News – Page 2136 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Commissioner criticizes lawn care work being done in some county parks; too many dandelions

info2019-05-10T09:12:34-05:00May 10th, 2019|

Some lawn care companies that work under contract for Shawnee County aren’t effectively maintaining its parks, County Commissioner Kevin Cook said Thursday. He cited the presence of numerous dandelions in Childrens Park at the southeast corner of S.W. 6th and MacVicar Avenue. “I don’t know that you could fit another dandelion into that park,” Cook said. “It is full.” He encouraged Tim Laurent, deputy director of the county’s parks and recreation department, to hold those contractors accountable. Laurent pledged to do that. “I feel like it’s on us to do a better job of going out and making sure they’re doing [...]

Wellington council agrees on ‘common consumption area’ for Wheat Festival

info2019-05-10T09:11:06-05:00May 10th, 2019|

The Wellington City Council agreed to continue to have a “common consumption area” for the Wheat Festival. The area where alcohol can be consumed was changed last year and it went well, said Wellington Chamber director Kelly Ford at the Tuesday meeting before the big flood had arrived. The council agreed and passed the resolution to continue the practice. In previous years there was an area, but it was off to the side more and patrons said it was hard to hear the music. The drinking area will be from 4 p.m. until midnight on July 13 at the Wheat Festival. [...]

Leavenworth County Commissioners vote to remove elected officials from pay plan

info2019-05-10T08:59:15-05:00May 10th, 2019|

When they met Wednesday, Leavenworth County commissioners voted to remove elected officials from a county pay plan. Salaries of the county elected officials are set each year by the commission. But the salaries were being determined using the same pay plan that is used for employees of the county government. The pay plan takes into consideration factors such as experience and education. The change approved Wednesday by the County Commission removes the commissioners as well as other elected officials such as the county clerk and sheriff from the pay plan. County Administrator Mark Loughry said commissioners reached a consensus then to [...]

City of Augusta okays improvements at Santa Fe Lake

info2019-05-10T08:57:42-05:00May 10th, 2019|

Augusta City staff and Council members have spent considerable time and effort into improving life and amenities for the community. One of Augusta’s assets is Santa Fe Lake and the location has seen a number of improvements in the past few years. The Park Advisory Board met last month to discuss several more improvements and enhancements for Santa Fe Lake. Among the proposed improvements is the implementation of a campsite reservation system, donations of mountain bikes and helmets for a rental program, implementation of a Kid’s Summer Nature Camp, and amendments to the Augusta City Code. Rod Davis, SFL caretaker, was [...]

After nine years, could Kansas school funding lawsuit be over? Justices will decide

info2019-05-10T08:54:33-05:00May 10th, 2019|

Justices on the Kansas Supreme Court appear ready to wrap up a legal fight over school funding that lawmakers have been trying to end for nearly a decade. The high court heard arguments Thursday over whether public schools in Kansas are now constitutionally funded after the Legislature approved a $90 million increase in April. The boost is the latest in a series of moves aimed at complying with court orders to appropriate more money for schools. The plaintiff districts – Wichita, Kansas City, Dodge City and Hutchinson – argued the newest finance plan falls about $270 million short of complying with [...]

Water, water everywhere in Pratt county

info2019-05-10T08:52:58-05:00May 10th, 2019|

Persistent rain continues to fall in and around Pratt causing flooding problems on the Ninnescah River and at several road locations in the county. Tim Branscom, Pratt County Emergency Manager, said the Ninnescah River crested at 11.06 feet Wednesday and that is two feet above the nine feet minor flood level. The Ninnescah reached 14.66 feet during the Labor Day flood of 2018 when the river overtopped the Pratt County Veteran’s Memorial Lake, causing damage to the lake facilities and the inflow and outflow valves and other damage to the lake. The lake was being drained to make repairs on the [...]

Horton Commission moves toward nursing home resolution

info2019-05-10T08:50:23-05:00May 10th, 2019|

Commissioners and city employees have been working hard behind the scenes over the past month to prevent the closing of the town’s only nursing home. The progress has been reported at a handful of recent city commission meetings, as the commission works with current Manor board members to navigate a handoff in ownership and management. At the April 15 commission meeting, Interim City Administrator John Calhoon announced that multiple entities had expressed interest in managing the manor. At the direction of Mayor Bryan Stirton, City Attorney Kevin Hill drafted an Asset Purchase Agreement to present to the Mission Village Living Center [...]

Miami County Commissioners mull election equipment options

info2019-05-10T08:45:27-05:00May 10th, 2019|

Miami County commissioners seemed in agreement during their April 24 study session that Election Systems & Software of Omaha, Neb., was the preferred vendor to supply the county’s new election equipment. But commissioners didn’t prefer the company’s price quote. Depending on which option is selected, the county would spend in the ballpark of $550,000 to $680,000 for equipment and software, based on the current ES&S quote. Financial Director Steve Lyman said the county has budgeted $400,000 for new election equipment. The initial cost does not include annual maintenance and license fees of about $55,000. ES&S serves 27 counties in Kansas with [...]

Oswego hospital closure effects linger

info2019-05-10T08:43:05-05:00May 10th, 2019|

Last month, Labette Health opened its new Oswego Clinic & Express Care facility, providing some relief to patients who had been in health care limbo since the February closure of Oswego Community Hospital. Not all of the disruptions to people’s lives and medical care issues in Oswego have been resolved by the clinic’s opening, however. Dusty Jones, clinic coordinator for the new Labette facility in Oswego, says she is “one of the luckiest” former employees of Oswego Community Hospital, where she had been working as both a billing specialist and admissions clerk until the hospital, once operated by troubled Kansas City [...]

Pittsburg awarded Kansas Historic Preservation Fund grant

info2019-05-10T08:40:14-05:00May 10th, 2019|

From aging signage to old documents the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office will begin research on Pittsburg’s history thanks to a grant. The City of Pittsburg was awarded a $16,000 Kansas Historic Preservation Fund Grant from the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office. Pittsburg was one of seven Kansas communities to receive a SHPO grant this year. The grant funds will be used to hire a consultant who specializes in historic preservation to research some of the oldest Broadway-facing buildings downtown. The research will begin in the fall and at the end of the project, the city will have a formal report [...]