News – Page 2100 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Great Bend school bond issue is in the hands of the voters

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

The USD 428 Board of Education moved ahead with sending a nearly $42 million school bond issue to the voters after passing the finalized proposal at Monday’s meeting. The outcome will be determined by registered voters within the Great Bend school district through a mail-in ballot sent to citizens later this summer. USD 428 Superintendent Khris Thexton says the process to finalize a master plan started in February 2018 with gathering ideas, naming a steering committee, hiring SJCF Architecture, and conducting several community meetings to gather information from the voters. “The resolution lets the voters decide if they approve of this [...]

USD 309 Nickerson School Board to consider bonds

info2019-06-11T11:57:37-05:00June 11th, 2019|

The Nickerson USD 309 School Board will seek approval of a resolution tonight that will officially kick off efforts to pass a major facilities improvement bond issue. The board recently approved a $29.9 million bond proposal for improvements to district schools. The bonds would be financed for 25 years. The decision to proceed with the bond issue comes following more than a year of planning and a recent survey that showed positive feedback from district patrons. Superintendent Dr. Dawn Johnson says they will start a campaign to convince voters in the district to approve the bond issue. (Read more: Hutch Post)

This Might Be The Last Summer Garden City Swimmers Enjoy Their Enormous Pool

info2019-06-11T08:03:37-05:00June 11th, 2019|

Every summer since 1922, locals and tourists have flocked to Garden City’s Big Pool. Once promoted as “the world’s largest outdoor free concrete municipal swimming pool,” it holds around 2 million gallons of water. “Holds” might now be an overstatement. The Big Pool leaks. A lot. Around 200,000 gallons of water from the pool seep into the ground per day — even after renovations that replaced pipes and sealed cracks in the concrete. Even for a pool of its size, the water loss is “excessive,” according to Fred Jones, Garden City’s water resource manager. “It's kinda to the point where we [...]

Kansas A to Z: ‘J’ is for Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park, south of Oakley

info2019-06-10T11:17:14-05:00June 10th, 2019|

The anticipated opening of the Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park this year in western Kansas highlights the state’s 2019 travel season. Kelli Hilliard, public relations and travel development manager for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, said the state park is expected to open sometime this summer. Located south of Oakley, Little Jerusalem encompasses a mile-long valley of 100-foot-tall spires and cliffs rising from the western Kansas prairie. The park includes the state’s largest Niobrara Chalk formations. “A lot of people have heard about it,” Hilliard said. “But unless you had a private tour, you couldn’t get in and [...]

City considers adding limited second shift for water division workers

info2019-06-10T10:34:39-05:00June 10th, 2019|

Topeka’s mayor and city council plan Tuesday to consider a proposed resolution aimed at greatly reducing the number of hours in overtime the city pays to water division employees who respond to scenes of water main breaks. The measure would arrange for some water division employees to work a “second shift” lasting from 2 to 10 p.m. in January, February, June, July, August and September, months that historically see a lot of water main breaks that require employees to work overtime. The mayor and council will hear public comments and consider the proposal when they meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in [...]

Young but experienced, Wall settles in as manager

info2019-06-10T10:27:50-05:00June 10th, 2019|

In his first month on the job, Winfield City Manager Taggart Wall said he has been most impressed by the employees. “I watched them deal with three floods in a row. They were on call 24/7, and didn’t complain about anyone asking for help. It’s the best display of teamwork,” Wall said. Wall, a Winfield native and Winfield High School graduate, started as city manager on May 13. He served on the city commission from 2009 to 2013, while a student at Southwestern College. After graduating from Southwestern, Wall earned a masters of public administration from Wichita State University. He worked [...]

County to consider sponsorship naming rights for Expocentre

info2019-06-10T10:24:50-05:00June 10th, 2019|

A proposed contract that would provide sponsoring naming rights for the Kansas Expocentre to an unspecified entity is among measures local elected officials plan to take up this coming week. The Shawnee County Commission will meet at 9 a.m. Monday and 9 a.m. Thursday in its chambers in Room B-11 of the County Courthouse, 200 S.E. 7th, while the Topeka City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in its chambers at 214 S.E. 8th. Commissioners plan Monday to recognize Capitol Federal Savings and the Capitol Federal Foundation for contributing $25,000 to become the title sponsor for this year’s annual Spirit [...]

Airport leasing at near capacity

info2019-06-10T10:22:18-05:00June 10th, 2019|

There is good news for the Newton City Commission and Harvey County Commission — the Newton City/County Airport buildings are almost at capacity. “All but two of our buildings are currently under contract,” said Brian Palmer, director of the airport. Longtime tenant Hesston College is considering expansion, and Park Aerospace is expanding — waiting on an approval from the FAA to break ground on a larger facility. Longtime tenant Avcon is renewing leases right now — drafts of the lease agreement should be in front of the commissions for review next week. (Read more: Newton Kansan)

New airport terminal project stalled

info2019-06-10T10:19:30-05:00June 10th, 2019|

GARDEN CITY — Plans to build a new terminal at Garden City Regional Airport have been put on hold following news that the airport did not receive a Federal Aviation Administration grant meant to pay for the bulk of the project. Last fall, the airport requested $20 million from the FAA Supplemental Appropriation Program, a new addition to the administration’s Airport Improvement Program. The $20 million would cover most of a proposed $26.85 million terminal construction project, which would replace the current facility where it stands with a new one, updated, upgraded and more spacious. The City of Garden City would [...]

Shawnee may need $140 million in next decade to repair or replace aging stormwater pipelines

info2019-06-10T10:18:30-05:00June 10th, 2019|

Shawnee’s aging stormwater infrastructure is becoming a widespread problem, with the city needing as much as $140 million over the next 10 years to repair or replace drainage pipes that are on the brink of failure. Public works staff demonstrated this need in a presentation to the Shawnee council in early April. Staff have doubled efforts in the past two years to video inspect pipeline and get a full grasp on the scope of the city’s pipeline network. What they’ve found: More than 220 pipes are expected to fail in the next three to five years, costing anywhere between $11.2 and $14 [...]