News – Page 1720 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Dodge City closes City Hall to public after employee tests positive for COVID-19

info2020-06-12T08:19:46-05:00June 12th, 2020|

Administration for the City of Dodge City Thursday reports City Hall is closed to public access until further notice after an employee at City Hall tests positive for COVID-19. “We were notified this morning that one of our employees within City Hall has tested positive for COVID-19 and is now self-isolating,” says City Manager Nick Hernandez. “We have also closed City Hall until further notice while additional testing and monitoring of employees takes place.” Dodge City reports other employees who had contact with the city employee who tested positive for the virus were sent for testing and instructed to self quarantine [...]

Wichita faces deficit due to COVID-19, seeks public input on where to cut

info2020-06-12T08:19:19-05:00June 12th, 2020|

Due to revenue and tax loss from the coronavirus pandemic, the city of Wichita is facing a budget shortfall. According to Mayor Brandon Whipple, the city needs to cut roughly $11 million from this year budget and possibly as much as $16 million from next year’s. "There is no more good decisions, there are just less bad decisions" said Whipple. Wichita residents hope these cuts are not too short sighted. "We just need to have a long term vision on what is important for the Wichita economy” said Connor Hakes. (Read more: KAKE - News)

Fairway to consider updating public comment policy at future city council meeting

info2020-06-12T08:18:49-05:00June 12th, 2020|

The Fairway City Council Monday evening decided to table updating its public comment policy after several suggested changes from city councilmembers and input from citizens. ... The draft presented to the city council included the following adjustments: (Read more: Prairie Village Post)

Johnson County board approves plan to invest in contact tracing, testing supplies, epidemiology staff for COVID-19

info2020-06-12T08:17:49-05:00June 12th, 2020|

After many reassurances about data privacy and government oversight, the Johnson County Commission approved a $4.1 million expansion of its public health department budget to pay for contact tracing, testing supplies and more epidemiology staff. Some commissioners, who said they were leery of certain aspects of the health department’s request, also asked for and received a pledge that the increased research on the spread of COVID-19 would be fact-based and apolitical. Officials said this year’s extra spending should be eligible for federal reimbursement under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. After this year, the commission will review ongoing [...]

Wichita police plan to ban kneeling on necks of handcuffed subjects, more policy changes

info2020-06-12T08:16:59-05:00June 12th, 2020|

Wichita police plan to ban kneeling on necks of subjects who have been handcuffed, as well as several other policy changes protesters have called for. A document provided by the Wichita Police Department to the Citizen’s Review Board on Thursday listed several proposed changes to the use of force policy, which has not been updated in seven years. In addition to the ban on neck-kneeling for handcuffed subjects, the draft includes a duty to intervene for officers witnessing unethical behavior, a requirement to provide medical aid after deadly force is used and a general prohibition on shooting at vehicles. Those and [...]

KDHE rolls out COVID-19 testing strategy

info2020-06-12T08:16:13-05:00June 12th, 2020|

After months of an evolving testing strategy, Kansas has released a statewide strategy that will utilize four types of testing facilities, two methods of testing and the ability to more quickly identify a positive COVID-19 case. Kansas Department of Health and Environment Lee Norman said Thursday during a news conference the strategy will allow for a more rapid deployment force and the ability to test an entire facility such as a skilled nursing home or correctional facility. One of the testing strategy’s goals is to test two percent of the state’s population or conduct 60,000 tests a month. (Read more: State [...]

Dodge City receives funds for meal programs

info2020-06-12T08:22:56-05:00June 12th, 2020|

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) funds continue to be distributed to Kansas communities. The city of Dodge City recently received $132,000 in funding to be used for meal programs and such economic development initiatives as job retention for low- to moderate-income people.The funding received by the city was through Community Development Response Supplemental funds of the CARES Act, which aims to assist with nutritional programs. (Read more: News - Dodge City Daily Globe - Dodge City, KS)

Ruling: Jury to decide case against former Leavenworth police officer who fatally shot man in 2017

info2020-06-12T08:27:11-05:00June 12th, 2020|

A former Leavenworth police officer who fatally shot a man in a vehicle in 2017 cannot claim legal immunity, a ruling that leaves it to a jury to decide whether his actions were justified as self defense. Leavenworth County Judge Michael Gibbens found that the force used by then-Officer Matthew Harrington was not statutorily justified as self defense, clearing the way for the involuntary manslaughter case to proceed, The Kansas City Star reported. Harrington was indicted in August 2018 for the death of Antonio Garcia Jr., who was shot multiple times while sitting in an SUV. Harrington was fired for violating [...]

Appeals court: rules for city tour guides unconstitutional

info2020-06-12T08:44:10-05:00June 12th, 2020|

A federal appeals court has ruled that a South Carolina city's rules requiring tour guides to memorize facts about the city is unconstitutional. The unanimous ruling Thursday from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond upholds an earlier ruling from a lower court. A libertarian legal group, the Institute for Justice in Arlington, Virginia, filed the lawsuit on behalf of several would-be tour guides. The group argued it was an unconstitutional restriction on free speech to require tour guides to receive a license to talk to tourists about the city. (Read more: Politics & Government News |)

Lifeline Program offers relief to those struggling to keep phone service

info2020-06-12T08:14:22-05:00June 11th, 2020|

Low income and recently unemployed Kansans may qualify for phone service discounts of up to $17.02 per month with the Lifeline program. Currently more than 10 million low-income Americans, including 35,000 Kansans, are benefiting from Lifeline discounts on home and wireless phones as well as broadband. At a time when many Americans may be unemployed or facing other circumstances that make them eligible for the program for the first time, the Kansas Corporation Commission is joining utility regulators nationwide in increasing awareness of the Lifeline program. (Read more: Fort Scott Tribune)