News – Page 2325 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Grievance policy makes comeback in Winfield

info2018-10-15T07:12:29-05:00October 15th, 2018|

A new grievance policy could make its way back into the City of Winfield employee handbook after the previous one was removed earlier this year. Winfield city commissioners were presented with recommendations for a proposed policy by Human Resources Director Jamie Chism at their Thursday work session. Chism said members of the city’s Employee Action Committee made changes to the previous policy, then took it back to their respective departments for feedback. “We didn’t want to just put the old one back in,” Chism said. “We wanted to make it the employees’ policy.” Chism said the feedback from other employees on [...]

Chase County’s handbook discussion covers residency and paid time off vs. sick leave and vacation

info2018-10-15T07:10:36-05:00October 15th, 2018|

The Chase County Commission continued discussion on suggested updates to a county employee’s handbook during a meeting earlier this week at the courthouse. The commissioners have been discussing edits to the publication for several weeks with Deputy Clerk Tiffany Harshman, who has been in charge of the project. Department heads were invited to bring concerns to the discussion before the handbook undergoes its next round of edits. Some of the proposed changes include dropping residency requirements for county employees, which would open the pool of prospective workers to include people from outside of Chase County. Department heads agreed with the change, [...]

Gardner has new management team

info2018-10-15T07:03:34-05:00October 15th, 2018|

Gardner has a new management team on board, with at least one familiar face to long-time Gardner residents. Laura Gourley was named as interim city administrator, effective Sept. 17, 2018. Gourley is the granddaughter of Melvin Argo, who was Gardner’s mayor from 1957-1959. One of Gourley’s first jobs was working as typesetter for The Gardner News while still in Gardner Edgerton High School. She recalls typing into a machine and the type printed out on long, white sheets that was pasted to the page. She and Ruth Lundy, formerly of the Gardner Police Department, would then proofread, she said. Gourley has [...]

Justice Center construction on track in Gardner

info2018-10-15T06:53:56-05:00October 15th, 2018|

Countdown for completion of Gardner’s new justice center is on track. Gardner voters approved a new justice center by about 71 percent and issued 13.75 million in bonds to construct the facility near 167th and Moonlight in August of 2017. It will house both the police department and municipal court. Originally scheduled to open in August, 2019, it may squeak up to July, according to Sgt. Steve Benz, public information officer for the Gardner Police Department. (Read more: Gardner News)

Bourbon County Commissioners get volunteer fire fighters input on ambulance service

info2018-10-15T06:53:00-05:00October 15th, 2018|

As Bourbon County Commissioners continue to work on a solution to bring an ambulance service after Mercy Hospital closes its doors Dec. 31, on Tuesday, they heard from officials from the Bourbon County Fire District 3. District 3 Chief Delwin Mumbower, Hiattville Fire Chief Lou Howard and volunteer firefighter Shawn Wyatt attended the meeting to share their concerns on the future of ambulance services in Bourbon County. “We’re not an ambulance service by no means, but I think we provide a valuable service out there in first response,” Mumbower said. “You know, we spend a lot of time with a patient [...]

Newton City Commissioner speaks at rail summit

info2018-10-15T06:50:53-05:00October 15th, 2018|

About a hundred people gathered at Great Overland Station for the Kansas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Summit to talk about the state of, and future of, passenger train service in the area. Barth Hague, former mayor and city commissioner of Newton, was the morning keynote speaker. If Amtrak can keep the Southwest Chief, and extend the Heartland Flyer, Newton would become a rail hub. Hague spoke of the regional need to see an extension of the Heartland Flyer, and why cities along the proposed line have banded together. “There is a real attitude of what is good for one is good for everyone,” [...]

Conflict over Haysville’s rules for campaign signs

info2018-10-15T06:38:29-05:00October 15th, 2018|

Saturday, Sept. 22, marked 45 days until Tuesday, Nov. 6: Election Day. A state law the Kansas Legislature passed in 2015 says that cities and counties, including Haysville, now have to allow political signs on both private property and unpaved city or county right-of-way. That is a straightforward enough requirement, but just two weeks after the Kansas law, KSA 25-2711, was signed by Gov. Sam Brownback in June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling that cast doubt on its constitutionality. The ruling, in “Reed v. Town of Gilbert,” held that municipalities can apply “content-based restrictions” – restrictions based [...]

City of Topeka, Corps of Engineers to hold meeting on Shunga Creek flooding study

info2018-10-15T06:33:50-05:00October 15th, 2018|

After flooding occurred in 2007, the city asked the corps to conduct a study on flood control options, city spokeswoman Molly Hadfield said. In the 50/50 cost-shared study, the corps developed hydrologic models of past flooding, including the 2007 flood. They also carried out real estate assessments, surveys, plan formulation, construction cost estimates and economic analyses. The corps then used the data to evaluate alternatives to reduce flood risk in the watershed. The corps will present options for potential improvements. Some of the alternatives may be eligible for federal cost share. Projects that qualify under the federal program are eligible for [...]

Lyon County takes next step toward Reading Wind Farm

info2018-10-15T06:32:28-05:00October 15th, 2018|

The Lyon County Commission signed two agreements with Reading Wind Energy, LLC related to an ongoing wind farm project in Reading during a meeting Thursday morning at the courthouse. The wind farm is a project of RES Americas and has been a point of discussion off and on for nearly a decade. Planning and Zoning Director Sam Seeley said the county needed to sign a Road Use Maintenance Agreement and Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement in order to move forward with the project. “In process of doing [the Reading Wind Farm project] they’ve been using county roads,” Seeley said. “There [...]

Wichita water hearing postponed, locals organize to block regulation changes

info2018-10-12T11:32:29-05:00October 12th, 2018|

Wichita might have to wait a little longer for a decision on whether or not it can take more water from the Equus Beds Aquifer, which provide drinking water for all of Harvey County, as well as Wichita and 14 other municipalities it serves as customers. The Groundwater Management District Two (GMD2), in charge of regulating the aquifer, was successful in postponing a public hearing into Wichita’s proposed regulation changes until Dec. 11. The hearing will be held at 9 a.m. at American Ag Credit, located at 4105 North Ridge Road, in Wichita. Tim Boese, director of GMD2, said the request [...]