News – Page 2311 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Wichita in the running for 700-job USDA research offices

info2018-10-29T06:45:20-05:00October 29th, 2018|

Wichita is among the 136 applicants officially vying to be the new home of major research offices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that could bring with as many as 700 high-paying new jobs. The USDA this week announced the locations and applicants it received after putting out the call in August that it was looking for a new home for its Washington D.C.-based Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). “The interest from across the country has been overwhelming as localities, universities, private entities, and elected officials realize the potential for their communities in [...]

Shawnee Fire Department seeks public input on strategic plan

info2018-10-29T06:44:14-05:00October 29th, 2018|

The Shawnee Fire Department wants your input as it hits the half-way mark on its strategic plan. In 2016, the department embarked on a five-year strategic plan initiative. During an upcoming series of meetings, it plans to update the community on its progress towards the goals and objectives set in its strategic plan, plus get input on its future direction. “We’re in an informative age—people are curious what we’re doing with their tax dollars,” said Shawnee Deputy Fire Chief Sal Scarpa. “A lot of citizens in our community are civic-minded and they care about what’s going on in the city. We [...]

Reno County Commissioner talks about county zoning for wind towers

info2018-10-29T06:40:51-05:00October 29th, 2018|

The proposed wind farm in southeast Reno County has commissioners considering what they call overlay zoning. It’s used for specific businesses that may want to build in the county. County Commissioner Bob Bush talked about this controversy with some residents in the Haven area who want a moratorium on any wind towers being built in the county until any zoning can be put in place. At a meeting earlier this month, NextEra Energy told the commission it would abide by zoning in place in the unincorporated area as the company will have to do in the incorporated areas. Bush wants to [...]

Could Wichita pools reopen and stay open longer? City floats new ideas for its pools

info2018-10-29T06:39:11-05:00October 29th, 2018|

The City of Wichita is re-examining how many of its public pools to keep open, and how much it’s willing to spend to do so. Wichita City Council members are looking at three proposals for the future of city pools, two of which would keep more pools open. In all of the plans, the city recommended pools stay open longer — and later into the year. Currently, the city’s pools are open from 1-6 p.m. six days a week. Under any of the new plans, pools would be open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon-6 [...]

Flags to be Flown at Half Staff for Victims of Pennsylvania Shooting (until sunset, October 31)

info2018-10-28T19:46:07-05:00October 26th, 2018|

In accordance with Executive Order 10-12, and following the proclamation of President Donald J. Trump, Governor Jeff Colyer has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff from now until sunset, October 31, 2018 as a mark of solemn respect for the victims of the terrible act of violence perpetrated at The Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “We express our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in this terrible tragedy,” said Governor Colyer. “This was a terrible act of violence perpetrated against innocent victims with every right to peaceably observe their religious beliefs. We grieve for those [...]

Filmmakers travel across Kansas on foot for documentary on the state’s beauty, people

info2018-10-28T14:36:41-05:00October 26th, 2018|

Two filmmakers and Kansas natives who zigzagged hundreds of miles on foot across the Sunflower State learned more about the state and the people who reside in it, they said. A portion of a film depicting their travels will be on display in Lawrence this week. Patrick Ross, originally from Lawrence, and Joshua Nathan, originally from Moundridge, walked across the state on foot in seven weeks in 2015, checking out spectacular monuments in the state and allowing the area in between to “present itself” to them, Nathan said. “We didn’t want to itinerarize too much,” he said of their travel. “The [...]

Commissioner ’embarrassed’ about letter of support for mural

info2018-10-26T08:45:51-05:00October 26th, 2018|

All five Hays city commissioners say they support a proposed historic mural to be painted on the Sternberg water tower by local artist Dennis Schiel. Ron Mellick voted Thursday against a letter of support from the city which Schiel will utilize in applying for a grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation in Logan. Mellick said he was “embarrassed that Mr. Schiel is going to Dane G. Hansen with only a letter of support from us and no financial commitment.” “We have civic groups in the city that adopt city parks and regularly come to us wanting us to match their [...]

How many county commissioners make a meeting? One wants the attorney general to rule

info2018-10-26T07:44:18-05:00October 26th, 2018|

The day after three Sedgwick County commissioners changed commission rules to allow three of five members to conduct a meeting, one of the dissenting commissioners said he’ll ask the attorney general to review whether that’s legal. Commissioner Jim Howell, a former state representative, said he spoke with Attorney General Derek Schmidt at a drug summit meeting Thursday morning and asked if it was legal for the commission to reduce its official quorum from four to three members. “I kind of surprised him with my question,” Howell said. “He said he thought it was a pretty good question.” Howell said he expects [...]

Owners of crumbling historic downtown Newton building slowly working on restoration; could result in tax credits

info2018-10-26T07:38:42-05:00October 26th, 2018|

A portion of a wall at 519/520 N. Main facing Main Street crumbled Sept. 24, and since that time it appears little has been done — but the work to get the sidewalk cleaned up and Main Street fully reopened has progressed. Albeit, behind the scenes. McElroy has been working to help facilitate work on the building — though her role, and the role of the city, is limited. “It is a privately owned building. It is not an expense of the city nor is it our jurisdiction other than to oversee code in the building,” Kelly McElroy, assistant city manager [...]

More opposition brought to wind project discussion

info2018-10-26T07:31:22-05:00October 26th, 2018|

Thursday, the Secretary of State’s Office admitted that new voters in Ford County have been confused about where to cast their ballots, thanks to notifications handed out to all newly registered voters. Those standard notifications, says Brian Caskey in the Secretary of State’s election office, automatically listed the regular polling site instead of the temporary one in use this November. The county elections office moved the site after pending construction made the regular site at the Dodge City Civic Center unusable. Instead, voters will have to drive out to the Western State Bank Expo Center outside of town. In the case [...]