News – Page 2450 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

As the Latino population grows in southwest Kansas, youths are developing a new accent

info2018-06-14T10:02:10-05:00June 14th, 2018|

Residents in southwest Kansas are starting to speak with a distinct, new accent as the Latino population continues to grow — and the accent is most prominent among young people. A research team at Kansas State University has found that as demographics change in the region, the way people speak English also changes. The team is calling this new way of speaking a "Liberal accent" or "Liberal sound." Liberal is a Seward County, Kansas, town of about 25,000 people. About 59 percent of the town's population was Hispanic or Latino in 2010, according to the U.S. Census. Just a couple of [...]

FAA announces grants for Kansas airports

info2018-06-14T08:38:36-05:00June 14th, 2018|

The United States Department of Transportation Secretary says the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding $677 million in airport infrastructure grants, "the first allotment of the total $3.2 billion in Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding for airports across the U.S. The U.S. Department of Transportation says the 241 grants will fund 346 infrastructure projects that include runways, taxiways, aprons and terminals. "These projects are important to the safety and efficiency of the nation's system of airports," the US. DOT says. The U.S. DOT says the FAA’s most recent economic analysis shows U.S. civil aviation accounts for $1.6 trillion in total economic [...]

City of Florence, Deforest family in water fight

info2018-06-14T08:37:59-05:00June 14th, 2018|

For 98 years, clear and sparkling water has flowed from Crystal Springs to Florence taps. Whether that will remain the case in June 2019 is anyone’s guess after city council members on June 4 rejected a contract proposed by the family that owns the springs. The DeForest family and Florence are coming to the end of a 99-year lease that allotted water to Florence for $500 per year. Alta Vista resident Linda Long, one of four siblings in the DeForest family, said the family offered a new 10-year contract at a rate of $6,000 per year. Inflation rates since 1920 indicate [...]

Paramedic training event coming to the fairgrounds

info2018-06-14T08:35:21-05:00June 14th, 2018|

Residents may notice a lot of activity on the Kansas State Fairgrounds soon. HutchCC EMS education will hold the 13th annual Paramedic Field Ops on June 20. Jason Holland, an instructor with the Hutchinson Community College Fire Science Program, discussed the upcoming event. One hundred volunteers will serve as patients for the training. Holland joked that some volunteers want to be extremely critical so they can get a ride in a helicopter. (Read more: Hutch Post)

Newton’s city-owned golf course, Sand Creek Station, wins award — again

info2018-06-14T08:22:30-05:00June 14th, 2018|

Winning the National Golf Foundation loyalty award is a big accomplishment — and Sand Creek Station has now done it 10 times. Sand Creek Station took home top honors in the “less than $70” green fee category “We are very proud of our loyalty index,” said manager Chris Tuohey. “For 10 consecutive years, we have never had a loyalty index percentage below 80 percent of 100. In 2017, our results were 88 percent. Looking at benchmarking against national average, we are about double.” The national average is about 44 percent. Tuohey praised his staff as he looks for a place to [...]

Marion County sales tax to decrease

info2018-06-14T08:10:07-05:00June 14th, 2018|

Sales tax rates in the county will drop by half a percent July 1, when a five-year-old special tax imposed to build a $3.5 million jail expires. County Clerk Tina Spencer said the county would continue to collect revenue from the tax in July and August from sales occurring before July 1. Enough money to pay the bond on the jail, which was completed in September 2012, was collected in March, and the county notified the state to cancel the tax. “The State of Kansas requires an entire quarter’s notice to cancel the tax at the beginning of the next quarter,” [...]

Marion County Commissioners discuss mental health needs

info2018-06-14T08:08:36-05:00June 14th, 2018|

Less than half of Marion County residents who would benefit from mental health care are receiving treatment. That’s what Jessie Kaye, president and CEO of Prairie View Mental Health Center, told Marion County commissioners Monday. Kaye, who has worked with Prairie View for 13 years, said 20 percent of people in Kansas suffer from some form of mental illness. The problem is especially prevalent in Marion County, Kaye said. Marion County is in the bottom third of the state in per capita funding for community mental health clinics. Marion ranks 71st among the state’s 105 counties, according to data provided by [...]

New Wichita library prepares for Saturday grand opening

info2018-06-14T08:06:49-05:00June 14th, 2018|

Cynthia Berner, the director of libraries for the City of Wichita, talks about what one might expect to see when the new Advanced Learning Library opens its doors to the public for the first time this weekend. (Read more: Local News |)

Pittsburg Police Department honored with AAA Safety Award

info2018-06-14T08:03:33-05:00June 14th, 2018|

During a special presentation at the Pittsburg City Commission meeting, Tuesday, June 12, the City of Pittsburg Police Department was honored with the AAA Kansas Community Traffic Safety Award. This is the seventh consecutive year the department has received the award, which recognizes police and sheriff departments around the state for their commitment to traffic safety practices and programs. AAA Public and Government Affairs Manager Jennifer Haugh presented the award to the officers and commended them on the achievement. “What is remarkable is that the last six have been platinum awards, the highest award AAA can bestow upon a law enforcement [...]

KCC staff, consumer advocates recommend millions in Westar rate cuts

info2018-06-14T08:02:18-05:00June 14th, 2018|

Kansas utility regulators are being urged to reject Westar Energy’s request for a $17.2 million rate increase and instead order the company to cut rates for Kansas customers by $69 million to $125 million. Those recommendations were made this week in testimony filed by the Kansas Corporation Commission’s own staff and the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board, or CURB, a state agency that represents consumers in utility rate cases. “CURB’s evidence strongly supports the need to decrease rates for all Westar customers and we hope the KCC will adopt our recommendations in this rate case,” CURB consumer counsel David Nickel said in [...]