News – Page 1305 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Weather service confirms tornadoes in western Kansas

info2021-10-14T07:00:35-05:00October 14th, 2021|

Meteorologists in Goodland confirmed an EF-0 tornado touched down near Sharon Springs in northwest Kansas during the storms Tuesday evening and early Wednesday. The twister traveled about 3.3 miles, with peak gusts of 85 mph, the weather service said. ... Meteorologists with the weather service in Dodge City were surveying damage on Wednesday from at least four tornadoes in lightly-populated areas near Dodge City. Those twisters were reported near Howell, Spearville, Trousdale and between Sublette and Copeland. Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

Liquor industry and grocers pushing Kansas lawmakers to lift restrictions on home delivery and online sales

info2021-10-14T06:58:36-05:00October 14th, 2021|

The to-go cocktails and longer liquor store hours adopted in Kansas during the pandemic could live on after the virus threat has passed. But some lawmakers worry that additional changes sought by grocery chains and liquor companies could hurt small businesses and overwhelm state regulators. Changes approved during the 2021 legislative session included expanding the hours liquor stores could operate on Sundays and holidays and allowing the sale of to-go cocktails and drive-through drinks. A special legislative committee is being lobbied to make it even easier for consumers to purchase beer, wine and hard liquor — changes that would need approval [...]

Residents asked for their own city to avoid Johnson County development. Board says no

info2021-10-14T01:29:46-05:00October 14th, 2021|

The Miami County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday rejected a petition asking to incorporate a new city in Kansas, an effort led by rural residents fighting to stop ever-encroaching industrial development from taking over their land. “It was very disappointing to hear the vote,” resident Charlie Koch said. “This kind of comes as a left hook.” Roughly 300 Miami County residents — who live in the unincorporated outskirts of Edgerton’s sprawling industrial park in southwestern Johnson County — filed the petition to form their own town: the city of Golden. They argued that their own city borders would have protected their [...]

Wichita stormwater team working around the clock to keep roads clear during fall rain

info2021-10-14T01:26:35-05:00October 14th, 2021|

When streets in Wichita flood during rain and storms, sometimes the problem is clogged drains, especially this time of year when there's extra debris like leaves and sticks. But Wichita has a team on standby around the clock to keep them clear. "We'll run it in, and we'll get that debris, and we'll pull it back to whatever structure that we're sitting at. And then we can suck it up from there," said Wichita stormwater worker Derek Kostner. Kostner is in his eighth year working for Wichita's stormwater team, driving a big truck around town unclogging drains during storms. With about [...]

KDOT, Topeka put exclamation point on $234 million plan to replace I-70 viaduct near Capitol

info2021-10-14T01:23:59-05:00October 14th, 2021|

State and local officials punctuated plans Wednesday for overhaul of the heavily traveled snake-shaped portion of Interstate 70 in Topeka by affirming a partnership agreement to improve safety for motorists, create jobs and gain traction with the new statewide transportation system upgrade. Moving ahead with a project estimated to cost $234 million includes replacement of the Polk-Quincy Viaduct and expansion of I-70 to six lanes from MacVicar Avenue to Topeka Boulevard. The project scheduled to begin in 2024 would be primarily financed through the Kansas Department of Transportation. The work would remove a sharp curve on the viaduct and provide better [...]

Kansans will pay more for natural gas this winter

info2021-10-14T01:21:13-05:00October 14th, 2021|

Your natural gas bill is going to go up this winter. Natural gas prices run nearly double what they did a year ago and experts predict the increased prices to last at least through the winter. Utility companies pass the cost of natural gas directly on to their customers. As the price of wholesale natural gas increases, so will the fee your utility charges every month. For Kansas Gas Service customers, that fee this month is $5.67 per thousand cubic feet of gas used. Last October it was only $3.76. Other large gas utilities have made similar increases. Source: KCUR News

More than $1 billion in federal relief money went to Kansas schools; new numbers show how it’s being spent

info2021-10-14T01:17:45-05:00October 14th, 2021|

Kansas schools received about $1.4 billion in federal relief money. On Tuesday, Kansas school board members voted to allocate roughly $15 million to school districts to training teachers in literacy and math, two areas that faced setbacks during the pandemic. Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson delivered an annual report showing the latest numbers on the pandemic's impact in Kansas schools. Education officials have pointed to learning loss as a problem in schools, especially as students and teachers struggled to adjust to remote learning last year. Watson told Kansas Capitol Bureau the state is trying to find a way to address the [...]

Abused dog finds award-winning new life working in Kansas law enforcement

info2021-10-14T01:14:08-05:00October 14th, 2021|

An abused four-year-old German shepherd rescued in 2018 from the animal shelter in Junction City is now being recognized as the 2021 Detector Dog Case of the Year after she sniffed out 95 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop. The German shepherd was brought to the Junction City-Geary County Animal shelter in October 2018. The shelter’s staff named her Nova. They said she had a deep wound around her muzzler, which made them think she had been bound with a rope or wire. The Geary County Sheriff’s Office had discussed getting a second drug-detecting dog from a shelter. That’s when deputies found Nova. In March [...]

Here’s how Wichita public officials handled the water shutdown

info2021-10-14T01:10:07-05:00October 14th, 2021|

Confusion reigned last Thursday evening as a major water main break that left roughly half a million Kansans without reliable drinking water for 36 hours spurred uncertainty. As city crews worked nonstop to address the burst pipe, the failure to communicate vital information between organizations and to the general public compounded the confusion of the moment. Officials knew early on that Wichita water couldn’t be deemed safe before Saturday morning, but that timeline wasn’t made clear for hours, keeping families and businesses guessing late into the night about what Friday may bring. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

USDA’s rural energy program a boost to family farms and small businesses

info2021-10-14T01:07:01-05:00October 14th, 2021|

As legislators calculate the right balance on how much to spend on infrastructure and clean energy, they should take stock of both the environmental and the economic gains that everyday Americans earn through the transformation to an efficient, clean energy economy. And make no mistake: The transition is underway, built up from many small projects and successes. Congress can maintain momentum by funding smart policy choices, such as USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program. In its nearly 20-year history, this program has supported more than 20,000 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects for rural businesses and farms. These projects are mostly [...]