News – Page 504 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

City hopes new initiative will help solve affordable housing problem in Wichita

info2024-05-01T11:52:42-05:00May 1st, 2024|

Shanna Ramey has lived in a city-owned rental home for nearly two decades. It's where she raised her three kids and created a lifetime of memories, so it was devastating when she heard the news that the city of Wichita was selling all of the 300-plus homes it owns, including hers. "It was a lot of ups and downs. It was a lot of tears, because I thought I was gonna have to start all over," said Ramey. "It was hard. Horrible. Because I didn't know what to start." The city is giving all current renters the first right to buy the house they live in, which is something [...]

Newton Open Streets aims to bring community together

info2024-05-01T11:51:19-05:00May 1st, 2024|

Newton Open Streets shut down several roads between East 5th and East 6th, the intersection of Broadway and Oak and more. The City approved the request to close down roads from the Harvey County Health Department in order to hold a new community open streets event. "I think it just shows, like, what kind of community that we are, and I think it's good for the kids to get out and do something. Like, we're a small town, so sometimes there's not a lot to do. So, it's really cool that we're doing that this year," said Jordan Enriquez, a Newton resident. The goal [...]

Emergency response teams conduct water rescues in Fort Scott

info2024-05-01T11:50:34-05:00May 1st, 2024|

Water rescues kept emergency personnel from several agencies busy - earlier today. As of earlier this evening - city officials confirmed to us a total of five people had to be rescued throughout today. Officials say two of those five live in what is known as the "Belltown" neighborhood - which is just south of Highway 54 and north of Humbolt Street - near 215th Street. Fort Scott Fire Chief Dave Bruner says his department had some help from neighboring water rescue groups. "Once we were working on those, we actually called two other departments, Vernon County Water Rescue and the Pittsburg Fire Department to [...]

Newly renovated fire station in Shawnee will re-open Saturday. What’s changed?

info2024-05-01T11:49:42-05:00May 1st, 2024|

A once-outdated fire station in Shawnee will re-open as a state-of-the-art facility for firefighters in the area. Located at 6805 Hedge Lane Terrace, Fire Station 73 will host a grand opening from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday for people to check out the building’s upgrades. The renovations are part of a roughly $26 million project to upgrade the station, as well as the John B. Glaser Fire Station Headquarters, set to open later this year, at 6501 Quivira Road. “When you look at fire services around the country, these will be considered cutting-edge fire stations,” said Fire Chief Rick Potter. [...]

Kansas attorney general concludes Junction City Commission broke open meeting law

info2024-05-01T11:47:22-05:00May 1st, 2024|

An investigation by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach revealed the Junction City Commission violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act by convening a closed-door meeting to discuss an economic development project that included a livestock slaughter facility on the outskirts of the city. Public opposition to the once-confidential project, which could have forced sale of farmland for construction of roads and a traffic exit from Interstate 70, appears to have derailed the meatpacking project that was to have been built by Foote Cattle Co. During debate on the proposal, landowner Michelle Munson filed a two-part complaint in July 2023 with the attorney general containing [...]

Kansas Tourism Announces Participating Attractions for the Sunflower Summer Program for Kansas Families

info2024-05-01T11:33:34-05:00May 1st, 2024|

Kansas Tourism is pleased to announce the lineup of attractions participating in the 2024 Sunflower Summer program. Designed as a benefit for Kansas families with school-age children, Sunflower Summer offers a way to explore and fall in love with Kansas by providing complimentary access to tourism attractions across the state. The 2024 Sunflower Summer season will run from May 25 through August 11. More than 220 tourism attractions are participating in the program – a 97 percent increase from 2023. In order to participate in the program, Kansas families with school-age children must download the Sunflower Summer app and claim tickets to [...]

Governor Kelly Signs Balanced Budget Strengthening Workforce and Economic Development Opportunities; Addressing Water Issues

info2024-05-01T11:27:28-05:00May 1st, 2024|

Governor Laura Kelly today signed the state’s budget, Senate Bill 28, which allocates funding for Fiscal Years 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028. The budget makes expenditures to continue the Kelly administration’s progress to make Kansas the best place to live, work, and raise a family. “Thanks to the work we have done to get our state’s economy where it is, we can use our record surplus to make a positive impact on communities across the state,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The investments we make now in our infrastructure, our workforce, and our economic development put Kansas on a path of continued growth.” [...]

Severe weather rocks Kansas, other Midwestern states

info2024-05-01T11:22:45-05:00May 1st, 2024|

A tornado ripped apart a family barn Saturday just outside of Dexter in Cowley Co. KAKE News spoke with the owner of the barn, Jim Lindley, shortly after the twister passed through. He said he and his mother never expected to lose the barn this way. "We built this house and she's lived here. 40 some years. I thought she would be okay. We have a good safe place in the basement. But I was not prepared for this," Lindley said. "This was a century farm and a family over 120 years old and finally the buildings aren't that old, but [...]

City of Hays buys bank to expand police department

info2024-05-01T11:20:46-05:00May 1st, 2024|

The City of Hays has bought a bank to expand its police department. Commissioners signed off on the purchase on Thursday. The police department currently shares a building with the Ellis County Sheriff's Office. The Hays city manager says they outgrown it. "A myriad of reasons. One is Hays grows, and then we require more officers, more administrative staff. Ellis County Sheriff's Office shares the first floor of the law enforcement center and they're growing as well," said Hays City Manager Roby Dougherty. Dougherty says buying the bank is more cost-effective than starting from scratch. Source: KSN-TV

Storms lead to flooding, water rescue

info2024-05-01T11:19:11-05:00May 1st, 2024|

Water rescue teams arrived in Allen County this morning to help with recovery after severe storms pounded the area overnight. Flooding left limited routes into or out of Iola, with the U.S. 169/54 intersection closed to traffic. Motorists who need to get to Iola from the east can take a detour east on U.S. 54 to Moran, south to K-39 to Chanute and north to 169 to the Minnesota Road exit to State Street, or take the old highway from Humboldt to Iola. Emergency management officials were working to set up a shelter for those displaced by flooding. A water rescue [...]