News – Page 2151 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Beer garden to expand at Marion county fair

info2019-04-24T06:54:32-05:00April 24th, 2019|

The Hillsboro City Council approved the plans to have a larger beer garden at the Marion County fair this summer in their meeting on Tuesday, April 16. Brent Unruh explained that last year was the first year for a beer garden at the fair and it went well. “We didn’t have a single issue with the alcohol. It was the cleanest spot in the arena,” said Unruh. Several of the council members chimed in that they had heard positive feedback about the garden as well. Unruh asked permission to hold the beer garden again with a few modifications.They first asked if [...]

Marion County Firefighters given praise following burn project

info2019-04-24T06:53:29-05:00April 24th, 2019|

Marion County commissioners heard from local firefighters at Monday’s meeting and how their task force scored high marks as part of a burn project at Quivira Boy Scout Ranch in Sedan. Lester Kaiser, Lincolnville fire chief, said as volunteers they were graded on their performance with the highest marks given for attitude. In addition, Erik Johnson, whose home unit is the Colorado River Fire Rescue stated the Marion County firefighters were prompt in arriving and in duty areas. “The crew boss for the students advised me that the task force of personnel were engaged in their work. They integrated well with [...]

Garden City Rec Commission breaks ground on O’Brate Gymnastics Center

info2019-04-24T06:52:00-05:00April 24th, 2019|

Nearly two years after the Garden City Recreation Commission bought GC Gymnastics Center on VFW Road, GCRC Superintendent Aaron Stewart on Monday stood before the organization’s board, coaches and stakeholders to break ground on a newer, larger facility. “We knew we needed a new facility basically within a month of being in the current facility, but it was hard to see this one coming,” Stewart said, referring to the nearly 12,000-square-foot building behind him compared to the much smaller, cramped and outdated gymnastics facility on VFW Road. Construction for the more than $1.34 million renovation project will continue throughout 2019 and [...]

Reno County Planning Commission will not recommend permit for wind farm

info2019-04-24T06:50:12-05:00April 24th, 2019|

The Reno County Planning Commission voted 4-3 against recommending a conditional use permit for NextEra Wind Energy to build a wind farm in the southeast part of Reno County. The sticking point was over setbacks with most not able to agree on what the setbacks should be. Some ideas included a mile from the property line to 2,000 feet from the foundation of a non-participating landowner. After the vote to deny recommending the conditional use permit, the planning commission voted 4-3 to send the recommendation to the Reno County Commission for consideration. The commission can go against this recommendation, agree with [...]

Chanute hears plans about solar-voltaic project

info2019-04-24T06:49:01-05:00April 24th, 2019|

Chanute city commissioners discussed solar energy with energy officials and the neighbor of a proposed project Monday evening. The commission met with Brandon Sack of Westar Clean Energy Development and Scott Shreve of consultants Energy Management Group about a proposed solar-voltaic project to be built near the city’s south energy plant on south Plummer. The commission also heard from neighboring resident Kathy Wicker. Commissioners said after the discussion that they wanted to talk about it more, and Mayor Sam Budreau said the consensus seemed to be to bring it back to the table. Westar has proposed working with the city on [...]

Schlitterbahn Water Park, part of $80 million Star Bond district in KC, has uncertain future

info2019-04-24T06:47:52-05:00April 24th, 2019|

The future of Schlitterbahn Water Park is uncertain as summer approaches. There are questions about whether the park will open for the 2019 season. The water park tore down the Verruckt waterslide after the 2016 death of Caleb Schwab, 10. The rest of the park's rides remain. Schlitterbahn's corporate website still lists the KCK location, but there is no place to apply for 2019 jobs at the park. Mayor David Alvey believes the facility will come back as a water park. "It's a good site. It's a good working park. I believe it will come back -- not sure when or [...]

Hays looks at draft Parks Improvement Plan

info2019-04-24T09:10:17-05:00April 24th, 2019|

At the suggestion of Hays city commissioners, a policy has been drafted for determining priorities in park improvements as well as how matching funds from outside entities are considered. The draft includes a new park amenities schedule created with the assistance of Jeff Boyle, director of parks. The total cost is approximately $3.35 million. “We would anticipate updating that every year with high, medium and low priority projects,” City Manager Toby Dougherty told the commission last week. It would be adopted as part of the annual budget of the Parks Department after review by the commission. (Read more: Hays Post)

McPherson superintendent addresses backlash with new online curriculum

info2019-04-24T06:40:46-05:00April 24th, 2019|

A Kansas superintendent makes efforts to clear things up about a learning program which has received backlash from some parents and students. This comes after The New York Times released an article about several Kansas districts using it. The new curriculum, called Summit Learning, is centered around an online program in which students complete assignments online and then demonstrate what they've learned in the classroom. McPherson school district superintendent Gordon Mohn explains the curriculum is designed for students to learn and progress at their own speed. A piece in the New York Times highlighted multiple parents against the Summit Learning program, [...]

Some cities stop chalking tires after court rules practice unconstitutional in 4 states

info2019-04-24T09:08:48-05:00April 24th, 2019|

Marking tires to enforce parking rules is like entering property without a search warrant, a federal court said Monday as it declared the practice unconstitutional in Michigan and three other states. Alison Taylor had received more than a dozen $15 tickets for exceeding the two-hour parking limit in Saginaw. The city marks tires with chalk to keep track of how long a vehicle is parked. Her lawyer argued that a parking patrol officer violated the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches. A three-judge panel of the appeals court agreed. The purpose of marking tires was to “raise revenue,” not to protect [...]

Lawrence City Commission selects Craig Owens as city manager

info2019-04-23T09:26:31-05:00April 23rd, 2019|

The current city manager of Clayton, Mo., will soon take over as Lawrence’s top nonelected official. At a special meeting Monday, the Lawrence City Commission announced that Craig Owens had been selected as the city’s next city manager. Reading a prepared statement, Mayor Lisa Larsen said that the commission was impressed with Owens’ 25 years of progressive experience in city management, which includes serving in several states and other community involvement. “Craig will be a great asset to our community, and I look forward to working with him as we continue to work toward creating a better city for all of [...]