News – Page 473 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Fire departments speak out against proposed OSHA regulations

info2024-06-26T09:28:38-05:00June 26th, 2024|

First responders like firefighters are known to be in dangerous jobs. But OSHA, the federal agency that set and enforces standards for workplace conditions is hoping to help make those work environments as safe as possible. According to OSHA, the "existing safety and health standards do not adequately protect the emergency response workforce from these hazards." The federal agency has proposed a set of new regulations that would replace the current fire brigade standard implemented in 1980. “From what I can gather from OSHA is they're wanting to combine a whole bunch of, like, 22 guidelines into one mandate. Mandate is [...]

AGCO downsizing due to weakening demand in agriculture industry

info2024-06-26T09:25:54-05:00June 26th, 2024|

AGCO states they are reducing their salaried workforce by about 6% due to weakening demand in the agriculture industry. The company is not saying what locations are being affected. AGCO is estimating that they will spend $150 million to $200 million, which includes severance payments and employee benefits. They expect that amount to be spent this year and in the first half of 2025. The company said the decision to reduce its workforce is not related to the shift in production to Mexico, which was announced earlier in June. "Hesston will continue to manufacture Massey Ferguson windrowers, large square balers, combines and combine headers [...]

A Mammoth mitigation plan

info2024-06-26T09:24:15-05:00June 26th, 2024|

Killing two birds with one stone. This was the idea behind Mammoth Sports Construction’s presentation at Monday evening’s joint meeting of the Iola City Council and school board. Riverside Park poses flooding issues for the city and USD 257 has a need for ballfields that can still be utilized following heavy rains. The solution? Synthetic turf fields, bigger holding ponds and larger pumps to mitigate and redirect flood waters, according to Mammoth. The scope of the $3.733 million project includes an artificial turf softball, baseball, and football field that will help store flood waters during a major storm event. The fields [...]

SE Kansas under drought watch, Galena enacts emergency measures

info2024-06-26T09:23:05-05:00June 26th, 2024|

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly put all of Southeast Kansas under a "drought watch" on Monday. A water drought emergency ordinance continues in Galena. It came from the state through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and required the city to establish three stages of water conservation measures in case of an emergency. The city uses wells and is working on getting another one up and running. "I hope everybody, myself included, is conscious of their water usage - because I think we take a lot of things for granted - and at any time, something could turn on the dime," said [...]

Sedgwick County regulators hold up giant solar farm on Wichita’s outskirts amid objections from neighbors

info2024-06-26T09:21:04-05:00June 26th, 2024|

Sedgwick County appeared poised to follow its ban on wind farms with widely vetted regulations that would allow acre after acre of solar panels pumping renewable energy into the electrical grid. Instead, the county still has a moratorium on the construction of large-scale solar farms. “Boils down to a simple phrase: not in my backyard,” said Walt Chappell, a solar power booster and longtime critic of local government. The stall leaves the industry frustrated and some environmentalists upset that objections from neighbors who’d be near a proposed Chisholm Trail utility-scale solar project west of Maize may have blocked the project. Sedgwick County needed regulations for [...]

New expressway officially opens in SE Kansas

info2024-06-26T09:19:52-05:00June 26th, 2024|

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has officially opened the newly constructed U.S. 166/400 four-lane expressway, improving travel from Baxter Springs to the Kansas-Missouri border. This long-anticipated development is set to streamline traffic and enhance connectivity in the region. Currently, eastbound traffic on the new lanes is limited to a single lane until the final placement of pavement markings is completed. Motorists are advised to follow the signs and exercise caution as work continues. As construction activities are still ongoing in the project area, KDOT urges drivers to stay vigilant, obey traffic signs, and adhere to reduced speed limits to ensure safety for [...]

Riley County firefighters host ‘forced entry’ training

info2024-06-26T09:18:15-05:00June 26th, 2024|

Firefighters in Riley County came together to host a 'forceful entry' training session Tuesday evening. The firefighters were given a vacant home to use during the training. Workers filled the home with fake smoke to simulate an actual house fire, which firefighters forcefully entered to put out the source. Riley County Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief Russel Stukey told 27 News the two most important things firefighters need to remember when forcefully entering a burning building are safety and following procedure. "Do the least amount of damage as possible, but enough to get the job done, to get us in the building safely [...]

Per Federal compliance requirements, local law enforcement communication channels to become encrypted effective July 8

info2024-06-26T09:17:14-05:00June 26th, 2024|

With identity theft and cybercrime becoming a more pressing concern almost daily, local law enforcement will be making major changes to radio traffic to help safeguard personal information. According to Lyon County Emergency Communications Center Director Roxanne Van Gundy, effective July 8 all radio transmissions for local law enforcement — Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Emporia Police and Emporia State University Police and Safety — will become encrypted. Van Gundy says a significant amount of personal data is communicated over the airwaves when it comes to emergencies. She says many have access to these law enforcement channels whether through police scanners or apps and [...]

Zoning moratorium among items up for consideration when Lyon County Commissioners convene Thursday

info2024-06-26T09:14:15-05:00June 26th, 2024|

Lyon County Commissioners will consider signing a resolution that would establish a moratorium and suspend any applications related to zoning, land use and building permitting within Lyon County during their regular action meeting Thursday. The purpose of the moratorium is to allow the Lyon County Planning and Zoning Board to review zoning regulations related to medical buildings. It was reported earlier this month that Stormont Vail Health had purchased land to build a new multi-million dollar medical facility in the county, however, calls for confirmation from KVOE to Stormont have not been returned. Commission Chairman Rollie Martin tells KVOE News the resolution being [...]

Equipment super load coming to Emporia soon

info2024-06-26T09:13:14-05:00June 26th, 2024|

Just how big is the equipment super load moving through Emporia on Tuesday morning? The city of Emporia Facebook page says the boiler is 22 feet tall, 22 feet wide and 216 feet long — or over 70 yards. It also weighs 660,000 pounds. The equipment stopped in Madison overnight on its way from Oklahoma to California. It is using Kansas Highway 99 north to reach Emporia. The city of Emporia has already made several traffic adjustments, temporarily disabling the stoplights at 12th and Merchant starting Monday and detouring northbound traffic on Merchant — starting at 12th — east to Burlingame Road once the load [...]