News – Page 2418 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Great Bend community members give input on workforce “skills gap”

info2018-07-13T07:18:13-05:00July 13th, 2018|

Over 20 local business workers from the Great Bend area sat in on a luncheon Wednesday afternoon at the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce to hear about a survey to determine what is the “skills gap” in the Kansas workforce. Great Bend was chosen as one of several communities to participate in the online survey that hopes to make the Kansas economy grow and prepare students for successful careers. Nick Jordan is a former Kansas Senator, Secretary of Commerce, and Secretary of Revenue. He is now helping with the KU School of Business to put together the survey. Along with the [...]

Cowley County has full day of emergency calls

info2018-07-13T07:15:47-05:00July 13th, 2018|

Cowley County emergency service personnel were scrambling Wednesday after an accident and two fires spring multiple agencies into action. An accident on Summit Street in Arkansas City was followed by a grass fire that started from burning tires on 61st Road, and a landfill fire on 81st Road. The Atlanta Fire Department also fought at least one grass fire in the county, according to scanner records. An all-call went out during the landfill fire for Ark City fire/EMS personnel to respond to the fire station to assist with calls. Winfield was requested to send an ambulance to stand by in Strother [...]

Newton Amtrak Service in jeopardy

info2018-07-13T07:13:25-05:00July 13th, 2018|

Newton could lose future Amtrak service. That was the theme of a doom and gloom report Commissioner Barth Hague gave to the Newton City Commission on current actions of Amtrak. “I hope I’m wrong on all of this, I really do,” he said. “I hope my predictions are wrong and there’s a ‘Hail Mary’ on this.” Hague has long been an advocate for rail service in Newton and was tasked with providing an update about bleak news coming from the Amtrak train company. The crux of the issue, Hague explained was that Amtrak wants to receive $3 million from the states [...]

Kendal Francis likely to be chosen as next Great Bend City Administrator

info2018-07-13T07:11:10-05:00July 13th, 2018|

An agenda item is listed at the end of next Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting to appoint the next Great Bend City Administrator. While no official announcement has been made by the City of Great Bend, it is anticipated that Kendal Francis will be named to the position, based on sources. Francis is originally from Beloit where he worked in the water / wastewater department for nearly 20 years. Francis then served as City Administrator for the City of Lakin from February 2014 to August 2015. Francis’ most recent work came in Coffeyville where he was the City Manager from [...]

The vote was unanimous: She’s now Johnson County’s new manager

info2018-07-13T06:59:29-05:00July 13th, 2018|

Months after the Johnson County Commission abruptly ousted County Manager Hannes Zacharias, the commission has appointed the woman who was Zacharias’ deputy as his successor. The commission voted 7-0 Thursday to appoint Penny Postoak Ferguson, 49, as the new county manager. She had been serving as interim county manager since the county commission stunned the community by voting 4-3 to terminate Zacharias’ employment contract as of Dec. 31, 2017. The commission majority said at the time that the county needed new leadership and a new direction after more than eight years with Zacharias at the helm. The commission had also talked [...]

Roeland Park Aquatic Center closed for winter. Consulting firm seeks solutions

info2018-07-13T06:55:17-05:00July 13th, 2018|

It hasn’t been easy managing the Roeland Park Aquatic Center lately, and residents will have a chance next week to advise the city on how to upgrade its pool complex. Officials have been dealing with leaks, pump failures that temporarily closed the slide-and-catch pool, the collapse of two light poles, the closure of the whale slide in the children’s area and a delayed reinstallation of diving boards after one leak was fixed. And in a blow to sports teams and individual athletes that need a pool in the winter, after a storm last fall heavily damaged the inflatable dome that allowed [...]

City of Hays files suit against local companies

info2018-07-13T06:53:55-05:00July 13th, 2018|

The City of Hays has filed suit against Nex-Tech, LLC; Big River Telephone Company, LLC; and Eagle Communications, Inc., related to the imposition of franchise fees for services provided to customers in the city. The suit, which was filed July 9 in Ellis County, seeks a court order requiring Big River to enter into a franchise agreement with the city intended to collect city franchise fees for Big River’s service to Eagle Communications for Eagle Communications’ IP-delivered telephone service. Cities with franchising authority currently collect franchise fees on traditional switched telephone service delivered through traditional methods, but not IP-based service, which [...]

From site of Prairie Village church, a 3-acre park with garden, play area will emerge

info2018-07-13T06:50:58-05:00July 13th, 2018|

For more than 60 years, Faith Lutheran Church was a cherished spiritual gathering spot at 67th Street and Roe Avenue in Prairie Village. But it fell on hard times, closed last year and has been demolished. Still, city officials hope the former church grounds will soon be home to another vibrant community gathering spot. The city bought the property for $1.1 million and is now making plans for North Park on the 3-acre site. “Our village vision has pointed out that there wasn’t much parkland in the northern part of the city,” said Alley Porter, assistant to the city administrator, who [...]

City of Neodesha Requests Assistance from Community on Addressing

info2018-07-12T14:26:46-05:00July 12th, 2018|

The City of Neodesha is asking for assistance from all residents and business owners in providing addresses to assist emergency Fire/EMS or Police services in locating structures. On March 8, 2017 the City of Neodesha Commission adopted an Ordinance requiring that all home and business owners put addressing numbers on their building in a prominent location. The purpose of this ordinance is for safety and protection of the community. If a 911 call goes out and the crew responding cannot find the address because there is no numbers on it then crucial emergency care can be delayed. This is especially dangerous [...]

Wilson named Peabody city clerk

info2018-07-12T14:18:47-05:00July 12th, 2018|

Peabody is getting its fifth city clerk in 19 months, and this one is a familiar face. After two executive sessions, City Council members voted last week to hire council member Travis Wilson’s wife, Jylle, as clerk. The vote July 2 was 4-0, with Travis Wilson abstaining. Wilson has been Peabody’s municipal court clerk and police secretary for the past 2½ years. She agreed to take the new position with the understanding that she would help find a suitable replacement for the court and police position. “I’m looking forward to being down at the city office,” she said. “I really want [...]