News – Page 430 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Pickleball Court Comes To Uniontown

info2024-08-28T10:05:53-05:00August 28th, 2024|

Pickleball has come to Uniontown, with equipment provided by community members and a court provided by a grant. Pickleball resembles tennis in which players use paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball over a net, according to Oxford Languages Dictionary A grant provided the concrete court to play the sport on. Recently, the court had been marked for pickleball play. Last Thursday, pickleball equipment was made available in a storage container located under the community bulletin board at Uniontown’s City Hall on the east side of the town’s square. “There is no charge to use the equipment and we ask that [...]

Newton BOE contracts for future planning

info2024-08-28T10:03:41-05:00August 28th, 2024|

A company will soon begin work drafting an overarching plan for the future of the Newton School District and its facilities. The Newton Board of Education approved spending $93,500 at its Aug. 26 meeting to contract with RSP and Associates of Overland Park for the work. “There’s boundary analysis, enrollment analyses and they look at utilization of the facilities,” Superintendent Fred Van Ranken stated. “It’s a facility master plan, essentially.” The group will provide data and analyses to predict enrollment and help the Board of Education evaluate future needs, according to its presentation. The data could be used in redrawing building [...]

Bus drivers needed in Hesston as routes cut

info2024-08-28T10:00:06-05:00August 28th, 2024|

It’s a skeleton crew when it comes down to the USD 460 bus driver situation, and the problem doesn’t just exist in Hesston, but rather across the state. With very few bus drivers, the USD 460 transportation crew is stretched to the thinnest of levels. This lack of drivers forced the district to eliminate the in-town school bus routes. “A few parent emails had some concern,” Superintendent Kevin Logan said. “It’s a change and there’s not an easy solution for us, unless we can find a driver. There is a lot of emotion because it’s a change.” One driver would fill [...]

Lenexa commission deals big blow to Johnson County homeless shelter plan. What happens now?

info2024-08-28T09:58:30-05:00August 28th, 2024|

A plan to convert a Lenexa hotel into Johnson County’s first permanent, year-round homeless shelter will head to a City Council vote next month — without the support of city staff and planning commissioners. On Monday night, the Lenexa Planning Commission voted 9-0 to deny a request for a special use permit to operate a homeless shelter at the La Quinta Inn and Suites hotel off of Interstate 35 and 95th Street after a public hearing when more than 70 members of the public spoke. It’s a significant blow, though not necessarily fatal, to the county’s plan to address a growing [...]

Wichita school board approves $450 million plan to rebuild some schools, close others

info2024-08-28T09:52:26-05:00August 28th, 2024|

The Wichita School Board has unanimously approved a plan to significantly reshape the state’s largest school district — a plan filled with school closings, consolidations and new “right-sized” buildings as the district braces for shrinking future enrollment. School district officials also laid out the stakes of a $450 million bond issue that would be needed to pay for the plan. The specifics of the bond issue are expected to be discussed and voted on by the board on Sept. 9. A bond issue would require approval from voters during a special election. Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld said the “newer and fewer” plan [...]

Inclusive playground opens at Newton elementary school

info2024-08-28T09:49:27-05:00August 28th, 2024|

Slate Creek Elementary in Newton officially opened its inclusive playground, designed for all students to play together. The kids started the project by raising $20,000 in the spring of 2021. “It’s absolutely wonderful to hear the screaming and the laughter to see them all playing together. It just brings my heart so much joy. I’m so proud that the students noticed this was an issue, and this is where we ended. It’s amazing,” Lenae Alfaro, Slate Creek Elementary principal, said. The principal says the original goal was just to have a swing, but the idea grew, and the entire playground cost [...]

K-9 helps find lost hearing aids after man thrown from horse

info2024-08-28T09:47:41-05:00August 28th, 2024|

A sheriff’s K-9 helped recover the lost hearing aids of a man thrown from a horse. The Geary County Sheriff’s Office says over the weekend, deputies responded to a report of a man being thrown from a horse in a pasture out in the county. As the man was being assessed at the scene for injuries, deputies learned that he had lost both of his hearing aids after being thrown. Deputy James Regaldo and his K-9 partner Klesto began searching the pasture. Klesto found both hearing aids 10 feet apart, and they were returned to the injured man. Source: KSN-TV

Wichita mayor: Paid parking plan target date on pause for now

info2024-08-28T09:46:29-05:00August 28th, 2024|

Wichita’s mayor says the implementation date of Jan. 1 for paid parking in downtown, Old Town, and Delano has been paused. City council members, business owners, and community members met at a town hall on Monday to discuss their expectations for the policy. The town hall conversation was somewhat heated. Nortons Brewing Company organizers tell KSN that their goal with this meeting was to facilitate a more solution-minded discussion. “What we’ve done is put a complete pause. And getting feedback,” said Wichita Mayor Lily Wu. People and business owners are still not happy with the proposed switch to paid parking, which [...]

‘He was extraordinary’: Arkansas City Fire Department remembers fallen firefighter Trevor Rusk

info2024-08-28T09:44:13-05:00August 28th, 2024|

The Arkansas City Fire Department is mourning the loss of one of its own this weekend. Trevor Rusk died while off-duty. KSN spoke with several firefighters about the outsized impact Rusk had on his brothers and sisters. Rusk is described in many words, which is fitting given that one of his brothers called him a man of many words. He was known around the station for his wicked sense of humor and the many pranks he’d pull. He was also a respected, integral part of the team with an instinct and passion for the job. Rusk was a firefighter and EMT [...]

Wolf Creek officials assuage commissioners’ concerns

info2024-08-28T09:41:02-05:00August 28th, 2024|

Coffey County commissioners whether a wind farm or a solar farm in the county were negatively affecting the nuclear power plant’s level of production. An official said no, it would be a problem if renewable energy sources were not available to help meet demand. Coffey County commissioners questioned Evergy officials at their meeting last week whether neighboring wind and solar plants were posing undue competition to the Wolf Creek Generating Station, which Evergy has 94% ownership, according to the Coffey County Republican. Commissioners Don Meats and Jesse Knight asked, respectively, whether a wind farm or a solar farm in the county [...]