Shawnee Mission North turns 100 this week

Shawnee Mission North High School students, staff and alumni are set to celebrate the school’s 100th anniversary over the course of three days later this week, which marks the official centenary for what is believed to be Johnson County’s oldest functioning high school. Known affectionately as “the Brick House,” SM North, which opened its doors as Shawnee Mission Rural High School in 1922, is the oldest high school still in operation in Johnson County, according to local experts.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2022-09-07T07:10:23-05:00September 7, 2022|News|

Haysville USD 261 hosts new community retreat

Ahead of the 2022-2023 school year, Haysville Public Schools hosted a new community retreat at the start of August to share about how the district conducts its business. Roughly 80 people attended the retreat, held at Campus High School. Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson served as the keynote speaker for the event. He discussed the state’s education goals and how districts might implement them.
Source: Derby Informer | Area

Ranson Financial2022-09-06T23:59:28-05:00September 6, 2022|News|

Residency requirements for City of Topeka employees amended

The Topeka City Council voted to change the residency requirements for employees of the capital city. City employees are now required to live in the state of Kansas while department directors and judges must live in Shawnee County. The city manager must live in Topeka as well. All employees are encouraged to live within the city limits. The city manager does have the ability to amend the requirement for the department directors to live within the county if the position becomes difficult to fill.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Ranson Financial2022-09-06T23:57:54-05:00September 6, 2022|News|

Johnson County adds $610K to hazardous waste recycling project

Johnson County will allocate additional funds toward creating a new hazardous waste recycling center. The Household Hazardous Waste Facility (HHWF) project was approved by the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) as part of the 2022 budget. The $3 million capital project will create a new hazardous waste recycling facility near U.S. 69 Highway in Overland Park. The county has operated the current HHWF in Mission for roughly 30 years. That site accepts, recycles and disposes of common household materials that cannot be thrown away with regular trash, including things like fluorescent light bulbs, aerosol cans and paint.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF

Ranson Financial2022-09-06T23:50:24-05:00September 6, 2022|News|

We’re running out of water

Aquifers are being depleted by irrigation. Reservoirs are filling with settlement. Fertilizer runoff is contamination water and feeding toxic algae. Kansas water experts provided lawmakers a sobering overview of quantity and quality issues facing all areas of the state. While more money and bureaucratic reshuffling were floated as solutions, the Special Committee on Water left Topeka last week without a clear path forward for the 2023 Legislature. “I think it’s pretty clear: If we continue business as usual, it’s not going to end well,” said Jim Butler, a Kansas Geological Survey geohydrologist.
Source: Salina Journal

Ranson Financial2022-09-06T07:42:34-05:00September 6, 2022|News|

Honoring farmers in Haven

Understanding the backbone of Haven is in its agriculture. Jake Feil, who runs a goat operation, set out to beautify Main Street with a mural honoring the town’s farmers. Last week, the mural was completed, adding another large artwork to Main Street. “This mural pays homage to our local farmers and farming community,” Feil said.
Source: Hutch News

Ranson Financial2022-09-06T07:41:37-05:00September 6, 2022|News|

Andover YMCA Aiming for Spring 2024 Reopen After April Tornado

The Andover YMCA is set to reopen in 2024. The facility was heavily damaged after the April tornado, and officials say they have been working with insurance companies to determine what areas of the facility need to be rebuilt, and which need to be remodeled. Officials said the building’s administrative offices, locker rooms and lobby received the most significant damage most significant damage, but added that every other area in the building sustained damage of some kind. In the interim, Greater Wichita YMCA CEO Ronn McMahon said that many members have been using other YMCA locations, but the goal is to open the water park by next summer and they are aiming to open the Andover YMCA building sometime in the spring of 2024.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Ranson Financial2022-09-06T00:30:05-05:00September 6, 2022|News|

Dignitaries celebrate Cowley College centennial

Cowley College held a proclamation celebration Wednesday in the Robert Brown Theatre to recognize the 100th anniversary of the school, which marks the first official day of classes on Sept. 12, 1922. The event also shared the vision for the future Career and Technical Education Center to be built on the main campus in Arkansas City. Cowley government affairs liaison Jessica Lucas emceed Wednesday’s event. “You don’t reach 100 years of success without strong leaders, and Cowley College has certainly been richly blessed by a community of people that have dedicated themselves to supporting investments in the local community college,” Lucas said. “Those investments have resulted in life-changing educational opportunities for thousands of people, a feat made possible by the dedicated staff that has served the school for decades.”
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

Ranson Financial2022-09-06T00:25:19-05:00September 6, 2022|News|

Jackson water crisis reminds City leaders of new water treatment facility’s importance

As the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi continues, so does construction on Wichita’s new water treatment facility. Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple said the situation down South is reminding him of the importance of the new plant. President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration in Jackson this week. Residents there have been without clean drinking water after a water treatment facility failed due to deferred maintenance. “The expectation is for Wichita to be ahead of the curb when it comes to replacing infrastructure before that infrastructure causes deeper problems,” Whipple said. Wichita’s new facility will replace its old one. It is 80-years-old.
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2022-09-06T00:23:57-05:00September 6, 2022|News|

New Health Department Director named in Crawford Co.

There’s a new face behind public health in Southeast Kansas. Debra Anthony has been named the new health department director of Crawford County. Anthony has around 30 years of experience in the healthcare field. She was a part of the Crawford County EMS for 11 of those years. She is a registered nurse, with a degree from the University of Kansas, and experience in the ICU and hospice. Anthony has been a member of the health department for 11 years. She says she’s ready to take the lessons the department has learned over the COVID-19 pandemic to help improve Crawford County.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Ranson Financial2022-09-06T00:17:06-05:00September 6, 2022|News|