News – Page 2121 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Even if it rains or floods, La Cygne preparing for 150th anniversary celebration

info2019-05-24T13:19:02-05:00May 24th, 2019|

Broadway St. in La Cygne, Kansas is empty now. But community organizers say they hope to see it packed this weekend for the town's 150th anniversary celebration. "We’re really excited. We’ve been planning as the historical society for about two years," La Cygne Historical Society President Janet Reynolds said. But rain and potential flooding may paint a different scene, drawing in fewer people. "I would be very upset. It’s like you plan for something and if it doesn’t happen, then you have a real reason to be disappointed," La Cygne Historical Museum Curator Ruth Reynolds said. There's only four ways to [...]

Derby will get new fire chief in July

info2019-05-24T13:18:06-05:00May 24th, 2019|

A veteran Wichita Fire Department leader will take over as Derby’s new fire chief on July 1. John Turner, most recently a Wichita battalion chief and division commander, will be chief in Derby as Brad Smith retires. Turner and his wife, Bridget, live in Wichita and are relocating to Derby. Turner, 50, said he’s excited to get going at the job. “I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity,” he said. He called Derby “a great community,” and said that both the department and the city government itself have stellar reputations. (Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)

City approves downtown sound system

info2019-05-24T13:16:36-05:00May 24th, 2019|

Downtown Emporia will soon sport a new sound system. The Emporia City Commission officially accepted an agreement between the city and Emporia Main Street for the project Wednesday morning. The system will be used to play music and relay messages downtown. It may also be used to announce emergencies during events. Main Street Director Casey Woods told commissioners last month that he had been working with Cody Maxfield of Audio Lite to find an expandable wireless speaker system for the downtown area. The proposed system would install two units per block in the 600 — 900 blocks of Commercial Street. The [...]

Film festival coming to Emporia

info2019-05-24T13:15:10-05:00May 24th, 2019|

Sundance, Cannes and now, Emporia. The No Coast Film Festival is coming to the Granada Theatre on Aug. 31. The festival promotes the short film genre through the gathering of local, national and international filmmakers. This is the festival’s first year. New, independent films will run alongside award-winning films from other international festivals. One of the themed programs focuses on “Unseen Kansas.” The current submission price is $15, and attendance is free. Earlier this week, there were eight submissions, though the committee is hoping for 30 or so. They plan to put films into block screenings, with time afterward to hold [...]

An inside look at the jobs of first responders

info2019-05-24T13:11:45-05:00May 24th, 2019|

Families visited Derby Fire Station 81 and the Derby Police Department Sunday for the annual youth open house. The come-and-go event, primarily geared toward children 10 and under, allowed kids to see the inside of the police department on tours, try on police and fire gear, and test some equipment firsthand. (Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)

The economy is helping Derby’s fiscal picture

info2019-05-24T13:10:57-05:00May 24th, 2019|

A combination of factors has led to the city of Derby having more money in its general fund balance than originally projected. It has $1.6 million additional, which is due to a number of staff vacancies, lower expenses and higher revenue from sales and taxes along with franchise fees. In addition, higher short-term interest rates helped. Those were just some of the many facts Jean Epperson, the city’s director of finance, presented during her annual financial report at the May 14 City Council meeting. (Read more: DerbyInformer.com - news,news/)

High water forces Hutchinson Zoo to close

info2019-05-24T13:10:19-05:00May 24th, 2019|

High water in central Kansas is forcing the Hutchinson Zoo to close for the first time in more than a decade. Zoo Director Ryan VanZant says the closing earlier this week was mostly for safety. Some sidewalks, exhibits and playing areas were underwater. VanZant says bison were moved to higher ground and employees are using a boat to get their food to them. He says all the animals still in their habitats are safe. Each habitat has a connected indoor facility that animals use to avoid severe weather. With more storms coming, VanZant says the zoo will remain closed during the [...]

Ellis Co. Commission puts brakes on sales tax talk

info2019-05-24T13:08:39-05:00May 24th, 2019|

Citing a lack of time to reach out to the public and disagreement among commissioners on the size of a potential sales tax, the Ellis County Commission voted against a quarter-cent sales tax proposed at Monday’s meeting. They will also wait to put a countywide sales tax up for vote. At last week’s meeting, the commission tabled the discussion on a proposed sales tax designed to help close a budget gap in the coming years. But at Monday’s meeting, Commission Chairman Dean Haselhorst said there isn’t enough time to reach out to the public. “I’ll just be very up front and [...]

More of Clay County Park succumbs to rising flood waters of Milford Lake

info2019-05-24T13:05:20-05:00May 24th, 2019|

Clay County Park Manager Mike Carney painted a dire picture of how flood waters from Milford Lake are affecting the park in Wakefield. Carney met with Commissioners on Monday to discuss the effects of the flood waters. He reported that the park has 267 sites and with the flooding he has 96 usable sites as of Monday. The rest of the sites are under water and the water continues to rise. (Read more: www.ccenterdispatch.com - RSS Results in news,local/* of type article)

Rain costing Clay county; sealing delayed to pay for road rock

info2019-05-24T13:04:25-05:00May 24th, 2019|

Clay County Highway Administrator Ronnie Tremblay reported to commissioners on Monday that the rain has had quite a toll on roads in the county. Commissioners granted permission to delay the sealing of 10 additional miles in the Idana area this summer for an estimated savings of $130,000. These addition funds will be put towards the cost of rock that is needed with all of the moisture. As of May 13, the county has spent $391,260 on rock for the roads. (Read more: www.ccenterdispatch.com - RSS Results in news,local/* of type article)