News – Page 2261 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Wyandotte Co. sues opioid industry, joining other Kansas, Missouri localities

info2018-12-20T12:10:07-06:00December 20th, 2018|

Wyandotte County joined the parade of local governments lining up to sue opioid manufacturers and distributors Tuesday, filing suit in federal court against 14 industry giants and their affiliates. Wyandotte County is at least the 20th local government in Kansas and Missouri to file suit against the companies, accusing them of getting rich by hooking people on pain meds while costing citizens large amounts of money in health care and law enforcement to deal with drug addiction, diversion and overdoses. (Read more: Government & Politics News |)

High-tech incubator that the Lawrence and Douglas County purchased for $3M in 2010 now ‘bleeding cash’

info2018-12-20T12:07:45-06:00December 20th, 2018|

Local governments made a nearly $3 million investment into a high-tech incubator space in northwest Lawrence that city leaders now say is losing more than $400,000 per year. In 2010, Lawrence and Douglas County spent $2.9 million to purchase and renovate the former Oread Labs building, 4950 Bob Billings Parkway. The University of Kansas Bioscience and Technology Business Center operates the building’s lab and office space as an expansion facility to its main building on west campus, but BTBC leaders say the facility is struggling financially and needs more money from the city and county. The city and county made the [...]

Douglas County approves subsidy for new psychiatrists, discusses Fire Medical negotiations

info2018-12-20T12:06:40-06:00December 20th, 2018|

The Douglas County Commission meets in the historic courtroom on the second floor of the county courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. The Douglas County Commission agreed Wednesday to subsidize the hiring of three new psychiatrists for $350,000 — a move that one official said would allow about 1,100 more people to get the mental health treatment they need in 2019. The subsidy will allow Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center to hire a new full-time psychiatrist and will allow Lawrence Memorial Hospital to hire two psychiatrists who will work part of the time on contract for other agencies, said Bob Tryanski, the [...]

City Commission in Junction City grants Community Partnership Empowerment Program request

info2018-12-20T07:55:53-06:00December 20th, 2018|

The Junction CIty Commission has approved a request from the Community Partnership Empowerment Program for the use and waiver of fees at the 12th Street Community Center on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings of 2019. City Manager Allen Dinkel said, “They’re trying to offer another program to help people help themselves in this community and they just want to have a place where they can get together. Counsel people from job searches and everything else. I think it’s a great thing to serve people in our community. The program will be designed to allow participants to get those resources needed [...]

Hiawatha City Commission votes to move forward on brick streets

info2018-12-20T07:53:50-06:00December 20th, 2018|

Monday night marked the final meeting of the year for the Hiawatha City Commission, and with all commissioners present, the group voted to authorize KDOT to move forward in awarding the bid for the Brick Streets Project to Amino Brothers Company, Inc. There was some concern among commissioners, as Amino Brothers was the State contractor for the walking trail, and there were some issues during that construction. Despite those concerns, the commission understood that with state funding— minus the $177,000 that the City must pay before the end of January — there is little they can do about the State-selected contractor, [...]

Olathe Council OKs plans to revamp Great Mall site, despite competing OP project

info2018-12-20T07:52:41-06:00December 20th, 2018|

Olathe City Council members on Tuesday signed off on a developer’s plan to request $69.5 million in Kansas state tax incentives to build a hockey arena and a mixed-use development at the former Great Mall of the Great Plains site. The 6-1 vote came despite the concerns of at least one resident and even some of the council members themselves that the project, called Mentum, could be on a collision course with a proposed development 10 miles away in Overland Park that is also seeking more than $63 million in state incentives and would also include a hockey arena. “I’ve spoken [...]

Ellis County projects it will end year under budget

info2018-12-20T07:51:26-06:00December 20th, 2018|

The Ellis County Commission is projecting it will end the year under budget and approved a series of transfers of the unused funds Monday. The county intends to keep $2.925 million in unencumbered cash in its general fund account. This is about 15 percent of the county’s expenditures less transfers, Phillip Smith-Hanes, county administrator, said. Smith explained the county’s general fund is like the county’s checking account, and the unencumbered cash is extra money to help with the county’s cash flow and to use in case of emergencies. The two departments that had the largest surpluses in 2018 were the Road [...]

Bus shelters coming to South Hutch in 2019

info2018-12-20T07:49:26-06:00December 20th, 2018|

The Reno County Commission on Tuesday approved a licensing agreement with the city of South Hutchinson that will allow placement of two Reno County Area Transit bus shelters in that city. The board also approved the transfer of a van that will allow the Department of Aging to set up a grocery delivery service for the elderly, OK’d disposing of two aging RCAT buses on an auction site, and heard a report on bus driver wages. Both shelters will go on Main Street in South Hutchinson where there are existing concrete pads that city previously set up with benches, Reno County [...]

Valley Center hires former long-time Derby Rec Commission superintendent

info2018-12-20T07:47:57-06:00December 20th, 2018|

Former DRC Superintendent Frank Seitz will work as a consultant for the Valley Center Recreation Commission Board. According to The Ark Valley News, the board approved a contract with Seitz at its Dec. 10 meeting. Hired in 1980, Seitz was the first superintendent for the Derby Recreation Commission and served until his retirement in 2017. Chris Drum, current DRC superintendent, started working in the role in November of the same year. Seitz’s hiring comes two months after the board fired longtime recreation director Steve Geddes, claiming he had fractured relationships with other Valley Center governmental agencies. (Read more: DerbyInformer.com - news,news/)

Derby Rec Commission moves forward in acquiring arts center

info2018-12-20T07:46:11-06:00December 20th, 2018|

In a move that advanced its acquisition of the building, the Derby Recreation Commission approved a donation agreement for the Hubbard Arts Center. The agreement, approved at the DRC board’s December meeting, provides formal structure for the deed of the property located at 309 N. Woodlawn. The agreement was established by the DRC, the city, and the Derby Historical Society. It is not a final lease agreement. As part of the deal, the historical society will donate the Hubbard Arts Center to the DRC, which will pay for building insurance and utilities for both the museum and the arts center. The [...]