info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Overland Park ramps up efforts to cut down damaged ash trees

info2022-11-30T08:24:15-06:00November 29th, 2022|

Overland Park plans to cut down hundreds of ash trees throughout the city next year as it ramps up efforts at countering the impacts of the emerald ash borer. The city is set to start a large-scale ash street tree removal and replanting program targeting trees in public right-of-ways that have been damaged by the invasive beetle species. The city’s program will not include ash trees on private property. The emerald ash borer — a small, metallic green beetle — attacks all species of ash trees by cutting off the passage of nutrients and water from the tree’s roots to its canopy. [...]

How Google introduced an international student to Hutchinson

info2022-11-29T22:25:54-06:00November 29th, 2022|

The City of Hutchinson and Hutchinson Community College (HCC) have Google to thank for introducing Reno County to international student Felipe Trautmann. Trautmann, 22, was born in Brazil but spent the majority of his youth in Spain. "I have always been on the move," said Trautmann. "My parents were missionaries. They were always doing work around different churches in Europe." When it came time for Trautmann to decide his educational path, he decided to put his faith in God and the internet. That's where he found the surgical technology program at Hutchinson Community College. Source: KSN-TV

Lawrence homeowners fighting to build fire access road, citing ‘clear and present danger’

info2022-11-29T22:24:19-06:00November 29th, 2022|

When Chris Sanders and Amanda Unruh bought their Lawrence home five years ago, they knew their historic property would need myriad renovations and repairs. They never imagined the long odyssey that would unfold in their quest to protect their family and home. The parents of two young children, the couple wouldn’t move into the nearly century-old, two-story home until a smoke detection system had been installed. In 2017, the family settled into their house with that new system, designed to automatically notify authorities when smoke or fire was detected. Source: The Lawrence Times

Pottawatomie County officials working to redraw commission districts as expansion looms

info2022-11-29T07:54:26-06:00November 29th, 2022|

Pottawatomie County officials held a work session Monday, to discuss how the county will divide population into five districts, now that voters have approved expansion of the board from three to five seats. Two new commissioners will come aboard next year. County Counselor John Watt says the county’s preference is to have that occur in the November 2023 general election. “Because a special election will cost the county and arm and a leg. The state doesn’t help with all of that, it’s a county cost,” he said. According to the 2021 census, Pottawatomie County’s population was just slightly over 25,000 people. [...]

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

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