News – Page 1279 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Douglas County sheriff wants to adapt space at the jail to give women more time outside their cells

info2021-11-11T15:56:52-06:00November 11th, 2021|

Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister wants to consider how to reuse space in the local jail — without adding any new beds — to help address inequities. Men in minimum security at the jail get 16 hours a day of free time within their housing unit, Armbrister said; in that time, they can have visitors, be on the phone or watch TV. Women in minimum security, on the other hand, have about three and a half hours of free time each day, he said. “It’s just not fair, and I can’t fix it,” he told Douglas County commissioners Wednesday. “… This [...]

Lawrence City Commission approves next steps toward long-term parklet program

info2021-11-11T15:55:17-06:00November 11th, 2021|

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday unanimously voted to move forward with an extension of the city’s temporary “parklets” while staff develops a long-term program. The temporary right-of-way program, which occupies some downtown parking spaces for outdoor dining, was implemented to help restaurants stay in business amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It was set to expire at the end of this year, but commissioners moved Tuesday to extend the program through March 31, 2022.A “Lawrence Listens” survey, which yielded 2,000 submissions, drew a largely positive response. Lawrence residents who visit downtown comprised 82.1% of respondents, and the survey showed that 85.6% of all [...]

Staffing shortages could impact KDOT for winter

info2021-11-11T15:49:32-06:00November 11th, 2021|

Kansas Department of Transportation offices in northeast Kansas are committed to keeping the highways cleared whenever inclement weather occurs. In line with workforce shortages across the nation, KDOT does not have enough equipment operators – the agency’s primary snowplow operators – in a number of areas across Kansas. These shortages create the potential for highways to not be cleared of snow and ice as quickly as in the past. The agency has dealt with reduced staffing in the past, but the shortages are greater this year. Northeast KDOT offices are about 25% short of snowplow operators needed to be fully staffed, [...]

Sedgwick County looking at impact of proposal to end the food sales tax

info2021-11-11T15:46:36-06:00November 11th, 2021|

Sedgwick County Commissioners had a brief discussion at their regular meeting Wednesday on the impact of a proposed elimination of the food sales tax in Kansas. Commissioner Jim Howell said he favors tax cuts, but he wants to know what the financial impact will be on the county’s budget. The county’s Chief Financial Officer, Lindsay Poe-Rousseau, said legislative research has indicated that there would have been a $4 million loss to the county in 2020 and a $4.3 million loss for this year. County Manager Tom Stolz said the Finance Department began looking at the numbers when Governor Laura Kelly announced [...]

Kristi Northcutt selected as the next Lindsborg city administrator

info2021-11-11T07:10:25-06:00November 11th, 2021|

Mayor Becky Anderson and city council members of Lindsborg announced the appointment of the city’s next administrator. Kristi Northcutt, will succeed longtime City Administrator Greg DuMars with the appointment effective Dec. 22, 2021. The city said Northcutt’s career includes extensive experience in community management for the past eight years, serving as Senior Director of Community Relations for Anthem, Arizona – a master planned community with 29,000 residents north of Phoenix. Source: Salina Journal

The first Fed rate hike is now expected as early as July following the hot CPI data

info2021-11-11T01:35:32-06:00November 11th, 2021|

Traders in the futures markets moved up their expectations for the first Federal Reserve interest rate hike to July from September, following a hotter than expected inflation report. "It's a very sharp move we're seeing the back end of 2022," said Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group. October's consumer price index came in at a scorching 6.2% year-over-year, higher than the 5.9% expected. Traders are now fully pricing in a first rate hike for September, but they are pricing in much higher odds that the Fed starts to raise rates sooner. The Fed has said it would complete [...]

Governor Laura Kelly Announces $3.5 Million in New Funding for Kansas Tourism Initiatives

info2021-11-12T08:05:14-06:00November 11th, 2021|

Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced Kansas has received $3.5 million in grant funding from the United States Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to distribute to local partners across the state. These funds will accelerate travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation in the state. “Kansas’ tourism industry is an economic driver for our state, which is why my administration relocated the State’s Tourism Division to the Department of Commerce last year,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “This $3.5 million will accelerate our efforts to boost travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation across Kansas – improving quality of life for Kansans and growing our [...]

Harvey County employees to receive raise in premium pay

info2021-11-12T08:05:30-06:00November 11th, 2021|

Harvey County employees will be receiving an additional $4 per hour in premium pay for the time they spent in their office during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board of Harvey County Commissioners on Tuesday approved premium pay on a 2-0 vote, with Commissioner Randy Hague abstaining. The total for all employees could cost up to nearly $1.2 million, all of which will be funded by the America Rescue Plan Act. Hague said he thought employees deserved premium pay, but he noted that the proposal was the first time constituents had heard about it. He questioned whether the matter should be tabled [...]

Newton updates sound ordinance

info2021-11-12T08:06:05-06:00November 11th, 2021|

The City of Newton will change its sound ordinance, which will now be in effect 24 hours a day. The commission approved updating the ordinance at its Monday meeting, following complaints from a resident. The new ordinance establishes a rule to be in effect at all residentially owned properties limiting sound if: “It creates a nuisance or injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health or safety of others, or which interferes with the use or enjoyment of property of any person of reasonable sensibilities residing in or occupying the area unless the making and continuing of such noise is necessary for [...]

Newton’s dream of Amtrak hub moving forward

info2021-11-11T01:20:45-06:00November 11th, 2021|

Newton’s Amtrak hopes now just need a presidential signature. The House of Representatives voted this week to move forward on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill already approved by the Senate. The bill includes $120 million in funds available for rail improvements in Oklahoma and Kansas that would connect the Heartland Flyer, which serves Texas and the southern U.S., with the Southwest Chief in Newton. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re basically greenlit for Amtrak Service,” Newton Community Development Coordinator Zach McHatton said. Amtrak has indicated that the connection is a priority. Newton would become a hub for the two lines and [...]