News – Page 517 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

County extends wind farm construction moratorium

info2024-03-15T12:42:10-05:00March 15th, 2024|

Labette County commissioners, on a 2-1 vote, agreed to extend the moratorium on wind energy project construction in the county through the end of September. The delay allows the county’s planning and zoning committee more time to get zoning regulations in place. The current moratorium expires on April 21, commissioners heard Monday. Commissioners Terry Weidert and Vince Schibi approved the extension. Commissioner Cole Proehl voted against it. The vote followed an update by Marc Jones, planning and zoning committee chair, on the planning committee’s progress toward zoning regulations. Jones offered commissioners three options for action. The first was to allow the [...]

Grant could bring ‘welcome’ change

info2024-03-15T12:38:31-05:00March 15th, 2024|

New “Welcome to Humboldt” signs could be in the making thanks to Allie Utley, granddaughter of the late Dick Davis, baseball historian and founder of Humboldt’s Walter Johnson and George Sweatt Fan Club. Utley most recently spearheaded the erection of a sign along U.S. 169 south of town recognizing hometown baseball greats Johnson and Sweatt. Utley, an Iola native who now lives in Overland Park and is an active organizer, plans to apply for a grant through the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Rural Murals program to help replace Humboldt’s aging signs on the south and north entrances to town. They were installed in [...]

City crews working to clean up homeless camps in south Topeka

info2024-03-15T12:37:06-05:00March 15th, 2024|

The City of Topeka is working to clean up homeless camps in south Topeka on Monday. City Spokeswoman Rosie Nichols said the City of Topeka's Street Department is currently working on the abatement of the encampments. She said crews started Monday morning and should be finished by Tuesday, but the cleanup could take until Wednesday. Several camps belonging to homeless individuals living along the Kansas River were cleared on Tuesday, Feb. 27 as part of a larger enforcement effort. The work is being implemented in a phased approach to enforce a camping ordinance passed last year limiting where people can camp in city limits. The city [...]

City of Lawrence plans: Open Pallet village, prohibit camping, establish police office downtown

info2024-03-15T12:21:11-05:00March 15th, 2024|

The City of Lawrence is planning to open a village of shelters for people experiencing homelessness Monday, soon end support at the sanctioned North Lawrence campsite, prohibit camping in that area and establish an office for police officers who will patrol downtown full time. A two-page report in the Lawrence City Commission’s meeting agenda for Tuesday, March 19 lays out staff members’ plans in a bit more detail on all the planned changes. The report does not ask for the commission to vote to approve any plans. The Lawrence Community Shelter will operate the Village, a community of 50 cabin-like structures on North [...]

Rossville community clears debris after EF2 tornado damages town

info2024-03-15T12:19:10-05:00March 15th, 2024|

A local man lost much of his property to Wednesday's EF2 tornado. The next day, many in the community showed up to lend a helping hand. Chad Shafstall's friend experienced the wicked storm that rolled through Rossville around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. "It messed his house up pretty good," Shafstall said. "Took out all of his buildings to speak of. Luckily, he was just fine. He was in a safe room in the basement and that kept him from having any issues." From roofing companies, to Rossville's chief of police directing traffic, Shafstall said the community quickly came to their aid. "We've got Free [...]

Shawnee County tornado sirens turn controversial for some local residents

info2024-03-15T12:17:54-05:00March 15th, 2024|

A local emergency management spokesman is weighing on why the decision was made to turn tornado sirens on during Wednesday night's storms. Tornado sirens could be heard across Shawnee County in the evening hours on March 13. 27 News spoke with Dusty Nichols with Shawnee County Emergency Management about the thinking behind setting off the county's tornado sirens. Tornados were reported in nearby counties with Shawnee County being placed on alert by the National Weather Service (NWS) as the storm system moved through northeast Kansas. Nichols said the sirens were activated as reports of tornadic activity came in from weather radar and storm [...]

Emporia nominated for USA Today’s favorite main street

info2024-03-15T12:16:11-05:00March 15th, 2024|

Emporia has been nominated by USA Today as one of the nation's favorite main streets for the 2024 Readers' Choice Awards. Every year nominees are selected by a panel of experts. This year six 10Best editors narrowed the final list of nominees. Each year the panel of experts selects 20 cities across the nation. "Emporia Main Street has been nominated as one of the Best Main Streets in the country by USA TODAY! Help us win the top spot by voting each day between NOW and Monday, April 8th," Emporia Main Street wrote on Facebook. In 2016 Emporia took the title of best main [...]

FREE Rural Health and Prosperity Grants 101 Workshop

info2024-03-15T10:58:32-05:00March 15th, 2024|

Registration Now Open! FREE Rural Health and Prosperity Grants 101 Workshop Mark your calendars! State and federal agencies are again collaborating to present a Rural Health and Prosperity Grants 101 Workshop in McPherson on April 16 & 17, 2024. Two track options to choose from, Health and Community. Health and social services providers, community and economic developers, city commissioners, city and county staff, faith-based and community leaders, school board members, workforce development boards, and bankers or other lending organizations are encouraged to attend. Discover grant opportunities, hear success stories, and get application tips for your community or organization. Visit the event page for [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for March 14, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-03-15T09:57:23-05:00March 15th, 2024|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

Wichita vs. Griffie: Constitutionality of Noise Ordinance

info2024-03-15T09:53:30-05:00March 15th, 2024|

This case requires us to decide whether the provision within Wichita Municipal Code of Ordinances (W.M.O.) § 5.24.010(c) criminalizing "noisy conduct tending to reasonably arouse alarm, anger or resentment in others" is unconstitutionally overbroad under the First Amendment. Both the district court and the Court of Appeals held the provision constitutional. We disagree. Applying the substantial overbreadth doctrine used by Kansas courts to adjudicate First Amendment overbreadth challenges, we conclude the noisy conduct provision within W.M.O. § 5.24.010(c) is unconstitutionally overbroad because it prohibits a substantial amount of protected activity in relation to the provision's plainly legitimate sweep. But our conclusion [...]