News – Page 2349 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

BNSF says Kansas can’t regulate how long trains block traffic; State calls that ‘absurd’

info2018-09-21T11:37:01-05:00September 21st, 2018|

The BNSF Railroad is challenging a Kansas law limiting how long trains can block intersections and a lawyer for the state says if the railroad wins, the answer could be forever. The case spins off a blockage of two crossings in a rural part of Chase County, but how the court decides it would have ramifications for railroad crossings throughout the state. A three-judge panel of the Kansas Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in the case Thursday at a special session held at Wichita State University. The case revolves around lengthy blockage of two railroad crossings near the town of [...]

Manhattan to use Wichita as guide for alcohol policy

info2018-09-21T10:39:34-05:00September 21st, 2018|

The Manhattan City Commission wants to use Wichita as a guide to amend its policy on special events with alcohol. The commission on Tuesday continued the discussion about making changes to allow for alcohol throughout an entire event area within the Aggieville Business District, the Downtown Business District (including Manhattan Town Center Plaza), and Blue Earth Plaza. The current policy only allows for fenced-in beer gardens where only people 21 or older can enter. Wichita requires a special event applicant to notify adjacent businesses at least six weeks prior to the event and list on the permit application any drinking establishment [...]

Lawrence City Manager Tom Markus announces plans to resign in spring 2019

info2018-09-21T10:29:12-05:00September 21st, 2018|

City Manager Tom Markus has announced that he plans to resign in spring 2019. Markus, 67, made the announcement at the end of the Lawrence City Commission’s meeting Tuesday evening. In a letter to the commission, which he read aloud, Markus said that he was clear during the hiring process that he would not likely be a long-term city manager in Lawrence. Markus stated that while he had hoped that his tenure might be longer, he had decided it was time for him to move on. After reading the letter, Markus told commissioners that the decision had not been easy. “And [...]

Lawrence city leaders grateful for changes Markus made at City Hall, begin to consider next city manager

info2018-09-21T10:28:13-05:00September 21st, 2018|

Though Lawrence city commissioners said they were sorry to hear City Manager Tom Markus’ announcement that he plans to resign, all said they are grateful for the changes he’s brought to City Hall. Markus, 67, announced Tuesday that he plans to resign in the spring of 2019, which will mark approximately three years since he began his position as the city’s top administrator. When Markus was interviewed, he said he planned to hold the position a maximum of five years, and Markus said on Tuesday that he felt it was time for him to move on and that he hopes to [...]

After pushback from neighbors, Lenexa council rejects Vistas at Canyon Creek apartment project

info2018-09-21T10:07:28-05:00September 21st, 2018|

A group of homeowners living near a proposed apartment complex in western Lenexa gathered nearly 200 petition signatures and sent a flurry of emails to City Council members in opposition to the project, and many showed up in force at Tuesday’s council meeting. In the end, the council unanimously rejected the project. The Vistas at Canyon Creek, proposed for the northwest corner of Canyon Creek Boulevard and Kansas Highway 10, would have required rezoning for the construction of 294 apartments in 12 buildings and a convenience store with gasoline pumps. ... Kristin Kippes, a homeowner who lives near the proposed project, [...]

Overland Park moving forward with plan to install 37 new bike racks in downtown OP

info2018-09-21T10:06:08-05:00September 21st, 2018|

Bicyclists stopping by downtown Overland Park will soon have many more places to hitch up. The city is in the process of getting 37 new racks to be distributed throughout the downtown area. Three racks would go outside the Matt Ross Community Center. “Downtown is a natural destination for bikes but there are really very few racks,” said Doug Johnson, of the city’s planning and development department. That will change with the acceptance of a proposal from BikeWalkKC that the city council approved Monday night. The bike racks come at no cost to the city. Instead, the $9,270 to install them [...]

Augusta hears about next generation of 9-1-1 call system

info2018-09-21T07:45:06-05:00September 21st, 2018|

Augusta Department of Safety Director Bob Sage ... explained that currently when someone calls 9-1-1, the phone will ring several times while the call processes through the system. With the transition to an ESINET system, the dispatcher may answer the call before the caller hears it ring. ESINET helps Kansas boost 9-1-1 reliability, speed emergency responsiveness and improve disaster recovery. For Kansans, this means a faster, more reliable 9-1-1 experience. (Read more: andoveramerican.com)

Atchison weigh skatepark plans

info2018-09-21T07:44:13-05:00September 21st, 2018|

Progress continues on Jeremy Watkins and Pam Cline's project to provide a home for skaters around the region at Reisner Park. The couple, parents to the late Joshua Kinsman, who died in January, met with city officials, supporters and local residents on Sept. 15 at the park to discuss the costs, benefits and implications of a new skatepark. Kinsman had a lifelong dream of leading the construction of a skatepark in Atchison, which as been without a dedicated area for skaters for the last decade. After his tragic death, his parents formed the Skate High With Hope Joshua Kinsman Foundation to [...]

Manhattan estimates flood damage to be in the millions

info2018-09-21T07:41:46-05:00September 21st, 2018|

The City of Manhattan has come out with estimates of the damage caused by the Labor Day Wildcat Creek flood — and the cost is in the millions. Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr was on Tuesday’s edition of KMAN’s In Focus and said the flash flooding caused $17.2 million in damage. He broke that down into private and public real estate damage — $14.5 million of which was sustained by private structures while $2.7 million was sustained by city property. Additionally, Fehr said that a dozen properties suffered damage amounting to “50 percent or more” of the property’s value or had [...]

Earth is finally moving at Mission Gateway. But council is delaying one more thing

info2018-09-21T07:36:14-05:00September 21st, 2018|

Preliminary site work is finally underway at the long-awaited Mission Gateway development, but the City Council has also approved a delay in the start of a tax incentive for the project. Korb Maxwell, a Kansas City attorney working with the developer, told the City Council on Monday night that the required development milestones are being met. He said earth-moving equipment is working at the site bounded by Shawnee Mission Parkway, Johnson Drive and Roe Avenue. The development agreement required New York-based Cameron Group to start work by Oct. 31 on the first of three phases of the $200 million project. That [...]