News – Page 1969 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

USD 428 trying to get bond information out to everyone

info2019-10-17T21:56:39-05:00October 17th, 2019|

After Terry Wiggers with SJCF Architecture passed along survey results from what voters liked and disliked about a failed $44.87 million school bond, many of the USD 428 Board of Education members were surprised that some residents were not aware of the bond issue details. Several comments from the online survey at greatbendschools.net mentioned they were not educated on the purpose of the bond. With 55-percent of the vote against the first bond question, the district and SJCF will be tasked with figuring out how to get information to everyone, and not just those following on social media, reading the newspaper, [...]

Fort Scott city officials visit Nation’s Capitol to encourage legislators to invest in community

info2019-10-17T16:43:10-05:00October 17th, 2019|

Fort Scott city staff visit the Nation’s Capitol encouraging legislators to invest in the community. The Community Development Director, Robert Uhler says the trip was to raise awareness about the Southeast Kansas town at both a state and federal level. He met multiple federal legislators, including senators Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts, and state representatives Steve Watkins and Roger Marshal. Uhler pushed for more funding towards the many historical sites in the region, in hopes of keeping Fort Scott’s history alive. (Read more: KSNF/KODE – FourStatesHomepage.com)

City of Fort Scott applies for development grant to promote city expansion

info2019-10-17T16:40:44-05:00October 17th, 2019|

The city is looking get a Community Development Block Grant. It’s given to communities across the state of Kansas to enhance livability by providing financial, technical or business assistance. If the city gets the grant they plan to use it for a new 100-foot ladder truck for the fire department. Fort Scott’s expansion is bringing taller buildings to the area. That means fire fighters need to be able to reach higher than before. “We have more apartments downtown now, downtown buildings. We’ve had a developer in that’s bought some buildings and working on another one now, there’s primarily apartment,” explained Fort [...]

Hospital debt wiped clean; use-tax issue appears resolved

info2019-10-17T16:38:46-05:00October 17th, 2019|

South Central Kansas Medical Center’s staff can breathe easier now that a $1,313.005 debt to the city has been officially removed from the books. Arkansas City Commissioners passed a resolution Tuesday canceling all the hospitals debt obligations to the city for funds it borrowed in the past few years to meet bond payments and other costs. The resolution was put into place after the city acknowledged it had kept compensating use tax revenue instead of giving it to the hospital. (Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

City turns down proposal from rural electric cooperative

info2019-10-17T16:36:31-05:00October 17th, 2019|

The Wellington City Council, during its Oct. 15 meeting, voted to deny a rural electric cooperative’s proposal for a franchise agreement with the city in which the coop would supply utilities to territory recently annexed by the city. The property, annexed in August, is at the southeast corner of U.S. 160 and Seneca Road, lying east of the railroad. This property is platted into two lots - Lot 1, zoned for commercial use and Lot 2, zoned as heavy industrial. Verbio North America Corp. (VNA), a biofuel producer, plans to build on Lot 2, but currently, the entire property is on [...]

Manhattan to allow women to go topless, with restrictions

info2019-10-17T22:27:23-05:00October 17th, 2019|

Women are now legally allowed to go topless in Manhattan, with some restrictions. The Manhattan City Commission on Tuesday unanimously decided to amend the city code to allow females to go topless. However, property owners and businesses may still require all patrons to wear shirts. The Manhattan Mercury reports City Attorney Katie Jackson recommended the change to avoid potential lawsuits. She said the code could be changed again later. (Read more: KSN-TV)

Kansas Bicycle Map Photo Contest

info2019-10-17T16:30:32-05:00October 17th, 2019|

Kansas is home to many incredible views and opportunities to see some of the greatest sunsets in the world, but have you ever seen Kansas up close while riding a bike? If you have or if you plan to in the near future, we want to see what you see when you travel Kansas on two wheels! Our first Kansas Bicycle Photo contest is currently underway, and we need to hear from you! Comprehensive Transportation Planning Manager Matthew Messina said that the best thing about biking in Kansas is that the state has plenty to offer, whether you’re a commuter, a [...]

Pittsburg firefighters attend specialized disaster training session

info2019-10-17T22:00:36-05:00October 17th, 2019|

Several members of the Pittsburg Fire Department have returned from their annual training session as members of a special response team. The first responders are part of Task Force 4, which responds to natural disasters that occur in the southeast corner of Kansas. “We did a lot of wide area search and it helps us familiarize ourselves with our GPS’s, so we can mark our way points, track victim locations, and then we did a lot of shoring,” explained firefighter Cody Hobbs. “We did some breach and break and then we did some confined space searches.” The session took place in [...]

Rates & Financial Planning Workshop (Osawatomie) on October 23

info2019-10-16T21:00:25-05:00October 16th, 2019|

The Kansas Department of Health Environment (KDHE) Capacity Development Program, in partnership with Wichita State Environmental Finance Center (EFC), Ranson Financial and Kansas Municipal Utilities (KMU), encourages representatives from your utility to attend an upcoming rate setting and financial planning training.The session provides participants with an understanding on major considerations when setting rates; rate structure options and pricing objectives; financial planning considerations; and strategies for communicating rate information to your board and community. The training will provide classroom instruction as well as interactive participant exercises and discussion. Learn more and register here.

Lawrence City Commission approves density bonus that allows lots to be divided for affordable housing projects

info2019-10-16T20:54:47-05:00October 16th, 2019|

City leaders have approved a proposal that allows two houses to be built on one lot as long as both homes are affordable. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to approve a text amendment to the city’s land development code that codifies the so-called density bonus. In response to concerns that the Brook Creek Neighborhood brought to the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission in August, the amendment states that only lots of a certain size can be divided for such purposes and a permit will be required for the smallest lots. Read more: LJWorld.com.