News – Page 2253 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Airbnb increasing Wichita presence, but is that bad for hotels?

info2019-01-04T07:37:05-06:00January 4th, 2019|

With Airbnb reporting that stays nearly doubled in Kansas from 2017 to 2018, the home-sharing service is clearly growing its slice of the hospitality pie. Does that mean, however, that hotels and motels are losing out on revenue? According to numbers supplied by the company, about 87,000 guests stayed at Airbnb properties in Kansas last year. That’s up from about 47,000 in 2017. Locally, Airbnb counted 7,730 guest arrivals in Wichita in 2017. For last year’s tally, the company recorded stays by county instead of by city, with the Sedgwick County number growing to about 13,000 guest arrivals. Most of those, [...]

Wichita Fire Department’s Engine 6 off duty as city looks to put grant money elsewhere

info2019-01-04T07:32:15-06:00January 4th, 2019|

As of January 1, 2019, Wichita Fire Department’s Engine 6 is off duty. It’ll sit at an east Wichita fire station shared between the city and Sedgwick County next to a city squad unit and a county fire engine. “We don't really know what the problem is. We're not understanding why we have to take Engine 6 off track. The city's not in a crunch. It's not in a budget failure area,” Matt Schulte said. Schulte is the president of IAFF 135, the city’s chapter of the firefighter union. The union was clear in its disdain for the city’s decision to [...]

Financial concern raised as Hillsboro hospital falls behind on utility payments

info2019-01-04T09:23:19-06:00January 4th, 2019|

The hospital hasn't paid utilities for October, November or December. Hillsoboro City Administrator Larry Paine says it is behind more than $28,000 "If this continues and we never get paid, that becomes a problem" Paine says.... He says the hospital didn't communicate with the city about the bills, and that's why the city is frustrated. "But if we hear from people, we will work with them, find ways in which they can get payment plans in play," Paine says. ... Both the hospital and the city agree the hospital's future is not in question and it will remain open. (Read more: [...]

‘We started together, we end together’: WPD recruit class has near record number of women

info2019-01-04T09:23:46-06:00January 4th, 2019|

New faces will soon be hitting the streets in Wichita. Wichita Police Department's latest class of recruits will graduate next month. Officials say this group will add even more diversity to the department. They say this is the largest group of women in a class since 2011, and it's a trend they're expecting will continue. In the Law Enforcement Training Center, there is a sisterhood. "I really hope that one of you at least will be at whatever bureau I'm at," said Brittney Thomas, Recruit Officer. Of one, two, three, four, five, six women all looking forward to becoming Wichita Police [...]

Parsons to check into wind farm

info2019-01-04T09:24:19-06:00January 4th, 2019|

A city official will attend a Neosho County Commission meeting Friday morning to try to gather information about the effects of a planned wind farm. City Attorney Ross Albertini will go to the meeting, and City Manager Debbie Lamb and Derek Clevenger, director of utilities, may follow up with a phone call to Apex Clean Energy. Apex is planning to build the Neosho Ridge wind generation project that would consist of over 100 wind turbines of up to 600 feet tall. The specifics of the project are still widely unknown, and some figures made public have differed. A suggestion from Commissioner [...]

Emergency radio upgrades in Saline County could cost $16 million

info2019-01-04T06:50:52-06:00January 4th, 2019|

Saline County needs to upgrade its 911 radio system. This week, emergency management warns the estimated price tag for the upgrades is $16.2 million. In 2012, Saline County made changes to its emergency radio system to comply with FCC regulations. Today, the Kansas Highway Patrol is on a different system than Saline County and the Salina Police Department. This means the agencies can't directly communicate with one another. This is why the expensive upgrade is a necessity. "Our troopers in the field could speak to the deputies and police officers in the field in real time. There would be no time [...]

Lawsuit filed against Garden City Community College, former president for violation of employee rights

info2019-01-04T06:49:41-06:00January 4th, 2019|

A lawsuit has been filed against the former president of Garden City Community College and the college. In court documents filed on Wednesday, plaintiffs consisting of six current and former employees of the college accuse Herbert Swender of several violations, including infringing upon their constitutional rights on a number of occasions. The plaintiffs are seeking relief in the form of compensatory and punitive damages. Last May, the faculty senate presented a 28-page report to the board, accusing Swender of bullying, intimidation, sexual harassment and retaliation against employees. The college also terminated Swender’s contract back in August and agreed to pay a [...]

Investors signal confidence that Fed won’t hike rates further

info2019-01-03T08:33:44-06:00January 3rd, 2019|

Investors widely appear to be betting that swings in the market and changes in hiring and consumer spending could stall economic growth and hold interest rates steady through 2019. The Federal Reserve predicted two more rate hikes in 2019, but federal funds futures show a 91% chance the rate will be the same or lower at the end of the year. Read more: Wall Street Journal.

Overland Park households placed in new City Council wards

info2019-01-03T08:23:28-06:00January 3rd, 2019|

As of Jan. 1, about 5,200 Overland Park households were placed in new City Council wards as part of district boundary review that takes place every two years. The idea is to balance the number of residents among wards as residential growth continues in the south part of the city. Under city policy and state law, the population should not deviate more than 10 percent among the city’s six wards. However, last year’s review found a 15 percent deviation. (Read more: KC Star Local News)

New traffic roundabout planned in Junction City

info2019-01-03T08:23:23-06:00January 3rd, 2019|

There will be a new traffic roundabout built near the intersection of McFarland Road and Eisenhower Drive in 2019. Junction City Public Works Director Ray Ibarra explained it will help deal with the traffic load coming through the intersection, and making turns at 5th Street. The roundabout will be located just south of the McFarland Road – Eisenhower Drive intersection. Ibarra stated, “The roundabout will take care of McFarland and it will also take care of the traffic coming out Lincoln Elementary School, and that way we’ll have a good traffic flow out of there.” Ibarra added a crosswalk at the [...]