News – Page 2081 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Top Kansas court: Cities can raise age for buying tobacco

info2019-07-01T02:01:42-05:00July 1st, 2019|

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas' highest court ruled Friday that cities can raise the age for buying tobacco products even though state law sets it at 18, bolstering a public health movement driven in part by concerns about teenagers' use of e-cigarettes. The state Supreme Court's unanimous decision allows the city of Topeka to enforce an ordinance setting the age to buy tobacco products, e-cigarettes or liquid nicotine at 21. A company operating two local businesses, Vapebar Topeka and Puffs 'n' Stuff, sued just before the ordinance took effect in January 2018, and a lower-court judge blocked it. (Read more: The Arkansas [...]

Hospital debt refinancing to save taxpayers millions

info2019-07-01T01:57:51-05:00July 1st, 2019|

Taxpayers will save more than $11 million over the next several years under a restructuring of the construction debt for the South Central Kansas Medical Center. The refinancing was approved Tuesday night by both the Building Commission and the City Commission. The current amount due on the original bonds issued in 2009 to build a replacement medical center that opened in 2011 is $37 million, with combined principal and interest. (Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Opponents of wind project push for moratorium

info2019-07-01T01:49:03-05:00July 1st, 2019|

ERIE – Controversy over the planned Neosho Ridge Wind project was calmer, or at least shorter, during Thursday evening’s Neosho County Commission meeting when commissioners heard from two people. Lori Whitworth, a spokesperson for the opposition, addressed the commission on its decision to approve agreements with developer Apex Clean Energy. She said she thought she was participating in government, but what she witnessed was not open and transparent. She said the outcome was based on politics. Whitworth questioned how long Commissioner Gail Klaassen studied the agreements before voting in favor of approval, and contrasted the length of the agreements with the [...]

City does not extend fireworks sales

info2019-07-01T01:29:51-05:00July 1st, 2019|

OSAWATOMIE – A proposal to extend fireworks sales through July 6 failed to prompt a change in the city's ordinance. On Wednesday, June 26, City Council members voted unanimously not to amend the fireworks ordinance. A fireworks vendor had requested the city extend sales through July 6. The amended ordinance under consideration Wednesday night also tied use of fireworks to the same July 6 extension. The current city ordinance will remain in effect, which allows fireworks to be sold from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 29 through July 4. Fireworks can be discharged in the community from June 29 through [...]

Kansas Lottery launches program for vending machine sales

info2019-07-01T01:26:26-05:00July 1st, 2019|

TOPEKA — The Kansas Lottery is launching a pilot program to test vending machine sales. Lottery officials announced Wednesday that four self-service vending machines will be installed at retailers in Topeka. The first pilot site was installed Wednesday, with the other three sites set to become operational next week. The Kansas Legislature passed a law in 2018 allowing the lottery to sell traditional lottery tickets through vending machines. (Read more: 1350 KMAN)

Report: Nonprofit hospitals’ net worth soars as does Americans’ health care costs

info2019-07-01T01:23:18-05:00July 1st, 2019|

The average family in the U.S. pays nearly $20,000 in 2018 on insurance premiums, deductibles and out-of-pockets costs, a new report produced by OpenTheBooks.com found. At the same time, salaries for administrators and executives at hospitals were as high as $21.6 million. Six CEO's earned between $10 million and $21.6 million. “Charitable hospitals and their CEO’s are getting richer, while the American people are getting healthcare poorer,” the Open the Books report says. Of the 82 hospitals surveyed, only eight executives earned less than $1 million at organizations including the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Foundation, Dignity Health, and Partners HealthCare. Last year, the CEO [...]

Library celebrates 150 years of literacy

info2019-07-01T01:20:48-05:00July 1st, 2019|

The Emporia Public Library is celebrating its 150th birthday in 2019. A century and a half is a long time to be alive and, as such, the library is steeped in history. It plays a major role in Emporia’s past, present and future. According to Lyon County History Center Curator Lisa Soller, though the library has changed over the years and its role is different than it was 150 years ago, it has always been an important community hub. “It was access to learning,” she said. (Read more: Emporia Gazette)

New K9 on the job for Greenwood County

info2019-07-01T01:16:02-05:00July 1st, 2019|

After a lifetime of preparation, K9 Gilo (pronounced with a hard “g”) is ready to get to work as the newest member of the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office. The 2-year-old Dutch Shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix dog and his handler, Deputy Mike Baumgardner, have completed obedience training and are actively patrolling the county. The name “Gilo” has a special meaning to Baumgardner. “My best friend in the Marine Corps was Carlos Gil Orozco, ‘Gilo’ for short,” he said. “He was killed in Iraq, and I named the dog in honor of him.” (Read more: Emporia Gazette)

USD 253 holds public meeting to discuss September bond election

info2019-07-01T01:08:32-05:00July 1st, 2019|

Emporia Public Schools held its first in a series of town hall meetings Thursday on the subject of an upcoming bond election. The district has been promoting the idea of a $78 million bond in hopes the public will vote in its favor. Members of the public attended and participated in a discussion where they had a chance to ask questions of district officials. Emporia Marc Fusaro, who serves as Associate Dean of Emporia State University’s School of Business, wanted to learn more about the scope of the project. (Read more: Emporia Gazette)

It’s back to the drawing board after new Wichita rules fizzle in illegal firework enforcement

info2019-07-01T01:05:09-05:00July 1st, 2019|

Ann Marie Buerkle of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission talks about fireworks safety. This video includes dramatic fireworks demonstrations. They suggest leaving professional fireworks to the professionals and celebrate safely. BY Last year was the inaugural run of the new fireworks enforcement protocol in Wichita, but the promise of a $250 fine didn’t stop residents from celebrating the Fourth of July illegally. In fact, the number of firework related complaints were up last year, reports indicate. The city ended up writing about 140 tickets. But, Fire Chief Tammy Snow previously said, the citations hardly made a dent in punishing illegal fireworks use. In [...]