8th, 2022|

In May of last year, the Lawrence Police Department warned the community about a potent drug that was killing area residents. It was not the usual “stay away from drugs” message directed at teens, but something far more urgent and directed at everyone: “About three to five grains of table salt — that’s the potential fatal dose of fentanyl for an adult,” a department news release stated. “We’re not trying to scare people,” interim Chief of Police Adam Heffley was quick to say. “What we’re trying to do is save someone’s life.” A year and a half later, the dire warning [...]

City of Emporia adopts new official logo

info2022-12-08T01:41:46-06:00December 8th, 2022|

The city of Emporia has officially adopted a new logo. After months of searching and refining, the city of Emporia has adopted the latest redesign of the city’s logo, created by local graphic designers Lot & Ilk. The new logo has been a topic of heavy discussion for the city commission and Emporia residents since its initial proposal in July. The logo design was awarded to Lot & Ilk, run by local Emporians Justin Ogleby and Jamie Darcy, in August. The original design of the logo was sent back to Lot & Ilk with requested changes after the Oct. 19 city [...]

Lawrence City Commission interested in $4.6M housing project but holds off on decisions for ARPA funds

info2022-12-08T01:35:29-06:00December 8th, 2022|

Members of the City of Lawrence’s Housing Initiatives Division requested the city spend $8.29 million left from federal COVID-19 relief funds on housing solutions, but city commissioners stopped short of adopting that recommendation. Though commissioners showed an interest in plans to spend a little more than half of that total on a modular housing project, they are allowing other agencies to vie for some of the American Rescue Plan Act funds. “While I felt like a good portion of these funds should address our needs for affordable housing and … addressing issues of the unhoused, I did not anticipate us using [...]

Kansas town’s library lease renewed after months of debate about LGBTQ content

info2022-12-08T01:34:00-06:00December 8th, 2022|

The Pottawatomie Wabaunsee Regional Library’s lease is safe for another year, following community uproar and legal pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas. The Saint Marys City Commission voted to extend the lease, without restrictions, during a meeting Tuesday night. The lease renewal was up for debate because the library had refused to accept a renewal clause asking for the removal of all LGBTQ and socially divisive books from the shelves. Source: The Lawrence Times

Governor Laura Kelly Announces Groundbreaking of Sports Complex in Overland Park

info2022-12-08T08:31:55-06:00December 8th, 2022|

Governor Laura Kelly today announced the groundbreaking of the 420,000-square-foot multi-sport complex at the Bluhawk development in Overland Park. The facility is part of the $400 million-plus, 277-acre, mixed-use project funded partly by STAR Bonds. The Bluhawk Sports Facility will be built in two phases, anchored by a neighborhood shopping center, restaurants, and retail outlets. The multi-sport complex will drive a projected $3.8 million economic impact for Overland Park during its first year of operation. In addition to private funding, Overland Park has been authorized to use up to $46.5 million in STAR Bond funds for this phase. Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

Treasurer, county want changes to tax statement mandates

info2022-12-08T08:33:41-06:00December 8th, 2022|

Barton County is a complex matrix of 56 overlapping taxing entities that either fall entirely within its borders or cover a portion of it. If just one of these is late getting their budget information to the Barton County Clerk’s Office, it delays the Treasurer’s Office from getting property tax statements out to taxpayers. ... Commissioners understood the complexity and that one entity can hold everyone at a standstill. “So, talking to you, how can it be improved?” asked District 1 Commissioner Kirby Krier. The issue is, Jordan said, the taxing bodies having to wait for the finalized November property values [...]

“We’re not in Kansas anymore”

info2022-12-08T08:34:37-06:00December 8th, 2022|

Parrots, pink flamingos and pirates, oh my! My mother, Virginia, and I are part of a contingency of 95 Tampa, Kansas residents invited to enjoy Tampa, Florida, on that city’s and Southwest Airlines’s dime. Our group was up at 3 a.m. Monday to meet buses that would take us to Kansas City for our flights to the other Tampa. Source: Marion County RECORD

Marion County commissioners set to vote on administrator

info2022-12-08T08:37:51-06:00December 8th, 2022|

Marion County commissioners are poised to vote Monday to create a county administrator position. At their meeting last week, commissioners heard from the public in support of the idea, reviewed a proposed resolution to create the position, and set the matter to be discussed Monday. Among those speaking in favor of hiring an administrator was retired judge Michael Powers. Source: Marion County RECORD

Marion County underserved by lawyers

info2022-12-08T08:38:39-06:00December 8th, 2022|

With nine licensed lawyers in the county, several of them not actually practicing, and only two offices where a customer could hire a lawyer, Marion County is among the least-served counties for legal services. The Rural Justice Initiative, a committee to examine unmet legal needs in rural Kansas, will study the issue for 18 months and submit recommendations to the state Supreme Court. Although only half the state’s population lives in Douglas, Johnson, Leavenworth, Sedgwick, Shawnee, and Wyandotte counties, 80% of the state’s lawyers do. Source: Marion County RECORD

About info