News – Page 1098 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Brown County takes steps to protect county as wind energy topic heats up

info2022-05-12T07:39:32-05:00May 12th, 2022|

The Brown County Commissioners took steps to protect the county as the wind energy topic heats up. Clif Heiniger presented the commissioners with a letter signed by 143 residents who were concerned about wind turbines being present in the county. Heiniger told commissioners most of the signees were rural resident and cited everything from visual, noise, electronic interference to reasons they didn't want the turbines. He also noted that property values would suffer with large wind turbines in the area. Source: hiawathaworldonline.com

Miami County Clerk’s office invites public to attend ‘Election 101’

info2022-05-12T07:35:18-05:00May 12th, 2022|

The public will have the opportunity to learn more about what goes into putting on an election in Miami County during “Election 101” as the 2022 election draws closer. The Miami County Clerk/Election Office is holding the information session at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, in the commission chambers at the Miami County Administration Building, located at 201 S. Pearl St. in Paola. County Clerk/Election Officer Janet White said after a short presentation, the public will have the chance to ask questions and cast a fun ballot. Elections, ballot boxes, redistricting and other related topics have been in the news of [...]

JoCo planners rebuff county commission’s urging to make solar farm rules less restrictive

info2022-05-12T06:58:04-05:00May 12th, 2022|

A set of rules that would govern how utility-scale solar farms are planned in Johnson County was bounced back to the county commission Tuesday by planning board members, who insist their tighter regulations – and not the commission’s suggestions for less restrictive measures – are the right way to go. In so doing, the Johnson County Planning Commission rejected most of the county commission’s recommendations made at a public hearing in April. It’s the latest turn in a much-watched back-and-forth that has taken on political overtones as the county considers regulating a growing industry for which it currently has no guidelines. Source: [...]

Shawnee rejects Sundance apartment project after hearing neighbors’ opposition

info2022-05-12T06:55:55-05:00May 12th, 2022|

A 239-unit apartment complex proposal that has drawn the adamant opposition of its nearest neighbors was unanimously denied rezoning Monday night by the Shawnee City Council. The Sundance Shawnee project, at Johnson Drive and Woodland Drive, would have consisted of a mix of one- two- and three- bedroom apartments on 21 acres in a mostly undeveloped field near a former quarry in northwest Shawnee. Its developer, Minnesota-based Timberland Partners, characterized it as designed for young professionals who eventually want to own their own homes. Ryan Sailer, vice president of real estate development with Timberland, said the company took pains to design [...]

Allen County health leader reflects on pandemic

info2022-05-12T07:36:34-05:00May 12th, 2022|

Health department officials tackled a lot of extra responsibilities because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rebecca Johnson, director of the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department, told county commissioners on Tuesday. Johnson submitted her department’s annual budget request, asking for $115,000 from Allen County. That’s the same amount received last year. With her request, Johnson also provided an update on the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced her staff to take on numerous additional duties, but the department received state and federal grants to offset much of the costs of that increased workload. Source: The Iola Register

Allen County community hears placemaking plan

info2022-05-12T07:37:00-05:00May 12th, 2022|

In a small town, everyone always seems to know what’s wrong — and how to fix it. The thousand conversations over coffee, in backyards, or in the grocery store parking lot are all unique but all the same. They’re greeted with head nods, grumbles of frustration. If only everyone else would listen! A thousand kings and queens looking for their subjects. Which is why when several dozen area residents gathered at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center Monday evening to discuss the future of Allen County, the stakes seemed high. Here was a chance to get everyone pulling in the same direction. [...]

Resident gathers 900 signatures for Pott Co. Commission expansion

info2022-05-12T06:49:51-05:00May 12th, 2022|

Pottawatomie County resident Doug Kern has gathered nearly 900 signatures on the petition to add the question of expanding the Board of Commissioners from three to five to the November ballot. State statute requires 5% of the registered voters sign the petition in order for it to go on the ballot, and Kern has estimated that 900 signatures will meet that requirement. “The statement that would go on the ballot is ready to go,” he said Monday. “I would request a favor from the commission in that we can save the county clerk’s office a whole lot of work if the [...]

Tight housing market not easing up, according to new data, WSU expert

info2022-05-12T06:45:37-05:00May 12th, 2022|

While some national headlines are indicating improvements in housing supply, it could be some time before considerable progress is seen in the Wichita metro area, says one real estate expert who is supported by new data. According to Realtor.com data, U.S. inventory in April was 12% lower than April 2021, the smallest year-over-year decrease since the end of 2019. But Stan Longhofer, director of Wichita State University's Center for Real Estate, said it is important to understand that movements in national metrics do not mean those changes are seen in everyone's own region — and that's the case with Wichita and the surrounding [...]

Newton considering change to form of government

info2022-05-11T17:51:58-05:00May 11th, 2022|

At Tuesday night’s meeting, the City Commission began discussion of possible changes to the City’s form of government, including having a directly elected mayor. At Commissioners’ request, City Attorney Chris Towle prepared a memo outlining the different forms of municipal government in Kansas – Commission, Mayor-Council, Commission-Manager, and Mayor-Council-Manager. Newton currently operates under a Commission-Manager form, with five elected at-large City Commissioners.... A mayor is appointed each year from within the Commission. ... Commissioners expressed interest specifically in the Mayor-Council-Manager form of government, which is used in our region by Wichita and Derby. The mayor is a directly elected position with [...]

10-year Treasury yield jumps back above 3% after hotter-than-expected inflation data

info2022-05-11T07:55:00-05:00May 11th, 2022|

Inflation rose again in April, continuing a climb that has pushed consumers to the brink and is threatening the economic expansion, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. The consumer price index, a broad-based measure of prices for goods and services, increased 8.3% from a year ago, higher than the Dow Jones estimate for an 8.1% gain. That represented a slight ease from March’s peak but was still close to the highest level since the summer of 1982. ... The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield jumped on Wednesday after a release of key inflation data showed a faster-than-expected rise in prices. The [...]