Winfield Sears to close after nearly 20 years in business

After nearly 20 years in business, the Sears Hometown Store at 912 Main St. in Winfield will close later this year. The store, which sells appliances, tools and other equipment, is closing due to a lack of business and the inability to get products, said manager Kelli Osen, with customers having to wait months to receive orders. “People do not want to wait for refrigerators for eight months,” Osen said. The last day in business is scheduled for July 14, although the store could close earlier if the remaining inventory sells out before then. Osen said the Winfield Sears decided not to renew its franchise contract with the Sears corporate office once their current three-year term is up. Sears could have stepped in to keep the Winfield location open as a corporate-owned store, but declined to do that as well, said Osen. The Winfield Sears currently has three employees, but has had some trouble keeping a third employee, Osen said.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler

Ranson Financial2022-06-02T08:29:38-05:00June 2, 2022|News|

K-State doctor gives eye exams to Wichita police K-9s

The animals that serve Wichita got a free eye exam on Wednesday, courtesy of a doctor from the Kansas State University (K-State) Veterinary Health Center. Dr. Jessica Meekins, associate professor of ophthalmology at K-State, stopped at McConnell Air Force Base in the morning and checked the service animals there. In the afternoon, she provided eye exams for the Wichita Police Department K-9s. She said she was looking for any eye problems that could potentially impact their ability to perform their jobs. “The major difference between a dog eye exam and a person eye exam is the ability of people to read the letters on a chart and actually describe what they’re seeing,” Meekins said. “So it’s a little bit more detailed and intricate for us to evaluate the acuity of vision in dogs.”
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2022-06-02T08:33:06-05:00June 2, 2022|News|

Generational poverty hurts the health of people in southeast Kansas and Wyandotte County

The disparities between Wyandotte and its neighbor to the south — Johnson County — remain the most dramatic contrast in the state. Residents of Wyandotte County and southeast Kansas face worse health outcomes than most of the rest of the state. A new report of annual health rankings from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute considers premature death, births of low-weight newborns, mental well-being and other factors. Southeast Kansas has struggled with poverty for generations — going back to the heyday of the region’s coal, zinc and lead mining industries. Those industries attracted immigrants willing to work dangerous jobs. The Kansas City, Kansas, area faces the cumulative effects of redlining and racism that have hindered financial investment in neighborhoods populated by people of color for decades.
Source: Wyandotte Daily

Ranson Financial2022-06-02T07:43:26-05:00June 2, 2022|News|

Sedgwick County Emergency Mgmt. Cautioning Drivers as Flood Risk Continues Thru Thursday Afternoon

Sedgwick County Emergency Management is reminding residents of the ongoing flooding that will continue through June 2nd. Tuesday night, 911 and first responders dealt with over 60 calls for help from people who had driven into high water and became stuck. Flooding kills more people than any other severe weather-related hazard. Most deaths associated with floods occur either at night or when people become trapped in automobiles that stall while driving in areas that are flooded. Most cars will float (and be swept away) in 18-24 inches of moving water. Trucks and SUVs have only 6-12 more inches of clearance. Sedgwick County Emergency Management strongly discourages motorists from driving into flooded roadways. Whether a water-covered road is closed with barricades or not, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!”
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Ranson Financial2022-06-02T07:42:03-05:00June 2, 2022|News|

Emporia approves tech grant funding

The Emporia City Commission offered partial matching funds toward a request from Emporia Main Street executive director Casey Woods for a tech accelerator program, Wednesday afternoon. Woods said Main Street needs $750,000 to match a possible grant from the Economic Development Administration. He asked the Lyon County Commission for the funding last month, but the county did not want to act without a funding partner. Woods said the grand would help Emporia’s effort to build and support tech jobs. He said the city and county have been known to support these types of things before. “The crux of what we’re asking for today is consideration by the city to join in with other partners and support tech based entrepreneurs,” he said.
Source: Emporia Gazette

Ranson Financial2022-06-02T08:30:22-05:00June 2, 2022|News|

Parts of Tampa evacuated after gas leak

Firefighters evacuated residents of several houses for nearly two hours after a driver hit a Tampa gas meter at 12:37 a.m. Saturday in the 200 block of 5th St. The accident caused the underground gas pipe to break, so deputies and Tampa firefighters blocked off the street until Atmos Energy technicians arrived and got the leak shut off. Deputies and firefighters were able to leave the scene at 2:40 a.m.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Ranson Financial2022-06-02T07:37:58-05:00June 2, 2022|News|

Florence marks 150 years

Residents and past residents of Florence gathered Saturday to mark the town’s 150th birthday, and others came from near and far in anticipation of a Sunday motorcycle race. A discussion of days gone by at the Harvey House museum drew 23 audience members to hear former resident Doug Westerhaus talk about Florence history. Westerhaus then held the microphone out to audience members who grew up in Florence, asking them to share their favorite memories.
[HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Ranson Financial2022-06-02T08:34:36-05:00June 2, 2022|News|

Topeka’s Little Russia district copes with closing of Porubsky’s eatery

The 1951 flood destroyed Topeka’s Sardou Bridge, but not the nearby Porubsky’s diner. Its owners rebuilt and reopened it. The family-owned eatery also survived a 1966 fire that forced it to temporarily close. Porubsky’s resilience inspired residents of North Topeka’s Little Russia community, for which it was the centerpiece, says Topeka City Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala. “Symbolically, that was huge for people to know that even after this horrific flooding, Porubsky’s stayed,” she told The Capital-Journal. “I think that there’s really something to be said about those markers like Porubsky’s that are able to weather the storms.”
Source: CJonline

Ranson Financial2022-06-01T08:10:48-05:00June 1, 2022|News|

Making a change after 30 years at the Reno County Museum

The wheels of change are coming to the Reno County Museum. The museum has received grants to improve the children’s area and to make changes to some of the galleries. The first changes are underway in the children’s area, called the Oodleplex, with a new, large, colorful train engine, tank car and caboose built with a grant from the BNSF Railway railroad company. “We wouldn’t be here without the Santa Fe railroad and that’s why when we did the train, we wanted to make it big and grand and right in your face because this is where it started with the expansion of the west with the railroad,” said David Reed, chief curator.
Source: Hutch News

Ranson Financial2022-06-01T08:09:07-05:00June 1, 2022|News|