News – Page 2436 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Engineers give Kansas a ‘C’ for infrastructure, but roads barely pass

info2018-06-26T07:03:26-05:00June 26th, 2018|

Kansas received a passing grade for its highways when the state’s chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers released its latest “infrastructure report card.” However, the engineers also warned that sweeping cuts to Kansas Department of Transportation funding are still causing roadways to suffer. Kansas earned a C on the report card, which ranks the quality of state infrastructure in nine categories, such as bridges, roads, energy and drinking water. This is up from a C- in 2013, the last time the Kansas ASCE chapter released a report card. And while some areas, such as levees and bridges, increased in [...]

Following city lawsuit, Lawrence restaurant removes patio canopy

info2018-06-26T07:01:47-05:00June 26th, 2018|

After being sued by the city over its patio canopy, a local restaurant has taken the structure down. The wooden canopy was constructed about two years ago on the north side of Dempsey’s building, spanning the width of an open area between Dempsey’s and the adjacent building. Last month, the Lawrence City Commission directed the city’s legal staff to bring a lawsuit against the owner and occupant of 623 Vermont St., which is the location of Dempsey's Burger Pub. The city alleges that Dempsey’s constructed a canopy structure for its patio without first getting a permit from the city and that [...]

Great Bend announces administrator candidates interviews, schedules

info2018-06-26T06:55:14-05:00June 26th, 2018|

The Great Bend City Council announced Monday morning the city administrator candidates and schedule for their visit to the community this week. The City of Great Bend will be interviewing three candidates on Wednesday and Thursday. Candidates include: Larry Collins, who served as fire chief and interim city administrator in Ann Arbor Michigan; Kendal Francis, who served as city manager in Coffeyville and city administrator in Lakin; and Scott Hildebrand, who currently serves as the city administrator for Valley Center. (Read more: Great Bend Tribune - Local News)

Manhattan Regional Airport Director Earns Professional Accredidation

info2018-06-26T06:53:44-05:00June 26th, 2018|

Jesse R. Romo, A.A.E., Airport Director, Manhattan Regional Airport, Manhattan, KS, has been awarded the distinction of Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.) by the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). To qualify for his distinction, Jesse had to successfully complete three phases of the accreditation process: (1) pass a 180-item multiple-choice examination, (2) fulfill a writing requirement, and (3) demonstrate, in the final interview by a panel of A.A.E.s, his knowledge of airport management, business administration, and general transportation economics. Jesse’s achievement attests to his ability to meet these stringent requirements and his experience in managing a public airport. (Read more: Manhattan [...]

Proposal would cut county’s road and bridge fund by nearly half to pay for jail, criminal justice projects

info2018-06-26T06:51:56-05:00June 26th, 2018|

A $1.4 million cut to the annual allocation used to improve county roads and bridges would require Douglas County Public Works to scrap some projects and reduce the scope or delay others, officials told county commissioners Monday during the first day of 2019 budget hearings. The $1.4 million cut was among the $3.12 million proposed in the 2019 budget County Administrator Craig Weinaug presented to Douglas County Commissioners last week. The money saved from the cuts is to be reallocated to pay for solutions to jail overcrowding in light of voters' rejection last month of Proposition 1 and the $44 million [...]

Douglas County’s proposed 2019 budget maintains current mill levy, provides $3M for criminal justice needs

info2018-06-26T06:50:40-05:00June 26th, 2018|

Douglas County Administrator Craig Weinaug has presented county commissioners with a proposed 2019 budget that maintains the current year’s 46.018 mill levy and identifies $3.12 million from spending cuts or reallocations to be used for criminal justice needs, including addressing overcrowding at the county jail. The $3.12 million plan doesn't call for significant cuts to social service agency funding, but rather would involve significant reductions in the amount of money the county sets aside for building and road improvements. However, some alternative recommendations Weinaug provided, which total more than the $3.12 million, would require cuts to some community partners. (Read more: [...]

Meeting involving future of Harvey county’s water source announced

info2018-06-25T07:51:52-05:00June 25th, 2018|

Area residents will have the opportunity to weigh in and ask questions about possible changes made to the entire region’s source of drinking water. That opportunity takes place at the Halstead High School Auditorium, at 7 p.m., Thursday, June 28. The City of Wichita has proposed changes allowing it to draw down the Equus Beds aquifer further than it has in the last 25 years,to depths that would possibly impact shallow domestic wells in Harvey County. The entire county draws its water from the aquifer located beneath its western half. Wichita also wants the State of Kansas to approve a new [...]

City of Atchison discusses potential local tax windfall with Supreme Court decision

info2018-06-25T07:50:31-05:00June 25th, 2018|

Governments at every level throughout the nation can be expected to lick their chops after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned this week a loophole on online retail sales tax. “The Kansas Legislature should greet this with arms wide open,” said Atchison, Kansas, City Commissioner Dave Butler. He reacted to Thursday’s news that states will be allowed to force online retailers to act as brick-and-mortar shops for sales tax purposes, even if they have no physical presence in a state. The court had previously ruled in 1992 that businesses with no such presence had no tangible connection, and so didn’t necessarily owe [...]

Kansas National Guard to haul bottled water to Norton

info2018-06-25T07:45:26-05:00June 25th, 2018|

The Kansas National Guard has been called upon to haul 26 pallets of bottled water to a northwestern Kansas town where toxic algae has compromised the water supply. The bottled water was donated by Harvesters, a community food network, in Kansas City, Missouri and Topeka, and will be delivered to Norton on Saturday afternoon. Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer declared a state of disaster emergency on Friday for the City of Norton due to harmful algae blooms in Sebelius Lake. The toxic algae is affecting the surface water intakes for the city's public water supply. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment [...]

City of Augusta discusses alternatives on splash pad project

info2018-06-25T07:44:00-05:00June 25th, 2018|

Perhaps due to feelings of frustration from the lengthy cemetery discussion or the news of snags in a construction project, tempers flared a bit near the conclusion of Monday’s meeting. Most visitors had left the meeting when City Manager Josh Shaw began discussion on the Splash Pad and drainage channel at Shryock Park. He explained that the discharge water from the Splash Pad can not be routed to the lake as planned. “No action is needed tonight, but we now have to reconsider things and take a look at the cost and how to handle this,” Shaw said. Councilor David Bates [...]