News – Page 2414 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Topeka voters to consider 10 more years for half-cent sales tax

info2018-07-18T07:41:05-05:00July 18th, 2018|

Topekans will vote Nov. 6 on whether to extend the citywide, half-cent sales tax used to finance street work for 10 more years, through Oct. 1, 2029. City governing body members voted 8-2 Tuesday evening, with council members Sylvia Ortiz and Jeff Coen dissenting, to approve a resolution scheduling that election. In expressing her objections, Ortiz noted that the question that will go on the ballot would arrange for revenue from the renewed tax, like the current one, to be spent only to cover “costs of maintenance and improvements of existing streets, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, alleys and street lighting.” She said [...]

Cuba, Kansas: A Place for Life … New photo exhibit to document ‘tenacity’ of town at 150th celebration

info2018-07-18T07:39:51-05:00July 18th, 2018|

It's the town that refused to die. That was photographer Jim Richardson's goal some 40 years ago--to document the demise of a rural community in Kansas. He picked Cuba-just down the road from his hometown of Belleville. Richardson photographed the everyday life of the town through his tenures at the Topeka Capital-Journal and the Denver Post, and later for National Geographic magazine. But the community refused to cooperate with Richardson's plans. July 20 and 21 the community will celebrate its 150th birthday during the Cuba Harvest Festival. One of this year's features will be an exhibit of 60 of Richardson's photographs [...]

New development planned for Delano district

info2018-07-18T07:37:09-05:00July 18th, 2018|

Christopher Parisho has lived in Delano for the last ten years and with two kids at home, he’s made it his mission to make sure the district he knows and loves stays family friendly. “We were trying to get them to just change the uniform,” Parisho said. With a new sports bar, called ‘Tight Ends,’ going in to the Delano district on the northeast corner of S Seneca and University, Parisho has some concerns—mainly what the waitresses have to wear. “At first they seemed willing to listen but then when it came down to it, they were just like, ‘Well, we’re [...]

Salina city commission looks at fees, taxes

info2018-07-18T07:31:48-05:00July 18th, 2018|

Salina city commissioners Monday took a look at a 2019 budget that could include a property tax increase of up to nearly 3 mills, fee increases of 2 to 3 percent and raises for city employees of between 2 and 5 percent. The final budget will be set in August. As a working proposition, the commission consensus was to consider increasing the city’s property tax levy to 29 mills, from 26.129 mills. Property tax valuations are usually stagnant in a strong economy, Gage said. Sales tax collections, which the city also uses to fund projects, typically increase 1.5 percent to 2 [...]

Barton County Commission hesitant to give nod to project request for tax credit program

info2018-07-18T07:25:04-05:00July 18th, 2018|

The building where E&E Glass once operated may have a new life soon, should Rosewood Services succeed in acquiring a grant from the state to offer tax credits to fund its renovation. But, a request for a letter of support backing Rosewood’s application for the Kansas Department Of Commerce Community Service Tax Credit Program was tabled until next week in order for commissioners to look further into who exactly will benefit from the proposed renovations. If approved, the tax credit program would be used to remodel the property at 1117 Williams St., and open the Rosewood Creations Center, said Anna Hammond-Bodine, [...]

Ford County talks transportation task force

info2018-07-18T07:11:24-05:00July 18th, 2018|

At Monday’s Ford County Commission meeting, County Engineer Jon Halbgewachs brought the commission’s attention to a recently-created task force which could impact area roadways with its work. “My understanding is that their duty is to then, throughout the summer and going into the fall and winter, set up kind of town hall meetings across the state like they did in the last (Kansas Department of Transportation) transportation program when they did the listening tour, if you will,” Halbgewachs said. Either Dodge City or Garden City are typically stopping points for such tours, Halbgewachs said. “Where I’m going with this is this [...]

Federal Reserve Chairman backs more rate hikes as economy growing ‘considerably stronger’

info2018-07-18T07:08:52-05:00July 18th, 2018|

The U.S. economy is running at a fast enough pace to justify continued interest rate increases, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Tuesday. Powell is delivering his semiannual testimony to Congress this week, starting with an appearance Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. In remarks he provided ahead of a question-and-answer session, Powell painted a largely positive picture of the economy, which he said is expanding at an increasing pace and is being boosted by aggressive fiscal policy on Capitol Hill. "Overall, we see the risk of the economy unexpectedly weakening as roughly balanced with the [...]

City of Gardner imposing mandatory water restrictions starting Tuesday

info2018-07-18T07:06:37-05:00July 18th, 2018|

The City of Gardner is imposing mandatory water restrictions after usage at its treatment facility reached high levels this week. The city said the Hillsdale Water Treatment Facility has operated at more than 90 percent capacity for more than five consecutive days. As a result, the city has reached a Water Warning Stage as part of its Water Conservation Plan. Usage restrictions go into place Tuesday, July 17. The city said outdoor water use, including lawn watering and car washing, will be restricted to before 10 a.m. and after 9 p.m. on the assigned days. Refilling of swimming pools will only [...]

Wichita’s newest dog park will offer agility area, interactive features and fountains

info2018-07-17T10:08:57-05:00July 17th, 2018|

Wichita’s dogs are getting a new park to run around in. The proposed dog park in W.B. Harrison Park, 1300 S. Webb, will be constructed within the year, Troy Houtman, director of Park and Recreation, said. The dog park will be located in the east corner of the park near the rugby field and include a large dog area, a small dog area, an agility park and a renovated parking lot. “There will be areas to wash the dogs and some really fun amenities for the dogs to play with, like hoops to jump through and an obstacle course,” Houtman said. [...]

Douglas Design District given Wichita Community Foundation grant

info2018-07-17T10:07:15-05:00July 17th, 2018|

The Douglas Design District has been awarded a grant to help add public art and other enhancements to the burgeoning neighborhood east of downtown. The award of $84,500 from the Knight Foundation Fund at the Wichita Community Foundation was announced Monday night at the From Perception to Action forum at Central Standard Brewing. The grant will go toward the district’s 2020 Vision campaign, a two-year, $215,000 project that includes enhancing or adding public art, establishing a business improvement district for long-term sustainability and civic engagement for accelerating a streetscape plan. “This grant is going to really help us pass through some [...]