News – Page 2206 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Park City flag’s symbols have meaning

info2019-02-22T09:43:02-06:00February 22nd, 2019|

City leaders hope Park City's new flag will be a symbol that unites its citizens. Park City held a ceremony to debut the flag Feb. 16. Last March, the city council voted 7-1 to match Convention and Tourism funds of $11,775 for a new city flag. A selection committee was also established. Staff was impressed with other logos and flags in the area and thought it would be a good time to give Park City's logo a facelift. Former City Administrator Jack Whitson said at the time that flags give communities something to rally around and can even help spur economic [...]

Dodge City manager offers blueprint for dealing with rural Kansas housing shortage

info2019-02-22T09:16:38-06:00February 22nd, 2019|

City Manager Cherise Tieben’s firm belief housing construction was a market-driven segment of the economy didn’t survive a 2007 meeting with exasperated Dodge City bankers, developers, realtors and employers. She learned from the group the southwest Kansas community’s housing stock was profoundly inadequate and the private sector was incapable of keeping pace. Teachers were residing in colleagues’ basements. Employers placed hires in hotels for up to six months. Families paid a premium for deplorable rentals. Bank financing was scarce. Most homes on the market were overpriced. A study showed the city would require 950 housing units by 2013, but banks were [...]

Wind energy advocates say proposed restrictions are attempt to end Kansas developments

info2019-02-22T09:14:50-06:00February 22nd, 2019|

Alan Albers is tired of being characterized as a terrible ogre whose enthusiasm for wind turbines is selfish and greedy. He rejects claims that low-frequency sounds produced by wind farms have adverse health effects and believes proposed legislation to restrict wind farm development would trample the rights of property owners who welcome payments that augment declining farm revenue. Albers said he owns land in Kingman and Pratt counties and that his extended family has provided space for 21 wind towers. “The idea that I or they would put people in jeopardy for wealth is totally offensive,” Albers said. “You can find [...]

After a year without air-conditioning, Cowley County courthouse can finally chill out

info2019-02-22T09:12:57-06:00February 22nd, 2019|

If everything goes as planned, things will cool down at the Cowley County Courthouse this spring. County commissioners approved 2-0 a motion to purchase a chiller from Winfield Heating and Plumbing for $259,000. The courthouse has been without air conditioning for more than a year. Commissioner Alan Groom abstained from voting to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest because he often does welding on Winfield Heating and Plumbing’s projects, said county administrator Lukas Goff. The bid price includes installation of an outside chiller and electricity and plumbing for it. Included in that price is $75,000 that could go toward a [...]

Reno County receives funding for road safety

info2019-02-22T09:10:52-06:00February 22nd, 2019|

Projects in four counties, including Reno County, will receive funding to improve safety on rural roads as part of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s High-Risk Rural Roads program. Officials say projects in this program fall into one of two categories — systemic or site specific. Projects in the systemic category are 100 percent federally funded and aren’t required to provide a match. Site specific projects are 90 percent federally funded and a county contributes up to 10 percent of the project cost. Reno County and three other counties fall under the systemic category. Reno County will receive $378,000 for upgraded signing [...]

Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office reunites stolen property to rightful owners

info2019-02-22T09:10:05-06:00February 22nd, 2019|

From trail cameras to tires to power tools, the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office put several stolen items on display on Thursday in hopes of returning them to their rightful owners. The sheriff's office recovered the items from a series of burglaries. In all, the stolen goods total about $100,000. "You'll find that some of these cases have been completed, and we just have their property. And in others, we have no idea what case it might be on. That's why we're asking the public to come out and help us get this property back to them," said Lt. Tim Myers. Joey [...]

Commission responds to social media criticism on storm/ice preparation

info2019-02-22T09:08:13-06:00February 22nd, 2019|

One major challenge was identified after Tuesday night’s El Dorado City Commission meeting was adjourned and cameras had stopped rolling. That challenge being the propagation of animosity towards the City and its employees without respect or compassion for their dedication to serving the public. Commissioner Wilkinson told Mr. Meyer, “I personally want to thank you and your department for everything you’ve done. I think a lot of the criticism you received on Facebook was unnecessary and quite rude.“ At the request of City Manager David Dillner, Mr. Meyer shared the City of El Dorado Public Works Policy on Snow and Ice [...]

Sugar mill collapse has planning department’s attention

info2019-02-22T09:06:30-06:00February 22nd, 2019|

The partial collapse of a 140-year-old building in Hutchinson has raised the attention of the city building inspector and the planning department. The old sugar mill suffered damage when a portion of the elevator shaft fell to the ground Feb. 4. Because the bill to repair the building is in excess of $250,000, the building will likely come down. Trent Maxwell, the city building inspector, says they are weighing the options for dealing with the older buildings in the city. Interim Planning Director Jim Seitnater says the city wants to be proactive in making sure the buildings are sound, but also [...]

Roeland Park approves expenditure of nearly $900K on R Park pavilion, restrooms

info2019-02-22T09:02:19-06:00February 22nd, 2019|

Roeland Park’s city council on Monday approved the expenditure of $118,504 for engineering and design for the first of redevelopment for R Park. The project will be managed by Larkin Lamp Rynearson, a Kansas City engineering firm. The phase one designs will include a pavilion and restrooms. The pavilion will be large enough to accommodate 60 people and the restrooms will be designed to meet this capacity, according to the task order. The city initially planned to spend $200,000 for a pavilion in 2020 and another $200,000 for permanent restrooms in 2021, but the timeline was changed to meet code requiring [...]

Leavenworth County Commissioners review festival proposal

info2019-02-22T09:00:25-06:00February 22nd, 2019|

The city of Leavenworth may start up a new community festival. And the recommended name of the festival is Camp Leavenworth. Keli O’Neill Wenzel, president and CEO of O’Neill Events and Marketing, visited Tuesday with the Leavenworth City Commission regarding her firm’s recommendations for a new festival. The city hired the firm to do event research in preparation for a possible city-sponsored festival. Wenzel said the theme of the festival would celebrate the city’s sense of freedom and adventure. It also would pay tribute to the community’s ties to the military. “It plays to who you are with the military tie-in,” [...]