News – Page 1196 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

County approves broadband study

info2022-02-13T20:40:13-06:00February 13th, 2022|

Labette County commissioners agreed to move forward with a broadband study that will map out current broadband coverage in the county. Commissioners, after some discussion, agreed to hire Finley Engineering and CCG Consulting of Lamar, Missouri, at a cost of $69,385 to conduct the study. Competitive and needs analysis to understand the broadband needs and estimate market demand for broadband services. Pre-engineering to estimate the cost of building the network. Source: Parsons Sun

City OKs updated vicious dog rules

info2022-02-13T20:36:25-06:00February 13th, 2022|

Parsons city commissioners Monday approved a new vicious dog ordinance that will repeal the one approved last month by the commission. The reason for the new ordinance was because the original one did not have all the details the commissioners wanted in it. Ross Albertini, city attorney, reworked the ordinance and commissioners approved the updated one. Under the ordinance, all impoundment costs are the responsibility of the owner. Source: Parsons Sun

Working for Lenexa: A desire to help others and an eagerness to learn are a great fit for facility maintenance

info2022-02-13T20:34:08-06:00February 13th, 2022|

Repairing water fountains. Fixing garage doors. Cleaning air conditioner units. The four full-time facility maintenance technicians working for the City of Lenexa’s Municipal Services Department do it all. For Bobby Lyon, though, it’s more than keeping things in working order. His job is about helping others, learning new skills, and seeing his handiwork across the city. Growing up, Bobby recalls how his dad was super handy. “If we had something and it broke, our options were to fix it or do without,” Bobby said. As a young kid, Bobby not only saw his dad repair what was broken, but he also [...]

Prairie Village residents can now have old mattresses picked up curbside — Here’s how it works

info2022-02-13T20:32:36-06:00February 13th, 2022|

Johnson County’s landfill, located in Shawnee, is on track to close — due to capacity limitations — in 2043. Ward 4 Councilmember and environmental committee liaison Piper Reimer said the committee was reminded about the need to divert waste from this site when Commissioner Becky Fast spoke to the city council on Jan. 18. Reimer said diversion efforts like this reduces landfill waste which, in turn, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and toxins going into air, water and soil. The environmental committee dedicated its entire $8,000 budget to the curbside mattress recycling program, Reimer said. Source: Shawnee Mission Post

UG Commission moves forward on stormwater infrastructure program

info2022-02-13T20:29:40-06:00February 13th, 2022|

The Unified Government Commission moved forward on stormwater infrastructure concerns Monday night after some months of delays on the issue. At a special meeting Monday night of the full UG Commission, the commissioners unanimously approved the plan to submit an application to the federal government seeking financing under the Water Infrastructure and Innovation Act (WIFIA). The commission approved a $100,000 application fee with the application, on a motion by Commissioner Melissa Bynum. There was no approval Monday night for a previously discussed stormwater rate increase. Source: Wyandotte Daily

Rigby leaving Wichita for city manager position in Oklahoma

info2022-02-13T20:28:49-06:00February 13th, 2022|

Scot Rigby, who has served as assistant city manager in Wichita since July 2015, will resign at the end of the month to start a new role as city manager of Edmond, Okla. During a search to find a replacement, Kathy Sexton, who retired as city manager of Derby late last year, will serve as interim assistant city manager. Rigby, whose last day is Feb. 25, said it's been a professional goal of his to serve as a city manager. "I've loved my job here. I think Wichita is a fantastic community, our family's loved it, this is just an opportunity [...]

Derby adopts new Neighborhood Maintenance Grant program

info2022-02-13T20:27:54-06:00February 13th, 2022|

In alignment with changes to the property maintenance code going into affect in 2022, the city of Derby is giving its Neighborhood Revitalization program a facelift – with the city council officially adopting the new Neighborhood Maintenance Grant program at its Feb. 8 meeting. Assistant to the City Manager Sarah Gooding reported the new program will look very similar to the old program – with some minor changes made to open up potential participation throughout the community. Additionally, she said the program was expanded to address some concerns about the potential financial impact brought up during discussion of the new property [...]

Video travel blog features Chase County communities

info2022-02-13T20:27:26-06:00February 13th, 2022|

A handful of Chase County communities were recently featured in a travel blog that seeks out the “hidden gems” of Kansas. John Wise posts videos of his explorations of Kansas ghost towns under “Travel with a Wiseguy” on YouTube. He told the Leader-News this week that he travels often through his job as a track and field coach at Wichita State University. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports in 2020, he was left feeling pretty antsy. “We travel all the time, so it was kind of a strange deal,” he said, adding that his traveling started that summer. “I didn’t [...]

WPD raising starting pay for police recruits, officers

info2022-02-13T20:26:40-06:00February 13th, 2022|

The largest police department in the state of Kansas is hiring. "We always like to remind individuals that nobody forces you to do this job. This truly is a job that you want to do. You feel, in your heart, you feel that it's a calling that you want to help give back to the community," Wichita Police Sgt. Jeremy Vogel said. The Wichita Police Department just raised its starting pay for a police recruit to $24 an hour. Once an applicant goes through the six-month Academy class, they become a police officer. Source: KAKE - News

Kansas broadband leaders tout ongoing programs, future initiatives to bridge digital divide

info2022-02-13T20:26:06-06:00February 13th, 2022|

Kansas state broadband leaders say federal and state funding established last year to improve connectivity across the state helped support nearly 100 projects, and they are optimistic additional funds are on the way. During the pandemic, the SPARK task force earmarked $60 million in CARES Act funding for two broadband grant programs related to the pandemic response. Connectivity Emergency Response Grants totaling $50 million are funding a total of 65 projects across the state and 25 Broadband Partnership Adoption Grants totaling $10 million helped facilitate internet access for low-income households, defraying internet subscription costs, funded hot spots, and provided devices to eligible households. Stanley [...]