info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Shawnee Mission launches pay incentives for some staff in effort to fill vacancies

info2022-11-01T10:00:37-05:00October 31st, 2022|

Shawnee Mission has launched a pilot pay incentive program aimed at attracting and retaining paraeducators and custodians at a time when the district is struggling to fill those positions. Shawnee Mission’s Board of Education last week unanimously approved spending more than half a million dollars on the program, which is aimed at addressing staffing shortages for classified, or non-teacher, staff. Source: Prairie Village Post

Panasonic to break ground on new Kansas battery plant in November

info2022-10-31T23:49:47-05:00October 31st, 2022|

Panasonic Energy will begin construction on a new EV batter plant in De Soto, Kansas, in November. The new facility will produce batteries that will be used in electric vehicles. “As the global shift to EVs accelerates, we are looking into ways to strengthen our battery production capacity in North America and meet the growing demand from our automotive partners,” Kazuo Tadanobu, President, CEO of Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., said. The company says the batteries are in high demand, and the De Soto site will help expand production capabilities with goals of mass producing EV batteries in 2025. Source: fox4kc.com | [...]

Doggone project soon gone: Pet owners in Overland Park will receive permanent tags

info2022-11-01T10:01:39-05:00October 31st, 2022|

If you own a pet, you know the drill. You properly license the dog or cat before receiving a tag that’s good for one year. That’s the easy part. Then comes the epic struggle to replace the old tag with the new one on the animal’s collar. It may take pliers or fingernails of steel, if you can get the dang things to move at all. But with a new licensing procedure that will take effect in January, Overland Park hopes fewer people will be growling in frustration. And the city will save some money, too. Pet owners will now receive [...]

Johnson County residents concerned about rise in coyote attacks on dogs

info2022-10-31T23:41:23-05:00October 31st, 2022|

Residents in Johnson County are worried about coyotes attacking their pets. Some emergency vet clinics say they've seen a spike in small dog attacks and most are blaming coyotes. For dog owners like Maggie Uhruh, coyotes are a big concern. “I have a dog that is seven and a half pounds, and we don't have a fence,” Uhruh said. “I always worry when I let her out that a coyote is just going to snatch her up.” She says she’s been seeing more coyotes around her neighborhood lately. Source: KMBC.com

Annual Emporia Main Street trick-or-treat draws crowd downtown

info2022-10-30T22:54:33-05:00October 30th, 2022|

Emporia Main Street's annual downtown trick-or-treat event was held Saturday morning, following the Dia de los Muertos parade. Children of all ages could be seen walking along Commercial Street sidewalks picking up candy from area businesses and booths. A photo contest is still ongoing, and winners will receive Emporia Main Street gift certificates. Categories include babies ages 0 - 2, kids ages 3 and up and families. Source: Emporia Gazette

Shawnee pitches new TIF district to support infrastructure upgrades

info2022-10-30T22:20:39-05:00October 30th, 2022|

SHAWNEE, Kan. -- The City of Shawnee could soon create a new special tax district to support future infrastructure upgrades.... Unlike TIF districts requested by developers, the city will consider creating a conservation TIF district. The state defines conservation districts as areas in which at least 50% of buildings are more than 35 years old, that are not yet blighted, but could become blighted due to inadequate infrastructure, dilapidation or the deterioration of surrounding structures. ... Revenue generated by the TIF district would be earmarked for infrastructure improvements ... Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 - WDAF

Governor Laura Kelly Announces Nearly $2M to Boost Tourism Industry

info2022-10-30T22:13:47-05:00October 30th, 2022|

Governor Laura Kelly today announced that Kansas Tourism, in partnership with the Patterson Family Foundation, is providing nearly $2 million to eight tourism projects across the state to enhance the state’s growing tourism industry. ... The TASK recipients and amounts awarded: City of Great Bend Convention & Visitors Bureau, Barton County, $337,500 Flint Hills Discovery Center, Riley County, $200,000 Grassroots Art Center, Russell County, $172,226 Horse Thief Reservoir Benefit District, Hodgeman County, $299,918 Johnson County Park & Recreation District, Johnson County, $201,168 Miners Hall Museum Foundation, Crawford County, $337,500 Strataca: Kansas Underground Salt Museum, Reno County, $174,750 The Nature Conservancy, Logan [...]

Derby updates revamped Neighborhood Maintenance Grant program

info2022-10-30T22:12:53-05:00October 30th, 2022|

Looking to increase utilization, the city of Derby modified its previous neighborhood revitalization program earlier in 2022 – having spent a little over half of the allocated funding between 2016 and 2021. City staff reported on the success of the new Neighborhood Maintenance Grant program at the Oct. 25 Derby City Council meeting. With the success, updates to continue enhancing the new program in 2023 were presented for consideration, which the council approving them unanimously. Partly due to updates to property code enforcement, the revitalization program was reviewed to better assist low-to-moderate income homeowners. Source: Derby Informer | News

Wichita looking at regulations for short-term rentals

info2022-10-30T22:12:12-05:00October 30th, 2022|

Wichita City Council members are looking over a draft of recommendations for licensing and regulation of homes that are used as short-term rentals of seven days or less. The homes are offered through booking apps and web sites like Airbnb and Vrbo. Planning director Scott Wadle presented the draft recommendations to council members during a workshop meeting this week. He said short-term rentals became popular around 2008 with apps that were offering bookings, and there are around 475 rentals operating in Wichita, a higher number than previous years. ... The draft requirements include yearly licensing requirements, zoning requirements, limits on occupancy and [...]

Johnson County receives federal grant to create Mental Health Court

info2022-10-30T22:11:12-05:00October 30th, 2022|

Johnson County is on track to create a mental health court that will reduce the likelihood of people with severe mental illnesses returning to the criminal justice system. On Thursday, the Board of County Commissioners accepted a $309,766 grant from the Department of Justice to support the development of the Mental Health Court program. Johnson County Mental Health Center, in collaboration with the District Court and District Attorney’s Office, applied for the grant. The grant funds will be used for staff training and education, travel and research, developing program assessments and paying staff salaries associated with program implementation. Source: Johnson County [...]

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