News – Page 508 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Commercial solar ban set to expire in March, requirements could be changing

info2024-02-07T12:29:20-06:00February 7th, 2024|

A six-month ban on commercial solar projects in Sedgwick County expires in March. County Commissioners are looking into what needs to change before projects get the green light. The Advanced Plans Committee of the Sedgwick County Planning Department did not recommend changing much when it came to the process of getting a conditional use permit for commercial solar. However, Sedgwick County Commissioner David Dennis raised some red flags during Tuesday morning's meeting. "Up to this point, we really haven't given any guidance on what we think ought to go into it," said Dennis. Currently, there are no size restrictions on solar projects. [...]

Lessons for Kansans in Oklahoma City’s unified push on homelessness

info2024-02-07T12:28:12-06:00February 7th, 2024|

Before its passing in 2012, Johnny’s Lunch Box in downtown Oklahoma City was a legendary gathering spot where the coat-and-tie crowd shared tables and banter with the blue-collar multitude. In the early 2000s, Dan Straughn often grabbed a bite there with fellow business and community leaders. The restaurant also provided a window into a perplexing local concern, given that it was located down the street from the main library, which was serving as a de facto day shelter for the homeless. “You could just sit there and watch a parade of stereotypical homeless-looking people walk back and forth,” recalled Straughan, then vice [...]

Commission discusses moratorium on zoning

info2024-02-07T12:26:07-06:00February 7th, 2024|

Commissioner Carl Wood revisited the zoning issue in the county asking County Counselor Jim Emerson for more details on a moratorium. Emerson said that using a moratorium is a way to delay companies from building solar and wind farms as it gives the county time to update its strategic plan, zoning laws, and land usage. This is not a short process but can take a year or more to complete. Commissioners need to adopt a resolution giving Emerson the authority to draft a moratorium and hire an outside consulting firm to review zoning laws and the county’s strategic plan, which Emerson [...]

Busy Bentley resident excited to serve on school board

info2024-02-07T12:24:32-06:00February 7th, 2024|

Reba Lee, a former city council member for five years, looks forward to representing Bentley on the USD-440 Board of Education. Her first meeting was in January. Lee said that once children move from Bentley Primary School to Halstead Middle School, parents don’t give Bentley much of a thought after that, and she gets it. “I feel like sometimes Bentley does get overlooked a little bit, so maybe I can be the voice for Bentley,” Lee said. She thinks her time on the city council will help her term on the school board. “I learned a lot about different things that a lot of [...]

Norton County Hospital wants sales tax hike for support

info2024-02-07T12:18:54-06:00February 7th, 2024|

Like many smaller Kansas hospitals, Norton County Hospital is dealing with financial issues, and leaders think a countywide sales tax hike could help. It recently sent a letter to the Norton Area Chamber of Commerce asking the Chamber to support a one-cent tax hike. The letter is from Norton County Hospital CEO Kevin Faughnder, Interim CEO Kellen Jacobs, and CFO ReChelle Horinek. They say the hospital's average operating margin in 2021, 2022, and 2023 ranged from minus 15 to minus 20%. They say the typical operating margin for many Kansas Critical Access Hospitals is minus 11%. Norton County Hospital is dealing with lower insurance [...]

Kansas liquor law changes could let retailers sell wine

info2024-02-07T12:16:51-06:00February 7th, 2024|

New legislation under discussion by state lawmakers could make wine more readily available in Kansas. On Thursday, Feb. 1, Democrat Rep. Dan Osman introduced a new bill to the Committee on Federal and State Affairs, which could make sweeping changes to Kansas' liquor laws. The legislation, House Bill 2677, authorizes the sale of wine by cereal malt beverage (CMB) retailer licensees in the Sunflower State. If passed in its current state, the bill would alter or insert language in existing state liquor laws allowing for the sale of wine containing not more than 16% alcohol by volume. Under current state law, a CMB [...]

Fort Scott’s economic development initiative

info2024-02-07T12:15:36-06:00February 7th, 2024|

An economic development initiative was the center of attention tonight in Fort Scott. All part of a proposal by the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team during tonight's city commission meeting. Officials say, in the last five years, Fort Scott has lost 5 businesses and more than 640 jobs. Part of the collaborative initiative requests $50,000 to support the Center for Economic Growth - and an additional $80 to $100,000 salary to be budgeted by the city to hire an innovation and strategy director. "I think our proposal was very well received. I think every one of those commissioners wants what's best for this community, so [...]

Kansas City, Kansas, recorded its least deadly year in a decade. Police watchdogs are taking notice

info2024-02-07T12:13:39-06:00February 7th, 2024|

Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department statistics show a significant reduction in violent crime during Chief Karl Oakman’s first two years as head of the agency, and community watchdogs say the changes are commendable. After decades that reinforced the department's reputation as a corrupt force that failed to respond to a large violent crime problem — which past FBI reports confirm — the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department appears to be making strides toward better results. That’s even as former KCKPD Detective Roger Golubski faces a federal criminal trial on allegations that he was a dirty cop who protected drug dealers and serially [...]

KS Supreme Court closes school funding lawsuit

info2024-02-07T12:11:14-06:00February 7th, 2024|

A new move by the Kansas Supreme Court could make it harder for schools to argue they're fairly funded. The state Supreme Court closed a years-long funding lawsuit Tuesday. It required the state to meet adequacy and equity requirements in financing public education. If the budget didn't meet that requirement, it could be challenged. Since that ruling, the Kansas Supreme Court held oversight over K-12 education funding, and the state fully funded it for the last five years. Now, the court is ending that oversight, and schools would have to start from scratch to challenge budgets. Schools would have to file [...]

Streets dominate Frontenac discussion

info2024-02-07T12:10:01-06:00February 7th, 2024|

The Frontenac City Council spent most of Monday night’s meeting talking about an issue that many city governments are wrestling with this time of year – streets, potholes and repair. One group of citizens turned out with questions and concerns about the condition of North Sugar Creek Road. Others were there to talk about Barbara Lane and Herman Lane in northwest Frontenac and at least one was there with concerns about the future of Free King Highway. City Administrator John Zafuta said the city was aware of the problems on Sugar Creek Road, which have worsened rapidly because of winter weather and [...]