News – Page 2374 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Augusta’s new downtown playground takes shape

info2018-08-31T09:57:53-05:00August 31st, 2018|

A 2003 economic development study recommended ways to improve the economy downtown, and in the past 15 years, it has been a goal of members of the Augusta City Council and residents to see a downtown playground for local children. That wish is about to come true. City Manager Josh Shaw advised that a downtown playground ties in with the rehab of the Frisco Depot and the enhanced Rail to Trails project. “To be a destination, an economic driver, the park has to be unique with different options,” Shaw said. “Something not found everywhere.“ Hopes are that the park will be [...]

Business occupancy rate 93 percent downtown Leavenworth

info2018-08-31T09:55:36-05:00August 31st, 2018|

Vacant buildings are rare in downtown Leavenworth, and the statistics prove it. According to Leavenworth Main Street Executive Director Wendy Scheidt, 93 percent of the buildings are occupied in the 28-block downtown district. She said the occupancy rate is comprised of approximately 250 businesses in downtown Leavenworth. Scheidt said downtown Leavenworth maintains that percentage because “it’s a good business community that works together.” Taylour Tedder, assistant city manager for the city of Leavenworth, said such a high occupancy rate for a municipality the size of Leavenworth “is fairly rare.” He said that high occupancy rate can be attributed to numerous long-standing [...]

Prairie Village sets public hearing date on new home design guidelines

info2018-08-31T09:54:34-05:00August 31st, 2018|

Prairie Village announced it has set a public hearing date of Sept. 11 for the city’s planning commission to review a new set of home design guidelines intended to address concerns about the wave of teardown-rebuild projects in the city. “These proposed changes would add neighborhood design standards for R-1A and R-1B zoning districts, which would regulate building massing and frontage design,” reads a message about the hearing posted by the city on Nextdoor. “The proposed changes would also add impervious coverage limits and revise and re-format other existing standards related to accessory buildings, setback, and lot exceptions.” (Read more: Prairie [...]

Ceremonial shots set off Winfield alarms

info2018-08-31T09:53:47-05:00August 31st, 2018|

Parts of Winfield went on alert for a short time Wednesday after a report of shots being fired near an elementary school that later were identified as coming from a memorial service at a nearby cemetery. Winfield officers were dispatched around noon to a report of gunshots heard by children and adults at Whittier Elementary School, 1400 Mound St. Officers checked the area and confirmed the gunshots came from St. Marys Cemetery, 1938 E. 12th Ave., and were part of a veterans’ memorial service, according to the Winfield Police Department Facebook page. The ceremonial shots were fired during recess, and as [...]

Cowley County emergency management to conduct full-scale exercise

info2018-08-31T09:52:52-05:00August 31st, 2018|

Cowley County Emergency Management will facilitate a full-scale exercise on Sept. 6 at the Tisdale United Methodist Church, 17507 U.S. 160 Highway, east of Winfield. At least 22 separate organizations are expected to participate in this exercise, which is slated to begin at 9 a.m. and complete no later than 1 p.m. Emergency operations planning is a key role of the Emergency Management agency. To successfully test a plan’s effectiveness, specific aspects of the plan need to be tested and evaluated for any necessary improvements. The Tisdale United Methodist Church is one the newest community partners and has accepted the role [...]

Derby: Rules exist for outbuildings

info2018-08-31T09:48:19-05:00August 31st, 2018|

A new business, Graceland Portable Buildings, is selling outbuildings at 2230 N. Nelson Drive, including some large models. The Derby Informer asked City Engineer Dan Squires about what local residents need to know when looking at the structures. Generally, such buildings are allowed, but they do have to meet zoning requirements, Squires said. “Any accessory structure has to be permitted and meet the setback requirements for the zoning district and the individual lot,” he said. Also, there are a lot of coverage requirements. In the single-family residential district, the lot coverage is limited to 30 percent. Thus, on a 10,000-square-foot lot [...]

Derby City Council looks at refurbishing pools

info2018-08-31T09:46:15-05:00August 31st, 2018|

After 15 years of use, the pools at the city’s water park, Rock River Rapids, are in need of a total facelift, say city officials. At issue are all the layers of paint that have been put on the pool surfaces over the years. That’s 12 layers to be precise. While they have served their purpose, they also can potentially hide concrete damage such as cracks, said Steve White, director of parks, who submitted a refurbishment proposal to the City Council for its consideration at its Aug. 28 meeting. The city has received five bids to thoroughly sandblast the pools, clean [...]

‘Small step for Topeka’: Topeka Metro unveils new after-hours wheelchair accessible vehicle

info2018-08-31T09:43:36-05:00August 31st, 2018|

After 7:30 p.m., when Topeka Metro ends it service for the night and heads toward the bus barn, ways to get around the city narrow for those who need a wheelchair-accessible ride. Topeka Metro and Capital City Taxi have teamed up to fill that gap by adding a wheelchair-accessible vehicle that will run after Topeka Metro’s regular service hours end. Kevin Moten, owner of Capital City Taxi, said the move was a small step for Topeka when it comes to people with disabilities. “I’m excited to be a part of this project and help everyone out in the city,” Moten said. [...]

Town hall meeting discusses wind generation project in Neosho County

info2018-08-31T09:42:22-05:00August 31st, 2018|

As many as 80 people attended a town hall meeting Tuesday evening, some to learn about and some to oppose a planned wind generation project in southeast Neosho County. The Neosho County Commission held the meeting at the Galesburg Community Center with representatives of Apex Clean Energy to discuss the project to place 100 to 130 wind turbines in a 100-square-mile area roughly between Anderson and Platt roads and between 140th and 50th roads. “We’re here tonight because we want to hear from you,” Commissioner Jennifer Orr told the gathering, “not because we’ve made a decision.” Chris Ollson of Environmental Health [...]

County Clerk: Elections make job stressful

info2018-08-31T11:11:21-05:00August 31st, 2018|

While the County Clerks office handles a lot for the county, from payroll and paying the bills to keeping records, County Clerk Kayla Wang told Lions on Tuesday elections are the most stressful part of her job. “I’ve enjoyed it immensely,” Wang said of the 26 years she’s worked for the office, including the last 10 as county clerk. “Some days the public can be a challenge, but mostly it’s a joy.” The turnout for the August primary was 36.7 percent of the 5,610 people registered to vote. That’s a little higher than typical for a primary, and higher than the [...]