News – Page 297 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Disappearance of city clerk leaves Peabody in challenging situation

info2024-08-21T10:29:38-05:00August 21st, 2024|

Christopher King, husband of Jonathan Clayton, interim city clerk for the City of Peabody, reported him missing on Aug. 3. His disappearance has left his family, friends, and the City of Peabody scrambling for answers. The disappearance: Clayton’s last known phone conversation was with Peabody Mayor Catherine Weems at 9:20 a.m. on Aug. 3. Clayton mentioned attending a PMSA meeting at 11:30 a.m. and that his husband, Christopher King, was unwell. Weems noted no changes in Clayton’s behavior “Even our conversation on Saturday morning seemed perfectly normal,” Weems said. However, when Clayton failed to appear at the meeting, concerns arose. “A [...]

Halstead working to improve safety for students

info2024-08-21T10:22:59-05:00August 21st, 2024|

Planning is underway to update a portion of Sixth Street in Halstead, making it safer for students on their way to school. “It will make it safer for children to walk,” Halstead City Clerk Julie Wait said. This is part of the Safe Routes to School project Halstead is working on. Wait said from Sixth to 10th Street, there are no sidewalks. “They [students] are walking in the street,” Wait said. Wait said the project would also improve the existing sidewalks. Wait added that the proposed improvements would make the street more visually appealing, as well. Halstead received a $400,000 Transportation [...]

Governor Kelly Announces Elanco to Invest $130M, Create 70 Jobs in Elwood

info2024-08-21T10:21:00-05:00August 21st, 2024|

Governor Laura Kelly announced today that Elanco Animal Health Inc., a global leader in animal health, is investing $130 million to expand and renovate its manufacturing facility in Elwood. The expansion in Doniphan County is expected to create approximately 70 new jobs over the next two years. “The continued investment by Elanco speaks to the work my administration is doing to attract and retain businesses,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Elanco’s expansion is not only creating new jobs but is adding to the unparalleled economic momentum that has made Kansas the best state in the nation to live, work, and raise a [...]

Halstead sets another public hearing for battery storage

info2024-08-21T10:19:11-05:00August 21st, 2024|

With the City of Halstead still awaiting feedback from Concurrent LLC, the planning commission tentatively set a public hearing for their next meeting on Monday, Sept. 16. City Manager Ethan Reimer hoped this would get a response from Concurrent, a company wishing to locate a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Halstead. The commission listed regulations at a meeting in June. The city attorney then sent the regulations to Concurrent but hadn’t heard back. “I’m hoping this will put pressure on them,” Reimer said. Reimer said if he told them there was another public hearing, he hoped that would encourage Concurrent [...]

Lawrence City Commission agrees to put sales tax increase on ballot, continues discussion of 2025 budget

info2024-08-21T10:17:40-05:00August 21st, 2024|

Lawrence city commissioners decided Tuesday that they will ask Lawrence residents to vote on whether to approve a .05% sales tax increase to fund homelessness programs. Otherwise, much of the 2025 city budget is still up for discussion. Commissioners heard from more than 30 people during their budget hearing, most asking them not to increase property taxes. Many also asked commissioners to maintain funding to staff Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical fire trucks with four staff members rather than cutting staff for each truck to three, as the city manager’s budget had proposed. In their discussion, commissioners considered ways to save on [...]

Manhattan is ‘special place’ for incoming city manager Danielle Dulin

info2024-08-21T10:13:30-05:00August 21st, 2024|

Home is where the heart is, and Manhattan’s newest city manager said she is returning to work in a community she always has loved. Long before the Manhattan city commission appointed Danielle Dulin as city manager early this month, she was an economics student at K-State. She grew up in the small Kansas town of Bucklin about 30 miles southeast of Dodge City, but it was in the Little Apple that she met Mike, her husband and a fellow K-State graduate, and began her professional career. Source: 1350 KMAN

Property crime up, violent crime down in Kansas

info2024-08-21T10:11:39-05:00August 21st, 2024|

An annual report on crime in Kansas shows property crime rising and a decline in violent crime, providing benchmarks that may guide law enforcement and community leaders. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Index Report, which summarizes crime data submitted by law enforcement agencies from across the state, shows property crime increased by 2.6% and violent crime decreased by 3.7% from 2022 to 2023. The number of reported property crimes increased to 66,782 cases. The report said the overall crime index was “heavily impacted” by the uptick in property crimes, increasing from 26.7 offenses per 1,000 people in 2022 to 27 [...]

KDOT accepting applications for Innovative Technology Program

info2024-08-21T10:09:55-05:00August 21st, 2024|

The Kansas Department of Transportation is now accepting applications for the fall 2024 round of the agency’s Innovative Technology Program. The Innovative Technology Program provides financial assistance to governmental and non-governmental organizations for innovative transportation-related projects that promote safety, improve access or mobility and implement new transportation technology. “Innovative technology” is broadly defined as any technology that does not currently exist in the local community of the project. This allows local communities to determine what projects to submit based on their specific needs. All transportation system projects are eligible, including roadway (on and off the state system), rail, aviation, unmanned aerial [...]

Vote passed to let citizens decide if county commission should increase to five

info2024-08-21T10:08:43-05:00August 21st, 2024|

The Bourbon County Commission plans to let voters decide whether to add two commission districts in the November election. On Monday, the commission passed by a 2-1 vote a resolution that would place the following question on the Nov. 5 ballot: “Shall the current number of Bourbon County Commission Districts set forth in KSA 19-203(1)(b)(c)(d)&(e) be increased to five Commissioner Districts?” Source: Fort Scott Tribune

Common Consumption Area expanded

info2024-08-21T10:06:48-05:00August 21st, 2024|

The Great Bend City Council adopted an ordinance Monday that greatly expands the downtown Common Consumption Area, which allows a committee to allow alcohol sales in designated areas during select events. The vote was 6-1, with councilmember Davis Jimenez opposed and councilmember Kevyn Soupiset absent (he arrived a short time later). Before voting, the council heard from audience member Dee Ann Grummon, who expressed her opinion that “expanding the ‘Common Consumption Area’ is not a wise idea.” “Is it impossible to draw a crowd with food, art and music/entertainment only, or is alcohol the magic ingredient for any event to be [...]