info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

With 108 Airbnbs and other short-term rentals now licensed, Lawrence code enforcement thinks process to ID unlicensed rentals is working

info2022-11-11T07:46:16-06:00November 10th, 2022|

With more than 100 short-term rentals now licensed in Lawrence, city code enforcement believes its tactics are working for identifying people renting properties by the night without the required license. After falling amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of short-term rental listings in Lawrence is on the rise again, with a little more than 150 properties listed on the popular site Airbnb. Code Enforcement Manager Brian Jimenez said there are currently 108 licensed properties in Lawrence, and because his office has found several properties listed more than once, he believes the city does not have many unlicensed rentals. He said he [...]

Treasury yields tumble after October CPI comes in weaker than expected

info2022-11-10T09:43:06-06:00November 10th, 2022|

The latest CPI report gave investors hope that inflation is now past its peak, lending confidence that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes are slowly working to tame high price increases. Stock futures rallied on the news. “This confirms the Fed’s own view they need more measured rate hikes now but this doesn’t stop them,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG. ” It just affirms their plan.” Swonk added that, from the Fed’s perspective, the dip in inflation is welcome news but still not enough to stop further tightening. In November, the Fed raised rates by a another 75 basis [...]

Pitt’s fowl ordinance

info2022-11-10T09:40:22-06:00November 10th, 2022|

Chickens seem to be on people's minds in southeast Kansas lately. Just this past Monday, the Arma City Council discussed regulations for keeping chickens inside city limits. Then on Tuesday, our flightless fowl friends found their way into the Pittsburg City Commission meeting. While Arma decided to table the discussion, Pittsburg dove right in. Pamela Hudson recently petitioned the city’s Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals to keep a small flock of chickens on her property. What is unusual is that Hudson actually contacted the city to see if she was allowed to keep the birds — a gesture that Mayor [...]

Voters reject Winfield school bond projects

info2022-11-10T09:24:31-06:00November 10th, 2022|

Winfield voters on Tuesday soundly defeated two school bond propositions, putting USD 465 officials back to the drawing board to figure out how to update aging and outdated infrastructure. Question 1 would have closed some schools, removed some buildings, built others and reconfigured others Question 2 asked voters to build a new football/soccer stadium at the high school and erect several new tennis courts at the Vaughan Tennis Center. Estimated cost of the two projects was about $54.7 million to be funded by about a 14 mill property tax increase from current levels, an estimated $159 on a $100,000 home. In [...]

Voters approve change for Wichita school board elections

info2022-11-10T01:23:56-06:00November 10th, 2022|

Voters in the Wichita school district have overwhelmingly approved a change in the way the school board members are elected. A question on Tuesday’s general election ballot called for voters to elect a board member from the district where they live, and vote for an at-large position in both the primary and general elections. The current system had voters casting ballots for candidates in their districts for the primary election, while also voting for the at-large position. Voters in the general election would vote on all of the board members. Source: 101.3 KFDI

Hiawatha Commission taps former Atchison City Manager for open position

info2022-11-10T01:22:01-06:00November 10th, 2022|

The search for a permanent replacement for Hiawatha’s City Administrator reached its conclusion at Monday night’s meeting of the Hiawatha City Commission. The group voted to agree to a contract beginning Dec. 5 with current Interim Assistant County Administrator for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, Becky Berger. Berger is a familiar face in local governance, as she served in Atchison’s city government for nearly 10 years, including the last 4 years as City Manager, before her resignation in August of 2021. Berger, a graduate of Willamette University, was interviewed at a Special Meeting of the Commission [...]

Lawrence community members share concerns about city’s camp for people experiencing homelessness

info2022-11-10T00:55:33-06:00November 10th, 2022|

Business owners, housing advocates, and housed and unhoused community members filled Lawrence City Hall on Tuesday night to speak out about the city’s handling of homelessness and management of the camp behind Johnny’s. Rick Renfro, owner of Johnny’s Tavern in North Lawrence, closed his restaurant as a form of protest Tuesday morning, saying he wouldn’t reopen until the city installed a fence around the camp adjacent to his property. He also asked the city to assign a staff member to oversee the camp from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m to manage the site and monitor who goes in and who goes [...]

Lawrence school district seeks community input on budget cuts via online survey

info2022-11-10T00:54:09-06:00November 10th, 2022|

A public survey is asking community members to share their input on how the Lawrence school district should make budget cuts, including potentially closing and consolidating schools. As discussed during Monday’s school board meeting, survey takers will be asked which of the three “bucket” items — or categories of budget expenditures — should take priority. Bucket 1 lists potential staffing cuts; Bucket 2 lists potential program or activity cuts; and Bucket 3 lists potential facility or utilization changes. The Community Engagement Survey is part of the district’s Futures Planning Committee work. It’s open for all members of the Lawrence community to [...]

City to move forward with developing master plan for Manhattan cemeteries

info2022-11-10T00:52:49-06:00November 10th, 2022|

Manhattan city commissioners indicated Tuesday they want city staffers to start planning for the future of cemeteries. The city government will move forward with developing a master plan that would give an outlook for the next 20 to 30 years of services. Officials said the offices and shops at both cemeteries are past their useful life and in need of significant repair or replacement. Operations have shifted from Sunset Cemetery to Sunrise Cemetery because of burial lot availability. Sunset Cemetery is full as far as traditional burial sites, but it has the potential for a columbarium, which is an above-ground option [...]

Growth in local manufacturing industry contributes to thriving Pittsburg economy

info2022-11-09T10:27:50-06:00November 9th, 2022|

The Pittsburg manufacturing industry continues to buck national trends, according to the latest Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report. The quarterly economic update published by economist Dr. Michael Davisson of Pittsburg State University Kelce College of Business shows the local manufacturing industry has not only recovered from the COVID downturn, but is one of the region’s fastest-growing sectors. Pittsburg manufacturing has outperformed the national manufacturing industry, which has not yet fully recovered from the pandemic. Davidsson’s report states that roughly $579 million has been invested in Pittsburg over the past nine years, which includes $102 million in industry infrastructure. ... Manufacturing in [...]

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