News – Page 2108 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Watershed holds back floodwaters

info2019-06-04T10:06:23-05:00June 4th, 2019|

Residents of Newton and Sedgwick have the Sand Creek Watershed to thank for keeping water out of their homes as parts of Harvey County has received as much as 15 inches of rain in the past month. The Sand Creek Watershed is made up of 10 dam sites built between 1976 and 2000. “There are nine north of town and one between Newton and Sedgwick,” explained SCWD Board President Tom Cowan. The Sand Creek Watershed drains 64,134 acres — nearly 55,000 acres in Harvey County and the rest within the borders of Marion County. “They’re pretty impressive structures,” said SCWD Board [...]

Solid waste group pushes for lower rates at transfer station

info2019-06-04T10:04:15-05:00June 4th, 2019|

The Labette County Solid Waste Management Committee on Thursday night voted on a number of points its members want to see in a contract for operating a trash transfer station south of Parsons. The 15-year contract with Waste Corporation of Kansas was signed in January 2005 and expires in January 2020. The tipping fee for cities that bring trash to the station is $44.37 a ton. Trash is collected at the station, pushed into trailers and trucked to WCK’s Oak Grove Landfill at Arcadia, about 60 miles away. Committee members discussed the dump fee, the length of the contract, hours of [...]

Upcoming school finance decision will likely not change 2019-2020 school year, says KASB advocate

info2019-06-04T10:01:45-05:00June 4th, 2019|

No matter what the Kansas Supreme Court ultimately decides about whether or not the inflation adjustment to the school finance formula is enough, the budget for the upcoming fall is pretty much a done deal, according to an advocate with the Kansas Association of School Boards. “Even the plaintiffs, who are still saying that the Legislature didn’t get where they needed to be, are really satisfied with funding for next year,” said Mark Tallman with KASB. “I think there’s a pretty widespread belief that districts can be pretty confident of what they have next year. The issue is whether [...]

Water and wiring problems resurface at Pratt County jail

info2019-06-04T09:57:42-05:00June 4th, 2019|

Old water problems at the Pratt County Law Enforcement Center building and wiring issues were again brought to the attention of Pratt County commissioners on May 28. Sheriff Jimmy White took the commissioners on a two hour tour of the Law Enforcement Center, showing them that there was much that needed to be done to solve water leakage problems and improve the cabling system within the building. Shawn Harding, senior associate and architect for HMN Architects also toured the building to determine what needs to be done. Dedicated tubing for the miles of communication that runs through the building is needed. [...]

Salina annexes land for Water Treatment Facility

info2019-06-04T09:54:23-05:00June 4th, 2019|

Three months of negotiations between Salina and Saline County came to an amicable conclusion Monday when the Salina City Commission annexed about 42 acres of land into city limits for the future location of a new water treatment facility. In March, Salina officials requested permission from Saline County to annex the land, which the city already owned, into city limits. The land is located at the southeast corner of East Water Well Road and South Ohio Street. Salina Zoning Administrator Dean Andrew said annexing the property would allow Salina firefighters and police to respond to the location in the event of [...]

911 misdials make up 20 percent of calls in Sedgwick County

info2019-06-04T10:55:53-05:00June 4th, 2019|

Did you dial 911 by accident? It is common in Sedgwick County. In fact at one point, it made up 20 percent of all its 911 calls. KSN found out as it was just getting better, calls are back on the rise. All calls begin with 911 what's the location of your emergency? Then often, dispatches hear silence, movement and sometimes dial tones. Elora Forshee is the director for Sedgwick County Emergency Communications. "Maybe they put their phone in their purse or pocket. They haven't locked it down yet, so they're dialing buttons." She tells KSN that the county averages more [...]

Fed’s Bullard Says Rate Cut May Be Needed ‘Soon’

info2019-06-04T09:48:03-05:00June 4th, 2019|

The Federal Reserve may need to cut interest rates soon to prop up inflation and counter downside economic risks from an escalating trade war, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said. “A downward policy rate adjustment may be warranted soon to help re-center inflation and inflation expectations at target and also to provide some insurance in case of a sharper-than-expected slowdown," Bullard said Monday in remarks prepared for a talk in Chicago. “The direct effects of trade restrictions on the U.S. economy are relatively small, but the effects through global financial markets may be larger." Bullard’s comments mark the first time [...]

More discussion coming on possible change in Great Bend’s relationship with the Chamber

info2019-06-04T09:45:37-05:00June 4th, 2019|

Much discussion was had Monday night at the Great Bend City Council meeting on whether or not the relationship between the City of Great Bend and the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce, and whether or not economic development needs to be handled differently in the future. Based on talks from a strategic planning session the City Council had, a four-person committee was formed to create a plan of action to change the format of economic development within the city and the Chamber’s involvement. The topic was not originally on the agenda, but an amendment was approved to add the item to [...]

Hutchinson City Council to consider Leisure Development agreement

info2019-06-04T10:58:39-05:00June 4th, 2019|

The Hutchinson City Council will take action on an agreement with a development firm for a new convention center during Tuesday’s meeting. Any decision comes after Leisure Development Group requested the city work exclusively with them to put the project together. A decision on the agreement was put off until a convention study could be completed. Results of that study were released Friday. The agreement states that the city will work exclusively with Leisure on the project for a duration of six months. The intent of the agreement is to provide some assurances that the city intends to enter into a [...]

Hutch waits to fully assess damage to parks and trails from flood

info2019-06-04T10:59:12-05:00June 4th, 2019|

The flooding continues in Carey Park with the water table high enough to create lakes in normally dry areas. The zoo is still inundated with water and Parks Director Justin Combs says the water actually came up over the last day or so. A number of animals are still out of their normal holding areas and water continues to be pumped out of the gift shop basement. At the golf course, five holes near the levee are still unplayable because of ground seepage. Combs says damage to the course will likely be felt well into the summer. “With the grass being [...]