News – Page 2099 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

500 e-scooters hit a speed bump at Wichita City Hall when e-commuters question plan

info2019-06-12T09:52:18-05:00June 12th, 2019|

As a rental company announced plans to put 500 electric scooters on Wichita streets, the City Council delayed allowing that while it tries to allay the concerns of scooter commuters. Zagster, the company that provides the rental bikes to Bike Share ICT, and its partner, Spin, had expected to have the e-scooters on the streets of central Wichita by the end of this month. They announced they would deploy the scooters as soon as the city finalizes an ordinance setting rules for their use. But that deployment, and hiring for 30 part-time jobs, is now on hold. (Read more: Local News [...]

Summer Books on the Bus program underway

info2019-06-12T09:43:24-05:00June 12th, 2019|

The USD 457 Books on the Bus program, better known as B.O.B., is visiting various sites in Garden City, Monday through Thursday through July 25. B.O.B. is a traveling bus that brings books to various locations in Garden City during the summer Mondays through Thursdays in June and July. The goal of B.O.B. is to increase reading skills by getting books into the hands of children. The Kids Meals on Wheels Bus will be accompanying B.O.B. at a number of sites during the summer. Sack lunches will be provided for those 18 and younger as part of the Summer Food Service Program. [...]

Abilene names Foltz interim manager

info2019-06-12T11:47:56-05:00June 12th, 2019|

Jane Foltz, director of Abilene Parks and Recreation, was named Abilene’s interim city manager at the regular meeting of the Abilene City Commission on Monday. Foltz has been director of parks and recreation since 2001. ... “Right now we have a lot of things on the table,” Foltz said after the meeting. “We have a lot of projects and we have to keep moving forward. I am going to visit with staff and we are going to get a priority list assembled.” Read more: Reflector-Chronicle

Lawrence Parks and Rec board concerned about proposal to charge entrance fees at rec centers

info2019-06-11T11:58:57-05:00June 11th, 2019|

The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Advisory Board expressed concern that a proposal to charge entrance fees at the city’s recreation centers would negatively affect low-income residents and agreed to further study equity issues. At their meeting Monday, board members reviewed the Parks and Recreation Department’s 2020 budget proposal to charge entrance and other fees, as well as other expenditure cuts proposed by the department. The department is projecting an approximately $675,000 budget gap in its recreation fund, and in addition to fee increases is also proposing closing the Community Building for drop-in recreation and instituting a fee at the South Park [...]

Barton County to pave the way to new voting location

info2019-06-11T10:09:45-05:00June 11th, 2019|

The Great Bend Township in Barton County currently votes at the Science and Math building at Barton Community College. The area assigned for use at the college will not work with the new voting equipment. Barton County Election Officer Donna Zimmerman says the area provided by the college is a hallway setup and with tables now used for paper ballots or ExpressVote machines, the voting location needs more space. Zimmerman recommended using the Barton County Sheriff’s Firing Range. “It would require a change of the college to go down the hall a little into a classroom and it’s already a bit [...]

USD 313 seeks approval of new teachers contract

info2019-06-11T10:08:11-05:00June 11th, 2019|

BUHLER, Kan. — The Buhler USD 313 School Board will take action on a new collective bargaining agreement with the teachers union during Monday’s regular meeting. Action on the new contract comes after it was voted on and approved by teachers. If approved, the contract would run the standard one year. The board will go into executive session before returning for a vote. Also tonight, the board will hear a report on the random drug testing program at the high school and go over state assessment scores. The board will also go into executive session regarding the sale or purchase of [...]

Assessed valuation has gone up in Geary County

info2019-06-11T10:06:36-05:00June 11th, 2019|

Geary County officials have received good news on assessed valuation. It has gone up! County Clerk Rebecca Nordyke said Monday that the numbers in the entire county are up about $4 million compared to one year ago at this time. “The residential and some of the commercial property has gone up.” Nordyke added that the county also went up about $1.4 million in state asssessed utilities. “This is really good news because over the past couple of years we’ve actually been losing value so to have some increases is good for us.” That could potentially produce more tax revenue but Nordyke [...]

Some USD 308 workers to get about 4.5 percent raises

info2019-06-11T10:05:06-05:00June 11th, 2019|

The Hutchinson USD 308 school board Monday approved new salary schedules for administrative and classified positions that will hike the district’s costs next school year by about 4.5 percent over the current year. The district and the bargaining unit for teachers are still negotiating a contract for 2018-2019. Teachers probably can expect average salary increases of at least 4.5 percent next year, based on the district’s pattern of trying to align pay increases. Administrative positions include principals and administrators at district headquarters. Classified employees include paraprofessionals, custodians, food service, and maintenance workers. (Read more: Local - The Hutchinson News)

USD 309 pursues bond issue, grants superintendent Johnson a sabbatical

info2019-06-11T10:03:36-05:00June 11th, 2019|

The Nickerson-South Hutchinson Unified School District 309 school board returned to the bond issue topic Monday night, voting 4-3 to stick with a $29.9 million, one-question ballot to improve all the schools. Voting yes were: Jason Ontjes, Mike Apfel, Valorie Garcia and Brian Teichmann. Voting no: USD 309 Board of Education president Dan Schweizer, Brent Engelland and Tammy Davis. Schweizer and Engelland objected to the size of the bond issue and favored a two-question ballot. Davis wanted the ballot broken into two questions. Also on Monday night, the USD 309 school board unanimously voted to allow superintendent Dawn Johnson a sabbatical. [...]

Elevation continues to fall at Tuttle, high water advisory lifted

info2019-06-11T10:00:49-05:00June 11th, 2019|

The high water advisory in place in areas downstream from Tuttle Creek Lake — including the Berry Streets and Dix Addition in Northview — has been lifted, but residents are advised to stay aware of the situation. Lake elevation has steadily declined since the end of May, recorded at a level of 1129.48 feet above sea level as of 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 10th. As a result, the Army Corps of Engineers have reduced releases steadily to a level of 12,000 cubic feet per second with the anticipation of further reductions of 3,000 cfs at the end of the week. The [...]