News – Page 2288 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

City asks Topeka residents to avoid putting leaves, twigs, limbs in street

info2018-11-26T14:23:48-06:00November 26th, 2018|

Topeka’s city government asked in a news release this week that residents avoid putting leaves, twigs or limbs in the street. While Topeka city ordinance enables the city government to take action against people who do that, the city would rather see residents comply voluntarily, said Jaci Vogel, the city’s deputy director of public works operations. “It is a big job to maintain streets without piles of leaves being added to our workload,” she said in the release. “Help us help you and your neighborhood be clean and safe.” Leaves falling from trees each autumn become a major source of litter, [...]

Parsons to take lead in eco devo efforts

info2018-11-26T14:22:33-06:00November 26th, 2018|

The city of Parsons will represent the Great Plains Industrial Park and Labette County in a collaborative economic development effort called Grow Labette County. The Parsons City Commission approved an agreement with the county and Great Plains Development Authority on Monday evening. The commissioners’ approval is contingent upon the other entities signing the agreement with no major changes. It also hinges on Great Plains receiving federal funding. Jim Zaleski, economic development director for the city, said Wednesday the Labette County Commission has approved the agreement as well as the Great Plains Development Authority board, but it hasn’t been signed yet. Great [...]

City of Parsons to trade property with First Baptist on intersection improvement project

info2018-11-26T14:21:06-06:00November 26th, 2018|

First Baptist Church will swap land with the city of Parsons to facilitate an upcoming intersection improvement project. Parsons city commissioners approved an agreement with the church on Monday that will allow the city to take possession of the church’s property at the northwest corner of 16th and Main. The city will get enough land to widen the intersection to add turn lanes. In return, the church will receive land at the southwest corner of 16th and Washington. The city bought that land from Thomas Sprague for $12,500 in May 2017 as a potential right of way for the intersection project. [...]

Park upgrades gain new life in Ark City

info2018-11-26T14:11:50-06:00November 26th, 2018|

City commissioners took the next step toward major improvements of Wilson Park outlined in a master plan that has seen little momentum since last October. The commission on Tuesday approved hiring LK Architecture of Wichita to perform design work for the next phase of that plan, which includes a splash-pad fountain, canopy for the farmers market, two new restrooms, and parking lot construction. The architects will complete all of the architectural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and structural engineering for those improvements at a cost not to exceed $65,5000. City Manager Nick Hernandez said on Tuesday during a commission meeting that the designs [...]

Humble named new Pratt Police Chief

info2018-11-26T14:05:25-06:00November 26th, 2018|

Roy Eckert, Pratt City Manager, said Thursday that Sgt. Nathan Humble has been named Pratt Police Chief after administrative leave was ordered for Interim Police Chief Detective Jeff Ward. Ward filled the position of Interium Police Chief following the recent retirement of Police Chief Gary Myers in September 2018. Ward was involved in the shooting incident in Pratt on November 13, 2018, which left Pratt resident Rene Prieto, 38, unresponsive and in critical condition for several days at a Wichita hospital. He died on November 21 from those injuries. Ward and two other Pratt officers were placed on paid administrative leave [...]

City officials take part in national conference

info2018-11-26T14:01:39-06:00November 26th, 2018|

Council members, the mayor and the city manager say they picked up numerous tips and operation methods during their attendance at a national conference. Council members Jack Hezlep, John McIntosh, Rocky Cornejo, along with Mayor Randy White and City Manager Kathy Sexton, were delegates to the National League of Cities’ City Summit Nov. 7-10 in Los Angeles. Attending the NLC conference is planned every other year. The summit is the largest gathering of elected leaders and city managers in the country. There were more than 3,800 mayors, council members and other delegates from all 50 states present. It is billed as [...]

More growth for north Derby housing project

info2018-11-26T13:58:10-06:00November 26th, 2018|

A contractor has been selected to provide water and sanitary sewer improvements to the next phase of the rapidly growing NorthBrook Addition. Low bidder Mies Construction Inc. won the project work from a field of other competitors, placing the cost at $168,490. It will handle the infrastructure work for the development’s second phase, which has 38 lots. NorthBrook is set at the southeast corner of Woodlawn Blvd. and 55th Street South. There are 65 acres at the site, and the first phase had 40 lots. Those have proven to be popular and sold quickly, hence the need to proceed with the [...]

Reno Commissioners seek input from Pratt, Kingman officials on wind farm

info2018-11-26T13:51:52-06:00November 26th, 2018|

As it moves toward a decision whether to issue a moratorium or try to control the development of a proposed wind farm in Reno County through a contract, the Reno County Commission agreed Tuesday to quiz Kingman and Pratt county officials about their experiences. Residents seeking a year-long moratorium, meanwhile, appeared before the commission for a fifth consecutive week, with nearly a dozen speakers offering additional arguments in their opposition to the development of the 220-megawatt Pretty Prairie Wind Farm by NextEra Energy in southeastern Reno County. A chamber official, there for another reason, was the lone voice from the audience [...]

Reno County OKs incentives to small-engine maker planning to locate here

info2018-11-26T13:49:12-06:00November 26th, 2018|

The Reno County Commission on Tuesday approved granting incentives to an Ohio company that makes small engines which run off LPG and natural gas, which is planning to set up an assembly and distribution shop in the former Bett’s Bakery at Third Avenue and Poplar Street. The company, eNGines-LPG, will be paid up to $63,000 over five years if it creates a projected 56 jobs within that time which pay a minimum $15 per hour, County Administrator Gary Meagher advised the county commission. The family-owned company plans to create up to 10 jobs its first year, garnering up to $8,000 in [...]

Wichita making major changes to free downtown shuttle service

info2018-11-20T10:05:23-06:00November 20th, 2018|

Wichita Transit has reworked its Q-Line free downtown trolley service to make it easier to go farther on Douglas Avenue, while eliminating all other lines, officials said Tuesday. The new routes will expand Q-line service to the west and to the east on Douglas. On weekends, it will run all the way from Seneca on the west to Edgemoor on the east. Trolleys will run approximately every 10 to 15 minutes during service hours. The changes will take effect Dec. 15. “We think this is the next iteration of a very successful program that has been run so far,” said Mike [...]