News – Page 2391 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

KDWPT: River proposal threatens Kansas lakes, rivers

info2018-08-13T07:38:57-05:00August 13th, 2018|

To meet Nebraska’s legal obligation to increase the flow of the Republican River into Kansas, the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District has proposed creating a connection in Nebraska between the Platte River Basin and the Republican River Basin. After entering northcentral Kansas, the Republican River feeds into Lovewell Reservoir and Milford Reservoir before joining the Kansas River near Junction City. The Republican River also connects with several other waterways in northcentral Kansas. The State of Kansas opposes this project because invasive Asian Carp and White Perch in the Platte River could enter the Republican River (along with other nuisance [...]

Shawnee County commissioners to consider tax exemption for Frito-Lay expansion

info2018-08-13T07:35:12-05:00August 13th, 2018|

The Shawnee County Commission this week will consider approving a resolution exempting certain property owned by Frito Lay from taxation for economic development purposes. If the economic development exemption for Frito-Lay’s expansion is granted, the county may grant an exemption in a specified amount and require a payment in lieu of taxes. The property and buildings were appraised at about $9.3 million as of July 6, with added improvements to the land at $239,280. The 2018 taxes due for the buildings and land would be $380,470.53. The proposed project includes purchase of vacant land adjacent to the current Frito-Lay manufacturing facility. [...]

Kansas law enforcement training center seeing more women

info2018-08-13T07:34:09-05:00August 13th, 2018|

A Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center class has a record number of women. The Hutchinson News reports that 15 of the 58 people in Class 252 are women. It's the most women the center has trained in a single class since it started operating at the formal naval base in rural Reno County in 1968. The 14-week course features classroom training as well as hands-on experience. Students then become certified law enforcement officers. Executive Director Darin Beck sayd officials aren't sure if the increase in women is an anomaly or if it's a growing trend. He says women used to account [...]

Ellis County not alone in struggling to fill vacancy

info2018-08-13T07:32:08-05:00August 13th, 2018|

Ivan Holzmeister, service manager at I-70 Truck Repair on north Vine, says he’s not surprised that Ellis County has had a mechanic position vacant for a year. “I can believe it,” Holzmeister said. “We have nine mechanics here and we could probably hire a couple more.” But for two months I-70 has advertised a mechanic vacancy, and had only one applicant. Vo-Tech graduates are choosing ag careers, he said. “I’ve been doing this for 40 some years, and years ago when we had a vacancy we’d get so many applicants we’d get tired of interviewing,” he said. Ellis County Public Works [...]

Domestic violence, sexual assault services reopen in Colby

info2018-08-13T07:27:43-05:00August 13th, 2018|

Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services is announced it will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its recently reopened office at 225 W. 5th St in Colby. “We are pleased and happy to reopen our local satellite office in Colby and to be able to restore walk-in services for victims and survivors and their families,” said Jennifer Hecker, executive director. “The ribbon-cutting ceremony for Options marks a great opportunity to bring help, hope, and healing to those suffering in silence in western Kansas.” The Colby/Thomas County Chamber of Commerce will facilitate the 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ,and Options staff will be available to [...]

Water, wind and fire have parts in Reno County Comprehensive Plan

info2018-08-13T07:26:42-05:00August 13th, 2018|

Countywide zoning for renewable energy projects – including commercial wind and solar farms – along with imposing stricter flood zone regulations are among recommendations in a draft update to the Comprehensive Plan for Reno County. The 70-page plan also proposes the county create a unified fire district with a single fire chief, that it evaluate low-volume roads for closure and that it creates a “township maintenance plan” for prioritizing joint county/township road projects. The Reno County Commission, during a study session on the plan two weeks ago, had questions about the proposals but didn’t indicate whether they supported the ideas or [...]

Neosho County Commission urged to join class-action opioid lawsuit

info2018-08-13T07:24:43-05:00August 13th, 2018|

An attorney met with the Neosho County Commission Friday morning to urge them to sue over the opioid epidemic. Attorney Pat Smith met with commission representing Morgan and Morgan, a firm handling class-action lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies involved in over-prescribing opioid medications. Crawford, Bourbon, Cherokee and Montgomery are among Kansas counties that have filed suits. Smith said companies used false or inaccurate studies to support sales of opioids, which turned out to be addictive, and the problem affects county budgets through law enforcement and other departments. “We want to stop them and then we want to recover for the counties,” Smith [...]

City of Fort Scott approves downtown building for residence

info2018-08-13T07:15:36-05:00August 13th, 2018|

The Fort Scott City Commission on Tuesday approved a measure that will allow a local couple to live on the first floor of a building in the downtown business district. Commissioners heard from city officials and various citizens on both sides of the issue as they considered a conditional use permit that would allow residential living on the first floor of a commercial building. Currently in the downtown district, residential living is only allowed on the second floor of a building. Local resident Jerry Witt, who owns the building, plans to change the building from a business setting to a [...]

City of Topeka to enforce political sign ordinance

info2018-08-13T07:10:00-05:00August 13th, 2018|

Between August 10th and September 21st, the City of Topeka will be enforcing its temporary sign code, which does not permit election signs in the right of way, until the general election cycle starts. Political signs in the public right of way are only allowed forty-five days before an election cycle and up to two days after. All signs in the public right of way are subject to removal. There are also additional restrictions during this time on private property. Only one sign per property, no bigger than 4’ tall and 6 sq. ft. in residentially-zoned areas, and no bigger [...]

Sen. Moran visits Garden City Amtrak following amendment

info2018-08-13T07:08:51-05:00August 13th, 2018|

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran visited the Amtrak station in Garden City Friday. Moran visited with city officials from Garden City and Dodge City to brief on the latest with his amendment to maintain Amtrak train services along the established, long-distance passenger rail route of the Southwest Chief. “It’s important to Kansans and particularly in southwest Kansas and it has become a cause for cities in our state Newton, Hutchinson, Dodge City, Garden City, who have put a lot of effort and their own taxpayer dollars into a project that’s beginning to work and we didn’t want the rug pulled out [...]