News – Page 2351 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Southeast Kansas task force discusses future plans for highways

info2018-09-21T06:50:00-05:00September 21st, 2018|

A full house on Thursday greeted lawmakers and others serving on a taskforce gathering input for Kansas’ future transportation needs. The Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force is traveling the state to hear what roads need work and prioritize these projects in a future transportation plan. Two main coalitions presenting recommendations to the taskforce on Thursday supported expansion of US-169 and US-69. Other highways were discussed as well, including US-400 and US-160 in Labette County. The US-169 coalition wants to see that highway expanded to four lanes from Kansas City to the Oklahoma border and see safety improvements on the [...]

Emporia raises minimum rental housing temperature

info2018-09-21T07:50:46-05:00September 21st, 2018|

The Emporia City Commission has officially raised its minimum heating requirements for rental housing within the city limits from 60 degrees to 68 degrees. According to Vice Mayor Jon Geitz, the city began looking into the minimum housing standards of other cities around the state and found Emporia’s heating requirements were much lower than average compared to the rest of the state. “It has to have the ability to produce heat at least 68 degrees,” he said. Community Services Officer Shelly Kelley had approached the city during its most recent study session, asking commissioners to consider this change. She said she [...]

Douglas County leaders not interested in unified government but willing to review agreements with Lawrence

info2018-09-21T10:27:11-05:00September 21st, 2018|

Lawrence mayor Stuart Boley’s proposal to explore merging the city and county governments didn’t go over well with Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday, but the county leaders said they were willing to review existing shared funding agreements with the city. The discussion occurred at a two-hour joint meeting of the Douglas County Commission, Lawrence City Commission and Lawrence school board at the Douglas County Fairgrounds’ Flory Meeting Hall. Boley brought up the subject of a unified government during time reserved for discussion of the city’s and county’s shared funding agreements for such things as the Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center, Lawrence-Douglas [...]

Olathe city officials vote to annex 118 acres

info2018-09-20T10:37:31-05:00September 20th, 2018|

Olathe city officials are eliminating one of the largest remaining islands of unincorporated land within city limits as development in the surrounding area has begun to pick up. The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to annex 118 acres south of the intersection of Kansas 7 and 119th Street. The land was one of 12 remaining Johnson County “enclaves” in the city. The property currently consists of 11 lots, five of which have single-family homes, one has a business and one holds a church. The remaining lots are undeveloped. A single lot of around an acre located in the middle of [...]

Marion County commission hires interim EMS director Tuesday

info2018-09-20T10:07:33-05:00September 20th, 2018|

The county commission announced Robert Church as interim director of Emergency Medical Services Tuesday. He comes to Marion with 18 years experience as a paramedic. For the past year, Church worked in St. Luke Hospital. He spent the last eight years as a nurse, working for Via Christi Hospital in Wichita. The decision was made Monday to offer him the position, commission chairman Dianne Novak said. Church was given 24 hours to accept, and did so at a special meeting Tuesday. The announcement came two days before director Ed Debesis’ resignation took effect. (Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)

Changes in store for Derby as it approaches legal designation of “city of the first class”

info2018-09-20T11:00:39-05:00September 20th, 2018|

As Derby’s population nears 25,000, the milestone is not just a marketing feature, it also is a legal one. At that point, it becomes what is known in Kansas as a “city of the first class” and mandatory requirements kick in. The state has three city classifications: first, second and third, each designated by population level. State officials can’t recall the last time it took place, but it has been decades at least. ... One significant impact of conversion, [City Attorney Jacque] Butler said, will be the voiding of most of Derby’s current charter ordinances. That’s because the existing charter ordinances [...]

Changes made to Derby’s traffic ordinance include handling DUI cases and littering from a vehicle

info2018-09-20T10:00:08-05:00September 20th, 2018|

The City Council approved recommended changes updating Derby’s traffic codes. In Derby, misdemeanor cases are handled by city court whereas felony cases are undertaken by the county court. But sometimes that procedure snarls a case. Earlier this year, a situation arose in Derby municipal court and, because the ordinance didn’t contain a mechanism for handling misdemeanor third DUI charges, the case had to be dismissed and refiled in district court. Certain third DUI cases are classified as misdemeanor offenses because of their age. “Addition of the proposed language will allow Derby municipal court to handle such cases in the future,” Butler [...]

Sports complex could result from STAR bond district change in Derby

info2018-09-20T09:58:15-05:00September 20th, 2018|

Adjustments have begun on shifting business requirements for Derby’s STAR bond district. After a briefing by representatives of Derby Destination Development LLC on Sept. 11, the City Council approved an amendment to the agreement, which was passed in summer 2016. It now goes on to the Kansas Department of Commerce, which is expected to approve it. It then goes back to the council for a second reading. The special taxing district, which is designed for business development and to be a regional visitor draw, extends roughly along Rock Road from near the north city limits south to Meadowlark. It includes the [...]

Fort Scott hires new community development director

info2018-09-20T09:56:37-05:00September 20th, 2018|

City staff introduced and welcomed the city’s new community development director during Tuesday night’s meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission. Robert Uhler, who is originally from Topeka, will take over the position formerly held by Rhonda Dunn, who has recently moved into the position of director of finance. Uhler said he and his family have lived in Fort Scott for the last 21 years. “I appreciate the opportunity to work with the citizens of Fort Scott, city staff and commissioners,” Uhler said. “Thank you for your confidence.” “Robert has the best and most experience necessary,” Martin said. “He’s been valuable [...]

Electric scooters popping up more and more in Shawnee Mission — but rules for riding them legally here are fuzzy

info2018-09-20T09:55:09-05:00September 20th, 2018|

The electric scooter rentals that have been zipping around downtown Kansas City for the past few months are showing up more and more frequently in the Shawnee Mission area. But just where and how they can be legally ridden in northeast Johnson County is somewhat fuzzy. Electric scooter companies like Bird and Lime haven’t officially set up operations in Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee or Prairie Village, according to city officials — but that hasn’t stopped riders from taking the vehicles into the area. Because the phenomenon is so new, cities here have not directly addressed electric scooters regulations yet, especially concerning [...]