News – Page 1456 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

“Constantly short”: Chase County EMS seeking recruits as staffing shortage continues

info2021-04-19T07:21:22-05:00April 19th, 2021|

With just six people certified to respond to any 911 dispatched EMS responses within Chase County, EMS Service Director Scott Harris says he is facing a critical staffing shortage that can only be addressed by hiring more staff. “Right now we’re down to myself — the full-time person who not only works the dayshift but covers any nightshift we need covered — and our five part-timers or ‘volunteers.’” While part-time EMS staff are considered volunteers, in this case the title is a bit misleading; part-time EMS volunteers are paid positions. Each of those five part-time staffers, Harris said, also works a [...]

Proposed ethics code limits gifts to Wichita officials for the first time in history

info2021-04-19T07:20:43-05:00April 19th, 2021|

If the Wichita City Council passes a new ethics policy this spring, it will be the first overhaul of the city’s ethics policy for elected officials in 63 years. But it won’t be the first time Wichita’s city government has tried to reform in the wake of scandal. Wichita City Council members and other members of city boards and commissions have been accused of using public office for personal gain off-and-on for more than 100 years. How the city responded has largely shaped how the city government functions. Wichita’s proposed reform comes on the heels of several local officials being swept [...]

1-3 inches of snow, freezing temperatures in forecast for parts of Kansas

info2021-04-19T07:19:44-05:00April 19th, 2021|

Freezing temperatures and 1-3 inches of snow are expected across parts of Kansas starting Monday night, meteorologists predict. The National Weather Service office in Wichita has issued a pair of freeze watches, predicting sub-freezing temperatures Monday night into Tuesday morning and again Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. The watches covers Butler, Chase, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Marion and Sedgwick counties. “Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing,” the advisory states. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Kansas district ditches Native American mascots

info2021-04-19T07:18:41-05:00April 19th, 2021|

A Kansas district has decided to ditch its “Redmen” and “Braves” mascots after public opinion shifted. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the Atchison school board approved the change unanimously this past week. It was a reversal from 2018 when the board voted to keep the “Redmen” mascot for the district’s high school and the “Braves” mascot for the middle school. Board member Carrie Sowers said she changed her vote because the community “spoke loud and clear." Sowers said the board heard considerable support in 2018 for keeping Native American-themed mascots. But this time, all nine people who addressed the matter at [...]

A new Lenexa bicycle loop

info2021-04-19T07:17:50-05:00April 19th, 2021|

Improving access, connectivity and safety for bicyclists was a key component of Lenexa’s Complete Streets Plan. The City of Lenexa is now implementing some of the plan’s recommendations to clearly identify safe routes for cyclists using bike lanes, signage and pavement markings. Source: What's New News Summary

Some Kansas counties turn down COVID vaccine as demand slows

info2021-04-19T07:17:27-05:00April 19th, 2021|

Some Kansas counties are rejecting new COVID-19 vaccine shipments or reducing their orders because of decreased demand for the drugs, worrying health officials who say mass vaccinations are the only path to a return to normalcy. Dennis Kriesel, the executive director of the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments, said Friday that the shift occurred in the past couple weeks. The state opened up eligibility on March 29 to all residents 16 and older. That led to an increase in demand in mostly urban areas, but some rural counties already had begun to administer the vaccine to anyone of age who [...]

Gov. Laura Kelly cements rural focus

info2021-04-19T07:16:24-05:00April 19th, 2021|

Gov. Laura Kelly was in Humboldt Thursday morning to tour the Monarch Cement plant and learn its history. The extensive outing included seeing the plant’s massive rotary kilns, its sophisticated control room and towering silos. Kelly said, “It’s companies like Monarch that are the bedrock, literally, of our state, along with agriculture.” Not content with the status quo, Kelly said, “We’re working ferociously to grow our economy here in the state of Kansas,” adding, “Last year we set a record for new capital investments in the state. Over $2.5 billion.” Kelly said she was “very, very impressed” with her tour of [...]

Homeless population in Wichita expected to grow

info2021-04-19T07:15:07-05:00April 19th, 2021|

The after-shock of the COVID-19 pandemic has some in Wichita preparing for an increase in homelessness. Humankind Ministries said this year the number of people staying at their shelters is lower than expected. They believe this is because apartments are not allowed to evict people who aren't paying their rent, but come May, they said that will change. "I do believe we haven't felt the full effect of the pandemic and the impact it will have for those in poverty," said Christen Sampamurtgy, the director of program and compliance with Humankind Ministries. The trickle down of the COVID-19 Pandemic has many [...]

Hard Rock Hotel site in Edwardsville sits shovel-ready as it awaits financing

info2021-04-19T07:13:48-05:00April 19th, 2021|

A Minnesota developer is not backing down from plans to build a $74 million Hard Rock Hotel in Edwardsville, even as its prominent site has sat untouched for more than a year and its lender failed to disperse contractually agreed-upon funds. Although One10 Hotel HRKC LLC has no specific timeline, the builder is working to finance the hotel southeast of Interstate 70 and 110th Street, said John M. Edgar, an attorney with Edgar Law Firm LLC representing the developer. Source: Kansas City Business Journal

Abilene attractions planned for May

info2021-04-18T22:20:38-05:00April 16th, 2021|

After a year of canceled and curtailed events, Abilene is as open as the Wild West it evokes as part of its history. Almost all of its tourist attractions will celebrate the unofficial start of the town’s tourist season May 1. The one notable exception is the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, which will remain closed to visitors. Because it is part of the National Archives and Records Administration, the Eisenhower Library is subject to federal guidelines for reopening, as are all presidential libraries. But for the rest of the town and Dickinson County, face masks are discretionary, not mandated, and [...]